Efficacy of surgical sterilization for managing overabundant suburban white-tailed deer

• Published in: Wildlife Society bulletin Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 727 - 735
• Main Authors: Boulanger, Jason R., Curtis, Paul D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2016; Wildlife Society
• Subjects: Odocoileus virginianus; Original Article; sterilization surgery; suburban; white-tailed deer
• ISSN: 1938-5463; 1938-5463; 2328-5540
• DOI: 10.1002/wsb.706

Based on decades of increasing deer effects on local biodiversity, agricultural damage, and deer–vehicle collisions, we implemented a suburban white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) research and management program in 2007 on Cornell University lands in Tompkins County, New York, USA. We attempted to reduce deer numbers by surgically sterilizing female deer in the 445-ha suburban core campus via tubal ligation and ovariectomy. From 2007 to 2013, we sterilized 93 deer and radiocollared 67 adult females to monitor fawning. Tubal ligation and ovariectomy surgeries appeared to prevent birth in 96% and 100% of treated female deer, respectively. We implemented a camera survey, used a mark–resight model in Program NOREMARK to estimate annual deer abundance, and observed no reduction in female abundance by winter 2013. Conversely, we noted a 38% and 79% decrease of total adult females and fawns visible in sampled photographs, respectively, and an 873% increase in adult male visitation to camera traps on core campus. Surgical sterilization appeared to be ineffective for reducing the abundance of a geographically open population of white-tailed deer in the absence of lethal management. We do not recommend surgical sterilization as a stand-alone method for communities wishing to pursue mitigation of deer impacts with nonlethal approaches.