Method

Process

Efficacy

Constraints

Legal Issues

Cost

& Safety

Advantages

Disadvantages

• use bait to attract deer to designated area
• 1^st treatment: capture, tag and dose with anti-fertility agent
• subsequent treatments: booster agent administered by dart

• 85-90% effective for each deer treated as long as boosters are maintained
• 2 doses first year, single dose each year after
• 70%+ of females must receive treatment the 1^st year. To maintain, must treat 100% of the original 70%

• in order to discharge firearms, permission of landowners within 500 feet is needed
• need for boosters requires an adequate number of darting sites
• easier to capture for treatment a few does but increasingly difficult to capture a higher percentage of does

• state DEC permit required
• Cayuga Heights Village permit required
• INAD permit required

• $1000 per deer for 2 years. Additional cost each year after.

• contamination of meat (necessitates ear tags)
• possible stray darts

• public acceptance

• 1^st treatment requires substantial effort to capture, tag & treat
• subsequent booster treatments require repeated effort & cost
• locating deer for boosters becomes increasingly difficult over time as deer become wary
• no immediate population reduction

Sterilization

• use bait to attract deer to designated sites
• capture deer and perform tubal ligation or vasectomy

• 90% effective for each deer treated
• no booster required

• in order to discharge firearms, permission of landowners within 500 feet is needed
• removal to operating site

• state DEC permit required
• Cayuga Heights permit required

• $200/deer for first 40 deer plus $20,000 for capital equipment (true cost not known yet)
• cost may increase in the future once veterinarian services are no longer donated

• inconsequential

• high public acceptance
• single treatment means less effort over time
• one-time cost

• capital equipment cost
• necessity for surgeons to be on call
• captured males represent nonproductive captures
• slow long-term population reduction

• this method of population control causes the pregnant female to abort its young
• does are treated each year with chemicals delivered using bio-bullets.

• moderate to highly effective (65 - 100% efficacy)

• an adequate percentage of does (70%+) need to be treated each year.
• need sites from which to shoot the deer with bio-bullets.
• expensive since deer must be treated each year.

• permit is needed for firearm discharge in Cayuga Heights
• permission of neighbors within approximately 500 feet needed
• DEC approval needed to treat deer with chemical

• $300 per deer per year for bait and labor
• additional capital equipment costs for biobullet rifle

• not an issue

• deer can be treated once a year during the winter

• no immediate population reduction
• narrow window of treatment
• does must be treated every year
• negative public perception
• need multiple bait sites

Method

Process

Efficacy

Constraints

Legal Issues

Cost

& Safety

Advantages

Disadvantages

• use bait to attract deer to designated sites
• use bow & arrow, shotgun, or rifle with silencer
• shoot from elevated stands or blinds to eliminate stray bullets or arrows

• 100% effective for each deer treated
• no boosters required

• in order to discharge firearms, permission of landowners within 500 feet is needed

• state DEC permit required
• Cayuga Heights Village permit required
• permission of neighbors within 500 ft. is required

• $300 /deer
• potential for additional cost for law enforcement officers

• safe when properly managed

• immediate population reduction
• cost effective
• effective way to quickly reduce population in a small area like Cayuga Heights

• low public acceptance
• noise of gunfire could cause concern

Sterilization of remaining population

• use bait and shoot for immediate population reduction
• use surgical sterilization to further reduce population

• 90 - 100% effective for each deer treated
• no booster required

• in order to discharge firearms, permission of landowners within 500 feet is needed
• some deer removed to a field hospital site

• state DEC permit required
• Cayuga Heights permit required

• $200 - $300/deer plus capital equipment costs
• potential for additional cost for lawn enforcement officers

• safe when properly managed

• immediate population reduction
• reduced sterilization cost because number of deer to be treated has been reduced
• effective for population reduction in a small area like Cayuga Heights for population reduction

• capital equipment cost
• after bait and shoot remaining deer are likely to be difficult to capture