Urban Roe Deer Immunocontraception Population Control - Yes or No?

I am a student of Greenwich University currently conducting a study on Urban Deer Immunocontraceptive Population Control. It is the purpose of my study not to irradicate culling, as i do understand the need for it, but to offer an alternative population control for wild urban Roe Deer in environments where culling by rifle is inappropriate, such as small urban woodlands, public parks, etc...

:?: Would you, the stalking community, support and/or carry out an immunocontraceptive population control on Deer if it was in an environment unsuitable for the use of firearms?​
 
I would firstly attend to the construction of the the English language, or at least find the spellcheck facility, but if you are what you say you are, then define a place unsuitable for control of deer in the sense you describe.
 
Andy

This is gonna be a tetchy subject indeed!.....as proven with the same situation with the wild boar!!!

this kind of research has been carried out in the states, perhaps you should look at what 's been done over there.
 
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I believe the re-introduction of bow hunting would be the way forward for controling deer in the urban environment.

Deer Immunocontraceptive Population Control I believe is attempting to play god and meadling with nature and nearly always ends in tears.
 
I am a student of Greenwich University currently conducting a study on Urban Deer Immunocontraceptive Population Control. It is the purpose of my study not to irradicate culling, as i do understand the need for it, but to offer an alternative population control for wild urban Roe Deer in environments where culling by rifle is inappropriate, such as small urban woodlands, public parks, etc...

:?: Would you, the stalking community, support and/or carry out an immunocontraceptive population control on Deer if it was in an environment unsuitable for the use of firearms?

Andy, Have you contacted the Central Scientific Laboratories at Sandhutton about their attempts to do this in wild boar in the Forest of Dean?

I have, and have the replies. I have also talked to the Head Forester and some of the landowners affected by this disasterous failure. I would be interested in the reasons behind your questions?

What delivery method are you advocating?

Because it seems that your premise is that it is unsafe to shoot in urban areas, this would obviously preclude the police shooting in urban areas too. They seem to manage using high power rifles and expanding ammunition quite safely, at least in respect of the general public's safety. There are several firms that already do deer and vermin control in urban areas, seemingly quite safely.

Your's confusedly, ft
 
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Because it seems that your premise is that it is unsafe to shoot in urban areas, this would obviously preclude the police shooting in urban areas too. They seem to manage using high power rifles and expanding ammunition quite safely, at least in respect of the general public's safety. There are several firms that already do deer and vermin control in urban areas, seemingly quite safely.

Your's confusedly, ft

It does not help when you have the FC Haed Ranger for the New Forest on breakfast TV saying that Urban Deer cannot be shot as it is far too dangerous. :doh::doh:
 
It's been tried repeatedly in the US. It only works where you have a population that is within completely controlled boundaries i.e. fenced enclosure, a small island etc. Additionally the delivery of the contraceptive is problematic. If it's in feed then the delivery needs to be tightly controlled (and the carcases cannot be used) or it needs to be injected by either catching the deer or remote delivery (darting). All of these problematic issues add to the cost of the program and unless it's in a research environment the cost is very nearly always (99.9% of the time) prohibitive.

A much more sustainable and humane solution is to cull using baiting and weapons suited to the operating environment. These may be firearms using appropriate frangible bullets (no monometals!!!) or we could look at changing the law to allow bow use in certain circumstances. If you take a look at many of the bow wounding studies carried out in the states you will find rates of wounding that are low and comparable with those caused by firearms. A modern broadhead is a fearsome thing but it's lethal range is very low compared with any firearm ordnance.

There is a huge range of data from the US which can be used to compare the problems we have/are going to have in the uk.

If your request is genuine then by all means PM me and I can give you a good number of sources to set you on the right track.
 
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Stephen you are right this is a tetchy subject!

I have looked at research from the USA and it has been proven to work in some cases but current UK legislation prevents this in the UK although there is a study currently being done in the UK funded by the Forestry Commission but the results will only be published in 2011.

:?:I take it that you, the deer stalking community, would not support an immunocontraceptive population control then?

:?:How about if a flawless immunocontraceptive vaccine was introduced, would you support that?


Finnbear - i don't think there is 'a place unsuitable for control of deer' but i think there are environments unsuitable for the use of firearms, such as small woodlands and public parks with housing within 500m, public rights of way, public opposition, etc...
 
Finnbear - i don't think there is 'a place unsuitable for control of deer' but i think there are environments unsuitable for the use of firearms, such as small woodlands and public parks with housing within 500m, public rights of way, public opposition, etc...


I have and still do cull deer in all of those situations without issue.
 
I have looked at research from the USA and it has been proven to work in some cases but current UK legislation prevents this in the UK although there is a study currently being done in the UK funded by the Forestry Commission but the results will only be published in 2011.

The question you have to ask is whether the money spent on any contraception program would have been better spent on control based on current best practice? It would likely accomplish 10 times the amount of control in a more humane manner. Just because the deer don't die doesn't mean it is a more humane solution. Ask yourself this question: Is it morally acceptable to deny an animal the opportunity to exhibit normal behaviours and life patterns? Would it not be better to allow them to behave normally and achieve a sustainable balance while producing quality organic food? The issue of public acceptance could also be overcome if the research budget put into contraception was used for public education.
 
Stephen you are right this is a tetchy subject!
I have looked at research from the USA and it has been proven to work in some cases but current UK legislation prevents this in the UK although there is a study currently being done in the UK funded by the Forestry Commission but the results will only be published in 2011.

Andy, so Have you reasearched what the CSL from Sandhutton have been doing?

Because even if the study has not yet been published it is easy to find out the problems that they have been having. They will even talk to you about it. You still do not mention delivery method which, to me, is critical as it impacts on stress imparted to the deer?

ft
 
:?: Would you, the stalking community, support and/or carry out an immunocontraceptive population control on Deer if it was in an environment unsuitable for the use of firearms?

Would that be DSC ,(Deer Stalking Contraceptive) level 1 or 2 ???
 
Now then student Andy, I have just finished an e-mail to you which I foolishly believed had been sent to the admin asking for us to fill in a questionnaire and give you our opinion. In my reply to you I suggested that you join the forum and explain you quest to the members. I also said that you should be prepared to fight your corner. Well it seems that the impatience of youth got the better of you, and you have led with both your feet sticking out.

I love the way you have "researched" the unsuitable places for firearms "such as small woodlands and public parks with housing within 500m, public rights of way, public opposition, etc..." If you want to know something ask, and ask the right people. All the research material you need is held within the experience of the members of this site. If you really want to learn I would, if I were you, explain what it is you are after, why you are after it and what you intend to use it for. The urban deer are only pretty and cute until they destroy gardens and cause accidents, the public are fickle
 
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