Deer Capture & Relocation

[sharkey]

Hi Sharkey,


I'd be interested to hear of your dose rates for Zoletil/Xylazine and the additional Diazepam. Do you think it would be good for de-antlering BIG Red stags (300+ Kgs)? Perhaps you could PM me on this.

Regards,

Mike.


Mike Allison
Managing Director - Jelen Deer Services
01264 811155

G'day Mike
I did write a long winded PM but I think Its lost. Grr

Short answer yes. I use half the dose recommended by Kreeger & Arnemo in their hand book. This includes wild red stags not just farm or park deer. Animals carrying large fat deposits will contradict this though & larger/recomended doses will be needed.

If using the xylazine/ketamine mix I'd just use about 20mg diazepam (4cc pamlin) SC at the time of administering the antagonist (at your vets discretion of course). Zoletil is half diazepam, & this stops the negative "ketamine effect" occurring from the tiletamine. Zoletil is an anaesthetic, not just a tranquilliser, so animals really are "out". There is no antagonist for zoletil, but the xylazine in this brew is & can be reversed (I like to wait about 45 mins to reverse, but I know many who don't think its necessary & have very few problems) & this will speed things up a bit, as it allows less zoletil to be used in the first place. I don't reverse IV, I usually give the antagonist IM in two sites rump/shoulder to speed things up a wee bit. The first few times using zoletil & doing "anaesthesia" instead of "tranquillising" you will feel a bit anxious, just keep the animals in a safe position, check on the capillary refill times & monitor the vitals & you'll soon gain confidence with it.

Another great aspect of zoletil is, as it is a powder, its great for allowing the use of smaller capacity darts. Some folks "dry" the xylazine to 200mg/ml (check with local licensing & laws) & its pretty easy to get 200mg of xylazine & 250mg of zoletil into a 1cc dart.

All the best
Sharkey

Ps. If you think elk have a mean streak, try to get an opportunity to play with sambar. They are wonderful in the paddock, they usually look around & think before panicking, they move through gates & lanes with ease, but as soon as they are backed into a corner they "will" defend themselves. They are similar to some of the african antelope in this regard. Great fun! LOL

 

[Jelendeer]

Hi Sharkey,

Many thanks for that. Great information there. Much appreciated.

Interesting about backing off the recommended doses and still getting reliable results. Incidentally, when darting the PD's last week we backed off the recommended dose of 4-5ml of Atipam to reverse the Xylazine right back down to 1ml and even down to 0.75ml and injected IM. Most of the animals were up and about within 5 mins, and even walked up into the transporter.

Anyway thanks again for your detailed post. I'll be sure to let you know how we get on with the Reds in the next two weeks.

Regards,

Mike.

Mike Allison
Managing Director - Jelen Deer Services
01264 811155

 

[User00001]

I was sedated with Diazepam a few weeks ago for dental work and I though at the time it would be a good addition to the mix for deer work. Instant knock down, no recollection of the surgery, quick to revive. Sleepy but mobile for a few hour afterwards. Only downside is that you do tend to dribble and talk a load of ******** on the way home according to Julian! Glyn

 

[sharkey]

Hi Sharkey,

Anyway thanks again for your detailed post. I'll be sure to let you know how we get on with the Reds in the next two weeks.

Regards,

Mike.

Mike Allison
Managing Director - Jelen Deer Services
01264 811155

G'day Mike.

It's always a pleasure to discuss any aspects of good deer management. Anyone who doesn't believe that chemical capture skills are a vital aspect to game management & research into deer ecology needs to take a good look at themselves. Sure, chemical capture overlaps many other fields of science which goes well beyond hunting & sustainable use, however I always find satisfaction in the fact that it's good "deer men" who always seem rise to the top in this field above all others.

Having good peer review is something I'm sure we all truly value & I would dearly love to hear your results on the reds in a few weeks. I'm always more than happy to reciprocate with what has been successful, but also more importantly to discuss what has failed too in this part of the world.

Cheers
Bob