Fall 2011

A wary deer peers out from a February forest. As deer flourish in the absence of natural predators, and suburbs extend tendrils into formerly wooded areas, deer-human conflicts inevitably arise. In the past, these conflicts most often have been resolved through culling of deer populations. Immunocontraception drugs offer a way to keep deer populations in check through nonlethal, relatively nonintrusive means. Scientists, citizens, and many animal welfare advocates are increasingly supportive of immunocontraception as a humane method of controlling wildlife populations in lieu of traditional lethal methods. AWI examines the benefits of immunocontraception as well as the resistance to such methods by some.