Evaluation of a Trap-Sterilize-Release Program for White-tailed Deer Management in Highland Park, Illinois, 2002-2005

Surgical tubal ligation was used for the sterilization of urban free-ranging whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) as part of a larger study investigating the influences of intact, sterile females on population and behavior. Over three years, 103 female and 78 male individual deer were captured in Highland Park, Illinois, and a subset of females were sterilized by tubal ligation and/or transection (n = 66). Deer were either trapped in clover traps (n = 54) and induced with an intramuscular injection of 2.5 mg/kg xylaxine and 2 3 mg/kg tiletamine/zolazepam or darted (n = 12) and induced similarly. Deer were intubated and maintained on isoflurane in oxygen. An initial procedure of laparoscopic tubal transection (n = 3) was abandoned after the first three animals in favor of ventral laparotomies (n = 63) in order to simplify procedures for this project. Laparotomy techniques included oviductal ligation and transection (n = 14), the application of an oviductal mechanical clip (n = 9), or ligation and partial salpingectomy (n = 40). One mortality (1 / 67, 1.5 %) was directly attributable to a laparoscopic surgery, but no mortalities resulted from the laparotomies. Tubal ligation by ventral laparotomy provides sterilization with low mortality in white-tailed deer.