Wild ungulate vontraception: Use of GnRH agonist or GnRH vaccine to control reproduction in captive and free-ranging female elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni)

Abstract

Limiting the abundance of free-ranging ungulate populations is a significant issue for natural resource managers in many areas of North America. Hunting and culling have traditionally been used to regulate wild animal numbers but there are a growing number of circumstances where these methods pose significant legal, ethical, and ecological challenges, and resource managers often seek alternative approaches to population control. Decreasing fertility offers a potential non-lethal method for limiting population growth; however, current technologies suffer from a variety of technical, physiological, and regulatory problems.