Contraception and Deer: The Irondequoit Report by William Porter and Brian Underwood
The events that transpired during the 1990's in the western New York community of Irondequoit constitute a remarkable experiment in conservation. Irondequoit is an upscale suburb of Rochester. At issue was what to do with an exploding deer population. Citizen groups organized to advocate different solutions to the problem, some favoring hunting or culling the populations; others opposing any lethal actions. After a citizen task force made recommendations that included culling the herd, opponents took their case to court. They lost, but that loss was not an end to the debate. Anger and frustration increased to the point that open dialog became almost impossible. A more inclusive and constructive process began when a group of citizens prompted local government officials to explore contraception. With an extraordinary display of civic leadership, residents and public servants in the town built a grassroots political coalition. In turn, the coalition provided that catalyst for the formation of a partnership of local, county, and state governments, the state conservation agency and two major research universities. This book describes one of the products of that effort: the findings of a field study to assess the feasibility of using contraception to control the growth of the deer population in Irondequoit. This book is written in semi-technical language and is both a lesson in deer biology and a portal into the many issues surrounding the management of overabundant deer herds through fertility control. Any municipality, park or community looking at contraception as a means of managing deer should read this book first!
William F. Porter, PhD, is Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the College of Environmental Science & Forestry, State University of New York in Syracuse. H.
Brian Underwood, PhD, is Leader of the Cooperative Park Studies Unit of the U. S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, a the College of Environmental Science & Forestry, State University of New York in Syracuse.
