http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/65721007.html
UPDATE: On Sept. 29, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a contraceptive vaccine for use on deer. The vaccine, known as GonaCon, was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is a non-lethal alternative to culling and hunting deer to control population growth.
New Jersey plans to allow the vaccine to be used beginning in January. Permits will be available through the state Division of Fish and Wildlife.
HISTORY: Deer sightings were rare 60 years ago, the population devastated by hunting and the destruction of habitat by development. But the herd was restored through wildlife management — and now deer seem to be everywhere. They've browsed their way from the state's forests, down through its parks and into suburban back yards. Along the way, they've eaten through a lot of the state's vegetation, destroying plants and trees that other animals and insects rely upon. Near places such as Garret Mountain Reservation in Passaic County, deer herds regularly drift across busy streets and into back yards in search of food. Hunting is impractical in dense suburban areas, and safety laws ban discharge of firearms within 450 feet of a building.
WHAT'S NEXT: Female deer — does — must be captured by nets or snare traps, then sedated and vaccinated. The vaccine blocks release of sex hormones in the doe, leaving her infertile. Research has shown that a single dose of GonaCon can be effective for up to four years. A dose is expected to cost under $10. But the main cost will be in the trapping, which could run several hundred dollars per animal. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tested GonaCon and says it poses no danger to humans should they eat a deer that has been vaccinated.