Darting urban deer: techniques and technology

We studied the efficiency of using recent advances in darting equipment technology for capturing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in a residential community with a history of deer-human conflicts. We remotely immobilized deer with a mixture of ketamine hydrochloride and xylazine hydrochloride, a disposable dart system, and reusable transmitters. We successfully immobilized 31 deer in 18 field-days. Most (86%) darted deer and 97% of fired darts were recovered. We found no difference in recovery rates of deer darted from platforms versus deer darted from vehicles. Mean search time to locate anesthetized animals was 5.5 minutes. With our equipment, most deer (73%) were recovered within 200 m of the darting site and within 30 degrees of the departure direction. The laser sight and transmitter darts allowed day or night darting and reduced search time for deer.