THE EFFECT OF REMOTELY DELIVERED GONADOTROPIN FORMULATIONS ON REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION OF WHITE-TAILED DEER

Three experiments were conducted on two white-tailed deer herds over 2 years. In the first year, 8 of 17 does were remotely treated with a h uman chorionic gonadotropin-ovalbumin/saponin (hCG) biobullet formulat ion. In the second year, II of 23 does from one herd and 10 of 35 does from the second herd were remotely treated with porcine luteinizing h ormone (pLH) biobullet formulation Treatments were administered from S eptember to mid-October, before the breeding season. Reproduction was assessed the subsequent spring. All untreated and hCG-treated does gav e birth and timing of the parturitions was unaffected by the hCG treat ment. In the second year, more (p < 0.05) pLH-treated does than untrea ted does gave birth at the first location. In addition, a higher numbe r of the pLH-treated deer gave birth earlier the next spring at the fi rst location. Therefore, remote treatment with a sustained-released pL H biobullet formulation may enhance reproductive function of white-tai led deer.