A century of deer on Catalina Island appears to be coming to a close. Photo: California Deer Association//Facebook
Opponents of a plan to eradicate mule deer from Catalina Island hope that a Los Angeles County judge will stop the cull. The judge is set to hear the case on September 1, the same day the Catalina Island Conservancy is set to begin removing the deer.
The conservancy proposed deer removal as part of a sweeping conservation plan on the island, arguing that removing the deer would allow rare native flora to return and reduce invasive grasses that are more prone to wildfire.
“Deer (grazing) on Catalina are contributing to the vegetation type conversion of native shrublands and chaparral into invasive annual grasslands,” the conservancy wrote in a report. “(This) significantly increases the risk of more frequent and faster moving fires on the island.”
Opponents argue that a deer population can coexist with native plants if parts of the island are cordoned off and the population size is managed. Los Angeles County attorneys wrote a letter to the conservancy and California Department of Fish and Wildlife calling the cull inhumane, countering claims that removing the deer will reduce fire risk.
“Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone has explicitly warned that the total removal of these grazers will cause an unmanaged surge in ‘fine fuels,’ directly increasing the wildfire danger to the City of Avalon and the island’s critical infrastructure,” the letter reads. “The current plan lacks community consensus and sacrifices public safety for a narrow ecological vision.”
Historically, Catalina Island never had native deer. In the 1920s, humans brought deer from the mainland to the island. Lacking predators, the population grew and has fluctuated between 500 and 1,800.
In January of this year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the conservancy’s restoration plan, starting the countdown to eradicate the deer over the course of several years. The permit outlines strategies to remove the deer, including specialist shooting, sterilization, net capture, GPS-collar tracking, and detection dogs. The deer meat would be donated to the California Condor Recovery Program or native tribes.
In 2024, local opposition nixed a proposal to shoot the deer from helicopters. Under previous management practices, deer hunting was allowed during the season with proper tags. The conservancy announced that this deer hunting season, from October 24 to December 18, will be the last. Tags are available at no cost.
