On Friday of last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife granted the Catalina Island Conservancy its long-sought Restoration Management Permit. In looking to end a saga of sorts, the permit clears the path for professional ground-based hunters to remove the island’s entire population of non-native mule deer, which is currently estimated somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 animals, over the next five years.
Despite the abrupt “solution” proposed by California officials, many hunters, island residents, and wildlife advocates see this as the wrong direction. After nearly a century on Catalina, the question that needs asking is this: is it possible that these deer deserve managed, sustainable control, rather than total eradication?
A Century-Old Guest
Mule deer were deliberately introduced to Santa Catalina Island in the 1930s as a recreational hunting resource. With no natural predators and favorable conditions, their numbers exploded. The population has since fluctuated wildly, typically ranging between 500 and 2,000 animals, depending on rainfall and forage availability.
For 90+ years they have been part of the island’s identity, landscape, and economy. Generations of residents and visitors have enjoyed seeing them, photographing them, and yes—hunting them responsibly.
Unfortunately for the big-eared deer, the possible ecological consequences of bearing these guests has some questioning whether or not they have overstayed their welcome. These consequences are well documented, and according to the Conservancy, include heavy browsing that prevents regeneration of native shrubs and trees, which then promotes invasive annual grasses, degrades soil stability, and increases wildfire risk by creating dense, flashy fuel loads all while suppressing fire-resistant native vegetation.
The New Approved Plan
Under the newly approved permit, the deer removal operation will be carried out only by trained, ground-based professional hunters using rifles, given that aerial shooting was removed from the proposal after 2024 public backlash.
The operation will be phased over approximately five years, but the proposal includes one final locals-only recreational hunting season scheduled for fall 2026, giving residents one last opportunity to harvest deer under traditional rules.
According to the plan, meat from the removed deer will be salvaged and donated to the California Condor Recovery Program as supplemental food for the endangered birds.
But Wait…What About Hunting?
For over 40 years, the Conservancy has issued hunting tags for the island’s deer but claims that they still cannot get a handle on the booming population. By repeatedly stating that “recreational hunting has failed,” the island’s steward seems to be at their wits end with deer management, but a closer look at the numbers tells something of a different story.
During the 2024 season, the Conservancy issued 754 tags, of which, 379 were affixed to a dead deer. In addition to the 50% success rate, the 2024 hunt was the sole reason behind the 22% reduction in overall numbers, the highest ever recorded.
The following year, however, the Conservancy reeled back available tags dramatically. Issuing only 200 resident-only tags last year, the organization seemed to ignore the success of the year prior while doubling down on their earlier statements regarding the failure of recreational hunting. Instead of building on their previous success with longer seasons, more tags, better access, or incentives for residents, it would seem to some that the Conservancy intentionally fudged the numbers to push through their professional cull.
Summer on Catalina | Instagram
Questionable Science
In addition to the inconsistency in available tags, the Conservancy’s claims of catastrophic overbrowsing are also something that has faced substantial pushback from local biologists, longtime residents, hunting advocates (including groups like Safari Club International), and independent observers who argue the evidence is overstated, selectively presented, or lacks robust, peer-reviewed support for total removal. Critics contend that, much like available hunting tag data, the Conservancy relies on "cherry-picked" data and flawed population estimates, while downplaying the deer's long-term coexistence with the island's flora.
The most pointed counterargument involves wildfire risk, where opponents flip the Conservancy's narrative that removing the deer entirely could backfire by allowing unchecked vegetation growth and fuel accumulation. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, whose district includes Catalina, has repeatedly opposed the plan, citing this exact concern in letters to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife . In her January 26th letter urging rejection of the permit, Hahn enclosed a memo from Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warning that complete deer removal "presents operational concerns" from a wildfire perspective.
Collaboration > Eradication
At this point, it would seem as though the data and science is on the side of recreational hunting options. There may be little doubt in the minds of many that these deer numbers need to be balanced, but how we go about doing so seems to be no longer negotiable. Perhaps what is better than spending millions of dollars on a five-year professional endeavor, would be the expansion of science-based hunting seasons with realistic tag allocations and access that biologists, hunters and locals all seem to already support.
Even though the new permit is already approved, we ought to keep pushing both CDFW and the Conservancy to prioritize some money-making adaptive strategies rather than expense-laden eradication.
