Catalina Island Judge Clears Way for Five-Year Mule Deer Cull

Nearly all of Catalina Island’s estimated 2,000 mule deer may soon be removed after a Los Angeles County judge denied opponents’ request for a preliminary injunction, clearing the way for the island’s conservancy to begin a five-year eradication plan. The deer were introduced to the island for sport about a century ago. Their population eventually grew from a small number to several thousand, and the animals became a familiar sight around Catalina’s waterfronts, woodlands and the town of Avalon. The Catalina Island Conservancy, a nonprofit that controls 88% of the island, says the deer are consuming native shrubs that are already under pressure from climate change. According to plant biologist Anna L. Jacobsen, the shrubs may be unable to regenerate when heavily browsed. In their place, invasive grasses can spread—plants that ignite and carry fire more readily than native vegetation. The conservancy considered alternatives including contraception, sterilization, fencing and the introduction of predators. Its communications director, Pepe Barton, said those approaches were impractical, risky or unlikely to be approved. Decades of regular hunting seasons had also failed to bring the population down sufficiently. Under the plan, about 200 deer are expected to be killed with rifles during the next two months. A final hunting season for island residents is scheduled for late October through mid-December. Only a small group living near Avalon will be sterilized; the remaining deer are slated for removal. The plan was approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in January. The meat is intended for California’s condor recovery program or local tribal groups. Carcasses near roads and trails will be removed, while those in steep, hazardous terrain may be left to decompose naturally, according to the conservancy. The decision has drawn strong opposition from animal activists, hunters and other members of the public. An online petition opposing the cull has collected more than 32,000 signatures, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn asked Governor Gavin Newsom to intervene. Supporters, including scientists cited in the reporting, say removing the non-native deer is the most effective way to protect Catalina’s native plants and reduce vegetation-related wildfire risks. The conservancy has described the action as a necessary sacrifice involving animals that did not choose to be on the island.