It’s too bad they can’t capture and relocate the deer to the mainland. California’s mule deer populations are experiencing a significant, long-term decline. Populations have dropped from an estimated 250,000+ in the late 1980s to under 100,000 by 2020. Primary drivers include habitat loss from development, drought, wildfires, and increased predation.
The problem with shrinking is probably due to the natural selection on the island but if they are mixed with the mainland herds, that in time may get corrected. Providing they get the chance and are not hunted into extinction.
Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on the California mainland are vital native herbivores that maintain ecological balance, shape plant communities, and serve as the primary prey for mountain lions, coyotes, and bobcats. They are important to the forests across the state from the area found across the California mainland, ranging from the Sierra Nevada’s western slopes to the central coast and the Los Angeles Basin.
wy69
For “can’t”, read “won’t”.