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Posted on 02/25/2026 11:01:21 AM PST by Olog-hai
Catalina Island conservationists are moving forward with an extensive plan to preserve the island’s native habitat after the state recently approved the lethal shooting of the invasive mule deer on the island.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the Catalina Island Conservancy’s restoration management permit in late January. […]
Mule deer were introduced to the island in the early 1920s as a game species for hunting by the state. Island conservationists say the deer, which fluctuate in numbers between 500 and 1,800, have no natural predators and are destroying native vegetation found only on the island. They also say deer on the island are suffering from thirst and starvation, as they are much smaller than those living on the mainland.
The conservancy’s plan to shoot the deer from the air, using helicopters, was shut down in 2024 after residents voiced concerns of bullets raining down and rotting deer carcasses that would be left behind.
Alternative plans to control the island’s mule deer population included fencing them in, relocating the deer, introducing predators and sterilization. …
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
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Import some Haitians. Problem solved.
Yep, bottom line don’t let bureaucrats mess with mother nature.
I’m always amused by the “invasive” argument. Why aren’t they considered invasive where they originate?
I assume that the pigs are gone already, then.
That just leaves Man...
The issue is that Mule Deer were brought there.
They didn’t swim there on their own.
Like the white tail deer that live on the islands off of Maine.
Which are also a menace because there is no hunting with a gun on those islands. Only archery.
Didn’t the Rockefellers or some other rich guys bring these Mule deer and even Bison to Catalina Island back in the 1920s? They wanted them for a hunting reserve.
So, they are not natural to the island.
Just like the millions of wild boar that are all over Texas now.
They must know the number of hunters on the island. Set the appropriate bag limit to cull the herd to the desired size.
Only politicians would come up with some of these super expensive fixes……vs common sense low/no cost solutions. Totally out of touch
I was reading about a solution to the wild hog population in parts of the U.S. There is some compound, I can’t remember which one, in a pellet form which the pigs love to eat and which causes them to just go to sleep and not wake up. It’s supposedly harmless to other wildlife, so it’s very selective.
Of course, you still have the problem of rotting, bloated hog bodies lying around.
The last time we took the Steamer there there was 3 deer going over with us
“That just leaves Man...”
_______________
According to the last census, there are 3715 human inhabitants of Catalina Island. I assume they are an “invasive specie.”
Are the bison next?
And yet they encourage and facilitate invasive humans.
Leave it to California to turn what should have been allowing hunters onto the island to hunt at zero cost into something that is going to cost millions of dollars to hire "ground-based specialists using rifles."
CA is beyond f’ed up. It’s completely unrecognizable from just a few decades ago.
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”.
Catalina should be providing a view of oil drilling platforms.
I am agnostic as to this issue. I don’t mind shooting deer. But, on the other hand, I naturally react negative to most things California bureaucrats want to do.
But the glorious thing about this deal is that it makes liberals’ panties wad up!
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