Catalina Island deer culling to proceed following judicial decision

A Los Angeles County judge has tentatively rejected attempts by hunting groups and citizens to block a plan to cull the mule deer population on Catalina Island. The Catalina Island Conservancy, which manages 88% of the island, intends to remove most of the roughly 2,000 deer over the next five years to restore the local ecosystem.

Scientists and the Conservancy state that the deer, originally introduced for sport in the 1920s, consume fire-resilient native plants like chaparral. This consumption allows invasive annual grasses to take over, which are more flammable and increase wildfire risks. The removal of native vegetation also threatens endemic species, such as the Catalina Island fox, by reducing available habitat and food.

The initial phase of the plan involves hunting approximately 200 deer with rifles between September and October to test methods before expanding the process next year. The project is authorized under a permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.