Overview
- California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife granted the Catalina Island Conservancy a restoration permit on Jan. 26 to conduct multi-year lethal removal using only trained, ground-based professionals.
- The rollout begins with a fenced 10-acre pilot near Airport in the Sky, then expands to a 105-acre priority zone, with a locals-only recreational hunt planned for fall 2026.
- Harvested deer will supply meat to the California Condor Recovery Program, with carcass handling protocols varying by location to protect public safety and support scavengers.
- Conservationists argue the mule deer, introduced in the 1920s–1930s and lacking natural predators, are degrading rare native plants, altering water recharge, and heightening wildfire risk.
- The decision follows years of public controversy and political pushback, including objections from L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn and concerns from the county fire chief that full removal could increase fuel loads; exact start dates and total removals remain undisclosed.