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Judge Authorizes Catalina Island Mule Deer Cull to Protect Native Flora
Just the facts
The Catalina Island Conservancy will begin a five-year environmental restoration program, starting with sharpshooters culling approximately 200 deer over two months. Environmental biologists determined that the non-native deer population overgrazed native island shrubs, allowing flammable invasive grasses to spread and increase wildfire risk across Santa Catalina Island. Under the approved permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a small deer population near the town of Avalon will be sterilized while remaining island herds are removed. Deer introduced a century ago for sport hunting represent the last unmanaged non-native ungulate population in California's Channel Islands.
Why this is news
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge denied a preliminary injunction on September 3, 2026, clearing the way for the Catalina Island Conservancy to eliminate approximately 2,000 non-native mule deer. The ruling rejected legal challenges brought by a coalition of animal rights advocates and local hunting organizations.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.