The plan to use sharpshooters from helicopters to eliminate nearly 2,000 mule deer that are damaging the ecosystem on Santa Catalina Island has sparked a backlash from residents.
Island residents are calling on wildlife authorities to halt the culling operation. The Catalina Island Conservancy (CIC), which manages 90% of the island, stated that the mass hunting is necessary to protect native vegetation that is being ravaged by the foraging deer, as reported by Phys.org on October 2.
Mule Deer on Catalina Island. (Photo: Yahoo).
Ongoing drought cycles and wildfires have also destroyed vegetation, forcing starving deer to search for food in developed areas of the island, which leads to conflicts with humans and pets. The deer hunting plan is the latest effort to restore ecological order on the island, located just 22 miles off the southern California coast. Previously, several invasive species such as goats, bison, and pigs have threatened native species in California’s Channel Islands.
According to conservation authorities, mule deer are the most destructive invasive species remaining on Catalina Island. The overgrazing by these deer puts immense pressure on native plants, paving the way for the spread of invasive grasses that are easily ignited. The deer also wander into the port city of Avalon, eating garden crops, attacking pets, or getting caught in folding chairs or goal nets.
However, more than 2,000 island residents have signed a petition urging the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to deny the permit for CIC to cull the mule deer. Opponents of the plan state that the majority of residents want to keep the deer population on the island. Nonetheless, a spokesperson for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife indicated that they “support the habitat restoration project.” “The goal of the project is to restore ecosystem function, preserving the unique biodiversity of Catalina Island, which includes some of the rarest plant species in the state,” said Jordan Traverso.
CIC plans to hire sharpshooters from the nonprofit organization White Buffalo Inc. in Connecticut and begin culling deer in the fall of next year. The hunters will use AR-15 rifles with non-lead ammunition to ensure that scavenging animals are not poisoned. The deer harvested will be left on-site, as moving deer carcasses by helicopter across the rugged island would be dangerous and costly. However, authorities will remove the deceased deer near Avalon and along roadways.
Mule deer were introduced to Catalina Island in the early 1930s to increase wildlife and provide a hunting resource. Lacking natural predators, the mule deer have since competed with native wildlife, disrupting the ecosystem. Under the hunting program, CIC allows hunters to take 200 deer per year. However, biologists argue that this number is nearly insufficient, as each female mule deer can give birth to two fawns each year.
