This article was originally published by LAist on Feb. 4, 2026.
Topline: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved a plan to kill and sterilize roughly 2,200 mule deer on Catalina Island as part of a large-scale restoration effort. The project — proposed by the Santa Catalina Island Conservancy — also includes plans to monitor fauna, such as the Island fox and monarch butterflies, and increase biodiversity by removing invasive vegetation and seeding native plants.
Mule deer removal: Professionals will likely use drones, thermal technology and dogs to detect the deer before shooting them, primarily at night. Some deer will also be caught, sterilized and tracked in an effort to draw out any last deer. The efforts are estimated to be completed by 2032.
The history: Nearly a dozen mule deer were introduced to the island beginning in the 1920s. Attempts to relocate deer off the island in 1948 failed.
The opposition: In a letter to the CDFW, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said she opposed the plan to “systematically slaughter the deer over the next five years,” given the “deep public connection to these animals.”
It has worked before: Roosevelt elk and mule deer — introduced to Santa Rosa Island for recreational hunting — were successfully eliminated in 2011, giving native flora an opportunity to recover. On Santa Cruz Island, the removal of cows, sheep and pigs by 2007 gave the native and formerly endangered Santa Cruz Island fox an opportunity to recover.