Oh, Deer: Catalina’s plan to slaughter local herd sparks controversy

The group that manages Catalina Island’s wildlife has submitted a plan to kill some 2000 of the area’s iconic mule deer — prompting howls of protest from animal lovers.

The culling could take place over the next several years, according to the Catalina Island Conservancy, the nonprofit that owns and manages about 88% of the 75-square-mile island off the Southern California coast, which is seeking a permit from the state for the deer slaughter, the conservancy said.

The group argues that the mule deer — a non-native species introduced nearly a century ago — have overgrazed vegetation and are choking out native flora and fauna, fueling the risk of fire by “allowing flammable invasive grasses to spread,” and threatening the island’s fragile ecosystem.

Supporters contend that dramatic measures are necessary to restore the habitat and reduce the possibility of wildfires.

But critics argue that the proposal — which would employ trained professionals to hunt deer on the ground under controlled conditions — is both unethical and unnecessary.

A petition opposing the plan has drawn over 22,000 signatures and widespread public attention, with the group arguing that “deer are part of the island’s cultural and scenic heritage” and that the “science doesn’t justify this slaughter.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has emerged as a leading opponent of the plan.

In a letter to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hahn urged state regulators to reject the permit application, which would “bring in professional hunters to systematically slaughter the deer over the next five years,” and “represents a drastic and inhumane approach that ignores the values of many Catalina residents and visitors.”

According to the Conservancy, as part of the plan, mule deer would be humanly and quickly killed “via shooting on foot or from a land vehicle, by net capture with aerial and ground teams, thermal detection, surgical sterilization, baiting, and both daytime and nighttime dispatch.”

It’s up the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to review the permit application, and there is no clear timeline for a final decision.