LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County judge has denied a preliminary injunction intended to stop a controversial plan to eradicate mule deer on Catalina Island, clearing the way for initial removal efforts to begin.
Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ruled that a lawsuit filed by hunting and conservation groups — including Safari Club International and the Coalition to Save Catalina Island Deer — did not demonstrate sufficient irreparable harm from a planned “Pre-Removal Assessment.” The assessment allows the Catalina Island Conservancy to set up baiting sites and conduct limited culling.
Following the ruling, the conservancy announced it will move forward in September and October with a limited assessment to cull about 200 deer. Full-scale eradication is scheduled for June 2027, well after the court issues its final ruling which is expected within 90 days.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife approved the complete removal permit, which the Conservancy called the only viable solution after evaluating alternative options including creating an easier path for recreational hunters to “thin the heard.” The Conservancy never gave that any consideration despite the fact that recreational hunters are used as wildlife management tools on a national level.
However, the plan faces stiff political and public pushback. Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn recently urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to revoke the permit, citing heightened wildfire risks. Hahn argued that removing grazing deer allows unmanaged brush to accumulate, drawing comparisons to a recent wildfire on Santa Rosa Island following a similar eradication project in 2011.
Community discussions and habitat restoration efforts in priority zones near the island’s interior are scheduled to continue alongside the assessment.