Despite overwhelming opposition from hunters, conservationists, and local residents, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has officially approved a Restoration Management Permit (RMP) that authorizes the total eradication of mule deer from the island.
As previously reported, this decision marks a dangerous shift in California’s wildlife management policy.
Here is what you need to know:
- The Plan: The Catalina Island Conservancy will employ professional sharpshooters to eliminate approximately 2,000 deer over the next five years.
- The Methods: While the controversial plan for aerial gunning from helicopters was previously scrapped, the approved permit allows for ground-based hunting, night operations using thermal technology, and the use of tracking dogs.
- The Impact: This move completely bypasses traditional recreational hunting as a management tool. Although a final “locals-only” season is slated for Fall 2026, the long-term goal remains total annihilation of the herd.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance believes this “restoration” plan sets a reckless precedent by using a Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP) to avoid the standard environmental review process and public oversight. We are deeply concerned that the state is choosing paid contractors over the ethical, sustainable contributions of licensed hunters.
Our Next Steps:
We are currently exploring all available legal options. We will not stand by while the Golden State attempts to erase a century-old hunting heritage under the guise of “restoration.”
The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our ability to respond to threats like these. Please stand with us by donating to the Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund, which powers our year-round efforts to protect our heritage from those who seek to erode it.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions. Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
