Catalina Island’s long-running fight over its non-native mule deer now has another firm date. The 2026 season will be the final recreational deer hunt managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy before the organization moves forward with its state-approved deer removal program.
Catalina Island has opened applications for its final recreational deer season, but the island’s nearly century-old mule deer saga isn’t ending quietly.
The 2026 season will run from Oct. 24 through Dec. 18. Participation is limited to Catalina Island residents, and the Catalina Island Conservancy will issue up to 200 tags at no cost. Hunters must still purchase a valid California hunting license and state deer tag.
Once the season ends, the Conservancy plans to close its recreational hunting program and shift deer removal to trained specialists operating under a permit approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
That transition is facing a lawsuit, political opposition, and a community fight that has been building for years.
One Last Hunt for Island Residents
Applicants must provide a government-issued ID with a Catalina Island address or a valid City of Avalon subsidy card. They’ll also need proof of firearms liability insurance. Conservancy tags must be picked up in person by appointment.
The Conservancy says island residents are better prepared to navigate Catalina’s rugged terrain, unpredictable weather, limited roads, and tightly managed access. Hunting dates and zones will be coordinated around habitat work, native plant surveys, and annual monitoring and vaccination work for the Catalina Island fox.
“For those who have hunted the Island for generations, we know the importance of this final season,” interim Conservancy President and CEO David Solomon said in the announcement.
Why the Deer Are Being Removed
Approximately 22 mule deer were introduced to Catalina during the late 1920s and 1930s to establish a sport-hunting population. Mule deer are native to mainland California, but they don’t naturally occur on Catalina Island. With no natural predators and nowhere to migrate, the herd had grown to an estimated 2,000 animals by the 1940s.
The Conservancy has offered recreational hunting for more than 4 decades. It says hunting hasn’t reduced the herd enough to allow native vegetation to recover.
Hunters killed 379 deer during the expanded 2024 season after the Conservancy issued 754 tags. Its latest survey estimates approximately 2,165 deer remain on the island, the highest count since 2016.
The Conservancy argues that deer eat native seedlings before they can become established, especially after wildfire. Invasive annual grasses then fill those disturbed areas, creating fast-burning fuels and preventing native chaparral from recovering. A group of fire ecologists and conservation scientists publicly backed that assessment in May.
The Eradication Plan Is Deeply Controversial
There’s broad agreement that Catalina’s deer affect the island’s vegetation. The fight is over whether eliminating every deer is necessary, whether the removal methods are humane, and whether the state properly reviewed the consequences.
The Conservancy’s original proposal called for sharpshooters to kill deer from helicopters. That plan drew intense opposition from residents, animal welfare advocates, hunting groups, and Los Angeles County officials. The Conservancy dropped aerial shooting in 2024, but it didn’t abandon its goal of complete eradication.
The approved plan allows trained specialists to shoot deer from the ground, including at bait and water sites. Crews may use nighttime optics, drones, detection dogs, tranquilizer darts, and helicopters equipped for net capture. Deer won’t be shot from the air. Sterilized, GPS-collared deer may later be released as “sentinel” animals to help locate the last remaining deer.
Serious Opposition
Opponents say those changes don’t fix the central problem: The plan still calls for wiping out the entire herd.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has called the approach drastic and inhumane. She has pushed for a smaller, actively managed population and argued that the deer have become part of Catalina’s culture after nearly a century on the island. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously opposed an earlier version of the removal plan.
The wildfire argument is also disputed. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone acknowledged that deer browsing affects native vegetation, but warned that removing all large herbivores could allow heavier fuels to build near Avalon and other developed areas. His January memo recommended maintaining a reduced deer population or, if the deer are eliminated, pairing the removal with an aggressive fuels-management program.
The Conservancy rejects managed hunting, relocation, and island-wide contraception as workable long-term solutions. It says relocation carries high risks of capture stress, death, and disease transmission. Treating more than 2,000 deer across Catalina’s rugged terrain with contraceptives would require repeated captures, while previous hunting seasons have failed to stop the population from growing.
The Fight Is Now in Court
A coalition that includes Safari Club International, the California Deer Association, California Bowmen Hunters, Howl for Wildlife, and the Coalition to Save Catalina Island Deer sued CDFW in March.
The lawsuit alleges that the state improperly approved the project through a California Environmental Quality Act exemption rather than conducting a full environmental review. It also argues that the state failed to adequately consider alternatives, wildfire effects, and the loss of a public wildlife and hunting resource. Those claims remain allegations and haven’t been decided by the court.
That legal fight could complicate the removal timeline. The approved permit originally listed baiting and mobile shooting for September and October 2026, which could overlap with the final recreational season. The Conservancy’s latest hunting announcement describes the fall hunt as the conclusion of the recreational program before the next phase of restoration.
For now, Catalina residents can apply for one final season. Whether professional removal begins on schedule will depend partly on what happens in court.
