Montana Hunter Reacts to Catalina Mule Deer Cull

Montana people understand that deer management ain’t easy. Herds soar and crash with the calendar, drought, predation, disease, and far too many opinions from armchair experts. But I had to rub my eyes when I read that California wants to kill all the mule deer on Catalina Island in order to “restore the ecosystem.”

Yeah, you read that right. Mule deer. On an island near LA.

Island Problems and Mainland Minds

The idea, according to reports, is that the deer are damaging native plant communities. So rather than relocating them, California’s plan is to return the island to a blank slate by exterminating the entire herd.

That feels like using a chainsaw to trim your hedges as a hunter here in Montana. You don’t need to kill the bush in order to save the lawn. You might simply move the deer, or correct whatever was out of whack.

Out here, we’ve watched mule deer numbers slip for a variety of reasons: chronic wasting disease, changes in hunting seasons and rules, and yep, wolves moving into more country. And we talk about it a lot around campfires because these are the animals we track, respect, and try to conserve for future seasons.

A Wine Mixer for the Ages

I can already picture it. Maybe all along, the answer to the Catalina deer problem was sitting right there: a damn Catalina Wine Mixer for the surviving deer. Prestige Worldwide could host. Will Ferrell could DJ. John C. Reilly could sell raffle tickets.

Heck, give the bucks a sippy bottle of pinot, dump some chardonnay in the trough for the does, and let nature work it out. That would solve everything, right?

Real Talk, Real Concerns

It’s not a matter of hating on California. It’s about asking why deadly force should be the first option, instead of the last. Out here in Montana, we love our wildlife, despite the management decisions that sometimes make us pull our hair out.

Maybe there’s a better approach than “eradicate first, ask questions later.”