Ryan Bingham

As of early 2026, California officials have approved a controversial plan to fully eradicate the non-native mule deer population on Santa Catalina Island.

to restore the ecosystem.

Around 2000 deer introduced in the 1930s for hunting will be removed by ground based hunters to protect native biodiversity.

Come on.

That sounds crazy.

How about just let people hunt them?

What the fuck's wrong with you?

So the issue is Catalina Island Conservancy considers the mule deer an invasive species that disrupts the ecosystem as they consume native plants and seedlings while spreading fire-prone invasive grasses.

Really?

I just always worry about...

conservancies and their judgments on things like that because there's a lot of they want to eradicate all the pigs from Texas or from California rather they think of them as non-native and they want them out too but

You're not going to.

They want to eradicate... There's like elk in California that are Yellowstone elk that were brought there in like the 1950s.

They want to eradicate them.

Like the Thule elk?

No, they're actually Rocky Mountain elk.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, but they're...

There were a larger breed of Rocky Mountain elk that they call yellow, apparently.

Up in that area on those mountains.