California Deer Population: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) estimated roughly 475,000 mule and blacktail deer pre-hunt in 2024, 2023 and 2022. Estimates of 460,420 in 2021, 458,000 deer in 2020; 459,450 in 2019; and, 470,000 in 2018. A population estimate from the state of 532,621 in 2017, 621,082 in 2016 and 649,338 in 2015. Down from a peak of about 2 million around 1960. The population estimate had been in the mid 400,000 range from about 2006 to 2013.
California Deer News
As California's wolf population claws its way back, some ranchers are nervous December 6, 2024 USA Today on MSN
... This year the state is home to nine packs containing an estimated 70 wolves, up from 44 last year. Most live in the northeastern part of the state, though there is one pack about 200 miles north of Los Angeles..,
Gray wolves spotted in California National Park for first time in 100 years November 25, 2024 California, MSN
... A pack of gray wolves has been sighted within the boundaries of California's Lassen Volcanic National Park for the first time in nearly 100 years of federal protection. In a Facebook post issued by California Wolf Watch, "wolf coordinator" Axel Hunnicutt of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed the pack is roaming the region ..,
The Coyotes Arrived. Now, They’re Changing Angel Island. November 19, 2024 California, Bay Nature
... In 1915, the US Army introduced about 20 Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus) to Angel Island for hunting, but stopped in the 1950s when the island became a state park. Over the next 50 years, the deer population exploded to as high as 300... state parks went with a culling program ... at some point, the culling stopped and the numbers of deer on the island apparently stabilized… Shortly after, the coyotes showed up... Since the litter’s arrival, Parks staff have not witnessed any deer grow into adulthood ... Raccoons, too, are no longer a common sight...
CDFW to Conduct Helicopter Surveys in Northeastern California to Monitor Elk Populations, Inform Hunting Regulations November 1, 2024 California Department of Fish and Wildlife
... CDFW utilizes a variety of survey methods to regularly monitor big game population size, distribution, demographics and trends over time. In open habitats, aerial surveys provide an efficient and rapid method of data collection, affording CDFW biologists the ability to cover larger areas in relatively shorter time periods...
Wildlife officials searching for deer that has bone lodged in its mouth in Hollywood Hills October 14, 2024 California, CBS Los Angeles on MSN.com
... several photos of the animal with a bone lodged in its mouth surfaced on social media... because of the way that the bone is stuck, the animal is unable to eat, which could lead to it's eventually starvation...
California wolves' stunning return: a new pack and furious ranchers October 13, 2024 San Francisco Chronicle
... In the past year ... the population has soared, with at least eight packs ... now established as far south as Tulare County ... Part of the reason for the preponderance of cows in the diet of wolves is believed to be a lack of preferred prey. California’s elk numbers are low, while deer have been in decline for decades...
Bystander attempted to free large buck in Bayside neighborhood October 8, 2024 California, KRCR
... When the California Department of Fish and Wildlife arrived at the scene, they darted the deer to reduce the stress of the buck, the antlers were sawed off, an ear tag was placed ... "They cut the horns off on both sides because they did not want anybody to shoot the buck ... drug that they used ...
The deer factory October 7, 2024 California, Western Outdoor News
... “Deer factory” is a bygone term for the northern remote mountains of California ... “We remember the old days when we took our families to the winter ranges to see the ‘Big Old Bucks’ who made it through the season.” Today, few bucks are seen. The shear greater numbers of deer we would see have vanished largely in our public lands...
Novel evidence that elk were historically native to the Sierra Nevada, and recent range expansions into the region - PloS one, 2024
... Taken in total, a variety of data sources suggest elk inhabited portions of the Sierra Nevada and the adjacent northwest Great Basin from the Late Holocene through historical times. Positive records were not numerous, suggesting that historically elk were not abundant, and nearly extirpated during the California Fur Rush of the early nineteenth century...
The impacts of fire on wildlife September 13, 2024 California, Lake County Record-Bee on MSN
... Cow Mountain wildfire that occurred in 1983 ... The Department of Fish and Game sent teams into the area a week after the fire and they were surprised to find very few bones or carcasses of deer or other large wildlife such as bears or mountain lions. Within a month after the fire was extinguished, the deer returned in large numbers...
California's Gray Wolf Population Thrives, But Livestock Attacks Surge September 8, 2024 KQED
... its known population growing to over 50 wolves this year, up from zero for the better part of a century. However, a new report shows that attacks by wolf packs on livestock at ranches and farms have increased.
The latest numbers from California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife ...
Unraveling the impact of dog-friendly spaces on urban–wildland pumas and other wildlife - Wildlife Biology, 2024. California
... Wildlife responses included avoidance (bobcat, puma) or spatial overlap (mule deer) for areas with more dogs, and no effect (coyote). Mule deer may benefit from a “human shield” provided by people with dogs, while pumas and bobcats appeared more sensitive, and coyotes more adaptable. Dog policies influenced puma and mule deer temporal activity, with increased nocturnal activity in dog-friendly PAs ...
California Fights Fire With Fire August 29, 2024 The American Prospect
... For thousands of years, indigenous people have set “cultural burns” to improve habitats for creatures like deer, turkey, and quail; eliminate pests, diseases, and invasive species; and help germinate fire-dependent plants like the iconic giant sequoia ... stigmas against fire “really problematic, especially in a place like California, where a lot of our ecosystems evolved with fire every five years.” She adds, “We need to be burning on some level of frequency ...
Sound, light barriers go up on 101 freeway wildlife crossing. Here's why August 22, 2024 California, Ventura County Star
...for mountain lions, mule deer and other wildlife in Ventura and Los Angeles counties ... "We really want to make it as quiet and as dark at night as possible," Riley said. “It shouldn't seem like you're going over a big, busy freeway. It should just feel like you're walking through the chaparral and coastal sage scrub.”...
As Archery Deer Seasons Open Throughout California, Mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Testing Now Required in Four Hunt Zones August 17, 2024 CDFW News
... four hunt zones – D7, X9a, X9b and X9c – where successful hunters are required to test their animals for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) within 10 days of take.
In response to the recent CWD detections in Madera and Inyo counties, the California Fish and Game Commission recently adopted regulations requiring mandatory CWD testing in the affected hunt zones to better understand the extent of the current outbreak, to inform decision-makers and to help protect California’s deer and elk herds by limiting the spread of CWD...
Video Below: California Deer Migration Data access tool. August 8, 2024
... Wildlife responses included avoidance
(bobcat, puma) or spatial overlap (mule deer) for areas with more dogs, and no effect (coyote). Mule deer may benefit from a “human shield” provided by people with dogs, while pumas and bobcats appeared more sensitive, and coyotes more adaptable. Dog policies influenced puma and mule deer temporal activity, with increased nocturnal
activity in dog-friendly PAs
California Fights Fire With Fire August 29, 2024 The American Prospect
... For thousands of years, indigenous people have set “cultural burns” to improve habitats for creatures like deer, turkey, and quail; eliminate pests, diseases, and invasive species; and help germinate fire-dependent plants like the iconic giant sequoia ... stigmas against fire “really problematic, especially in a place like California, where a lot of our ecosystems evolved with fire every five years.” She adds, “We need to be burning on some level of frequency ...
Sound, light barriers go up on 101 freeway wildlife crossing. Here's why August 22, 2024 California, Ventura County Star
...for mountain lions, mule deer and other wildlife in Ventura and Los Angeles counties ... "We really want to make it as quiet and as dark at night as possible," Riley said. “It shouldn't seem like you're going over a big, busy freeway. It should just feel like you're walking through the chaparral and coastal sage scrub.”...
As Archery Deer Seasons Open Throughout California, Mandatory Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Testing Now Required in Four Hunt Zones August 17, 2024 CDFW News
... four hunt zones – D7, X9a, X9b and X9c – where successful hunters are required to test their animals for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) within 10 days of take.
In response to the recent CWD detections in Madera and Inyo counties, the California Fish and Game Commission recently adopted regulations requiring mandatory CWD testing in the affected hunt zones to better understand the extent of the current outbreak, to inform decision-makers and to help protect California’s deer and elk herds by limiting the spread of CWD...
Video Below: California Deer Migration Data access tool. August 8, 2024
Notice of Proposed Changes in Regulations for Wildlife Rehabilitation August 2, 2024 California Department of Fish and Wildlife
A notice of proposed changes in regulations pertaining to the possession of wildlife and wildlife rehabilitation has been posted to the Commission's website. The notice and associated documents can be accessed at: https://fgc.ca.gov/Regulations/2024-New-and-Proposed#sec-679
Don't Make Them Cross the Road August 1, 2024 California, Bay Nature
... California has historically lagged behind other Western states in building wildlife crossings, but momentum has in the past few years shifted ... nearly 50,000 mule deer became roadkill last year in California ... Deer were among the earliest adopters of the new Highway 17 tunnel...
Los Banos, North Grasslands deer hunting opportunities July 25, 2024 California, Escalon Times
... Recently, CDFW requested the California Fish and Game Commission make deer a huntable species on the Los Banos Wildlife Area and the China Island and Salt Slough units of the North Grasslands Wildlife Area. This new designation allows CDFW for the first time to offer limited access to hunt these areas ...
California’s bears are thriving. Here’s the case for letting hunters kill more July 21, 2024 California, Los Angeles Times on MSN
... The Fish and Wildlife Department issued a draft black bear management plan in April that estimates California’s black bear population to be about 65,000, up from around 20,000 in 1998, when the last such plan was adopted... From 2012 to 2022, black bear hunters paid more than $27 million in licensing fees that funded the salaries of state biologists and game wardens ..,
Uncommon technique is helping save wildlife — and humans — on Highway 101 July 17, 2024 California, KSBY
... mounds of dirt ... that lead over a fence ... called jumpouts ... successfully used by deer that were trapped in the right of way ... using the jumpout to get safely out of the right of way ...
What to Know About the World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing July 9, 2024 California, The New York Times
... The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, as it is called, is expected to be completed in 2026 to connect the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simi Hills. It’s a $92 million project — with $58 million from the state and the rest from philanthropy — and is said to be the biggest wildlife overpass in the world...
A wildlife crossing is proposed for Highway 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains July 8, 2024 California, Los Angeles Times on MSN
... The project, which has been in the works for 10 years, focuses on an area that the UC Davis Road Ecology Center identified as one of the state's top six hotspots for wildlife and traffic collisions ... The state of California already has at least 185 wildlife crossings, according to the Wildlands Network wildlife crossing database ...
Not just crossings, but also fencing, helps save California wildlife from being roadkill July 3, 2024 East Bay Times
... “Wildlife crossings don’t solve roadkill. Sure, they provide a safe way across the road but fencing is the only way we know that stops roadkill,” said Fraser Shilling, director of the UC Davis Road Ecology Center, a program of the Institute of Transportation Studies. “Fencing remains the only way to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions on the statewide scale,” ...
Meeting features multiple issues for Fish, Game Commission June 27, 2024 California, Riverbank News
... The Santa Catalina Island Conservancy was approved for its five-year renewal plan with an initial 500 deer tags to be issued for the 2024 hunting season. Upon written request in October, 250 additional deer tags may be issued, and an additional request of 250 deer tags may be submitted in December...
Drivers hit 196 animals on Highway 17 near Lexington Reservoir; a new project aims to make it safe June 25, 2024 California, Santa Cruz Sentinel on MSN
... a 2-mile-long portion of Highway 17 ... killed ... 10 mountain lions, 181 deer, 4 bobcats, and one coyote ... a $38 million plan to build a pedestrian bridge over the roadway, along with a separate undercrossing for wildlife ...
FISH AND GAMES June 21, 2024 California, The Sheet
... In Inyo County Supervisor board meetings. The subject: A perceived diminishing of the local mule deer herds. The suspected culprit: A burgeoning mountain lion population ... 44% were killed by lion... The automobile, at 20% ...
Roadkill a 'preventable natural disaster,' report finds June 19, 2024 California, Phys.org
... More than 48,000 deer, thousands of Pacific newts, close to 100 mountain lions and many thousands of other animals are killed each year by vehicles on California roads, according to the 2024 "roadkill report" from the University of California, Davis' Road Ecology Center ... The 11th annual report, "Roadkill, A Preventable Disaster," notes that about more than twice as many deer die from vehicle collisions each year in California than from hunting ..,
Report: Roadkill a 'Preventable Natural Disaster' June 18, 2024 California, UC Davis
... The 11th annual report, “Roadkill, A Preventable Disaster,” notes that about more than twice as many deer die from vehicle collisions each year in California than from hunting. Collisions are responsible for more than 10% of deer deaths each year, as the state’s total deer population has been dropping for decades. The report said roadkill may be partly responsible for their overall decline..,
Catalina island deer-shooting plan is shelved, other solutions sought May 29, 2024 California, CBS News on MSN
... there were concerns about the shooting plan from residents and Supervisor Janice Hahn... "I heard from residents who were terrified at the thought of bullets raining down from helicopters over their beloved island and others who couldn't stand the thought of the deer carcasses that would be left in their wake," ...
Catalina's invasive mule deer are spared death from above: They still face an uncertain fate May 29, 2024 California, Phys.org
... As the conservancy continues to plot how to hasten their demise, the deer are starving and dying of thirst. Photos presented at Wednesday's meeting included a young dead deer lying on a paved walkway ... "The island and the deer are both fighting for survival, and neither one is winning," ...
California Has a New Wolf Pack May 28, 2024 Grand View Outdoors
... gray wolves new to the state’s database and confirmed the existence of a new pack, the state’s seventh. The lab identified five individuals — one adult female and her four pups, two males and two females. While they did not find samples from the father, DNA indicated he came from the Lassen pack in Northern California..,
With 2 CWD-positive deer, California becomes 34th state to report fatal disease May 8, 2024 California, cidrap.umn
... The CDFW has been monitoring elk and deer for CWD using lymph node testing of more than 6,500 cervids since 2000 and has been working with hunters, taxidermists, and meat processors to boost disease surveillance since 2018. But given that the affected counties don't share a border and the CWD incubation period can be months to years, officials said CWD has probably been in the state for some time... [see CDFW report]
Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed in California Deer Population May 7, 2024 California Department of Fish and Wildlife News
... samples collected from two deer, one in Madera County near Yosemite Lakes and the other in Inyo County, near Bishop. The deer in Madera County was found dead due to unknown causes and the Inyo County deer was found dead after a vehicle collision... CDFW Urges Hunters to be Vigilant and Participate in Disease Surveillance Efforts ..,
LA County tries to stop Catalina Island plans to shoot down invasive deer via helicopters April 30, 2024 California, The Hill on MSN
... the region’s county supervisor, Janice Hahn, to send a letter last week to Fish and Wildlife ... “Eradicating Catalina Island’s entire population of more than 1,770 mule deer through aerial shooting from helicopters is inhumane and drastic, and potentially dangerous to the public,” ...
Fawning season begins on the Central Coast April 25, 2024 California, KSBW The Central Coast
... people may see some fawns alone, and it may look like their moms have abandoned them. But that's almost never the case, Cann said. Moms will leave their white-spotted babies for long periods of time while they feed...
LA County Supervisors reject plan to shoot Catalina Island deer from helicopter April 23, 2024 California, CBS News
... Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected Catalina Island's plan to shoot and kill their entire deer population from a helicopter on Tuesday... two petitions with nearly 90,000 signatures called on the Catalina Island Conservancy, which manages most of the land, to halt the eradication plan...
‘The definition of poaching’: Conspiracy alleged after group hunted dozens of deer in California April 22, 2024 California, Sacramento Bee on MSN.com
... one California’s largest deer poaching cases in years ... the group drove around at night through populated neighborhoods to poach deer with bows or rifles, using bright flashlights or car headlights to help target the animals...
Catalina Island Deer meeting comments April 19, 2024 California, The Catalina Islander
... As reported last week, in the face of strong public opposition the council took no action on the proposal, essentially stopping it... The proposal, according to the city manager’s staff report, would have required changing the Municipal Code to allow the capture and sterilization of deer within city limits...
Mountain lion kills man, injures another in Northern California March 23, 2024 California, Yahoo
... The attack in El Dorado County is believed to be the first fatal incident involving a mountain lion in California in 20 years... The younger brother was expected to survive ..,
Round Valley mule deer get boost of support March 18, 2024 California, Inyo Register
... Twice each year, the mule deer herd migrates between its winter range on the valley floor to its summer range in the High Sierra meadows and forests. The mule deer herd travels on the same paths each year, forming what biologists call a migration corridor... has unfortunately seen a decline in population due to various factors ...
Diamond Valley applauded for resisting deer cull March 5, 2024 California, Western Wheel
... I applaud Craig Beaton, operations manager for the Town of Diamond Valley, who refuses any idea of a cull for the deer... One can purchase marigold flowers that deter the deer from eating up gardens; also chicken wire can help keep them out if gardens are your concern...
Science guns down excuses for hog-dogging & hits rationale for deer culls February 29, 2024 California, Animals 24-7
... scheduled massacre of about 1,000 mule deer on Catalina Island by sharpshooters ... Robert Kröger, a Ph.D. restoration ecologist and executive director of the pro-hunting organization Blood Origins, countered that “The science does not support that to protect native plants, and meet recovery objectives, the number of deer––a species that have social and recreational values on the island––should be zero.” ...
CDFW to Conduct Helicopter Surveys to Monitor Big Game Populations, Inform Hunting Regulations February 8, 2024 California Department of Fish and Wildlife news
... In more forested environments, CDFW employs the use of trail cameras and fecal DNA. In more open habitats, aerial surveys provide an efficient and rapid method of data collection, affording CDFW biologists the ability to cover larger areas in relatively shorter time periods. CDFW scientists use the survey data in statistical models to estimate the total population size of each species in different hunt zones or management units...
Catalina deer in the crosshairs: Will compromise avert a planned slaughter? February 2, 2024 California, Los Angeles Times on MSN
... After months of intense community outrage over its planned slaughter of thousands of nonnative mule deer, Catalina Island Conservancy officials have indicated that they may be open to considering optional plans, such as relocating the deer and reducing the population through sterilization...
Hornbrook Fire Dept. readies for animal rescues at Iron Gate Reservoir, with ten deer dead January 31, 2024 California, KDRV
... This week, ten deer reportedly died at Iron Gate's lakebed, stuck in mud... where its dam removal has drained the lake's water this month... people are reporting stranded animals that have left some euthanized, stuck in mud, or muck, of the reservoir...
Genetic structure of California's elk: a legacy of extirpations, reintroductions, population expansions, and admixture BN Sacks, TM Davis, TJ Batter - The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2024
... California, USA, is home to 3 subspecies of North American elk ... we detected admixture between Roosevelt and Rocky Mountain
elk at a contact zone in northern California, and between Roosevelt and tule elk in north‐coastal California and central‐ coastal California... Among tule elk populations, genetic structure revealed several cases of successful and unsuccessful reintroduction or augmentation attempts...
California mountain lion population is thousands fewer than previously estimated January 8, 2024 Phys.org
... The total number of mountain lions is estimated to be between 3,200 and 4,500, which is thousands fewer than previously thought... the group spent roughly $2.45 million in state funds over seven years to produce three population estimates: One suggests there are 4,511 cougars living in California, and the other two suggest the number is roughly 3,200..,
Residents protest Irvine Company plan to build 1,180 houses in wildlife corridor January 8, 2024 California, Orange County Register on MSN
... Bobcats, mountain lions, deer ... use the V-shaped corridor to cross between the two parks and into the nearby Santa Ana Mountains ... No Orange Heights petition ...
Redding local takes 'deer-ect' action to get warning signs posted January 3, 2024 California, KRCR
... too many dead deer along the roadside ... he came across a buck still struggling for life... it just tore my heart out ... Within the next week, Redding had already posted several signs along the road ...
Redwood Park Rangers Explain Why Not All Elk Lose Their Antlers During the Winter January 4, 2024 California, PetHelpful
...the elk with antlers are their "bachelor herd" - they tried to compete against other elk but lost and didn't mate during the rut ... they'll continue to hang out together and practice fighting so that hopefully next fall they'll find a mate. Until then, they keep their antlers...
Key Research: Long term trends in California's Deer Population, Reasons for the Decline, Report Roadkill to support research.
California data: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF) estimated a range of 450,000 to 500,000 deer, about 475,000, in its 2024, 2023 and 2022 report to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA- a summary of WAFWA reports). However, the estimated deer kill from the annual hunt fell by about 6 percent from 2022 to 2023, indicating a decline in the population toward the lower end of the estimated range. The California Roadkill Observation System in its 2023 and 2024 reports also indicated a decline in the number of road-killed deer indicating a declining population. In the 2023 report, the state indicated it was working to improve the accuracy of population estimates by "transitioning to integrated population modeling approaches that combine data from a variety of sources to generate population estimates."
Details for the data in the chart above that were taken from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) website and CDFW reports to the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). The CDFW revised its population model around 2016 and 2017. For 2013 through 2015, CDFW provided a population range estimate to WAFWA of 450,000 to 550,000, the gray dots and error bars in the chart, but later updated its estimates to 511,871 for 2014 and 649,338 for 2015. The updated estimates propose that the deer population increased dramatically during one of the worst droughts in California history. Water availability is highly correlated with fawn production. The Nevada deer population declined during this period.
See the Long-term Deer Population Trend for estimates back to 1917 and for information on reasons for the decline from about 2 million around 1960 to current populations
In the 2022 report the state commented that: "The modeled 2022 pre-season deer population estimate for the hunted segment in California increased from the previous year to roughly 500,000 animals [The estimated range was 450,000 to 500,000]. This estimate has fluctuated between approximately 400,000 and 700,000 over the past 30 years [The 1990 estimate was 850,000]. These estimates are only for the hunted portion of the total deer population, which excludes most suburban deer... In some areas, deer are likely decreasing, such as the migratory populations in the Sierra Nevada, and the black-tailed deer populations in northwest California. In other areas deer are increasing, particularly non-migratory populations associated with suburbs and agricultural areas."
In 2023 a conservation group proposed killing all of the deer on Catalina Island.
An estimate from the state of 460,420 deer in 2021 (p. 11), 458,00 blacktail and mule deer in 2020; 459,450 deer in 2019; and 470,000 in 2018. Another estimate from the state of 533,000 in 2018. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) estimate of 532,621 for 2017, 621,082 in 2016, 649,338 in 2015 and 511,871 in 2014 is not consistent with previous reported estimates. For example, there was previously an estimated 512,000 deer in 2015 up from 443,289 deer in 2014. Both estimates, but most dramatically CDFW acknowledges that a firm population number does not exist.
Mountain lion sightings in 2022 indicate an increase in the state population.
In 2019, blacktails were steady in suburban and foothill areas, and in Central valley river corridors, but migratory deer herds in the east are declining. A picture taken of a tagged doe in 2019 was of a deer estimated to be 14 years old.
The drought had lasted for four years by deer season in 2016, with some check stations reporting very low deer taken. The long-term declining deer population contributed to the controversy around the proposed reintroduction of wolves in 2016. Hunting pressure was high in 2016 and 2017 with 176,000 deer tags issued. A severe winter killed many deer in 2016-17 and floods in 2017 decimated deer herds along the Sacramento River. Twice the normal rain in 2018 provided forage for deer.
Most of the mule deer are in the 17 X Zones which is less than 20 percent of the state. The deer in the Tehachapi Mountains carry the genes of both California Mule Deer and Black-tailed Deer.
A guide to improving deer habitat in California.
Chronic Wasting Disease First detection in May, 2024, in two deer, one in Madera County near Yosemite Lakes and the other in Inyo County, near Bishop. Increased sampling in 2019.
Adenovirus Hemorrhagic Disease (AHD) was first discovered first in California in 1993. An outbreak in 2021.
Elk, an estimated 13,000 in 2017 and 2018, less than 10,000 in 2015. A 2018 CDFW estimate puts the numbers at 5,700 Roosevelt Elk, 1,500 Rocky Mountain Elk, and 5,700 Yule Elk. An estimate of more than 4,000 Tule Elk in 2020. Tule elk once roamed in large herds near the Sierra Nevada mountains, reduced to a single pair of by 1875. There were once more than 500,000 elk in California, by 1972 only a few of the smaller species remained. With recovery effort, there about 1,600 in the 1960's.
Mountain lion Three detailed studies reported in early 2024 estimated 4,500 to 3,200 lions. A population estimated at 4,500 in a 2023 study. Estimated at around 4,000 to 6,000 in 2017 2018, 2021, and 2022 by CDFW, but based on an older analysis. Estimated at 3,100 by mountainlion.org in 2015, thought to have recently peaked around 1996 at about 6,000 and was guessed to be about 4,000 in 2010, an estimate of 3,000 to 5,000 in 2013 About 600 in 1967, 2,400 in 1972. at least 5,100 in the late 1980s, from 4,000 to 6,000 in 1984. About 2,400 in 1972 up from 600 in 1967. California hunters collected from $20 to $60 each for killing 12,461 mountain lions from 1907 to 1963.. Hunting lions was banned in 1990. In 2024 a mountain lion killed one and injured another in El Dorado county.
Wolves. The last wild wolf in California was shot in 2024. It wasn’t until 2011 that another crossed the Oregon border. In 2024 nine packs containing an estimated 70 wolves, up from 44 last year. A new pack of 5 spotted in 2023. A wolf migrated into Northern California from Oregon in 2021. An estimated seven to ten wolves in 2019, six wolves in mid-2017, two adults and four pups.
Bears A 2024 state reports puts the bear population at 65,000, up from around 20,000 in 1998. Estimates from Fish and Wildlife put the state black bear population at 30,000 to 40,000 in 2016, up from 10,000 to 15,000 in 1992
Report poaching: Contact the 24-hour CalTIP hotline (888-334-2258) or send an anonymous text tip to 847411 (tip411). In the message, just text CALTIP followed by a space and then the information.
Useful Links:
- California Fish and Game Commission Meetings
- California Roadkill Observation System Report what you see, the roadkill incidents are saved to a database that is mapped and used at U.C. Davis for Wildlife Research.
Siskiyou Deer and Puma Project
- Wildlife Observer: Cam-WON provides a service to operators of wildlife cameras to manage their camera network in a web-based environment enabling sharing of photos and data from their projects.
- Mendocino County Blacktail Deer Association
- Wildlife Fawn Rescue of Sonoma County Wildcare. An Organization Devoted to Living Well with Wildlife in San Rafael, California - Sierra Wild Life Rescue, Placerville - Wildlife Fawn Rescue, Kenwood - Kindred Spirits Fawn, Loomis
Closure of California Deer Refuges: The report is a result of public input and comments the department has gathered in regards to its proposal to eliminate the refuge status of 19 state game refuges, effectively opening those areas to hunting.