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...

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...

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  Not reported yet in California.  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, an estimated seven to ten wolves in 2019, six wolves in mid-2017, two adults and four pups.   A wolf migrated into Northern California from Oregon in 2021 and returned to southern California following a wildfire.  A new pack of 5 spotted in 2023.  Another new pack in 2024.

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.  Given the long-term state policy of hunting bucks, not does, the sex and age structure of the wild deer in California is highly skewed.  Natural sex and age ratios are maintained in California in these refuges and other areas of California not open to hunting.  Refuges were originally created to maintain the deer population.