Outdoor News Service

12/11/2025

Chuck Bonham was arguably the worst director in the Department of Fish and Wildlife's long history, and many fear Newsom's replacement will be even worse. Bonham led the agency away from traditional fish and wildlife management into a completely politically run agency. Science takes the back seat to politics in all issues that are controversial. He led the charge to change the name from Department of Fish and Game to Fish and Wildlife, the whole agency was taken in a different direction under his helm -- and not a better direction. An internal survey of staff, that wasn't supposed to be leaked to the public in 2016, showed that 60 percent to the staff thought he was taking the agency in the wrong direction. His departure is being met with a mixture of glee and fear by staff and the sporting conservation community: Glee in his departure. Fear that the next appointee will be even worse.

The legacy of Bonham has been tainted by the closure of the commercial salmon season for three years.

11/28/2025

Catalina Island Conservancy continues to push mule deer eradication.

Do not let Catalina Island history be erased because of the agenda of Woke Biology. I am not sure who Lester G. Smith of Avalon was, so if anyone has an idea please share with us. This is a page out of the Boone and Crockett Record Book some time ago.

11/14/2025

This is the first major revision of deer management in decades and the DFW has been collecting data for this update for more than five years.

CDFW is hosting a meeting to seek public input in developing a Statewide Deer Conservation and Management Plan on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., at the Tallman Pavilion at the Tri-County Fair. Located at 475 Sierra St., Bishop, CA., 93514. This is a regionally focused meeting on the previously hosted public virtual workshop and in-person meetings that were held in Sacramento in September. At this informal meeting local staff will provide the same information that was previously shared and will include local deer information. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet some of the local CDFW staff and will be followed up by a question-and-answer session with the public. CDFW is looking forward to discussing deer management in the Eastern Sierra, meeting outdoor enthusiasts and having an open dialogue.

The development of the Statewide Deer Conservation and Management Plan follows on the heels of the Black Bear Conservation and Management Plan for California: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=231227&inline

And The Conservation and Management Plan for Bighorn Sheep in California: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=232342&inline

Both of which were released in April 2025.

For more information about the Statewide Deer Conservation and Management Plan please contact: Brian Leo, Statewide Deer Coordinator: [email protected]

11/12/2025

The Catalina Island Deer can be managed through a professional hunting program. They do not need to be slaughtered. Many ask me how to help and here is how to do it. It only takes a couple of minutes to sign the petition. Thank you. .alexander35 .alexander22

11/12/2025

The Catalina Island Conservancy wants to wipe out the island’s deer herd. The “science” to suppot this effort is specious at best.

Friends, They’re doing it again. The Catalina Island Conservancy and their butchers, White Buffalo, Inc., have revived their plan to wipe out every mule deer on Catalina Island. They’ve rebranded their failed 2023 “Scientific Collecting Permit” as a new Restoration Management Permit (RMP) to...

10/24/2025

The DFW kills four livestock-eating wolves in Northern California. Funny how they didn’t run a wolf photo with this story, or maybe a picture of a dead cow killed by wolves.

Following an unprecedented level of livestock attacks across the Sierra Valley, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has taken the difficult step of lethally removing four gray wolves (Canis lupus) from the Beyem Seyo pack. This action follows months of intensive non-lethal management efforts to reduce livestock loss and is grounded in the best available science and understanding of wolf biology.
Between March 28 and Sept. 10, 2025, these wolves were responsible for 70 total livestock losses. With 110 confirmed or probable wolf-caused livestock losses statewide during this period, these specific wolves account for 63% of the total livestock losses across California during this timeframe. From Sept. 10, 2025, to Oct. 14, 2025, 17 additional confirmed or probable livestock losses have been documented. CDFW continues to work with livestock operators and federal partners to investigate depredation events.
For more information go here: https://wildlife.ca.gov/News/Archive/cdfw-wolf-management-action-in-sierra-valley

10/23/2025

Stop the Catalina island deer eridication.

10/10/2025

This state’s Democrats are unbelievable.

🚨 BREAKING: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1127 — which prohibits fi****ms dealers from selling G***k and G***k platform pistols — into law.

We’ll see you in court.