Managing Deer Populations

October 7, 2021

Question: What is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) role in managing deer populations on public lands?

Answer: CDFW’s role in managing deer and other hunted species across California includes population monitoring, movement monitoring (i.e., migration corridors and habitat linkages), administering appropriate levels of hunter take and enhancing habitat.

Public land makes up about 48 percent of the state’s deer habitat, with most of it being federal land administered by the U.S. Forest Service(opens in new tab) and U.S. Bureau of Land Management(opens in new tab). Since CDFW owns and directly manages less than one percent of the state’s deer habitat, CDFW collaborates with federal and state agencies, private landowners, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders on land management projects that improve deer and other wildlife habitat. Over the last six years, CDFW has awarded over $2.1 million through its Big Game Grant Program to non-profit groups (such as California Deer Association, Mendocino County Blacktail Association and Mule Deer Foundation) for habitat enhancement projects on California’s public lands.