Bringing Back The Deer

The Angeles National Forest is truly a land of many uses, and hunting is one of them. The primary animal hunted in the Angeles is deer. Hunters can be seen weeks in advance of opening day, scoping out good locations, planning their hunt. The hunting area is defined as D-11 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Ironically, one of the most popular regions within D-11 to hunt deer is one which Los Angeles County has designated as a no hunting zone; the Charlton-Chilao recreation complex. But don't expect to see that information posted anywhere. It isn't.

The no hunting zone stretches from Charlton Flat Picnic area and Mount Mooney Road all the way to the Santa Clara Divide Road, and includes all of the recreation areas - hiking trails, roads, campgrounds, picnic areas and residential areas - on both sides of Angeles Crest Highway.
This zone, and a number of others, are not new. They were created prior to 1984, when they appeared on a map published by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (when it was still called the Department of Fish and Game).

Another map with these boundaries, as well as others, was printed in 1994. And then, as we entered the digital age, instead of these various layers of information becoming more integrated, they somehow came apart.

You can no longer access a map which shows you Los Angeles County's no hunting zones within the Angeles National Forest.

The County's no hunting zones in developed recreation areas serve to keep forest visitors and hunters out of each other's way. While they were designed with the interests of humans in mind, they also provide a buffer zone for deer and other wildlife. If those no hunting zones were observed, it is entirely possible that the deer population could stabilize, or at least see a slower annual decline.

And that would ultimately benefit hunters.

Deer numbers in the Angeles have been declining steadily since the 1970s, perhaps earlier. Habitat type conversion is described as the primary reason for the decline. Grass meadows gradually convert to chaparral habitat, offering less forage. Those same meadow habitats also tend to be where recreation infrastructure is created, offering forest visitors an accessible nature experience.

Deer and other herbivores play a key role in the habitats they live in. They manage vegetation by consuming it. They are an integral part of the food chain, being the favored prey of mountain lions. Even bobcats will prey upon deer. Deer kills also feed other animals, such as bears, coyotes, foxes, eagles, vultures and ravens, all of which inhabit the Angeles.

It seems like a good idea to provide this keystone species with a safe zone; a viable habitat suitable for the potential stabilization of its population. Simply observing the no hunting zone boundaries already in place would provide that safe space.

With very minimal effort, and no changes to existing regulations, we might just be able to bring back the deer.

We hope to get some things accomplished before the 2025 hunting season. We think the place to start is with education. Maps and verbiage in every USFS kiosk in the no hunting zones. No hunting signs throughout those zones. An education campaign among USFS employees and volunteers, and an education campaign for the public. Outreach to hunting groups and organizations.

It's a simple, straight-forward, feasible idea. Help people to understand what the law is, and what it has been for over forty years.

The Angeles National Forest is managed by the US Forest Service. Hunting is regulated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The no hunting zones were set in place by the County of Los Angeles. But finding a map today that brings all of this information into one place is not possible. Such a resource no longer exists.

That needs to change.

Map apps are the way most people get information today. Those apps don't have the Los Angeles County overlay of hunting zones and no hunting zones. They can show you topography, a myriad of statistics, and even where the most popular hunting destinations are.

Without defined no hunting boundaries, the rest of the regulations are up for interpretation. Those regulations state that you have to be 150 yards away from an inhabited structure or a developed recreation area, and you can't shoot across a road or body of water. That interpretation of the law leaves most of the Charlton-Chilao recreation complex fair game.

"Good luck getting anyone to enforce those laws" someone told me repeatedly when we began talking about the no hunting zones.

I don't think we are anywhere near enforcement. I think we are at the need for education level. Sharing information in a way that engages and respects all forest patrons.

We have a web page devoted to this issue, at the bottom of which are the last known map images of the no hunting zones within the Angeles National Forest, as well as conversations with and to the USFS and CA Fish and Wildlife.

https://www.redbirdsvisions.or...

Thank you for reading. My name is Corina Roberts and I'm the founder of Redbird, a Native American and environmental 501(c)(3) non profit association. You can reach us via email at redbirds_vision@hotmail.com