Appleman,
Have you hunted on the island? The deer and elk are privately owned, much like game ranches for elk in the U.S. and Canada.
The animals are not of the "we" and "our". They are PRIVATE PROPERTY. The hunts do not require a hunting license or deer tag from California and the herd is not subject to any F&G regulations. This has been an upcoming tragedy in the making for YEARS. Everyone involved has known the consequences for YEARS.
My question to any F&G departments around the country is this, you come up with all kinds of excuses not to accept or transfer these deer and elk to your states. Would you also refuse say desert sheep from Tibiron Island? Carmen Island? Elk transplants from Arizona or British Columbia, Utah or Nevada?
My question to the elk and mule deer property owners of Santa Rosa Island, why slaughter them? Sell them, let others hunt them, donate hunts to armed service members, junior hunts, disabled hunts??
All involved are at fault, some though, have been compensated quite nicely for the outcome.
They also have "slaughtered" mule deer does every year after the paid buck hunts so this is nothing new.