The Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus
columbianus) has a geographic range that spans from southern
British Columbia to Santa Barbara County in California, and as
far east as the Cascade and Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The species is commonly found throughout Point Reyes National
Seashore, in the forests of Muir Woods, as well as coastal scrub
and agricultural fields throughout the region. Black-tailed deer
are considered a “keystone” species in the native California
coastal ecosystem because fluctuations in their population
numbers have the potential for repercussions throughout the
ecosystem. Non-native deer have also been introduced into Point
Reyes National Seashore in the past, and in many places their
populations have grown and spread. Scientists are concerned
about the effects these species may have on black-tailed deer
populations, along with the rest of the ecosystem. As a result,
biologists have developed theoretical models predicting the
effect of non-native deer on black-tailed