  We present the first sample of 882 optically selected galaxy clusters in the
Deep Lens Survey (DLS), selected with the Bayesian Cluster Finder. We create
mock DLS data to assess completeness and purity rates, and find that both are
at least $70\%$ within 0.1$\le z \le$ 1.2 for clusters with $M_{200}\ge
1.2\times 10^{14}M_{\odot}$. We verified the integrity of the sample by
performing several comparisons with other optical, weak lensing, X-ray and
spectroscopic surveys which overlap the DLS footprint: the estimated redshifts
are consistent with the spectroscopic redshifts of known clusters (for $z>0.25$
where saturation in the DLS is not an issue); our richness estimates in
combination with a previously calibrated richness-mass relation yields
individual cluster mass estimates consistent with available SHeLS dynamical
mass estimates; synthetic mass maps made from the optical mass estimates are
correlated ($>3\sigma$ significance) with the weak lensing mass maps; and the
mass function thus derived is consistent with theoretical predictions for the
CDM scenario. With the verified sample we investigated correlations between the
brightest cluster galaxies (BCG) properties and the host cluster properties
within a broader range in redshift (0.25 $\le z \le$ 0.8) and mass
($\ge2.4\times 10^{14}M_{\odot}$) than in previous work. We find that the slope
of the BCG magnitude-redshift relation throughout this redshift range is
consistent with that found at lower redshifts. This result supports an
extrapolation to higher redshift of passive evolution of the BCG within the
hierarchical scenario.

Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics