When Santa Rosa Island was privately owned, and nobody got to visit it, the ranchers stocked the island with deer and elk for private hunting parties; typically the charge was around $10,000 for a week's hunt, and your trophy was guaranteed. The owners made as much profit from the hunt as from the entire cattle operation.

When the island was sold to the gov't in 1987, the agreement was that hunting would continue for twenty five years. My, how time flies!

2012 will launch a whole new era for a very wonderful island.