Since the first-ever sanctioned deer hunt in Pittsburgh parks began Aug. 30, 64 deer have been killed, no hunting-related injuries were reported and community protests, if any, were not disruptive.
From the opening day of the controlled hunt through Nov. 13, a small group of vetted archers removed 26 deer from Frick Park and 38 from Riverview Park.
“It’s a start,” said Erica Heide, senior ranger at Frick and Westinghouse parks.
“You can’t walk through the parks without seeing the effects of deer. Japanese honeysuckle and other invasive species are the only things that can survive with such an overabundance of deer.”
Ms. Heide specifically noted the “gorgeous rhododendrons” and other flora in regional parks that have longstanding deer management plans.
“We are extremely held back by deer,” she said.
Ms. Heide said in addition to the impact on parks, deer-related danger on Pittsburgh roads is a growing concern. In 2018-2019, 330 white-tail road kills were cleared from city streets. The number declined during the shelter-in-place days of COVID-19, but the most recent report cited 510 deer-vehicle collisions.
In 2010, a commissioned study of Pittsburgh deer density cited five times more deer per acre than the parks could support. A controlled archery hunt in the parks was recommended but City Council took no action.
“The deer population continued to grow,” said Ms. Heide. “When I started here in 2017 we had a deer problem in the parks, but nobody was listening. But the conversation has shifted. They’re on the streets, in backyards. They don’t have a fear of humans.”
Ms. Heide said some Pittsburghers don’t like the lethal solution, but most seem relieved that something is finally being done.
“My background is in environmental science,” she said. “I don’t want to kill deer, but if we don’t start to do something, nature is going to come up with something and it’s going to be disease or they’ll eat until there’s a lack of resources. That’s why they’re moving into your backyard. They don’t have enough food in the parks.”
The deer program is being managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which organized the archer lottery system, vetted 30 winners for marksmanship, temperament and lack of a criminal record and established designated hunting zones.
Every day but Sundays, 15 archers climb into deer stands hung in Frick and Riverview parks. At the end of the day a hunt manager collects the harvest and reviews mandatory journals noting the number of bucks and does seen, time afield, problems incurred and general conditions of the hunt.
Because does determine herd population, archers are required to take an antlerless deer before shooting a buck. The 39 does so far donated by the hunters are being processed into 1,560 pounds of ground venison expected to provide more than 6,200 meals for needy Pittsburghers, said Ms. Heide.
Safety is the top priority of the hunt, she said, and there are no plans to expand the program.
The controlled hunt is an open-ended pilot plan. At some point, Mayor Ed Gainey’s office and City Council are expected to review its progress and determine whether further action is needed to get the deer population under control.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story contained an inaccurate number of meals provided from deer removed from the parks.
John Hayes: jhayes@post-gazette.com.
First Published: November 23, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: November 23, 2023, 9:40 p.m.
