Pittsburgh expands limited archery season in various city parks

Pittsburgh officials are expanding a limited archery season to cull the deer population in various city parks.

The city is selecting archers to hunt white-tailed deer in Frick, Riverview, Emerald View, Schenley, Highland and Southside parks, Hays Woods, Hazelwood Greenway and Seldom Seen Greenway.

Nearly 200 deer were culled during the 2024-25 archery season, the city reported, with 92 of them donated to local food banks.

The city’s deer management program — conducted in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture — included Frick, Riverview, Schenley, Highland and Emerald View parks last season. USDA-contracted marksmen conducted limited hunts in Frick and Riverview parks after the archery season concluded last year.

City officials in 2023 approved the limited hunting program in an effort to address a deer population officials said had grown too large. Hunting initially was limited to Frick and Riverview parks.

The city this year is planning to select 65 archers — plus 65 alternates — through a lottery system. City residents are given priority in the lottery, but people living throughout Allegheny County and surrounding counties may also apply.

Archers must pass a criminal background check, be at least 18 years old, plan to purchase a 2B Antlerless Tag and not be participating in other deer management programs. They also will have to participate in an accuracy test.

Online registration is available through July 20.

Each hunter will be assigned a specific location within a park where they’re permitted to hunt.

They will not be allowed to hunt on Sundays and must hunt a doe first. The first doe must be donated to a food bank program. Archers are prohibited from field dressing on site.

“There were again zero public safety incidents that resulted from last year’s archery season,” Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said in a statement, calling the program “highly successful.”

According to the city’s website, the upcoming season will run from September 20 through December 13 and from December 26 through January 24. USDA-contracted shooters will cull additional deer in Schenley and Emerald View parks during overnight hours after the archery season wraps up.

City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a measure to allow the city to partner with the USDA for just under $100,000 for this season’s deer management program.