Pittsburgh considers sharpshooters in parks to reduce deer population

An expansion of Pittsburgh’s deer hunting program will bring limited archery into additional parks, and the city might bring in U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters in some areas.

The city last year launched a limited archery pilot program in Frick and Riverview parks. Thirty archers culled 108 deer and donated nearly 10,000 meals. There were no public safety incidents in the pilot program, which ran from Sept. 30 through Jan. 27, officials said.

Officials are planning to expand the project into Schenley, Emerald View and Highland parks.

Those parks will see limited archery programs that will operate in the same model the city used last hunting season. Archers have to apply to participate. They must pass a background check and an archery test to qualify.

The city is planning to use 50 archers this year, with another 50 on standby as backups in case an archer is unable to hunt.

They’ll be assigned to specific locations within those parks to hunt.

Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said officials haven’t decided exactly how many deer they’re hoping to cull this year. If they don’t reach their goals, they might bring USDA sharpshooters into Frick and Riverview parks to further bring down the deer population.

Those hunters, officials said, would be USDA employees who would use guns with silencers to hunt at night.

“It’s not anything like a standard hunter coming into a park,” Schmidt said. “It is very much a managed hunt.”

That likely wouldn’t start till the end of the upcoming deer season, Schmidt said.

The goal, he said, is a “reduction in deer versus vehicle collisions” and a gradual regrowth of plants that have been decimated by deer populations.

In general, hunting is not permitted in city parks.

City Council on Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of a nearly $99,000 contract with the USDA to help oversee the deer management program this year during a preliminary vote. Council is expected to take a final vote on the measure next week.

Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, was not present for Wednesday’s vote.

Related:

• 30 archers, 108 deer, 9,440 meals later, Pittsburgh proclaims pilot culling program a success

• Pittsburgh approves limited deer hunting program in city parks

• Opinions mixed on allowing limited hunting in some Pittsburgh parks to control deer population