Controlled deer hunts expand to more Pittsburgh parks on Saturday
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Archers, with bow and arrow in hand, will be in Pittsburgh city parks starting Saturday. It's part of a program to help control the overpopulation of deer in the parks.
It's officially called the Deer Management Program. According to the United States Department of Agriculture and the city of Pittsburgh, the deer population needs to be monitored to cut down on vehicle collisions, the overeating of native plant species and several other issues.
"I would actually call deer overpopulation to be one of the primary environmental stressors in our region, believe it or not, because deer are at densities that are five or 10 times higher than they were maybe 300 or 400 years ago," said Dr. Ryan Utz with Chatham University's School of Sustainability and Environment.
This round of archer-based hunting will take place in Frick, Riverview, Schenley, Highland and Emerald View parks.
The city of Pittsburgh wants everyone well informed of the program so they can keep themselves safe. Parkgoers are advised to stay on established trails, keep all dogs on a leash, which is required by law, and respect the space of hunters.
There are barcodes on all posted signs that park visitors can scan for more information on the program and the need to control the deer population.
"As a culture, I would love to see a lot more deer hunting and an expanded program throughout the region, simply because there are too many deer," Utz added.
Archery will take place Saturday, Sept. 21 through Saturday, Dec. 14 and Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 25. Sundays are excluded.
One important thing to note: These are archers who have gone through extensive training, including accuracy in their target practice, so the city says they know what they're doing.