7 deer in a yard on Ellsworth Ave, 20 Sept 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

24 September 2025

From April through August the City of Pittsburgh’s overabundant deer population is generally unafraid of the humans they encounter in parks and greenways. In Schenley Park in August this buck in velvet merely looked at me as I stood close enough to take a cellphone photo.

Buck in velvet in Schenley Park, 13 August 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

This month he’s not visible at all.

In late September and early October, as deer hormones ramp up for the rut (mating season), does and fawns initially remain in matriarchal groups but they are on the move, crossing streets and spreading into neighborhoods. The males travel alone, searching for does in estrus. [See City Deer in the Rut for more information.]

The Cathedral of Learning seems isolated to us, surrounded as it is by wide streets and a big lawn but deer are not daunted by these barriers. They cross Fifth Avenue to browse on bushes and flowers, leaving evidence of their nocturnal visit in piles of scat (seen on 9 Sept).

Deer Were Here. On the lawn next to the Cathedral of Learning, 9 September 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

Deer crossing the road (photos by Starley Shelton via Flickr Creative Commons license)

This group of seven crossed a lot of roads to end up in a yard on Ellsworth Avenue.

7 deer in a yard on Ellsworth Ave, 20 Sept 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

Their switch from parks to neighborhoods exposes them to the dangers of cars and dogs while it takes them out of the city parks hunting zones. The City of Pittsburgh Deer Management Program, which began with archery hunts in Frick and Riverview in 2023-2024, expanded last year to Highland, Riverview, and Emerald View, and expanded again this year to include Hays Woods (yay!), McKinley Park, Hazelwood Greenway, Southside Park and Seldom Seen Greenway.

Archers for the 2025-2026 season have already been selected and assigned their zones within the parks. Archery began Saturday, September 20, 2025.

I encourage you to learn about bow hunting in the city parks and greenways at WPXI: Deer management program returns to Pittsburgh, expands to more city parks and TribLive: Controlled deer hunt expands to 10 Pittsburgh parks; hunters target overgrown herd.

For all the details, click on City of Pittsburgh Deer Management Program or on the screenshot below.

screenshot from City of Pittsburgh Deer Management Program website

Meanwhile, watch out for deer crossing the road! Chances are way too high that are you’ll hit a deer in PA during the rut in October/November. October is just one week away.