PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Oh deer — it’s bad news for white-tailed deer but good news for the native plant species that they overeat and the potential vehicle collisions they cause.

The City of Pittsburgh’s deer management program resumes this weekend in three additional public parks: Schenley, Highland and Emerald View. Frick and Riverview parks were part of the original deer-hunting pilot program, which Mayor Ed Gainey called a “tremendous success.”

Related: Why Is Pittsburgh Looking to Expand Bow Hunting of Deer to 3 More Parks?

Fifty Allegheny County archers were selected to be part of the program. That number is up from the 30 archers selected for last year’s pilot program, which ran from Sept. 30, 2023 to Jan. 27, 2024. Those archers killed 108 deer in Frick and Riverview parks, according to a city report released in March.

The 50 archers were required to undergo a background check, wildlife violation check and an archery accuracy test, according to a press release from the City of Pittsburgh.

Notice signs have been posted in all five parks. Park visitors are encouraged to stay on established trails, keep dogs on a leash and “respect the space of authorized hunters,” according to the release.

While deer are a natural part of the ecosystem, their overpopulation leads to an increase in vehicle-deer collisions and loss of natural fear. However, University of Pittsburgh researchers have said bow-hunting alone isn’t enough to manage the deer population in city parks. They recommend adding sharpshooters in addition to bow-hunters.

The deer management program is a partnership between the City of Pittsburgh and the Department of Agriculture. Two other options to control the population — birth control and castration — are not legal in Pennsylvania, according to the release.

Archery will take place in the parks beginning Sept. 21 through Saturday, Dec. 14 and again on Thursday, Dec. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 25, with the exception of Sundays.