PHOTO : ADOBE STOCK

The latest deer management program for Pittsburgh’s city parks has gotten underway, expanding to five new parks and adding overnight sharpshooters to Schenley and Emerald View parks.

The new season kicked off Sept. 20 and runs through Dec. 13. It resumes Dec. 26 and will end Jan. 24. No hunting will take place on Sundays.

In addition to Frick, Riverview, Emerald View, Schenley and Highland Parks — where archery hunting has taken place for a few years — bow hunters now will also be in Hays Woods, Hazelwood Greenway, Southside Park, McKinley Park and Seldom Seen Greenway.

Sixty-five trained archers have been recruited to cull the deer population, which has created dangerous road safety conditions with an increase of car-deer collisions, relentless damage to the ecosystem, spread of diseases and other problems.

For the first time, sharpshooters contracted by USDA officials will be in Schenley and Emerald View parks overnight, starting after 11 p.m. They were used in a pilot program earlier this year in Frick and Riverview parks, without any reported safety incidents.

While bow hunting has been effective in stemming the population growth of the white-tail deer herds in the parks, it wasn’t enough to reduce the size of the herds, which is why the city has added what it calls “targeted removal” with sharpshooters, according to city officials.

“Our goal is to eventually have a balanced population that in future years can be maintained using archery tactics alone,” according to the management plan.

According to the city’s deer management procedures, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Pennsylvania Game Commission will be alerted to nights when targeted removal will occur to address any potential complaints or reports that may arise. The sharpshooters will be using suppressed rifles that sound more like a pop than a gunshot.

This season’s program will also pilot a mentorship program that will allow vetted archers to instruct young hunters between the ages of 10-16 in proper archery practices.

Archers harvested 199 deer last season, with the meat from 92 of them donated to local food banks.