It’s Deer Season

Dumpster deer at the Bigelow Boulevard construction site, 22 Nov 2020 (photo by Kate St. John)

28 November 2020

Today is the first day of Deer Season in Pennsylvania. Specifically it’s the start of antlered deer regular firearms (rifle) hunting season which runs from 28 November to 12 December and includes Pennsylvania’s first ever Sunday rifle deer hunt on 29 November. Click here for season details; they depend on location.

Be sure to wear blaze orange in the woods and fields every day of the week.

Wear Orange sign (PA Game Commission), Blaze Orange Vest available on Amazon

In the City of Pittsburgh our huge and growing deer population has no predators. Hunting is prohibited and the deer know it.

Buck in velvet at Allegheny Cemetery, July 2015 (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

The only thing city deer are afraid of are dogs off-leash.

Deer cross the road in Schenley Park (photo by Kate St. John)

Last weekend I found a target-practice deer taking refuge in the city. Poking his head out of a pink dumpster on Bigelow Boulevard, he knew he was safe near the Cathedral of Learning (at top).

Stay safe out there.

(photos by Kate St. John and from Wikimedia Commons, PA Game Commission and Amazon. Click on the captions to see the originals)

4 thoughts on “It’s Deer Season

  1. I feel very optimistic – there was extended discussion about culling city deer during city council budget hearing last week, seems several members agree the issue must be addressed!

  2. Just like they put rabies vaccine in pellets they leave out for the raccoons, why not put birth control in salt licks they leave out for the deer?

    1. Birth control drugs are hormonal products designed to interrupt the female reproductive cycle. Since both sexes feed at salt licks the males would ingest it too. Not good.

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