Deer have been wandering onto Oakmont's Main Street and darting across a trail between the upper and lower boulevard for years, and now the borough is turning to bow hunters to thin the herd. The archery phase of Oakmont's deer management program could start as early as Thursday, and residents are sharply divided over whether vetted hunters belong in local parks at all.
According to WTAE, Oakmont Borough Manager Scot Fodi said deer have caused various issues over the years and have repeatedly interacted with people and domestic pets, even as the number of traffic accidents involving deer has stayed low. Fodi said the exact deer population is unknown because the animals are transient, moving in and out of the borough rather than staying put. Residents have been reporting deer-related conflicts for four or five years, per the same report, with the animals congregating in Oakmont streets every night at dusk and nearly getting struck by cars in the morning.
Not everyone is on board. Lisa Reilly criticized the program's approach, and the station reports that her son, Sean Reilly, opposed the plan outright. Lisa Reilly questioned how the borough can claim to be reducing the deer population without an established baseline count, a tension that cuts to the heart of the skepticism surrounding the effort. Dozens of residents have signed an online petition calling for the program to be stopped, the station's report notes.
Supporters See an Overdue Fix
Not all reaction has been negative. Frank Ledonne told the station he supports the deer management program and believes the animals are overpopulated in Oakmont, echoing concerns Fodi has raised about the herd's impact on daily life in the borough.
Oakmont Borough Council voted to retain the services of Suburban Wildlife Management LLC to carry out the hunt, according to CBS Pittsburgh. The outlet reports the agreement includes a provision to donate a portion of the harvested meat to food banks. Fodi told CBS Pittsburgh the borough may take out 20 deer this year, followed by about 10 in each of the next three years.
TribLIVE reports that Oakmont Council member Deborah Ormay said 10% of the borough's population responded to a survey on the deer issue, though the full results were not detailed. The borough's own program page, per Oakmont Borough, lays out an extensive vetting process: volunteer archers must pass a criminal history record check, complete the Pennsylvania Game Commission's bowhunting training course, and pass an archer proficiency examination conducted by SWM before they can take part.
Conflicting Accounts on How Many Archers Are Approved
How many archers have actually cleared that bar depends on which account you read. WTAE's reporting states that Oakmont has approved fewer than five archers so far, while the Oakmont Borough program page says SWM and the borough have not yet selected or approved any volunteer archers or private properties. The two accounts have not been reconciled.
Hunting will take place at Dark Hollow Woods and Falling Springs Run Park, with archers also eligible to hunt on private property that meets safety requirements. Suburban Whitetail Management, the vetting organization working with the borough, says its program checks approved properties for safety hazards, including a stated 50-yard distance from any dwelling. Hunters will not come onto private property without prior authorization, CBS Pittsburgh reports.
Oakmont Borough says the archery hunting phase of its deer management program may begin as early as Thursday, November 12, though the borough's program page notes the exact start date had not been selected at the time it was published. A possible second phase, involving professional sharpshooters, would only proceed if the Pennsylvania Game Commission issues a permit, and the borough has said that phase would run from February to March 2027 if approved. Pennsylvania's statewide archery seasons for 2026-27 run from October 3 through November 20 and again from December 26 through January 24.
Identification and Oversight for Hunters
To ease safety concerns, Oakmont Borough archery hunters will carry identification stating they are permitted participants in the program, and the borough will share archer program information with the police department. Fodi said residents who suspect an archer is acting improperly should contact police. All archers in the program must follow Pennsylvania Game Commission rules, the borough says.
Oakmont's effort fits into a broader pattern of Pennsylvania municipalities turning to managed hunts to address deer concentrations near homes and roads. Allegheny County has described deer overpopulation as a topic of concern for many residents, and a Pennsylvania Game Commission guide to community deer management lays out recommended steps for towns grappling with deer-human conflicts, noting the commission can offer technical assistance throughout the process.
Pittsburgh has run a similar archery program for several seasons; the city said it was expanding the effort for 2026-27 after what it called three highly successful seasons, according to the City of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the city's program culled 142 deer across 10 parks during the 2025-26 season, a 28% drop from the prior year, though it's unclear whether Oakmont's much smaller program will see comparable results.
