Oakmont residents differ in support of deer management program allowing archery in parks

Oakmont residents differ in support of deer management program allowing archery in parks Oakmont Borough's deer management program, starting Thursday, has divided residents, with some questioning its necessity and others citing safety concerns due to deer overpopulation. WTAE Oakmont beginning Deer Culling program with archers SOURCE: WTAE Advertisement Updated: 6:25 PM EST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Kalea Gunderson Reporter Oakmont residents differ in support of deer management program allowing archery in parks Oakmont Borough's deer management program, starting Thursday, has divided residents, with some questioning its necessity and others citing safety concerns due to deer overpopulation. Updated: 6:25 PM EST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Kalea Gunderson Reporter OAKMONT, Pa. — Oakmont Borough is set to begin a deer management program this Thursday, allowing vetted archers to hunt deer in Dark Hollow Woods and Falling Springs Run Park to address concerns about deer overpopulation. Lisa Reilly, an Oakmont resident, criticized the program's approach. Advertisement "It feels like it's a very sledgehammer response to a little flyswatter problem," Reilly said. Her son, Sean Reilly, also expressed his disapproval. "I feel terrible. They’re innocent creatures," Sean Reilly said. 'We had to deal with it' Oakmont Borough Manager Scot Fodi explained the reasoning behind the program, noting that the deer population has caused various issues over the years. "We don't know the exact numbers of the population. Nobody really knows, because they're so transient. But we've had enough anecdotal stories, situations and events, and conflicts that we've been hearing from residents at least for 4 or 5 years," Fodi said. "There are situations that we've seen enough times of interactions with humans, interactions with people's domestic pets. We had to deal with it." Differing Resident Opinions Fodi mentioned that the number of traffic accidents involving deer has been low, but some residents remain unconvinced about the program's necessity. "We don't have a baseline of what the population is. How can you say that you're reducing the population? It doesn't. There are a lot of unanswered questions. Doesn't make sense," Lisa Reilly said. Other residents, like Frank Ledonne, support the initiative, citing safety concerns and the visible presence of deer in the community. "It's unfortunate that they have to put the deer down, but they're definitely overpopulated here in Oakmont. There's a ton here coming out of the woods. They congregate in the street every night at dusk, and in the morning, they almost get hit by cars. Quite often, we see them running down on the main street in Oakmont. There's a trail that runs between the upper and lower boulevard. They're running on there, where there's lots of pedestrian traffic. So it's unfortunate, but I do think that it's needed," Ledonne said. Approving the Archers The borough is working with Suburban Wildlife Management to vet and certify qualified archers for the program. Fodi said fewer than five archers have been approved so far. "Those who are hunting in Oakmont Borough will be carrying identification that says they are permitted into our archery program. We will provide information to the police department as well. So if anybody believes somebody is not acting the best to do the archery hunting, they should contact the police, and we'll go from there," Fodi said. Fodi also emphasized that all archers will be required to follow Pennsylvania Game Commission rules. Meanwhile, dozens of residents have signed an online petition calling for the program to be stopped. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox. Make WTAE a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Ole Miss student apologizes after video showing women making racist gestures sparks backlash Video: Drone delivers food to ape stranded during Florida flooding Public health alert issued for three frozen meat products, USDA warns Paul McCartney achieves billionaire status, becomes world’s third-richest musician