Writing

Every July, along deer trails in pockets of forest in and around the city of Pittsburgh, Dan Krivanek and his buddies hang a bevy of camouflaged infrared LED hunting cameras in the crooks of trees. They also strew cut up apples and feed corn. Then, back in his Bridgeville borough home a few miles away, Krivanek waits. Eventually, movement triggers bursts of footage, giving Krivanek a prime view of deer and their feeding patterns.

Among the places he’s hunted is Mt. Washington, a dense neighborhood of some 10,000 people, a clifftop community known for providing prime views of Pittsburgh’s downtown across the river. As Krivanek said, “We’ve picked up all kinds of stuff up there, including some monster bucks.”

He selects a particular returning doe or buck that he’ll aim to take with his Bowtech Diamond Marquis compound bow (shooting Goldtip arrows with Thunderhead broad-head points at up to 322 feet per second). He maps the best location for his “take and go” deer stand (also camouflaged). When archery season opens each September, a camouflaged Krivanek finds that spot, climbs a tree, chains his stand, and takes a seat. Some days, hikers pass directly below Krivanek, unaware that he’s just feet away, bow at the ready.

Krivanek usually kills just feet away, bow at the ready. Krivanek usually kills just one deer a year, enough for his wife and two children to enjoy jerky, ground burgers, and tenderloin steaks—always marinated and usually grilled. But he knows some hunters who’ll get up to eight deer in one season.

Unbeknownst to many Pittsburghers, hunters like Krivanek are regularly patrolling the city’s wooded hillsides in search of that prize doe or buck. Reporting for this article led to hunters who’d tracked down deer in Arlington, Arlington Heights, Brighton Heights, Bon Air, Carrick, Garfield, Hays, and Mt. Washington. Residents may be surprised to learn that deer hunting within city limits is completely legal.