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Pittsburgh, PA Animal Ordinances: Coyote Management (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Pittsburgh Code § 473.01(c)
Cull mechanism
Deer Management Program bow hunters only
Feeding ban scope
Tobacco, alcohol, noxious substances only
Bow-discharge cross-reference
§ 695.04(A)(3)(c) weapons chapter
Enforcement
Park rangers, Public Safety citations

Summary

City parks ban hunting, molesting, or feeding wild animals and birds, but Pittsburgh runs an official Deer Management Program letting Public Safety-authorized bow hunters cull overpopulated deer under Pennsylvania Game Commission and USDA oversight.

Wild Animals and Birds: Hunting. No person in a park shall hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird... Exception: Persons may take such actions prohibited in this section only to the extent that they are authorized participants in an official City Deer Management Program... Feeding. No person in a park shall give or offer... any animal or bird any tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances.

Source: Pittsburgh Animal Care and ControlView official code

Full Breakdown

Pittsburgh Code § 473.01(c) bars anyone in a city park from hunting, molesting, harming, frightening, chasing, or teasing any wild animal, reptile, or bird: broad language that doubles as a de facto wildlife-hazing ban, since Pittsburgh has no coyote-specific ordinance. The only cull mechanism is a Department of Public Safety-authorized Deer Management Program: participants may discharge a bow and arrow at deer, but only in conjunction with a Pennsylvania Game Commission-approved program and USDA oversight, per § 473.01(c)(2), with a parallel weapons-discharge exemption at § 695.04(A)(3)(c). The feeding rule at § 473.01(c)(3) reaches only tobacco, alcohol, or other noxious substances, not food generally.

Violations & Fines

Enforceable by citation under City Code § 101.09; Parks Department rangers and Public Safety officers may eject violators and confiscate bows or other devices used in violation of the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Pittsburgh residents haze or scare off coyotes and deer in city parks?
No. § 473.01(c) bars molesting, harming, frightening, chasing, or teasing any wild animal in a park; the only lawful action against wildlife is authorized deer-cull bow hunting under the official Deer Management Program.
Is feeding coyotes or deer illegal in Pittsburgh parks?
Only partly, § 473.01(c)(3) bans giving park wildlife tobacco, alcohol, or other noxious substances, not food generally, so there's no blanket wildlife-feeding ban on the books.

Sources & Official References

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All Pittsburgh rules

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