contrapositive said:

I'm in Pittsburgh (Zone 5) and would like to put some pumpkins in my
backyard. There's a grassy area that slopes up toward the northwest, and
from about 10AM until sunset, it gets good sun. The flat areas nearby are
prone to standing water, but this area is sheltered and the soil drains
fairly well.

Pumpkins appreciate good drainage.

So, are there any problems putting pumpkins here? How steep is too steep?
(obviously not so steep that the pumpkins go rolling down the hill at some
point.)

If the slope is such that removing the sod would guarantee erosion, then you
should consider setting in some terraced beds.

How much sod do I have to remove? I plan on starting my seeds in containers.

If you were making terraced beds, I'd suggests 4' x 4' -- the pumpkins will
grow beyond this quite easily. Are you prepared to let the grass go unmowed
in a wide area for two-three months?

One other potential problem: deer. Do deer typically go after pumpkins?
(I've heard it's not their first choice.) What's a good repellent?

Deer have been a problem at some local parks' farm operations. Deer will
eat the tender new leaves and flowers. Groundhogs are very fond of pumpkin
shoots and flowers and will even gnaw big chunks out of green pumpkins.
Groundhogs feed during the day and their bites are sharp and smooth. Deer
feed at night and (since they don't have incisors in the upper jaw) they don't
nip things off cleanly.

Rabbits occasionally eat pumpkin flowers. And (in my garden) young starlings
attack budding pumpkin flowers, most often damaging the male flowers. This
is a major irritation, considering all the work involved in fencing the garden to
keep out four-footed pests!
--
Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast)

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(attributed to Don Marti)