  We analyze the predictions of perturbative QCD for pion photoproduction on
the deuteron, gamma D -> pi^0 D, at large momentum transfer using the reduced
amplitude formalism. The cluster decomposition of the deuteron wave function at
small binding only allows the nuclear coherent process to proceed if each
nucleon absorbs an equal fraction of the overall momentum transfer.
Furthermore, each nucleon must scatter while remaining close to its mass shell.
Thus the nuclear photoproduction amplitude, M_{gamma D -> pi^0 D}(u,t),
factorizes as a product of three factors: (1) the nucleon photoproduction
amplitude, M_{gamma N_1 -> pi^0 N_1}(u/4,t/4), at half of the overall momentum
transfer, (2) a nucleon form factor, F_{N_2}(t/4), at half the overall momentum
transfer, and (3) the reduced deuteron form factor, f_d(t), which according to
perturbative QCD, has the same monopole falloff as a meson form factor. A
comparison with the recent JLAB data for gamma D -> pi^0 D of Meekins et al.
[Phys. Rev. C 60, 052201 (1999)] and the available gamma p -> pi^0 p data shows
good agreement between the perturbative QCD prediction and experiment over a
large range of momentum transfers and center of mass angles. The reduced
amplitude prediction is consistent with the constituent counting rule, p^11_T
M_{gamma D -> pi^0 D} -> F(theta_cm), at large momentum transfer. This is found
to be consistent with measurements for photon lab energies E_gamma > 3 GeV at
theta_cm=90 degrees and $\elab > 10$ GeV at 136 degrees.
