CWD: What Thinning the Herd in Joplin MO Doesn’t Fix

 

 

When Joplin’s city council approved its urban bow hunting ordinance in June 2025, one of the stated goals was to “reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)” among the local deer population. Council members cited similar programs in Branson, Columbia, and Springfield as successful models. But the science and the field evidence tell a different story.

 

Watercolor image created by Susang6 using AI technology 

What Is CWD?

Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological illness affecting deer, elk, and moose. It’s caused by misfolded proteins called prions, which slowly degrade the brain and body. Symptoms include weight loss, confusion, drooling, and eventual death. There is no cure, and prions can persist in soil and water for years.

📎 CDC: Chronic Wasting Disease Overview
📎 Missouri Department of Conservation: CWD Info

 

What Joplin’s Ordinance Claims

The city’s urban hunting page states that the ordinance aims to:

  • Minimize deer-vehicle collisions
  • Reduce property damage
  • Reduce the spread of CWD

Councilman Mark Farnham cited disease risk as justification for the hunt. But the ordinance includes:

  • No CWD testing protocols
  • No containment zones
  • No mandatory reporting of sick or symptomatic deer

This is not disease management. It’s assumption-based policy.

📎 Joplin Urban Hunting Ordinance Info

 What Thinning Doesn’t Fix

Research shows that thinning the herd may reduce density, but it does not eliminate CWD. In fact:

  • Vertical transmission: Infected does can pass CWD to fawns in utero
  • Environmental persistence: Prions remain infectious in soil and water for years
  • Asymptomatic spread: Deer can shed prions long before symptoms appear

You cannot assume a deer is healthy just because it shows no outward symptoms.
CWD often remains invisible until the final stages by then, the deer may have already shed infectious prions into the environment.

📎 North American Wildlife & Habitat CWD Surveillance Plan

Thinning without testing may simply remove healthy deer while leaving infected ones behind. And without proper disposal protocols, harvested deer could spread prions through field dressing near homes and trails.

 

Bucks groom doe / remove ticks

 Joplin Is in a CWD Management Zone

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, Joplin located in Jasper County is officially listed within the CWD Management Zone. This designation means:

  • Special regulations apply to all deer harvested in the area
  • Hunters are advised to follow mandatory sampling protocols
  • The CDC recommends not consuming meat from deer that test positive for CWD

📎 CDC CWD Zone Map

 

Signs of Imbalance in Joplin’s Herd

Field documentation from fall 2024 and summer 2025 shows:

  • Low spring births and late-season fawns a sign of disrupted breeding cycles
  • High tick burden on does likely due to low buck populations, since bucks groom does during rut
  • No visible signs of CWD testing or signage in urban hunt zones

This isn’t just about disease it’s about herd health, ecological balance, and ethical oversight.

 Call to Action: Contact Officials Directly

If Joplin’s city council truly wants to prevent CWD, they must:

  • Implement mandatory testing for harvested deer
  • Establish containment protocols for field dressing
  • Require signage and exclusion zones near residential areas

📞 Joplin City Council: 417-624-0820 ext. 120
📎 Contact Page

📞 Missouri Department of Conservation: 573-751-4115
📎 Contact MDC

Thinning the herd without science is not prevention it’s performance. And the deer deserve better.

 Author Disclaimer

This article is written by Susan (SF), a long-time wildlife observer, ordinance researcher, and community advocate based in Joplin, Missouri. All claims are supported by publicly available documentation, firsthand observation, and cited sources. The author does not oppose ethical wildlife management, but advocates for trauma-informed policy, responsible sourcing, and the protection of vulnerable populations human and animal alike. This work is part of an ongoing archive documenting the real-world impact of urban hunting ordinances across Missouri.

Other articles by author

This Fall, Don’t Blame the Deer for Ticks in Joplin, MO  

Fall Bowhunting & Field Dressing in Joplin: What the Ordinance Says

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