Opening Day in Joplin: Why a “Healthy-Looking” Deer Can Still Have CWD
This article was created to help hunters especially as archery season opens
today in Missouri. Last night, I spoke with my neighbor, an experienced deer
hunter, who told me he’d heard that when you field dress a deer with Chronic
Wasting Disease (CWD), the carcass will have a bad smell and fatty tumors. That
conversation made me realize other hunters may have heard the same thing and
may not know that a deer can look perfectly healthy and still be infected with
CWD.
The Myth: “If it
looks healthy, it’s fine.”
Many hunters believe that a deer with CWD will look
sick, have visible tumors, or smell bad when field dressed. That’s not how CWD
works (CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease).
The Reality: CWD is
a silent, slow killer.
- Cause: CWD is a prion disease a misfolded protein that attacks the
brain and nervous system (CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease).
- Incubation: Deer can carry it for a year
or more before showing any symptoms (Missouri Department of Conservation – CWD
Regulations).
- Early Stage: No visible signs. The deer may
appear strong, well-fed, and alert.
- Late Stage: Extreme weight loss, drooping
head/ears, excessive drooling, poor coordination, and loss of fear of
humans (Wikipedia – Chronic Wasting Disease).
- Testing: The only way to confirm CWD is
through lab testing of lymph nodes or brain stem tissue not by sight, smell, or gut inspection (Missouri Department of Conservation – CWD
Regulations).
What That “Bad Smell
and Tumors” Might Really Be
If you’ve heard stories about odor or lumps in a deer,
that’s likely confusion with:
- Bacterial abscesses (e.g., Trueperella
pyogenes) (Cornell Wildlife Health Lab – Abscesses)
- Parasitic infections
- Spoilage from delayed field dressing
These conditions can cause odor or visible lesions, but they are not CWD (Wisconsin DNR – Brain Abscesses).
Why This Matters in
Missouri
Missouri’s CWD management zones including parts of southwest Missouri require testing in certain areas (The Joplin Globe – CWD Rules in Effect for Area During
Deer Season). The Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC) urges hunters to:
- Get your deer tested if you harvest
in a CWD zone.
- Properly dispose of carcass parts to prevent
spreading prions.
- Follow local ordinances in Joplin,
urban hunting is regulated under Ordinance 2025-083.
Hunter’s Checklist
for CWD Awareness
✅ Know your zone and testing requirements (Missouri Department of Conservation – CWD Regulations)
✅ Don’t rely on
appearance send samples for testing
✅ Dispose of carcass
waste at approved sites
✅ Share accurate
information with fellow hunters
Final Word:
On opening day, the best thing you can bring to the woods besides your bow or rifle is good information. CWD doesn’t announce
itself with a smell or a lump. It hides in plain sight. Testing is the only way
to know, and responsible hunters are the first line of defense in keeping
Missouri’s deer herd healthy.
Author Disclaimer
This article reflects my independent research, field documentation, and advocacy experience as a long-term observer of whitetail deer behavior in Joplin, Missouri. All ordinance references, ethical standards, and statistical data are cited from publicly available sources listed above.