Where Are the Deer? A Dusk Drive Through Joplin Ahead of Bowhunting Season

 

Bowhunting begins tomorrow, September 15th, in the city of Joplin. According to the ordinance and city council statements, the hunt is intended to thin the herd primarily to reduce car accidents, protect ornamental trees and flowers, and lower the risks of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Lyme Disease.



The central claim is that the deer population has grown significantly. One homeowner in the Silvercreek community, a rural area south of Joplin with estate homes and wooded acreage, reported seeing 24 deer grazing in his yard. No time stamped photo was found in a public search, so it’s hard to verify. 

This evening, my husband and I went out at dusk to observe the herd ourselves. We drove through the Leewood community and up and down the streets of Silvercreek, looking for signs of deer and yard destruction. What we found were beautifully landscaped homes with lush flowers still blooming on their front lawns. What we didn’t find was a herd.

We did see a late-season doe with two fawns so young they still had spots.

original photo of 1 doe and fawn in Silvercreek south of Joplin, the area that was reported out of control with herd of deer. We searched at dusk , never found the herd
one late season fawn and doe in Silvercreek, MO.  No herd was found 

Under Joplin’s ordinance, there’s no age restriction. That means does and fawns can be harvested.  Apparently harvesting all ages makes the herd healthy.  I say if the herd was healthy there would be no late season Fawns. It's a sign that there were not enough bucks. 

As we drove, we noticed a few deer crossing signs. Leewood had a “slow down” sign posted, but Mercy did not despite reports that deer frequently cross near the hospital. Freeman Hospital, which sits across from a wooded area, also lacked signage. Even the lakebed where Mercy once stood before the tornado another known crossing zone had no warning signs. The only posted deer crossing we saw was near the Tractor Supply store on Rangeline Road.

So that’s our report. We went out hoping to find the herd that’s supposedly terrorizing Silvercreek and found a total of three does and four fawns.

Maybe they come out later. Maybe they’ve migrated. Or maybe the story of 24 deer in one yard needs a timestamp.