Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

    Understanding Late-Season Thinness in Does and Why Misdiagnosis Matters Thin Doesn’t Always Mean Sick In Missouri’s CWD Management Zones, hunters are trained to watch for signs of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): emaciation, drooling, stumbling, and abnormal behavior. But what happens when a healthy doe nursing twin fawns shows visible thinness? Too often, she’s misread as diseased and that misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary panic, poor harvest decisions, or even false reporting. The Reality of Late-Season Nursing Does that give birth late in the season especially to twins face intense metabolic strain. Their bodies prioritize milk production, often at the expense of fat reserves. This can result in: Prominent ribs and hips A drawn face and lean frame Increased grazing on ornamentals and garden plants Alert, responsive behavior despite thinness These are signs of maternal depletion , not a CWD .   Behavior Is the Key Hunters should observe m...

    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 ( Miss...

    Shoal Creek in early fall is a quite beautiful, the leaves are starting to change and there is a low chatter of squirrels, and the unmistakable honk of Canada geese staking their claim along the banks. They’re not just passing through. They’re residents. And like any good neighbor, they expect a little courtesy. The Incident My friend, bless him, sincerely believes all wildlife would welcome him with open wings. He approached the geese with the confidence of someone auditioning for a nature documentary. Two geese disagreed. Loudly. What followed was a block-long chase that ended only when he dove into the car like it was a getaway vehicle. I, meanwhile, stood calmly at a respectful distance. The geese never even glanced at me.   Goose Etiquette 101 Canada geese aren’t aggressive by nature they’re protective. Especially during nesting and molting seasons, they defend their space with precision and persistence. Shoal Creek is part of their seasonal rhythm, a...