Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

  For years, we’ve heard claims that Joplin is overrun with deer infested, even. But when my neighbor walked the woods around Silvercreek this week, he found only a few does and late-season fawns. No herds. No mature bucks. No signs of damage or overpopulation. He’s not alone. A recent field report documented a dusk drive through Silvercreek and Leewood. The author saw just a handful of deer mostly does and fawns and noted that the only posted deer crossing sign was near the Tractor Supply on Rangeline. And one in Leewood.   Mercy and Freeman hospitals, both near wooded corridors, had no signage at all, despite frequent crossings. So, we’re asking: Hunters in the Joplin area what are you seeing? Have you found deer inside city limits? Are you spotting mature bucks, or just scattered does and fawns? Are the woods quiet, or are we missing something? Because from where we stand, the “infestation” narrative doesn’t match the evidence. And if deer are crossing near hospi...

      There are two types of deer hunters, in my experience: the trophy hunter and the food hunter . The trophy hunter is after the rack the antlers, the head, the bragging rights. They may field dress the deer for prime cuts, but often leave the carcass behind where the harvest occurred. Once the photo is taken and the venison is packed, they’re gone. The rest of the animal is left to decay in the woods, wasted. Then there’s the hunter who harvests with purpose. The one who uses every part of the deer they can meat, hide, bones because that animal is feeding their family through the winter. These hunters don’t take more than they need. They don’t chase status or social clout. They hunt with reverence. In my family, hunting was never about trophies. My father and both my brothers hunted to stock our freezer and support our neighbors. What we didn’t need, we donated to local charities. My dad always said, “If an animal gives its life, the least we can do is make ...