Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

  Urban hunting in Joplin’s wooded corridors has raised new safety concerns for families, pet owners, and neighbors. Without clear signage, residents may unknowingly enter active hunting zones, creating stress and risk in spaces long treated as extensions of their backyards. Transparent warnings are the minimum step to protect both hunters and the community.   Hunting in urban corridors is not just a policy decision it’s a public safety issue. When wooded tracts of land sit directly beside neighborhoods, they are more than property boundaries. They are extensions of backyards, walking routes, and daily spaces for families, children, and pets. Hiking with dog in woods, no hunting signs so she thinks its safe  In Joplin, many residents enjoy nature close to home. They walk dogs, take children on trails, or simply step into the woods to enjoy wildlife. Deer sightings   sometimes even fawns have long been part of the joy of living near these corridors. But when hunti...

   Confirmed hunting activity in South Joplin’s Freeman Grove area. Learn what residents need to know to stay safe and protect their pets. This isn’t just another patch of woods. For decades, the tract between Main Street and Jackson Avenue, running parallel to 36th Street, has been more than open land  it has been a gathering place for the Freeman Grove community. Children have run scavenger hunts here in the fall, crunching leaves underfoot as the trees turned gold. Teenagers carved their names into a tree and circled them with a heart. Families have walked the trails, thrilled to spot a deer and, once in a while, a fawn that brought pure joy to young eyes. Neighbors have treated it as an extension of their backyards a space of connection, recreation, and everyday peace. Today, that same beloved corridor is no longer simply a place of community life. It has become an active hunting zone, introducing risks and stress into an area long valued as safe and shared. Wha...

Over the weekend, gunshots were heard across the 29‑acre wooded corridor that many of us walk daily. By morning, residents noticed hunter blinds, game cameras, and deer attractant in the area. While no stand was observed, fresh deer tracks were visible in the soil. Concerned for safety, we contacted the police.  It’s worth noting that many hunters remove their stands when not in use to prevent theft, which may explain why none were present at the time.   Law Enforcement Response The responding officer, Jeremiah McGough himself a hunter confirmed that he had permission to hunt on the property. He acknowledged that the area has been plagued by poachers and instructed us to call the police day or night if we hear projectiles fired. Officer McGough also noted that individuals had confronted him at his blind, questioning why deer hunting in Joplin, Missouri was taking place in a space regularly used by families, dog walkers, ATV riders, and even unhoused individuals se...