Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

      Many claim whitetail bucks migrate 100 miles daily, especially during the rut. This post debunks the myth using GPS studies and real-world deer behavior.    Introduction: Why This Myth Needs Debunking In wildlife advocacy and landowner conversations, few myths persist as stubbornly as the claim that whitetail deer especially bucks during the rut migrate up to 100 miles a day. This misconception is often repeated with authority, even by law enforcement or seasoned hunters, despite being thoroughly disproven by decades of GPS tracking and behavioral studies. As a voice-centered writer and wildlife advocate based in Joplin, Missouri, I’ve spent years observing a deer corridor. The seven deer I’ve tracked including mature bucks have shown consistent, localized movement patterns. Their behavior aligns with scientific data, not anecdotal exaggeration. This article presents the facts, challenges misinformation, and empowers readers to advocate for hab...

    Joplin’s urban bowhunting policy leaves a local deer herd vanished. A firsthand account of habitat loss, ordinance flaws, and community impact   For 27 years, I’ve watched a small herd of white-tailed deer move through Freeman Grove Woods a 29-acre tract of wooded land nestled west of Main Street, east of South Jackson, and just south of 36th Street in Joplin. This patch of habitat, with its stream-fed ravine and quiet cover, supported generations of deer: lactating does with late-season fawns born in August and September, first-season bucks, and the kind of wildlife rhythm that families with field glasses came to cherish. But this week, the woods fell silent.  The seven deer I’ve monitored in this corridor are gone. Not relocated. Not dispersed. Gone.   Based on my research and direct observation, I believe they were harvested under Joplin’s 2025 urban bowhunting program, which allows unrestricted age hunting on qualifying private land with la...