Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

      During my research for this article, I spoke to hunters in my community.   They told me the same thing “Testing for CWD isn’t mandatory during bow season.” And many admitted they wouldn’t test a healthy-looking deer for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). That mindset reveals a dangerous gap in understanding because CWD doesn’t always show symptoms. Infected deer can appear robust for months or even years while silently shedding prions into the soil and plants.   The Risk of Asymptomatic CWD CWD is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting deer and other cervids. It’s similar to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), which crossed the species barrier to infect humans. While no confirmed human cases of CWD exist, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) maintains a cautionary stance due to the possibility of long incubation periods and unknown transmission risks. Hunters who consume venison from deer harvested in CWD Management Zones ...

  Even “healthy-looking” deer can be infected with CWD and carry prions. Here’s how field dressing spreads CWD across neighborhoods, soil, and scavengers. At first glance, a deer may appear healthy alert posture, glossy coat, no visible symptoms. But beneath that surface, it could be carrying Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) , a fatal neurological illness caused by prions: misfolded proteins that resist breakdown and remain infectious in the environment for years.  This article explores what happens when a field-dressed deer is left exposed on city land, or private property that allowed bowhunters. How that decision can trigger a chain reaction of contamination, scavenger behavior, and predator attraction. Readers will learn how prions spread, which species act as unexpected vectors, and why containment not just herd thinning is essential for responsible wildlife management in urban zones like Joplin, Missouri.   Prion Contamination: What Happens When a Carcass Is Left B...

    In states like Missouri, where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been confirmed in wild deer populations, trophy hunting without testing isn’t just risky it’s a public health blind spot. While no human cases of CWD have been documented. Prion diseases are a rare but deadly class of neurological disorders caused by misfolded proteins that trigger irreversible brain damage. While CWD affects deer, elk, and moose, it belongs to a broader family of prion diseases that have crossed species boundaries before. For a full overview of human and animal prion diseases including Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), BSE (mad cow disease), and scrapie.   Why CWD Matters to Trophy Hunt CWD is a fatal neurological disease caused by misfolded proteins called prions . These prions concentrate in the brain, spinal cord, eyes, lymph nodes, and spleen. Even if a deer looks healthy, it may carry infectious prions in the very tissues prized by trophy hunters. That means the risk isn’...

Joplin’s urban hunting ordinance, passed in June 2025, claims that thinning the herd will help stop the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). But that premise falls apart under scientific scrutiny.  CWD is caused by prions misfolded proteins that are not only resistant to heat and sterilization, but also capable of binding to soil and remaining infectious for years. These prions don’t vanish when a deer is removed. They persist in the environment, especially in wooded corridors and feeding zones. CWD is in soil and plants.  Prions most likely enter soil via excretion or from the carcasses of infected animals… interactions with clay minerals do little to reduce prion potency. Unless the city plans to excavate every wooded acre and incinerate the topsoil at 900°F, thinning the herd won’t stop the spread. It might reduce visible deer, but it does nothing to eliminate the prions already embedded in the landscape. “CWD prions remain infectious even after thorough cooking a...

    When Joplin’s city council approved its urban bow hunting ordinance in June 2025, one of the stated goals was to “reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)” among the local deer population. Council members cited similar programs in Branson, Columbia, and Springfield as successful models. But the science and the field evidence tell a different story.   Watercolor image created by Susang6 using AI technology  What Is CWD? Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological illness affecting deer, elk, and moose. It’s caused by misfolded proteins called prions , which slowly degrade the brain and body. Symptoms include weight loss, confusion, drooling, and eventual death. There is no cure , and prions can persist in soil and water for years. What Joplin’s Ordinance Claims The city’s urban hunting page states that the ordinance aims to: Minimize deer-vehicle collisions Reduce property damage Reduce the spread of CWD Councilman Mark Farnha...