Fix Joplin’s Bowhunting Law Before CWD Hits Your Yard
Joplin’s 60‑ft bowhunting buffer risks CWD contamination in yards. Learn why a 200‑ft buffer and 3‑acre minimum could protect residents. A Risk Hiding in Plain Sight In Joplin, Missouri, a wounded deer can cross the city’s 60‑foot safety buffer in seconds. If that deer is carrying Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) a fatal, contagious illness in deer and elk your lawn could be contaminated for years. This isn’t a hypothetical. Joplin sits inside a CWD Management Zone , and the city’s 2025 urban bowhunting ordinance allows hunting on 1‑acre parcels with minimal distance from homes, schools, parks, and property lines. That combination puts residents, pets, and property at unnecessary risk. Why 60 Feet Isn’t Enough A 60‑foot buffer is shorter than many driveways. In the seconds after a misplaced arrow, a wounded deer can easily cross that distance into a yard, playground, or public trail. Once there, the deer may shed saliva, urine, or blood all of which can...