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 ...

    Why Chronic Wasting Disease is changing hunter behavior and what it means for Joplin’s urban hunt. Across Missouri, deer hunters are quietly making a choice: to sit out the season. While the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) continues to promote its deer management programs, including urban bow hunting ordinances like the one passed in Joplin in 2025, on Joplin MO   many hunters are opting out not because of lack of interest, but because of growing concern over Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects deer, elk, and other cervids. It spreads through saliva, urine, feces, and carcasses, and it can persist in soil and vegetation for years. According to the research I found that a  deer infected with CWD may appear perfectly healthy, and the only way to confirm infection is through post-mortem testing.  In 2023, a CWD-positive deer was detected in Jasper County, prompting MDC to add both Jasper and Newton C...