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 ...

    The answer is more unsettling than most hunters realize. Bowhunting involves close-range shots that pierce muscle tissue, blood vessels, and lymph nodes prime sites for prion contamination if the deer is infected. Arrows retrieved are often wiped off and reused, but standard cleaning methods don’t neutralize prions. A study by the National Institutes of Health found that prions bind tightly to steel and plastic surfaces and remain infectious even after routine cleaning. While a five-minute soak in 40% household bleach can deactivate prions on stainless steel, bleach cannot penetrate solid tissue. Infected matter remained infectious after a 30-minute soak in undiluted bleach meaning arrows contaminated with tissue fragments may still carry active prions, even after soaking. 📎 Source: NIH Prion Decontamination Guidelines (PDF)     Bleach vs. Prions: What Actually Works Full-strength household bleach (sodium hypochlorite) can reduce prion infectivity o...

  For years, we’ve heard claims that Joplin is overrun with deer infested, even. But when my neighbor walked the woods around Silvercreek this week, he found only a few does and late-season fawns. No herds. No mature bucks. No signs of damage or overpopulation. He’s not alone. A recent field report documented a dusk drive through Silvercreek and Leewood. The author saw just a handful of deer mostly does and fawns and noted that the only posted deer crossing sign was near the Tractor Supply on Rangeline. And one in Leewood.   Mercy and Freeman hospitals, both near wooded corridors, had no signage at all, despite frequent crossings. So, we’re asking: Hunters in the Joplin area what are you seeing? Have you found deer inside city limits? Are you spotting mature bucks, or just scattered does and fawns? Are the woods quiet, or are we missing something? Because from where we stand, the “infestation” narrative doesn’t match the evidence. And if deer are crossing near hospi...