Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

    Across the United States, urban deer hunting ordinances are often enacted in response to landscaping damage, traffic collisions, and resident safety concerns. But beneath these surface-level triggers lies a deeper issue: misinterpretation. When cities mistake seasonal deer movement , learned behavior , or habitat fragmentation for overpopulation, they risk launching wildlife management programs based on anecdote rather than ecological evidence. This pattern isn’t unique to Joplin. From Pennsylvania to South Carolina, municipalities have implemented deer population control measures without conducting baseline ecological studies or consulting long-term data. The result? Policies that mislead hunters, frustrate residents, and place undue pressure on local wildlife.   Pittsburgh, PA : Park-Based Program Sparks Debate In 2024, Pittsburgh expanded its Deer Management Program to include bowhunting in city parks Frick, Riverview, Schenley, Highland, and Emerald...

    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, the CDC considers it a theoretical risk due to its similarity to other prion diseases. 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 see the CDC’s official resource: 📎 CDC: About Prion Diseases   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, lymp...