CWD in Missouri: Why Some Deer Hunters Say No
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...