Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

  Did you inherit a set of sterling silver flatware from your grandmother   the kind that comes wrapped in velvet, smells faintly like history, and weighs more than a newborn? If so, you might be wondering whether to cash in or hang on for a potential silver boom. You’ve got choices. You can sell it to Replacements Ltd. , list it on eBay , take it to an auction house , or tuck it away and wait to see whether silver decides to shoot for the moon. Some enthusiasts are whispering about the possibility of silver climbing toward $500 an ounce someday. Whether that’s realistic or wishful thinking depends on which experts you listen to  and how patient you are. (see list of Joplin buyers of silver below)  So pour yourself a cup of coffee, curl up in your comfiest chair, and let’s break down what’s actually driving these predictions.   Why Sterling Silver Flatware Still Matters Sterling flatware isn’t just “old stuff in a box.” It has: Melt value (based...

    Joplin’s urban bowhunting policy leaves a local deer herd vanished. A firsthand account of habitat loss, ordinance flaws, and community impact   For 27 years, I’ve watched a small herd of white-tailed deer move through Freeman Grove Woods a 29-acre tract of wooded land nestled west of Main Street, east of South Jackson, and just south of 36th Street in Joplin. This patch of habitat, with its stream-fed ravine and quiet cover, supported generations of deer: lactating does with late-season fawns born in August and September, first-season bucks, and the kind of wildlife rhythm that families with field glasses came to cherish. But this week, the woods fell silent.  The seven deer I’ve monitored in this corridor are gone. Not relocated. Not dispersed. Gone.   Based on my research and direct observation, I believe they were harvested under Joplin’s 2025 urban bowhunting program, which allows unrestricted age hunting on qualifying private land with la...

    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...

  “Joplin’s urban deer harvest raises serious concerns about youth hunter safety, ethics, and ordinance clarity. Here’s why exclusion matters.” Joplin’s urban bowhunting ordinance was designed to reduce deer-related damage and restore ecological balance. But in its effort to expand access, the city risks inviting unintended harm especially by allowing youth hunters to participate in a program that demands precision, restraint, and anatomical understanding. Urban harvests are not training grounds. They’re high-stakes environments where one poorly placed shot can result in prolonged suffering, neighborhood disruption, or enforcement complications. Draw Weight vs. Ethical Harvest: What the Data Shows Youth hunters often use bows with lower draw weights typically 30–40 lbs. While this may be sufficient for small game, it’s often inadequate for consistent penetration on adult deer. Ethical guidelines recommend a verified draw weight of 45–60 lbs for youth hunters targeting mature dee...