Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

For over 16 years, I’ve published research-informed content under a pen name to protect my privacy and advocacy work. My writing focuses on wildlife health, seasonal patterns, and the real-world impact of urban hunting ordinances. Recently, I was contacted by someone claiming to represent a government office and accused of misrepresenting information related to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). I strongly reject that claim. To verify the legitimacy of the message, I reached out to the agency directly. Their response was clear: they had not contacted me, and the message I received was fraudulent.   Clearly somebody is not happy about my advocacy articles.   A Note on Intent My intent has never been to mislead or misrepresent. These articles were written to inform and educate readers especially those living in areas affected by urban hunting ordinances. I’ve consistently advised readers to do their own research and to contact the Missouri Department of Conservation or loc...

    Understanding Late-Season Thinness in Does and Why Misdiagnosis Matters Thin Doesn’t Always Mean Sick In Missouri’s CWD Management Zones, hunters are trained to watch for signs of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): emaciation, drooling, stumbling, and abnormal behavior. But what happens when a healthy doe nursing twin fawns shows visible thinness? Too often, she’s misread as diseased and that misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary panic, poor harvest decisions, or even false reporting. The Reality of Late-Season Nursing Does that give birth late in the season especially to twins face intense metabolic strain. Their bodies prioritize milk production, often at the expense of fat reserves. This can result in: Prominent ribs and hips A drawn face and lean frame Increased grazing on ornamentals and garden plants Alert, responsive behavior despite thinness These are signs of maternal depletion , not a CWD .   Behavior Is the Key Hunters should observe m...

    This article was created to help hunters especially as archery season opens today in Missouri. Last night, I spoke with my neighbor, an experienced deer hunter, who told me he’d heard that when you field dress a deer with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the carcass will have a bad smell and fatty tumors. That conversation made me realize other hunters may have heard the same thing and may not know that a deer can look perfectly healthy and still be infected with CWD. The Myth: “If it looks healthy, it’s fine.” Many hunters believe that a deer with CWD will look sick, have visible tumors, or smell bad when field dressed. That’s not how CWD works ( CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease ). The Reality: CWD is a silent, slow killer. Cause: CWD is a prion disease   a misfolded protein that attacks the brain and nervous system ( CDC – About Chronic Wasting Disease ). Incubation: Deer can carry it for a year or more before showing any symptoms ( Miss...

    Shoal Creek in early fall is a quite beautiful, the leaves are starting to change and there is a low chatter of squirrels, and the unmistakable honk of Canada geese staking their claim along the banks. They’re not just passing through. They’re residents. And like any good neighbor, they expect a little courtesy. The Incident My friend, bless him, sincerely believes all wildlife would welcome him with open wings. He approached the geese with the confidence of someone auditioning for a nature documentary. Two geese disagreed. Loudly. What followed was a block-long chase that ended only when he dove into the car like it was a getaway vehicle. I, meanwhile, stood calmly at a respectful distance. The geese never even glanced at me. Goose Etiquette 101 Canada geese aren’t aggressive by nature they’re protective. Especially during nesting and molting seasons, they defend their space with precision and persistence. Shoal Creek is part of their seasonal rhythm, and resp...

  Bowhunting begins tomorrow, September 15th, in the city of Joplin. According to the ordinance and city council statements, the hunt is intended to thin the herd primarily to reduce car accidents, protect ornamental trees and flowers, and lower the risks of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Lyme Disease. The central claim is that the deer population has grown significantly. One homeowner in the Silvercreek community, a rural area south of Joplin with estate homes and wooded acreage, reported seeing 24 deer grazing in his yard. No time stamped photo was found in a public search, so it’s hard to verify.  This evening, my husband and I went out at dusk to observe the herd ourselves. We drove through the Leewood community and up and down the streets of Silvercreek, looking for signs of deer and yard destruction. What we found were beautifully landscaped homes with lush flowers still blooming on their front lawns. What we didn’t find was a herd. We did see a late-season doe...

    Despite thousands of deer harvested during archery season, Missouri exempts bowhunters from mandatory CWD testing even in confirmed disease zones like Joplin. In Missouri, bowhunting season opens on September 15 and spans nearly four months, making it one of the longest and most active hunting periods in the state. Yet despite its scale, archery harvests are exempt from mandatory testing for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) a fatal neurological illness that spreads silently through deer populations and persists in soil, plants, and equipment. This exemption is especially concerning in cities like Joplin, which sits within the CWD Management Zone following a confirmed CWD-positive deer in Jasper County in 2023. Both Jasper and Newton Counties were added to the zone, triggering expanded surveillance and funding for disease mitigation. But the state’s testing policy doesn’t reflect the urgency of the threat. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation’s 2024–20...

  Urban hunting ordinances in Joplin, Missouri expose a hidden danger homeless encampments in wooded parcels where poachers and bowhunters operate. This article reveals the human cost of policy gaps, forged permission slips, and silent hunters in shared spaces. As Joplin’s urban bow hunting ordinance takes effect, a quiet danger grows in the woods one that few officials are willing to name. It’s not just about deer. It’s about people. Local advocate Brian Evans recently shared photos and commentary on his public Facebook page, documenting homeless encampments in wooded areas across Joplin . His post, titled Joplin’s Homeless Crisis: The High Cost of Enabling , describes how public spaces and private parcels have become informal shelters for unhoused individuals many of whom live in tents, brush shelters, or abandoned structures near creeks and rail lines. These same wooded parcels may be to bow hunting under Joplin’s ordinance, which allows harvests on private land of one acr...

    Joplin’s urban bowhunting     ordinance requires hunters to carry written permission from the landowner but there’s no standardized form, no verification system, and no requirement for notarization. That means a poacher could: Print a fake letter claiming permission Forge a signature Hunt on wooded private property without the landowner ever knowing This loophole is especially dangerous on wooded parcels over one acre , where visibility is low and enforcement is rare. These lots often unfenced, unmonitored, or owned by absentee landlords become easy targets for disguised trespass. “Nobody’s checking,” said one Joplin resident. “And if they are, it’s after the deer’s already harvested.” Without a notarized document or city-verified registry, anyone with a bow and a story can claim legitimacy. And once the arrow flies, the damage is done.   What Landowners Can Do to Protect Their Property To prevent unauthorized hunting and protect re...

    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...