Fieldnotes on the Edge - Eyes on Joplin

 For more than two decades, coyotes have been part of the landscape here in Joplin, Missouri. Today, their presence isn’t limited to the wild edges of town coyote sightings in our backyards have become a regular reminder that we share this space with resilient neighbors. From Wildcat Park to the wooded tracts near our homes, they move with the seasons, appearing in fall and winter just as naturally as spring blooms. I’ve seen coyotes lying only fifty feet from my home, and crossing my backyard at dusk. My dogs bark to alert us when they’re near, while the feral cats instinctively keep their distance. One evening, I found myself just five feet from an adult female coyote. She showed no aggression she simply crossed the trail as I calmly stepped back. That moment taught me something important: coyotes are not automatically dangerous, and panic is not the right response. Like many predators, coyotes can sense fear and vulnerability. In the wild, panic signals weakness, but calm, stead...

  Last night, I saw a photo shared with pride a 12-year-old boy posing with his first deer. It was a fawn. The caption called it “good target practice.” I posted my reaction, and the response from ethical hunters was swift and clear: They do not hunt fawns. They teach their children to pass by young deer and reproducing does. They wait for mature bucks and older does animals past their reproductive prime. For them, hunting is about sustenance, not spectacle. Precision, not thrill. Respect, not conquest. Image captured at night this fawn born in August. (3 months old)  too young to be hunted or considered "target practice"   That distinction matters. There’s a world of difference between harvesting a mature animal for food and celebrating the harvest of a fawn. A fawn isn’t a meal it’s a moment of life barely begun. To call its loss of life “target practice” is to strip away any pretense of ethics. It’s not about feeding a family. It’s about the high of watchi...

      Many claim whitetail bucks migrate 100 miles daily, especially during the rut. This post debunks the myth using GPS studies and real-world deer behavior.    Introduction: Why This Myth Needs Debunking In wildlife advocacy and landowner conversations, few myths persist as stubbornly as the claim that whitetail deer especially bucks during the rut migrate up to 100 miles a day. This misconception is often repeated with authority, even by law enforcement or seasoned hunters, despite being thoroughly disproven by decades of GPS tracking and behavioral studies. As a voice-centered writer and wildlife advocate based in Joplin, Missouri, I’ve spent years observing a deer corridor. The seven deer I’ve tracked including mature bucks have shown consistent, localized movement patterns. Their behavior aligns with scientific data, not anecdotal exaggeration. This article presents the facts, challenges misinformation, and empowers readers to advocate for hab...

    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...

  Urban hunting in Joplin’s wooded corridors has raised new safety concerns for families, pet owners, and neighbors. Without clear signage, residents may unknowingly enter active hunting zones, creating stress and risk in spaces long treated as extensions of their backyards. Transparent warnings are the minimum step to protect both hunters and the community.   Hunting in urban corridors is not just a policy decision it’s a public safety issue. When wooded tracts of land sit directly beside neighborhoods, they are more than property boundaries. They are extensions of backyards, walking routes, and daily spaces for families, children, and pets. Hiking with dog in woods, no hunting signs so she thinks its safe  In Joplin, many residents enjoy nature close to home. They walk dogs, take children on trails, or simply step into the woods to enjoy wildlife. Deer sightings   sometimes even fawns have long been part of the joy of living near these corridors. But when hunti...

   Confirmed hunting activity in South Joplin’s Freeman Grove area. Learn what residents need to know to stay safe and protect their pets. This isn’t just another patch of woods. For decades, the tract between Main Street and Jackson Avenue, running parallel to 36th Street, has been more than open land  it has been a gathering place for the Freeman Grove community. Children have run scavenger hunts here in the fall, crunching leaves underfoot as the trees turned gold. Teenagers carved their names into a tree and circled them with a heart. Families have walked the trails, thrilled to spot a deer and, once in a while, a fawn that brought pure joy to young eyes. Neighbors have treated it as an extension of their backyards a space of connection, recreation, and everyday peace. Today, that same beloved corridor is no longer simply a place of community life. It has become an active hunting zone, introducing risks and stress into an area long valued as safe and shared. Wha...

Over the weekend, gunshots were heard across the 29‑acre wooded corridor that many of us walk daily. By morning, residents noticed hunter blinds, game cameras, and deer attractant in the area. While no stand was observed, fresh deer tracks were visible in the soil. Concerned for safety, we contacted the police.  It’s worth noting that many hunters remove their stands when not in use to prevent theft, which may explain why none were present at the time.   Law Enforcement Response The responding officer, Jeremiah McGough himself a hunter confirmed that he had permission to hunt on the property. He acknowledged that the area has been plagued by poachers and instructed us to call the police day or night if we hear projectiles fired. Officer McGough also noted that individuals had confronted him at his blind, questioning why deer hunting in Joplin, Missouri was taking place in a space regularly used by families, dog walkers, ATV riders, and even unhoused individuals se...

    In the winter of 1908, the heart of Joplin pulsed with a kind of opulence rarely seen in small mining towns. At the corner of Fourth and Main, the newly opened  Connor Hotel  stood like a palace—nine stories of Beaux-Arts splendor, built at a staggering cost of  $723,000  (equivalent to over  $23 million today ). It was a hotel beyond its means, a statement of ambition in a city still dusted with chat piles and mining grit.   At the time,  Joplin’s population hovered around 26,000 , a boomtown swollen by the promise of lead and zinc. The Tri-State Mining District spanning parts of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma was responsible for  half the world’s lead  and  10% of its zinc  during peak production. Joplin was the business district for this industrial engine, and the Connor was its crown jewel.   The Arrival On Christmas Eve, the hotel’s grand dining room shimmered beneath stained-glass skylights and chandeli...

  This post isn’t about Joplin. Not directly. But Wisconsin’s wolf hunting policy raised a red flag that feels eerily familiar because the mindset behind it is something Joplin might condone. And that’s exactly why it belongs here. Starting November 1, Wisconsin will allow recreational wolf hunting and trapping. Not targeted conservation. Not emergency response. Recreational. The plan includes zone-specific tags, faster kill reporting, and updated harvest zones. But the deeper issue isn’t logistics it’s philosophy. When you hunt the alpha in a wolf pack, you don’t just reduce numbers. You fracture the social structure. In stable packs, only the alpha pair breeds. But when alphas are removed, younger or subordinate wolves may begin breeding, leading to more litters, more pups, and more fragmented behavior. It’s not population control its ecological disruption. And here’s the kicker: Wisconsin removed its numeric population goal. The old benchmark was 350 wolves statewide. Toda...

  “Protection” Means Permission to Harvest Deer   They call Missouri’s white-tailed deer a protected species . But in Joplin, that protection comes with a four-month loophole and zero exemptions for nursing doe or dependent fawns. This blog dives into the contradiction at the heart of urban wildlife policy where conservation language meets convenience, and herd management starts to look a lot like open-season for removal. Doe and two late season fawn If you’ve ever wondered how a city can claim to protect deer while encouraging the harvest of the healthiest breeders, you’re not alone. We’re unpacking the ordinance, the ethics, and the quiet disappearance of maternal lines all under the banner of “population control.”   Urban Bowhunting: Joplin’s Seasonal Exception In 2025, Joplin City Council passed Ordinance 2025-083, allowing bowhunting of deer within city limits during Missouri’s archery season. The decision was framed as a response to:   Frequent deer-...