17-05-2025
Joplin City Council to consider allowing urban hunting to control deer population
An ordinance change that would allow bow hunting of deer on private property inside the Joplin city limits will be considered on first reading Monday by the Joplin City Council.
According to the ordinance summary, the city does not currently have effective measures to control the urban deer population. There have been a number of deer struck by vehicles on city streets, the city document states. That has brought about the ordinance that would allow archery hunting by permit and with specific conditions.
While residents must abide by local and state requirements for weapons, in order to participate in urban deer hunting they must have state and city permits, abide by state hunting regulations and seasons, and carry written permission of the property owner where they will hunt. If a law enforcement officer asks to see the permit, the hunter must cooperate. Hunters must be at least 21 years old.
The ordinance states that bow and arrows are not to be discharged within 60 feet of a house, building or structure or place where people assemble, a street, highway, park or property line.
Bow hunters must shoot from an elevation of at least 10 feet from the ground. Arrows are not to be shot in the direction of a person, road, structure or domestic animal within reasonable range.
Only a recurve archery bow or compound bow that requires completely manual operation without any means to cock the weapon and leave it in a stable state until it is released or fired using a trigger mechanism are authorized for use in the city limits. Hunters using a recurve archery bow or compound bow are required to take a Missouri Department of Conservation-approved hunter education course and are required to mark their arrows with their nine-digit Missouri Conservation Identification Number.
The ordinance prohibits crossbow hunting.
A number of special managed deer hunts are held in some urban areas on state, county and city properties where there are high deer populations, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Finding a hunting spot on private land can be somewhat difficult, the conservation department states in its online regulations. It requires legwork to locate an appropriate property and to convince property owners to allow hunting on their property.
The conservation department recommends that interested hunters talk to neighbors, friends or relatives to try to find potential hunting locations, and to ask around at local community meetings or civic clubs. Additionally, check with places that may experience deer damage, such as orchards, farms and tree nurseries, the department's information states.
Some Missouri cities such as Ladue restrict urban deer hunting to the archery season. Cities including Jefferson City and Kansas City have managed deer hunts to control population.
Deer hunters also should be aware of the precautions regarding chronic wasting disease, which has affected some of the state's deer populations.
Two CWD cases were detected in the Jasper County deer population in the 2024-25 seasons, bringing the total in the county to three so far. The first case was detected from deer sampling during the 2023-24 hunting seasons.
No positives have yet been confirmed for Newton County, but that first case in Jasper County was close enough to the state line that Newton County was included as part of a CWD management zone for the first time during the 2024-25 seasons, which means different regulations applied.
The state has implemented a number of management strategies to reduce the spread of CWD, including special regulations for hunting.
Other business
In other business, there will be a presentation on the status of the city's effort to upgrade its website.
Joplin Health Department personnel also will provide information on the standards for providing adequate outdoor shelter for animals and the requirements of other cities for a discussion on whether city ordinances should be changed.
The council also will hold a public hearing on the site plan for Vita Nova Village, which is to be a small home development for those in need of housing. The village is to be constructed on property at 1201 S. Byers Ave.
The council also will be asked to act on some city surplus properties that were advertised for sale and are recommended for acceptance of bids.
The council meets at 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 602 S. Main St.
