Urban hunting in Joplin begins Monday; registration required

It’s almost hunting time in Joplin.

Joplin City Council approved urban hunting of deer within city limits during archery season earlier this year.

Hunting is slated to begin on Monday.

In recent years, many Joplin residents have complained about deer gathering in their yards and along property lines, often eating garden and landscaping plants. Deer often enter roadways and create traffic issues and vehicle accidents.

The City Council received a letter from the Missouri Department of Conservation congratulating the Council in their proactive measures to help address the impacts of wildlife in an urban setting. MDC also offered assistance to the Council with technical advice as this ordinance moves forward.

Several other Missouri cities currently have an urban hunting ordinance, including Branson, Columbia, and Springfield.

The City’s goal is to manage the deer population in a safe and effective manner. The goal is to produce multiple benefits

• Minimize deer/vehicle collisions.
• Reduce damage to property caused by deer.
• Reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease among the local deer population within City limits.

All hunters must adhere to the rules set forth in the Joplin Ordinance 2025-083.

This ordinance provides qualified hunters an opportunity to help reduce the deer population within the city by following the established rules and regulations while providing an efficient and safe method for the City to manage the deer population within the urban setting.

Property owners may authorize deer hunting with a bow on their private land, which is at least one acre in size, provided the land has only one house per acre and is owned by a single person. Bow hunting of deer is also permitted on public land if it’s part of a controlled hunting area, which the Missouri Department of Conservation oversees. On June 16, 2025, when this ordinance was passed, there were no controlled hunting areas within the city limits.

Licensing: Hunters must possess all required state hunting permits and adhere to state hunting laws and seasons as outlined by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Registration: Hunters must register by completing the Urban Hunting Registration Form at the Joplin Police Department, 303 East 3rd Street. Hunters must also carry written permission from the landowner and be prepared to show this permission if asked by public safety authorities. Hunters must present written permission from landowner when applying for City Permit.

Age Requirements: Hunters must be at least 16 years old. Anyone under 18 must hunt with a licensed adult who is at least 18 and has a valid hunter education card, or was born before January 1, 1967.

Hunting Position: Hunters must shoot from a stand which is at least 10 feet off the ground.

Safety Distances: Hunters cannot shoot a bow within 60 feet of any home, building where people gather, street, highway, park, or property line.

Combined Land: Hunters can hunt across neighboring properties if they have written permission from each landowner.

Direction of Shot: Hunters cannot aim or shoot toward people, roads, buildings, or pets if there’s any chance of hitting or coming close to them.

Field Dressing: Cleaning a harvested deer (field dressing) cannot be done within 100 feet of a property line.

Reporting Harvest: After harvesting a deer, hunters must report their name, the sex of the deer, and where it was harvested to the city manager’s office.

Approved Equipment: Only recurve or compound bows that are fully operated by hand are allowed. These bows must not be able to stay cocked on their own or use a trigger to fire.

Hunter Education & Arrow Marking: Hunters using a recurve or compound bow must complete a Missouri Department of Conservation hunter education course and mark their arrows with their nine-digit Missouri Conservation ID number.

If born before January 1, 1967, they do not need to take the course but must mark arrows with a City-issued number instead. City-issued number will be provided to the hunter at time of registration at The Police Department Records Bureau.

Crossbows Not Allowed: Crossbows cannot be used.

Retrieving Deer: Hunters may retrieve a deer from a neighbor’s land only if they have that landowner’s permission.