In Joplin, fall has always meant family. Crisp mornings, rust-colored leaves, and kids venturing into the woods for scavenger hunts, trail walks, and deer spotting. It’s a season of hometown rhythm where Christian values, neighborly trust, and small-town safety shape how we explore the land around us.
Normally, children hike in groups. Parents pack snacks and binoculars. The woods are a classroom, a playground, a sanctuary. And for decades, they’ve felt safe. But this year, something’s changed.
The wooded plots scattered across Joplin once quiet zones for nature
walks and wildlife watching now carry a different weight. There are bowhunters
on private land. There are homeless individuals hiding in the brush. And there
are no signs, no warnings, no protections.
As an adult who’s walked those woods with two large dogs, I’ve learned
firsthand: the woods are not for kids anymore. Not even in groups. Not even in
daylight.
Last week, I came across Brian Evans post at Facebook,
a photo that stopped me cold. A homeless, camp in a wooded section behind a
Joplin business. No shelter. No shade. No protection from the heat or the
judgment that trails him like a shadow.
Image by Brian Evans, shared publicly via Facebook on July 24, 2025
🔗 View original post
These aren't just a photos. It’s a visual indictment of
what happens when ordinances are passed without accountability, when
enforcement outpaces empathy, and when the city’s most vulnerable are pushed
further into invisibility.
Timeline of Displacement and Risk
- Early 2024: I called the police after a
homeless woman high and disoriented tried to break into my garage.
Officers said they could only arrest her because I had “No Trespassing”
signs posted. Without those signs, she would’ve walked away.
- Fall 2024: I took my two large dogs for a
walk along the creek bed behind my home. A man emerged from the brush and
approached me. My dogs became aggressive. I told him to stop, but he kept
coming. I ran home and never returned to those woods.
- Spring 2025: A homeless man attempted to
break into our home. My husband felt threatened and called the police.
They didn’t respond until two days later.
- June 16, 2025: Joplin City Council passed Ordinance
2025-083, legalizing urban bow hunting of deer on private property
within city limits. No public signage was posted in known homeless encampment
zones.
- July 24, 2025: Brian Evans shared a photo of a
homeless man sleeping on a discarded mattress behind a Joplin business. No
shelter. No shade. No outreach.
- September 15, 2025: Archery season begins. Hunters enter wooded areas some of which are informal encampments with no warnings, no maps, and no protections for the humans hiding in the brush.
Did the City or Landowners Permit
Encampments?
According to Joplin’s Community Plan to Address Homelessness, the city has not formally designated wooded areas as legal encampment
zones. There is no public record indicating that landowners gave
explicit permission for long-term habitation either. Instead, the plan
acknowledges that many unsheltered individuals gravitate toward wooded areas
due to lack of alternatives and enforcement gaps.
The city’s strategic plan calls for increased outreach
and mapping of encampments, but as of now, there is no signage, no zoning,
and no protective designation for these areas. That means hunters, hikers,
and residents may unknowingly enter zones where people are sleeping, hiding, or
surviving in silence.
What We Can Do
This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. If
we’re going to pass ordinances that affect real lives, we need to document the
fallout. We need to advocate for humane enforcement, trauma-informed outreach,
and public transparency.
I’m calling on local leaders to:
- Post mandatory signage in known
encampment zones
- Issue hunter briefings that include
maps, safety protocols, and ethical considerations
- Designate exclusion zones where
unsheltered individuals reside
- Fund outreach teams trained to
navigate these zones with care and accountability
Footnote: Look Twice When Survival Looks Like Debris
I’ve walked past them myself men standing in the trees, sitting in the brush, silent and still. You don’t see them at first. You cross the creek. You throw the ball for your dog. You think you’re alone. But they’re there. Hiding in plain sight.
No tents. No bright clothing. No movement unless necessary. Just
stillness. Just survival.
And now, with bowhunters entering those same woods under Joplin’s urban
hunting ordinance, invisibility isn’t just a coping strategy it’s a risk. A
fatal one. If you walk those trails,
hike those woods, or hunt those parcels: look twice. What you think is debris
might be someone’s last refuge.
🧾 Credit and
Source
- Image and original post by Brian Evans, shared publicly on Facebook July 24, 2025
🔗 Direct link to post - Ordinance documentation and impact analysis by SF, based on firsthand experience and ongoing research in Joplin, MO
- Supporting data: KRPS – Joplin’s Homelessness Crisis
- Joplin Community Plan to Address Homelessness
Let’s not pretend we didn’t see them.
This isn’t a pop-up camp tucked behind the brush. It’s a lived-in shelter weathered, layered, and clearly occupied. And now, bowhunters have entered the mix. The liability isn’t theoretical anymore. We’ve got residents in the woods, and hunters moving through the same terrain with lethal gear. That’s not just unsafe it’s a recipe for tragedy.
Disclaimer
This article was written for educational and advocacy purposes only. It documents firsthand experiences, public records, and community observations to raise awareness about ordinance impact, public safety, and homelessness in Joplin, Missouri. All images and quotes are used with attribution and respect for original context. This content is not intended to incite fear, promote political agendas, or replace official guidance from city authorities or law enforcement.
Readers are encouraged to verify sources, contact their city officials for clarification, and engage respectfully with the broader implications of urban policy on vulnerable populations.
Read other Joplin articles by author
The Ethics of Youth BowHunting in Urban Zones
The Hunters Left Behind:What Joplin’s Bow Hunting Ordinance Missed
Woodland Dreams, Suburban Realities: The Cost of Living
Near Wildlife in Joplin
Urban Deer in Joplin: What’s Really Driving the City Bow
Hunting Ordinance
Fear Over Facts: Why Joplin’s Deer Ordinance
Misrepresents Lyme Disease
No Signs, No Safety: What Deer Collisions Reveal About
Joplin’s Wildlife Crisis
The Myth of High-Pressure Deer Zones in Joplin
This Fall, Don’t Blame the Deer for Ticks in Joplin, MO
Fall Bowhunting & Field Dressing in Joplin: What the
Ordinance Says
Joplin Misses the Mark of Nursing Deer Ethics
Urban Bow Hunting in Joplin: A Cautionary Tale from the
City Woods
Autumn in Joplin 2025: When Sanctuary Faces New Risks
Joplin’s Urban Deer Hunting Ordinance Will Change Autumn
2025 Forever: What Residents Need to Know
