Fear Over Facts: Why Joplin’s Deer Ordinance Misrepresents Lyme Disease

 

When the Joplin City Council passed its urban hunting ordinance, it claimed the move would help “reduce the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease” and “minimize tick-borne illness” within city limits. But the science doesn’t support that narrative and the fear being spread about Lyme disease is not just misleading, it’s dangerous.

 The Deer Tick Myth

Let’s be clear: deer do not carry Lyme disease. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), often called the “deer tick,” is simply one of many hosts for the Lyme-causing bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

“Deer are a source of blood for ticks and important to tick survival and movement to new areas. However, deer are not infected with Lyme disease bacteria and do not infect ticks.”

Ticks become infected by feeding on small mammals, especially white-footed mice, which are the true reservoirs of Lyme disease. Removing deer from the landscape does not eliminate ticks and it does not stop Lyme disease.

 Every Animal Carries Ticks

Ticks are generalists. They feed on:

Mice, squirrels, raccoons, opossums

Coyotes, birds, and yes deer

Pets and humans

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirms that ticks in Missouri carry a range of diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and Heartland virus but Lyme disease is rare in this region. In fact, most confirmed Lyme cases in Missouri occur in northeastern counties, not in Joplin or the surrounding area.

 What the Joplin Ordinance Really Ignores

Poaching, not overpopulation, is thinning the herd in Joplin.

No signage warns drivers of deer crossings, despite collision risks.

No public education explains the real tick-host cycle or how to prevent bites.

This Harvesting of Deer in Joplin ordinance isn’t about science it’s about optics. It’s a scare tactic dressed up as wildlife management, and it risks further destabilizing an already vulnerable ecosystem. 

 Verified Resources

CDC: How Lyme Disease Spreads

Missouri DHSS: Tickborne Disease Overview

Joplin Urban Hunting Ordinance Summary

Missouri Counties Most Likely to Have Lyme Disease

Joplin City Council Ordinance Language

 

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