Missouri approves framework for first bear hunt

The Missouri Conservation Commission has approved a framework for the state’s first-ever black bear hunt. The framework limits bear hunting to Missouri residents and would allow it only in the southern part of the state. The state Department of Conservation is preparing to draft recommendations for permit and harvest quotas, which would allow residents to apply in May for an October hunt. The proposed hunt follows several years of public comment. Biologists say black bears (Ursus americanus) have significantly increased in number and range in the state in the past 50 years. Between 540 and 840 bears are believed to be in the state, a number expected to double in less than 10 years.

Read more from the Missouri Department of Conservation.