MISSOURI, USA — The fourth-ever Missouri black bear hunting season just ended and, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), it was a record-breaker.
Hunters throughout the state this year set a new black bear harvest record at 15 bears, MDC said Thursday, one day after the season officially closed. The total stands above the state's three previous years, with hunters harvesting 12 bears in 2023, 8 bears in 2022, and 12 bears in 2021.
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The presence of a black bear hunting season is a testament to conservation efforts bringing the animal back from the brink of being extirpated from the state in the early 1900s. Conservationists estimate that since the first study categorizing the bear population in Missouri found around 300 bears in 2010, the population has grown to more than 900.
The season, which ran from Oct. 21 - 30, was a bit of an exclusive event. More than 5,969 hunters applied for hunting permits in May, but the state only offers a maximum of 400 each season. The department said that of the 400 hunters who were randomly chosen among the applicants, 319 hunters purchased permits.
The state also only allows a maximum of 40 bears to be hunted, around 5% of the state's total black bear population as of 2021. 10 were boars, or males, and five were sows, or females. Firearms were used to take 13 bears, while one was harvested via archery and another was harvested with a crossbow.
Missouri is split up into three Bear Management Zones (BMZ) south of the Missouri River. The department also broke down how many bears were hunted in each of the zones. 12 bears were harvested in zone one, three were harvested in zone two, and none were harvested in zone three, according to the department's website.
“We had another successful black bear hunting season this year,” said MDC Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock. “Despite the acorn crop potentially being above average, hunters were able to harvest a record number of bears. This could be due to the dryer fall conditions, which likely caused bears to move more often in search of water.”
