After a couple years of hunting, Missouri’s black bear program is doing everything it is supposed to be doing. As with any regulatory issue regarding wildlife, the overarching goal always remains the same; increase animal populations while simultaneously increasing available hunting tags.
The bi-lateral increase of these two metrics all but guarantees a successful comeback by a previously unhunted species.
This is exactly how things have played out in Missouri after reintroducing a black bear hunt in 2021. During the inaugural hunting season, state hunters tagged twelve black bears and followed that up with lower numbers in 2022, ending up with just eight bears on the ground.
While a total of 20 bears might not seem like a lot, it’s exactly what these animals require to continue to survive where they once thrived. These numbers are well below the quota allocated for Missouri black bears and is one of the reasons the animals continue to grow in population. With 400 permits up for grabs, 2021 saw roughly 6,300 hunters apply while last year’s numbers retracted slightly to a little over 5,800 applications.
State officials are happy with the program thus far and are expecting to see population growth of between 5-10% year-over-year as the program continues to gain momentum and maturity.
This year’s hunters have until the end of the month to get their applications in for a black bear tag for the fall season.
