Missouri Hunters Harvest 36 Black Bears

Published 7:11 pm Saturday, November 7, 2026

By Joe Rios

Missouri’s black bear hunting season is gaining popularity, and hunters set a new record this year.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reports hunters harvested 36 black bears during the state’s sixth annual bear hunting season, held Oct. 17 through Oct. 30.

That’s a record harvest for Missouri, according to MDC officials, who say increased hunting opportunities helped make this year’s season a success.

And there certainly wasn’t a shortage of people wanting to participate.

More than 5,200 hunters applied in May for one of 2,000 available permits. Those permits were awarded through a random drawing, with nearly 1,490 selected hunters ultimately purchasing a permit.

Missouri’s bear hunting season is open only to state residents and is limited to three designated Bear Management Zones in southern Missouri. Hunters must stay within the zone assigned to their permit, whether hunting on public or private property.

Of the 36 bears harvested, 29 came from Bear Management Zone 1, which had a maximum allowable harvest of 30 bears.

Another seven bears were taken in Zone 2, where the harvest limit was 22. No bears were harvested in Zone 3, which had a limit of eight.

Most hunters used firearms, accounting for 34 bears. The remaining two were harvested using archery equipment.

Of the bears taken, 23 were males, and 13 were females.

MDC Black Bear and Furbearer Biologist Nate Bowersock says the results show Missouri hunters continue to take advantage of the state’s growing bear hunting opportunities.

“We had another successful black bear hunting season this year,” Bowersock said.

He noted that even with what appeared to be an above-average acorn crop, hunters harvested more bears than in previous seasons.

Acorns are an important food source for black bears, particularly in the fall when they prepare for winter.

Bowersock said increasing permits this year gave more Missouri residents a chance to experience bear hunting.

“By increasing the number of permits this year, we provided more opportunities for Missourians to take advantage of this unique hunting experience,” Bowersock said.

The state set a maximum harvest of 60 bears across all three management zones, so the final total remained below the overall limit.

For Missouri hunters, the record harvest marks another milestone in a relatively young hunting season.

For conservation officials, it also provides another year of information as they continue managing the state’s black bear population.