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Although black bears are native to Missouri, they were nearly wiped out during settlement. Now they're making a comeback. Use this section to follow our black bear research project, report bear sightings, camp safely in bear country, and control nuisance bears.
- Mountain Lion Reports
The return of mountain lions to Missouri is exciting to some...
- Missouri Black Bear Project
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has identified...
- Missouri Black Bears
The bear population is growing rapidly. Missouri has a lot...
- Bear: Management Zone Boundaries and Map
Black Bear Management Zones. Black bear hunting is allowed...
- Mountain Lion Reports
May 31, 2022 · The Missouri Department of Conservation has a website where you can report bear sightings. That site also includes a map which updates automatically showing where bears are. For example, here are the bear sightings since 2020.
Explore maps, photos and videos about Missouri black bear and the research that we are conducting.
Feb 1, 2021 · The bear population is growing rapidly. Missouri has a lot of quality bear habitat. Citizen science reports, coupled with the population and habitat research, help illustrate the adaptability and range expansion that is occurring as bears recolonize parts of Missouri.
- Missouri Bear History
- Population Resurgence
- About Our Bears
Bears in Missouri have a long history. You may have even noticed that the Missouri flag has two bears on it. However, this is not a nod to our past bear population, as the bears on the flag are grizzly bears — they are supposed to represent strength. Grizzly bears never lived in Missouri. Black bears have the ability to survive in swampy habitats a...
A similar wiping out of the black bear population happened in Arkansas. In the 1950s, Arkansas decided to try to bring back their black bear population by relocating 248 bears from Minnesota and Canada into the Arkansas Ozark Mountains. This plan was successful and the black bear numbers in that state now number over 5,000. During the reintroductio...
Bears are very intelligent and they easily remember things. Bears have been documented as knowing which day of the week is trash day, and they even learned that bird feeders get refilled with new food as long as they don’t destroy them. Black bears are omnivores and will eat small animals, but most often eat berries and insects. They will also eat ...
- Mike Szydlowski
Jan 16, 2018 · There's a fine line between showing nature-lovers where Missouri's black bears travel, and tipping off poachers on where to find them.
People also ask
Can you see a black bear in Missouri?
Where can I report bear sightings in Missouri?
Does Missouri have a black bear research page?
How many black bears are there in Missouri?
Are there Bears in Missouri?
Can you hunt a black bear south of the Missouri River?
Find out which of the three Black Bear Management Zones (BMZs) you can hunt in south of the Missouri River. See the map and the boundaries of each BMZ on the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) website.