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Black bear
Missouri Black Bear Management Zones
Zones 1-3: boundaries, counties, 2026 permits and quotas, methods and harvest since 2021.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
How the Missouri bear season works
Missouri black bear hunting is limited to drawn resident permits in three Black Bear Management Zones south of the Missouri River. For 2026 the season runs Oct 17-30 with 2,000 permits (1,000 in Zone 1, 750 in Zone 2, 250 in Zone 3) and a harvest quota of 60 bears (30, 22 and 8). Each zone closes the day after its quota is reached, and the director may close a zone at 80% of quota; hunters call 800-668-4045 every day. Applications ran May 1-31 for $10, at least 10% of each zone’s permits go to landowners, and the permit costs $25. About 1,100 black bears, growing about 9% per year (May 2026 In Brief).
2026 Black Bear Hunting Digest, checked October 29, 2026.
Black Bear Management Zones 1, 2 and 3
| Zone | Boundary |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | West of US 63 from the Arkansas border north to US 60; west on US 60 to MO-360; west on MO-360 to I-44; west on I-44 to Oklahoma. |
| Zone 2 | East of US 63 from Arkansas north to I-44; east on I-44 to MO-47; north on MO-47 to the Missouri River; east along the river to Illinois. |
| Zone 3 | South of the Missouri River from Kansas to MO-47; south on MO-47 to I-44; west on I-44 to US 63; south on US 63 to US 60; west on US 60 to MO-360; west on MO-360 to I-44; west on I-44 to Oklahoma. |
bear digest zone pages; county lists from the MDC zone layer, a county split by a line appears in both zones; checked October 29, 2026.
Bear methods, bait and reporting rules
| Rule | Text |
|---|---|
| Methods | Centerfire rifles/handguns (expanding), shotgun slugs, air-powered .40+, muzzleloaders .40+, air bows, bows, crossbows. No atlatls, dogs, bait, telemetry. |
| Bag | 1 black bear of either sex |
| Bait | Any food is bait (grain, feed, pet food, human food, food powders); scents and plain minerals are not. |
| Reporting | Telecheck by 10 p.m.; intact, field-dressed or quartered with evidence of sex; mail or deliver a premolar to MDC (Columbia) within 10 days. |
| Hunter orange | Bear hunters and companions all season. |
bear digest season page, checked October 29, 2026.
Bear harvest and permits by year
Missouri black bear harvest
| Year | Bears | Permits | Applicants | Season | Methods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12 | 400 | |||
| 2022 | 8 | ||||
| 2023 | 12 | 400 | 5,374 | Oct 16-25, 2023 (report text: Oct 16-26) | all firearms |
| 2024 | 15 | 400 | 5,969 | Oct 21-30, 2024 | 13 firearms, 1 archery, 1 crossbow |
| 2025 | 9 | 600 | Oct 18-31, 2025 | ||
| 2026 | Not published | 2,000 | Oct 17-30, 2026 |
MDC bear reports, checked October 29, 2026.
Questions on Missouri bear zones
How many bear permits does Missouri issue?
2,000 for 2026: 1,000 in Zone 1, 750 in Zone 2 and 250 in Zone 3.
What is the bear quota for 2026?
60 bears: 30 in Zone 1, 22 in Zone 2 and 8 in Zone 3.
Is the bear drawing open to out-of-state hunters?
No. The bear permit and drawing are for residents only.
Can I use dogs or bait for bears?
No. Dogs, bait, telemetry and atlatls are not allowed; any food counts as bait.
What did the 2025 bear season produce?
9 bears (2 females, 7 males) on 600 permits.