Black Bear Hunting Season: General Provi

sions PURPOSE: This rule establishes the general provisions for hunting black bear. (1) Black bears may be pursued, taken, possessed, or transported only as permitted in this Code. (2) Persons hunting or pursuing black bears must possess a prescribed black bear hunting permit. (3) The black bear hunting season will begin the Saturday preceding the third Monday in October and will run for fourteen (14) consecutive days or until the Black Bear Management Zonespecific harvest quota is reached. If the zone-specific harvest quota is reached prior to the close of the black bear hunting season, that zone will be closed to hunting the following day. If the harvest is equivalent to or exceeds eighty percent (80%) of the Black Bear Management Zone-specific harvest quota, the director may close hunting within that Black Bear Management zone on the following day. (4) Black bears may be pursued or taken only from one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise until one-half (1/2) hour after sunset. (5) Black bear hunting permits are valid only for the Black Bear Management Zone specified on the permit. Black Bear Management Zone boundaries are as follows: (A) Black Bear Management Zone One shall be that portion of Missouri west of a line running north from the Arkansas border on U.S. Highway 63 to U.S. Highway 60; west on U.S. Highway 60 to MO-360; west on MO-360 to Interstate 44; west on Interstate 44 to the Oklahoma border; (B) Black Bear Management Zone Two shall be that portion of Missouri east of a line running north from the Arkansas border on U.S. Highway 63 to Interstate 44; east on Interstate 44 to State Highway 47; north on State Highway 47 to the Missouri River; east along the Missouri River to the Illinois border; and (C) Black Bear Management Zone Three shall be that portion of Missouri south of a line running east from the Kansas border along the Missouri River to State Highway 47; south on State Highway 47 to Interstate 44; west on Interstate 44 to U.S. Highway 63; south on U.S. Highway 63 to U.S. Highway 60; west on U.S. Highway 60 to MO-360; west on MO-360 to Interstate 44; west on Interstate 44 to the Oklahoma border. (6) Black Bear Management Zone-specific harvest quotas are established annually by the Conservation Commission. Harvest quotas for the 2026 black bear season will be set as follows: (A) Bear Management Zone 1: thirty (30) black bears; (B) Bear Management Zone 2: twenty two (22) black bears; and (C) Bear Management Zone 3: eight (8) black bears. (7) Black Bear Hunting Methods. (A) Archery: longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and crossbows. Atlatls may not be used to take black bear. (B) Muzzleloader: muzzleloading firearms as defined in 3 CSR 10-20.805, .40 caliber or larger. (C) Any legal method: archery as described in 3 CSR 107.900(7)(A) and muzzleloader methods; shotguns; handguns or rifles firing expanding-type centerfire ammunition; and air-powered guns, .40 caliber or larger, charged only from an external high compression power source (external hand pump, air tank, or air compressor). (D) Prohibited, in use or possession: 1. Methods restricted by local ordinance; 2. Self-loading firearms with capacity of more than eleven (11) cartridges in magazine and chamber combined with the exception of concealable firearms, as defined in Chapter 571, RSMo. Firearms possessed under this exception may not be used to take wildlife while black bear hunting; 3. Ammunition propelling more than one (1) projectile at a single discharge, such as buckshot; 4. Full hard metal case projectiles; 5. Fully automatic firearms; and 6. Electronic calls or electronically activated calls. (8) Black Bear may not be hunted, pursued, taken, or killed— (A) While in a stream or other body of water; (B) From a boat with a motor attached; (C) With the aid of a motor-driven land conveyance or aircraft, except unmanned motor-driven air conveyances may be used to recover wounded black bear as specifically authorized by 3 CSR 10-7.410; (D) With the aid of dogs, in use or possession, except for the recovery of wounded black bear as specifically authorized by 3 CSR 10-7.410; (E) With the aid of artificial light or night vision equipment; (F) With the aid of telemetry equipment, in use or possession; and (G) With the aid of bait. Bait is considered any type of food lure (including, but not limited to grain, feed, bird food, pet food, food produced or manufactured for consumption by humans or domestic animals, or concentrated food powder which may be consumed or attempted to be consumed by black bears) which is placed or scattered so as to constitute an enticement to black bears. Scents and minerals, including salt, are not regarded as bait; however, mineral blocks with food additives are prohibited. An area is considered baited for ten (10) days following complete removal of bait. A person shall be in violation of this provision if they take or attempt to take black bears by the aid of bait, where the person knows or reasonably should know the area is or has been baited. It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule. (9) Black bears that have taken refuge in a den may not be disturbed, pushed, harassed, or taken in any manner by any person acting either singly or as one (1) of a group of persons. (10) Only lone black bears may be taken. No person shall take a black bear they know or reasonably should have known is in the presence of one (1) or more other bears, including female black bears with cubs. (11) During the black bear hunting season, all persons hunting black bears and their companions must wear a cap or hat and a shirt, vest, or coat of the color commonly known as hunter orange, which must be plainly visible from all sides. Camouflage orange garments do not meet this requirement. (12) Hunters who kill or injure a black bear must make a reasonable effort to retrieve and tag it, but this does not authorize trespass. (13) Hunters who take a black bear shall void their permit immediately by notching the month and date of harvest and shall keep the black bear separate or distinctly identifiable from black bears taken or possessed by another person. When the black bear is not personally attended and prior to reporting through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System, the voided permit or proper label shall be attached to the black bear. Black bears may be possessed and transported only by the taker until reported through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System. Any black bear taken shall be accurately reported by the taker or in the taker’s immediate presence through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System by 10:00 p.m. on the day taken. The Telecheck confirmation number shall be recorded immediately on the black bear hunting permit. Black bears shall remain intact, as a field-dressed carcass, or be quartered with evidence of sex retained, until the black bear is reported through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System. All black bears shall be reported through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System prior to processing (except field dressing or quartering as specified in this section) or being removed from the state. After reporting through the Telecheck Harvest Reporting System, black bears may be possessed, transported, and stored by anyone when labeled with the permit or any label that includes the full name and address of the taker, date taken, and Telecheck confirmation number. (14) Regardless of the state of harvest, extracted black bear gallbladders may not be transported into or within Missouri. Black bear gallbladders may not be bought, sold, offered for sale, transferred, or given away. (15) Black bears (or parts thereof excluding the gall bladder) reported in accordance with established procedures, when labeled with the full name and address of the taker, the date taken, and the Telecheck confirmation number of the black bear, may be possessed, transported, and stored by anyone. (16) Hunters who take a black bear shall submit either an upper or lower premolar from the harvested bear to the department within ten (10) days of harvest. The tooth required by this section shall be mailed, shipped, or delivered in-person to: Furbearer Program, Missouri Department of Conservation, 3500 East Gans Road, Columbia, MO 65201. Regardless of the method of submission, the tooth must be placed in an envelope and labeled with the full name and address of the taker, the date taken, and the Telecheck confirmation number of the black bear. If sent via the U.S. Postal Service or other common carrier, the envelope containing the tooth must be placed inside a separate mailing envelope. All submissions postmarked within ten (10) days of harvest shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of this section. AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const., and section 252.040, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed Sept. 4, 2020, effective Feb. 28, 2021. Amended: Filed March 26, 2021, effective April 15, 2021. Amended: Filed March 25, 2022, effective April 15, 2022. Amended: Filed March 14, 2023, effective March 31, 2023. Amended: Filed April 11, 2023, effective Sept. 30, 2023. Amended: Filed April 5, 2024, effective April 15, 2024. Amended: Filed April 15, 2024, effective Sept. 30, 2024. Amended: Filed April 4, 2025, effective April 15, 2025. Amended: Filed March 27, 2026, effective April 15, 2026. *Original authority: 252.040, RSMo 1945, amended 1989.