Missouri hunters can apply for black bear and elk permits throughout May

Ryan Collingwood, Springfield News-Leader
MDC announces the state’s first black-bear hunting season is slated for this coming fall, Oct. 18–27. It will be limited to Missouri residents and restrict bear hunting to designated areas of southern Missouri.
MDC announces the state’s first black-bear hunting season is slated for this coming fall, Oct. 18–27. It will be limited to Missouri residents and restrict bear hunting to designated areas of southern Missouri.

Hunters in Missouri can apply throughout May for black bear and elk permits for the forthcoming season.

The Missouri Department of Conservation said 400 permits will be available for maximum taking of 40 black bears in the fall, a season from Oct. 21-30. Hunters will be chosen for permits via lottery.

Five permits will also be available for hunting bull elk, according to the MDC, with one designated for landowners in the counties of Randolph, Carter and Shannon. The elk season with archery hunting goes from Oct. 19-27 and firearm hunting from Dec. 14-22.

For bear season, hunters can choose from one of three bear management zones southern Missouri.

  • BMZ 1: quota of 200 permits issued, harvest quota of 20 bears

  • BMZ 2: quota of 150 permits issued, harvest quota of 15 bears

  • BMZ 3: quota of 50 permits issued, harvest quota of 5 bears

Bear and elk applications through the MDC website are $10. If selected in the lottery, the cost of a permit for a bear is $25 and a bull elk is $50.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri hunters can apply for black bear, elk permits throughout May

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