MISSOURI, USA — Missouri will soon hold a lottery to determine which hunters in the state will be permitted to harvest black bears in three specific areas of the state.
Resident hunters in the state can apply to add their names to the permit pool throughout the month of May, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). The winners of the random bear permit drawing will be announced by July 1 and the hunting season will run from Oct. 21 to Oct. 30.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Missouri hunters harvested 12 black bears during 2023 season
Permits are $10 per applicant, MDC said. The harvest limit is one bear per permit. A maximum of 400 permits will be issued with a maximum of 40 black bears allowed to be hunted in total. Click here to apply.
Hunters will have to specify which BMZ, or bear management zone, they would like a permit for. Selected hunters will then have to but a $25 BMZ-specific permit. Each zone has its own permit and harvest quotas, including:
- BMZ 1: Permit quota of 200 and a harvest quota of 20 bears
- BMZ 2: Permit quota of 150 and a harvest quota of 15 bears.
- BMZ 3: Permit quota of 50 and a harvest quota of 5 bears.
"Once the specific harvest quotas are filled for each BMZ, the season for that BMZ will be closed," MDC said on its website. "Hunting hours will be a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset. Hunters must call MDC prior to hunting each day to determine the closure status of the BMZ for which they are permitted."
See which areas are covered by each BMZ here:
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