2021 was pretty good for bears
Missouri proved that if you prepare the way for black bears, then black bears will find a way. As testament to the successes of black bear management in Missouri, they held their first regulated bear hunting season that ran 10 days in October.
From a population of zero in the 1950s, Missouri now has an estimated 1,000 bruins. The tightly regulated hunt sought to maximize hunter opportunity while ensuring a precise take. To do so the regulations allotted a certain number of bears per zone. Once the zone's quota was filled, then the season in that zone closed.
I keep hope alive for Iowa. Iowa has a confirmed breeding population of zero. But like Missouri, Iowa is bordered in the northeast by two states with expanding black bear populations. It's just a matter of time.
Welcome 2022.
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