JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds Missourians interested in hunting black bears and/or elk in the state this fall to apply by the end of May.
Apply by May 31 for both black-bear hunting and elk-hunting permits online at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits, through MDC’s free MO Hunting app, through a permit vendor, or by calling 1-800-392-4115. There is a $10 non-refundable application fee for each application. Missouri residents 11 years of age or older by the start of the season are eligible to apply. Eligible Missourians may apply for both.
Permit selection for bear-hunting applicants and for elk-hunting applicants will be determined by July 1 through a random drawing of all eligible applicants. Applicants can check to see if they have been selected for a permit by or after July 1 at mdc.mo.gov/buypermits by logging into “Manage Your Account” and selecting “View My Special Hunt History.”
Those selected to receive a permit must have their hunter-education certification or be exempt by age (born before Jan. 1, 1967) before they may purchase the permit. The bear-hunting permit is $25. The elk-hunting permit is $50. All permits are nontransferable.
More on Bear Hunting
MDC will be offering 400 permits for the state’s first black-bear hunting season this coming fall, Oct. 18–27. The maximum total harvest for the season will be 40 bears.
Bear hunting in Missouri is limited to Missouri residents and restricts bear hunting to three designated areas of southern Missouri called Black Bear Management Zones (BMZ). Hunters must apply for a specific Black Bear Management Zone. Permit and harvest quotas for the upcoming Oct. 18–27 bear season will be:
BMZ 1: Permit quota of 200 issued with a harvest quota of 20 bears.
BMZ 2: Permit quota of 150 issued with a harvest quota of 15 bears.
