Learn about the life of black bears and how to prevent human-bear conflicts to safely coexist with Missouri’s growing black bear population.

Between 1958 and 1968, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reintroduced bears from Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada, into the Ouachita and Ozark mountains of Arkansas. Some of these bears …

Jan 2, 2020 · Most black bears in Missouri are found south of the Missouri river, though there have been some reports of bears in the northern counties. The species is listed as rare and a state policy …

Aug 9, 2025 · Learn about black bears in Missouri: their established presence, preferred environments, and how residents can safely share the landscape.

Dec 15, 2020 · Missouri Department of Conservation furbearer biologist Laura Conlee delves into how conservation efforts led to an expanding black bear population in Missouri, new hunting guidelines …

Missouri's more than 1,000 black bears are starting to end their winter hibernation and roam the state in search of food. The increased bear activity poses risks for human communities that...

In fact, new research using DNA analysis suggests that descendants of Missouri’s original black bear population may have survived in a part of the Ozarks for more than a century. Re-introduction efforts …

What we do know, because of 10+ years of research that hunters made possible, is that there are somewhere between 540-840 bears in Missouri today, and that number is increasing at a rate …

Aug 17, 2025 · Discover if black bears live in Missouri, learn about their population, and get essential safety tips for living alongside wildlife.

The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear …