Ecology and Management of Black Bears in Missouri
The black bear is the most abundant bear species in North America, says Robert Pierce, MU associate extension professor and state wildlife and fisheries specialist. Pierce says Missouri’s black bear population has gradually increased in the past several years, with current numbers estimated at about 1,000. Most bears in Missouri are found in the oak-hickory forests of the Ozark region of the state.
Black bears are native to Missouri. They were abundant here until the 19th century, when unregulated harvest and loss of forest habitat reduced the population.
During the 1960s, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission captured 254 black bears in Minnesota and Manitoba, Canada, and released them in the Ozark and Ouachita mountain ranges in northern and western Arkansas. Missouri numbers have increased as bears traveled northward, gradually edging north of the Missouri River.
“The growth of Missouri’s bear population should be considered a significant conservation success story,” says Pierce. “Now that a sustainable population is in place, a highly regulated hunting season has been established in certain areas of the state.”
With hiking and camping season right around the corner, the University of Missouri Extension has tips on how to prevent and avoid problems when in bear habitat.
Most encounters with bears can be avoided, says Pierce. Here are some general guidelines:
• Never approach a black bear, and don’t let one get close to you. Watch from a distance. If in a vehicle or home, stay inside. If possible, stay at least 100 yards away from a black bear.
• Keep garbage, pet foods, bird feed and other foods away from bears. “Bears that feed on human foods can quickly lose their natural fear of humans,” says Pierce. “Don’t feed them.”
• When hiking in bear habitat, make noise to avoid surprising bears. Talk, whistle or sing to alert them to your presence. Leave your dogs at home or keep them leashed. Dogs can antagonize bears and cause an encounter.
• Keep campsites clean. Don’t put food in your tent. Store food in airtight or bear-resistant containers, and lock food in the trunk of your vehicle or hang it in a tree 15 feet off the ground and 8 feet away from the tree trunk.
• Wash dishes when you have finished eating. Cook food away from where you sleep. Do not sleep in the same clothes you cooked in. Burn trash only if you are unable to properly secure it; never bury it.
Adult male bears can range in weight from 130 to 600 pounds, with an average of 280 pounds. Adult females range from 90 to 296 pounds and average 179 pounds. They have life expectancies of less than 20 years.
Known for their black coats and brown muzzles, black bears occasionally have white chest markings. Missouri bears can range from black to brown to reddish brown or cinnamon to blond. They use their sharp claws for climbing to escape danger or to dig and forage. The wear of their teeth is an indicator of their age.
Bears have good eyesight, a keen sense of smell and strong hearing. They are also excellent swimmers.
They hibernate for much of the winter in caves, hollow trees, tree stumps, brush piles or underground. They will abandon a den that has been disturbed and mate from mid-May to mid-July. Cubs are generally born in the den during late January to February after a 230-day gestation period. They are about the size and weight of a can of soda when born.
From research conducted by MDC, an estimated 60% of female bears in Missouri reproduce each year, and they have an average of two cubs. About 70% of the male cubs and 90% of female cubs survive their first year of life.
Research has found that bears in Missouri are very adaptive and as the population increases, they may be more likely to use marginal habitats such as forested areas that are fragmented by agriculture and residential areas.
“Bears can move large distances, and research indicates that young bears may travel into these types of areas in search of adequate habitats,” says Pierce.
A new publication from University of Missouri Extension looks at black bears, their ecology and how research by the Missouri Department of Conservation helps us better understand their behavior and growing numbers.
“Ecology and Management to Black Bears in Missouri,” by Pierce and Nathaniel Bowersock, a biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, is available for free download at https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g9458.
