Have you seen a black bear? The Missouri Department of Conservation wants to know about it.

Have you spotted a bear in Missouri?

If so, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wants to hear about it.

Please send them details of your sighting.

Although black bears are native to Missouri, they were nearly wiped out during settlement.

Now they’re making a comeback and expanding their range within the state.

Black bear were recently spotted outside of Mt. Vernon and were even seen and captured in Duquesne near Joplin in 2019.

Most Missouri bears live just south of Interstate 44 (core range), but as the population continues to grow, bears have started to inhabit new areas of the state (expansion range).

Each year, bears — mostly subadult males — are “observed” in counties outside of their core range, but have yet to settle in these areas.