Black Bear Project
Missouri Black Bear Project
Project Partner: Missouri Department of Conservation
SCIF Investment: $82,000 with partial funding from the Hunter Legacy Fund
SCIF began involvement: 2011-2020
Project Outcomes
This project defined suitable habitat for black bears, including areas of primary habitat, and corridors for bear movement. It also provided important data for setting season timing and harvest quotas. Resource use and spatial distribution was examined to help ensure stable populations.
In part, studies like this one in Missouri allow conservation agencies to develop sustainable harvest models that use hunting as a tool to manage bear population numbers. The Missouri Department of Conservation has successfully opened up limited bear hunting since 2021.
Want to learn more about the project? Watch this video.







