JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo.–A black bear has been sighted in a yard near Festus Wednesday,  and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is reminding residents this is not an uncommon occurrence anymore. 

What You Need To Know

  • Black bear spotted in a yard near Festus earlier this week

  • Missouri Dept. of Conservation says bear sightings are likely to happen more frequently in state as bear population grows

  • MDC says most Missouri bears live south of I-44, but wandering individuals, mostly juvenile males, have been seen as far north as the Iowa border
  • Recently, the state has begun to allow bear hunting after the Conservation Department determined the state’s bear population could sustain a limited and highly regulated harvest

The sheriff’s department Tweeted that the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says bear sightings are likely to happen more frequently in the state as the bear population grows. 

Black bears are making a comeback in the southern part of Missouri, according to MDC. However, there have been an increased number of bear sightings in the St. Louis region in the past few years. 

MDC says most Missouri bears live south of I-44, but wandering individuals, mostly juvenile males, have been seen as far north as the Iowa border. 

Recently, the state has begun to allow bear hunting after the Conservation Department determined the state’s bear population could sustain a limited and highly regulated harvest. As bear numbers continue to increase, hunting will serve as an essential component of black bear population management, according to MDC’s 2023 Bear Hunting Digest.

Here are some ways MDC says you can be Bear Aware:

  • Never feed a bear!

  • Feeding bears makes them lose their natural fear of humans, and teaches them to see humans as food providers. They will learn to go to places like homes, campsites, and neighborhoods to look for food, instead of staying in the forest.

  • A bear that has gotten used to getting food from humans may become aggressive and dangerous. When this happens, the bear has to be destroyed.

  • Help bears stay wild and healthy, and keep yourself and your neighbors safe. Don’t feed bears.

If you do see a bear, MDC wants to know. You can report a sighting here. The MDC map below shows where there reported sightings in 2021.