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ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Department of Conservation just announced the framework for a black bear hunting season.

The black bear population in Missouri is on the rise by about 9 percent a year, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, bring the population to somewhere between 500 and 800 bears.

Now the state is working on instating a black bear hunting season. It would start on the third Monday of October beginning in 2021. It would last for 10 days or until the quota is met in the three zones which divide between part of the lake of the Ozarks, Mark Twain National Forest, and Southwestern Missouri.

“It would be open for either firearms or archery. The current proposal does not allow for using bait or using dogs,” explains Dan Zarlenga with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

There would be a lottery for permits which would cost $25 and there would be a $10 application fee. They’re still deciding how many permits would be granted.