JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. _ Wildlife watchers from places as far away as Germany have bashed a proposed black bear hunt in Missouri that would take place in October 2021.
The Missouri Department of Conservation proposed the event last month, saying a "limited" hunt was "essential" to managing the black bear population in the future "as Missouri's bear numbers continues to grow."
But the majority of people who filed public comments oppose the plan.
Through Tuesday, the Missouri Department of Conservation received more than 3,300 survey responses to the proposal. More than 67% of the respondents said they did not "agree with the proposed black bear hunting season dates and limits," according to a Post-Dispatch review of the results.
Only a handful of comments supportive of the hunt could be found in records of emails and letters from about 150 people. The public comment period began May 18 and ended Friday.
The number of comments illustrate a high level of public interest in the bear population, which the conservation department says is expanding its range and growing yearly. The department doesn't have a clear population estimate, saying there are between 540 and 840 bears in Missouri.
While the majority of those who responded to the survey opposed the hunt, others appeared to disagree with the plan's details.
"It is during prime deer hunting season," one wrote.
"I disagree with quotas, open it up, and keep it open. I hunt for food and would like to fill my freezers," said another.
Many comments said there were too few black bears to consider a hunt; others said such a hunt was inhumane.
"Please DO NOT KILL THE BEARS," wrote Michael Lazar of Gladstone, Missouri. "It sickens me that trophy hunters are the only ones that will get to see _ and destroy _ these creatures for a few bucks for a license."
At least one comment criticized the department's fuzzy population estimate.
"540 or 840 bears, which is it?" wrote Charles Hughes, of Linn Creek, Missouri. "... I don't think you should be harvesting bears until you have a real count."
Meanwhile, the Conservation Federation of Missouri, a nonprofit organization that represents 100 groups that have more than 80,000 affiliated members, came out in favor of the hunt.
"We agree that it's crucial to use science-based methods to manage a self-sustaining population of black bears, focusing on research and monitoring, population management, and habitat management," said Tyler Schwartze, the group's executive director.
Black bears mostly had been driven from Missouri by the 1950s, before neighboring Arkansas began reintroducing them in 1958, according to the Department of Conservation.
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According to Missouri conservation officials, the hunt would be open only to Missouri residents and needs the approval of the state Conservation Commission.
Most bears in the state are concentrated south of the Missouri River, so the department proposed three "Bear Management Zones" there. The Conservation Commission would establish quotas for each zone the spring before the hunt.
The hunt would start on the third Monday of October and would last no longer than 10 days, ending sooner if hunters reach the quota before the cut-off. Baiting and use of dogs wouldn't be allowed, and at least 10% of permits designated for each zone would go to qualified landowners.
The conservation department said it would charge $10 to apply for a permit, with license winners chosen in the summer by a random drawing. Licenses would cost $25. Hunters would be allowed one bear per permit.
Laura Conlee, chief furbearer biologist for the Department of Conservation, said hunters would be allowed to kill any bear that is by itself, but not bears in groups _ such as a sow with cubs present.
Many of those commenting said there were too few bears to move forward with a hunt.
"There are only an estimated 540-840 bears in the entire state," wrote Beth Phillips of West Allis, Wisconsin. "A new bear hunting season would devastate those numbers. Bears already face an uncertain future with shrinking habitat, food sources decimated by climate change, and poaching."
Some of those commenting opposed any type of hunting.
"My heart breaks for these wonderful highly intelligent animals! I kindly ask you to NOT allow such a massacre!" wrote Vera Kebsch-Muller of Germany. "Hunting is barbaric, extremely brutal and perverse and those who are able to do it are no humans in my eyes."
"I beg you from the bottom of my heart to please prevent any bear hunts in your beautiful state," said Katherine Hall of Elizabethton, Tennessee. "Bears are wonderful creatures with moms and cubs who love one another. The male bears are precious animals as well who want to do nothing more than to live their lives in peace and harmony with all of God's creation."
