ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Looking for food, looking for land, looking for love –Missouri's black bear population is on the move, with sightings reported this week as near as Romaine Creek south of Fenton and Cedar Hill.
Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) bear expert Tom Meister says they've also been seen in recent days in House Springs, Robertsville, Sullivan and south of Bourbon. He has a few tips to keep bears out of your neck of the woods.
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"Don't put your garbage out the night before. Put it out the morning of. Make sure your cans are secure. If you do suspect a bear in the area, make sure your presence is known. Make lots of noise, pots and pans, air horn," Meister said.
Meister says the sightings so far have been from trail cams or people in cars. He says the sightings probably represent the wanderings of at least two different bears, maybe more.
In recent years Missouri black bears have made their spring forays into places like Eureka, Wentzville and Ballwin. In the Eureka case, the bear ran through the downtown business district and later wandered into a bathroom at an empty grade school where the door had been left propped open.
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The Bear population in Missouri is estimated at 800 to 850.
The state has authorized a bear hunt this October to thin the herd, and interested hunters can find out more at the Department of Conservation website.
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