Farmers see a lot of livestock when they are out working in fields, checking their herd or fixing fence on the back 40, but they could also be seeing more animals they aren’t used to coming across.
Most Missouri bears live just south of Interstate 44 (core range), but as the population continues to grow, bears have started to inhabit new areas of the state (expansion range). Each year, bears — mostly subadult males — are “observed” in counties outside of their core range, but have yet to settle in these areas.
