Poaching cases continue to pop up during Missouri’s fall hunting seasons.
State Department of Conservation Director Jason Sumners said one case involved the illegal hunting of a black bear in Ozark County in late September.
“After receiving information from concerned citizens about a bear being killed in the closed season, Conservation Agent Corporal Tom Leaker was able to piece together and solve the case,” Sumners said.
The bear was killed roughly three weeks before the start of black bear hunting season in Missouri.
He added that it was poached over a baited field.
“The poachers responsible for killing the bear had shot it with a crossbow over a pile of corn while archery deer hunting,” he said. “After processing the bear, they even falsely labeled the bags as deer meat to cover their tracks.”
Nine black bears were legally hunted and killed during this year’s season, which ran from October 18-31.
Sumners detailed the poaching case during last week’s Missouri Conservation Commission meeting.
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