Immediately after harvesting a bear, you must notch your permit.
- To notch a paper permit, tear a small notch in the month and day of harvest on the permit. To notch a permit using the MO Hunting app, simply select the permit you wish to use from the list in the app, and follow the short, easy prompts on the screen.
- Once you notch your permit, you may transport your bear within Missouri. The bear must remain intact, field-dressed, or quartered with evidence of sex retained until it has been Telechecked.
Note: Notching is not the same as Telechecking. You must still Telecheck your bear by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. - As long as you stay with your bear, you don’t need to tag it. But if you leave the bear unattended, you must attach a tag. If you have a paper permit, you can simply attach your notched permit to the bear. We recommend sealing the permit in a zip-top bag and attaching the bag with string, wire, or tape. If you’re using the MO Hunting app, you must attach a label with your full name, address, permit number, and date of harvest to the bear.
All bears must be Telechecked by phone or internet by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. No in-person checking stations are available.
You don't need to Telecheck immediately after harvesting a bear. You have until 10 p.m. on the day of harvest to Telecheck your bear. A bear can be field-dressed or quartered with evidence of sex retained prior to being Telechecked. You can transport an unchecked bear within the state as long as the permit is attached to the bear or with the hunter so long as the hunter is with the bear.
Telecheck Your Bear
Telecheck Using the MO Hunting App
Step 1: Select your notched permit from the list.
Step 2: Tap “Telecheck.”
Step 3: Follow the prompts on the screen. Telecheck will upload a confirmation number to your mobile device.
Telecheck Using a Phone
Step 1: Collect the following information, which you will be asked when you use Telecheck:
- Your Telecheck ID Number (found on your permit)
- The sex of the bear
- County of harvest
- Was it harvested on public or private land?
- Weapon used to harvest the bear
- Weight range (estimated in pounds)
- Does the bear have a collar?
- If the bear has ear tags, the color and number for left and right ear tags
Step 2: Grab a pen, then call the telephone number listed on the permit between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., or use the Telecheck button on the top of this page and follow the instructions.
Step 3: After you have provided the required information, you will receive an eight-digit confirmation number that verifies you have legally checked your bear. Write this number on your permit.