3 CSR 10- 7.905: Black Bear Hunting Season: Application and Draw Process

Missouri residents, as defined in 3 CSR 10-5.220, may apply for black bear hunting permits.

  (A) Bear Management Zone-specific permit quotas for black bear hunting permits are established annually by the Conservation Commission. At least ten (10) percent of the Resident Black Bear Hunting Permit Black Bear Management Zone-specific permit quota will be awarded annually to approved resident landowners, as defined in 3 CSR 10-20.805, whose qualifying property is in the specific Black Bear Management Zone for which they are applying. If the number of qualifying landowner applicants is less than the percentage of the permits allocated for landowners, that portion of the quota not issued to a qualifying landowner will be reallocated to other applicants.                                                                                             

  (B) To be eligible for the Resident Black Bear Hunting Permit(s) awarded to approved resident landowners, an application must have been submitted to and have been approved by the department as described in 3 CSR 10-7.412 prior to applying for a Resident Black Bear Hunting Permit.

  (C) Permit Draw.

    1. The application period will be from May 1-31 annually and results will be available by July 1 annually.

    2. Application fee for Resident Black Bear Hunting Permit: ten dollars ($10).

    3. Only one (1) application is allowed per year.

    4. Only one (1) person is allowed per application. 

    5. Permits are nontransferable.

 

AUTHORITY: sections 40 and 45 of Art. IV, Mo. Const. Original rule filed June 28, 1974, effective July 8, 1974. For intervening history, please consult the Code of State Regulations. Amended: Filed September 4, 2020.

 

PUBLIC COST: This proposed rule will cost state agencies or political subdivisions an estimated thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000) in the aggregate to modify the department’s licensing platform system.

 

PRIVATE COST: This proposed rule will cost private entities one hundred forty-five thousand dollars ($145,000) annually in the aggregate.

 

NOTICE TO SUBMIT COMMENTS: Anyone may file a statement in support of or in opposition to this proposed amendment with Regulations Committee Chairman, Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or via the department’s website at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z49. To be considered, comments must be received within thirty (30) days after publication of this notice in the Missouri Register. No public hearing is scheduled.

 

FISCAL NOTE

PUBLIC COST

 

I.          Department Title: Department of Conservation

Division Title: Division 10 – Conservation Commission

Chapter Title:  Chapter 7—Wildlife Code: Hunting: Seasons, Methods, Limits

Rule Number and Name:	3 CSR 10-7.905 Black Bear Hunting Season: Application and Draw Process
Type of Rulemaking:	Proposed Rule

 

II.         SUMMARY OF FISCAL IMPACT

Affected Agency or Political Subdivision	Estimated Cost of Compliance in the Aggregate
Department of Conservation	$36,000 – one-time cost

 

III.        WORKSHEET

 $36,000 (estimated overall total cost of vendor payments to modify the department’s licensing platform system)

 

1. ASSUMPTIONS

This is a one-time payment to modify the MDC Suite, including MO Hunting, Agent Online, and Agent Mobile.  No additional costs associated with this change are anticipated for the life of the rule. 

 

 

 

FISCAL NOTE

PRIVATE COST

 

I.          Department Title: Department of Conservation

Division Title: Division 10 – Conservation Commission

Chapter Title:  Chapter 7—Wildlife Code: Hunting: Seasons, Methods, Limits

Rule Number and Name:	3 CSR 10-7.905 Black Bear Hunting Season: Application and Draw Process
Type of Rulemaking:	Proposed Rule

 

II.         SUMMARY OF FISCAL IMPACT

Affected Agency or Political Subdivision	Estimated Cost of Compliance in the Aggregate
Individuals applying for black bear permit.	Initial annual aggregate estimate of $145,000.  The number of applicants, however, will be variable from year to year.

 

III.        WORKSHEET

14,500 (estimated number of applicants for black bear hunting permit) X $10 (application fee) = $145,000 (initial annual aggregate estimate.  The number of applicants, however, will be variable from year to year)

 

IV.        ASSUMPTIONS

Although part of the greater Ouachita bear population, Arkansas doesn’t have a specific black bear hunting permit.  Black bear hunting is allowed on the overall Arkansas hunting permit.  Arkansas, therefore, couldn’t be used to estimate the number of applicants for a bear draw.  Oklahoma is also part of the greater Ouachita bear populations but does have a specific black bear hunting permit.  However, Oklahoma doesn’t have a draw process for black bear permits.  In 2019, Oklahoma issued 496 black bear hunting permits in 2019; which is approximately <0.01% of the total number of individual deer hunters.   Florida issued 3,724 resident black bear permits in 2015, or approximately 3% of their total individual deer hunters.  Maryland provided an estimate of approximately 5% of their hunters apply for the black bear permit draw.  The average percentage of black bear permits was less than 3% of the total number of deer hunters across Oklahoma, Florida, and Maryland.

 

In Missouri, there were 484,347 deer hunters in 2019. Therefore, we estimate 14,500 (3% x 483,347) applicants for the black bear hunting permits during the inaugural year.  The estimated number of applicants does not reflect the estimated permit availability or a harvest quota, both of which will be lower in number. The number of applicants will be variable from year to year. Although a draw is not used in Arkansas and Oklahoma, it is common place across the United States.  In addition, application fees are common place with permit draws.  To not burden citizens with high permit prices we are utilizing an application fee.  Application fees are also necessary given the expected high interest and anticipated increase in overhead of administering this new hunting program in Missouri.