Judy Kramer
County Reporter
People in Missouri who work or hunt near creeks, in forests or wide-open lands are spotting more mountain lions and black bears than in the past. According to Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) agent Jacob Strozewski that is probably because there are increases in game cameras that photograph the animals when no one is around.
“Missouri has its own black bear population that is moving from southern Missouri, and the sightings are increasing,” said Strozewski. “Most are within the Ozark part of the state. At one time it was thought that the state was depleted of bears, but now there are from 500 to 800, including a breeding population. There is a bear season in October, but hunters shouldn’t use bait or other less desirable methods to hunt them. No harvesting was reported last year in Benton County.”
Strozewski stated that there have been 99 confirmed reports of mountain lions in Missouri since 1994, with the last official report for Benton County occurring in March 2021. He said that they normally come from the north and west and no evidence of normal reproduction has been detected. The mountain lions are usually males. There is no open season for mountain lions. However, if they are threatening people or their livestock those affected can protect themselves. Any such incidents are best reported to MDC so studies can be carried out to determine where these animals are coming from.
Sightings are not always reported to MDC, so the numbers of local mountain lions and black bears are more numerous than those confirmed by the state. A couple of Benton County residents and Sheriff Eric Knox described their encounters with these animals.
“I have seen mountain lions on several occasions during the last three to five years,” said Sheriff Knox. “They are a goldish brown with long tails, and there are a lot of them. Folks near Mora had cattle killed by one several years ago, which was determined by the scratch marks on the livestock bodies. I saw a black bear near Hwy AA during the day as it ran across a field with its hair flying. It crossed a fence, then fell upside-down and became stunned. I saw it from my cop car when I was on duty. Last year I saw a bear at night on Walker’s Road. It crossed in front of me so I stopped and put on my thermal vision and could see it 20 feet in the brush. It was very slim and skittish.”
Matt Henderson, a businessman at his cattle ranch, at Deer Creek Stone and Sand, and a Warsaw High School Girls Basketball coach, said that he and his employees come across multiple sightings of mountain lions.
“In the past ten years we have probably averaged two sightings a year,” said Henderson. “They (mountain lions) come up on Deer Creek where we get our gravel. About four or five years ago one hung around and made a noise like a screaming woman that upset our dogs. A black bear crossed through the field at my uncle’s place and I have a video of it running.”
Jack and Jo Spicer, who live in Edwards at Forbes Lake of the Ozarks, had a mountain lion in their back yard two years ago. Jo Spicer said that they follow the waterways and come through the area (which is adjacent to Lake of the Ozarks.) She said that they got a good picture of it strolling down the path.
Although some people may be frightened by the fact that these particular wild animals pass through Benton County, Agent Strozewski said that a person is more likely to be struck by lightning than attacked by a black bear or mountain lion. He said that they really don’t want to have anything to do with us. He said that if you know you are walking where these animals have been seen, have a phone with music, or bells to scare them.
www.mdc.gov offers guidelines about being aware of a bear. Among other things, it states that feeding bears will make them lose their natural fear of humans and they will learn to go to places like homes, campsites and neighborhoods to look for food instead of staying in the forest. They could become aggressive and dangerous and would then have to be destroyed. The website also states that you should never corner a bear. Make sure it has an escape route, and back away from it slowly with your arms raised. Speak in a calm, loud voice. Do not turn your back to the bear and do not run.
“MDC is trying to make sure we do right by the bears (and mountain lions) and by the citizens,” said Agent Strozewski.
