Teen becomes first successful hunter of 2025 Missouri black bear season

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Mo., (KBSI) — A 16-year-old from Missouri was the first successful hunter of the 2025 black bear season, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Corbin Wallace harvested an estimated 300-pound male black bear on opening day while hunting with his grandfather, Robert Wallace, on private land in Douglas County.

The season opened Saturday and runs through Oct. 31.

This marks the beginning of the state’s regulated black bear hunting season, which was established to manage a growing bear population and maintain ecological balance.