Gainesville hunter bags 320-pound bear, first tagged in Ozark County

Gainesville resident Tyelor Estes had a hunting experience he’ll never forget when he harvested a 320-pound black bear boar in northern Ozark County Oct. 19. Officials say the bear, estimated to be about three and a half years old, is the first to be tagged in Ozark County since Missouri’s bear season was announced in 2021. It was Estes’ first time bear hunting, and he said he feels incredibly grateful for the experience.

“Let the hammer down on a Missouri black bear this morning! A 320-pound boar! I could not be more thankful for the opportunity! God is so good!” he said in a post following the hunt on his business’s Facebook page, Toes Up, where he fashions unique feather displays for turkey and bird hunters.

The 2025 Missouri black bear season opened Oct. 18 and continues through Oct. 31 across three designated Bear Management Zones in southern Missouri. Hunters are chosen through a limited permit lottery, and each permit holder is allowed to harvest just one bear.

According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, the state’s bear season is tightly regulated to help manage Missouri’s growing black bear population, which is now estimated at 800 to 1,000 animals. Hunters are prohibited from harvesting bears that are with cubs or in groups and each zone has its own quota to ensure healthy, sustainable numbers.

While the bear season continues through the end of October, many local hunters are also gearing up for deer season, which will soon be in full swing soon. 

The early youth firearms portion runs Nov. 1–2 (see related article, below), followed by the main firearms season Nov. 15–25. A Chronic Wasting Disease firearms portion will follow Nov. 26–30 in select counties including Ozark County, according to MDC.