Weighing bear cubs and measuring teeth are part of Nate Bowersock's regular workday with the Missouri Department of Conservation. On a recent excursion to a bear den, he was photographed scooping up a tiny cub in his hands.
It wasn't a social call, but a check-in guided by GPS collars.
"For us to be able to check how well our population is doing and evaluate how quickly it's growing — or maybe how slowly it's growing — we do that through these den checks," explained Bowersock, coordinator of the state's Black Bear and Furbearer Program. "And then we'll count how many cubs they have."
The cub and its two siblings are part of a decades-long revival of the state's black bear population. Although native to Missouri, black bears were thought to be largely wiped out by the 1930s. They began to return to Missouri after hundreds of bears were released in neighboring Arkansas.
Missouri's black bear conservation program has grown with the animals' recovering population. Bowersock estimated that he visits and microchips as many as 20 cubs every year.
"Sometimes our bears will den in caves, and those caves are very complex," he noted. "We may not be able to count their cubs."
There are other methods to register the bears beyond a hands-on visit. Trail cameras can help researchers track bears' movements and dens. Bowersock noted the cycle of microchipping, collaring and tagging has been going on for 16 years, yielding data that has provided a steadily clearer picture of where these bears are finding food and safety.
"Every year, we catch at least two or three bears that look like they're 'brand new' [and] never been touched before," he said. "And then we find out, 'Oh, this is a bear that we microchipped as a cub in 2014 or in 2023.'"
With the animals facing pressure to build up bulk before and after their hibernation, the spring and fall are peak times for bear movement.
"You're more likely to run into a bear south of the I-44 corridor," he said, but acknowledged, "We have bears north of the I-44 corridor, and we're even seeing bears north of the Missouri River."
Bowersock recommended that people in areas south of the Missouri River take precautions if they see evidence of bears in their area.
"I think there's always a possibility, especially in more rural and more forested areas, for bears to show up," he said. "We strongly encourage people to avoid putting their garbage out for pickup until the morning. If you have bird feeders, if you start noticing strange activity, maybe pull your bird feeders in. This will help avoid providing food attractants for bears and encourage them to just keep moving. Bears are looking for food to maintain their large bodies, and if there's an easy food source, they're going to try to take advantage of it. But if it's not there, they'll just keep moving on."
To hear the full conversation with Nate Bowersock, listen to "St. Louis on the Air" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, or click the play button below.
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