JEFFERSON CITY – Bear could become targets for Missouri hunters on the south side of the Missouri River from the lower side of Platte County to the north tip of St. Louis County. The border would exclude Clay and Ray counties as hunting grounds, but hunters from this area could go south to look for prey. The Missouri Conservation Commission approved a hunting framework proposed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, or MDC, on Sept. 4 for a potential future black bear season in Missouri. The commission seeks public input Oct. 16 through Nov. 14. If the season framework is approved, and a permit and harvest quota established, hunting could occur in fall 2021. Over the last 50 years, black bear numbers in the Missouri Ozarks have increased to as many sat 840. The numbers are increasing each year by about 9%, the bear range is expanding and the population could double in less than 10 years. Missouri’s bear population is connected to a larger bear population in neighboring…