bransonglobe.com STATE • BEAR SEASON Continued from page 8 reached, the season would close at the end of the 10 designated hunting days. Hunters would be allowed to use archery and firearms equipment with allowable methods being the same as those for deer and elk, except the use of an atlatl. Baiting and the use of dogs would not be allowed at this time, but may be considered in the future. MDC proposes to offer an annual online permit-application period each spring with a fee of $10 per applicant. Individuals must be Missouri residents and would only be allowed to apply once per year to hunt in one of the three designated BMZs. Permit selection would be determined each summer through a random drawing of all eligible applicants. There would be no “sit-out” period for those selected to receive permits. There would be no preference points given, such as with managed deer hunts. To ensure resident landowners within a BMZ have an opportunity to participate in the hunt, MDC would propose that a minimum of 10 percent of BMZ-specific black bear hunting permits are awarded to qualifying landowners. To be eligible, landowners would have to have submitted their Landowner Permit Application, would need to meet the same eligibility requirements for deer and turkey landowner permits, and would need have at least 20 contiguous acres within the BMZ for which they are applying. MDC would issue a limited number of hunting permits for each of the three BMZs. Each permit would be for a specific BMZ and could be used on public or private property within the BMZ. Those selected would be eligible to buy a permit at a cost of $25. and must be 11 or older and have completed hunter education (or be exempt) by the time of the hunt to purchase a permit. The harvest limit would be one bear per permit. Bears eligible for harvest would be limited to single bears only. Hunters would not be allowed to disturb, pursue or harvest any bear that has taken refuge in a den. All harvested bears would need to be telechecked by 10 p.m. on the day of harvest. Harvested bears would need to remain intact as a field-dressed carcass or quartered until the bear has been telechecked. MDC would also require the submission of a tooth from each harvested bear within 10 days of harvest. This would help MDC staff with black-bear research and management. MDC will collect initial public comments through June 5. Online comments can be submitted at mdc.mo.gov/bears. Written comments can be mailed to: Missouri Department of Conservation, Attention Michele Baumer, PO Box 180, Jefferson City MO 65102. MDC will review all public input and finalize recommendations for the proposed bear-hunting season for submission to MDC’s Regulations Committee in July then move them forward to the Conservation Commission for consideration in early September. The approved proposed rule-makings will be published in the Oct. 15 edition of the Missouri Register and open for public comments through Nov. 15. Comments received will be summarized and presented for final consideration at the Commission’s December meeting. Approved new rules would become effective March 1, 2021, for the fall hunting season. Learn more about bears at mdc. mo.gov/bears. May 24-26, 2020 • 11 Members of the Roxanna Shells youth baseball team taking fielding practice before their first game of the Mother’s Day Classic baseball tournament organized by GameTime Tournaments in Cottleville, Mo. (David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) • SHOWS & SPORTS Continued from page 9 ly with three generations of musicians, restarted their show May 16. The 811-seat theater will be kept at 25 percent capacity. Sheila Dutton said her family is eager to perform again. “If we get any feeling that it’s dangerous or that it’s not time, we’ll close it again, but right now it just feels right,” Dutton said. Many large venues aren’t ready to reopen, and many major concerts have been canceled through much of the remainder of the year. Steve Schankman of Contemporary Productions, a St. Louis-based live event marketing and entertainment company, said some smaller venues will probably resume concerts later this year, but the bigger shows are probably gone until 2021 at the earliest. The money simply isn’t there, venues are concerned about lawsuits if patrons get sick, and musicians are hesitant to risk their own health. “Until there’s a vaccine there’s a lot of artists that aren’t going out on the road,” Schankman said. He offered advice for patrons once concerts do resume: Expect to wait in line for a temperature check before entering, and expect to be required to wear face coverings. The season is also in doubt for the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater. The Muny in St. Louis has never missed a season in its 102 years of existence “through war and recession,” managing director Kwofe Coleman said. Two of the seven summer shows have been canceled, and a final decision on the rest will be made June 8. “We hope for a significant improvement between now and when we have to make that final choice, because significant improvement would be necessary,” Coleman said. If conditions and guidance remain unchanged, “there’s no conversation to be had,” he said. Patrons can be spaced for seating, but Coleman wonders about the practicality of keeping people separated in the parking lot or as they stand in line for snacks. Then there’s the safety of the cast. “If you have a scene where two people kiss or hug or share a moment, how does that happen? How do you rehearse singing with a mask on?” he asked. Casinos also are reopening soon. All 13 casinos in the state, closed since March 17, can reopen June 1, the Missouri Gaming Commission said. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams said the state is providing hospitals with a drug that shows promise in helping some COVID-19 patients recover. Williams said that once additional shipments are sent Friday or Saturday, remdesivir will be available for all 129 Missouri patients currently on ventilators. For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up after two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
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