Proceedings of the Seventh Mountain Lion Workshop

HARVEST INFORMATION
South Dakota has not had any form of
legalized mountain lion hunting since 1978.
The future management of lions in South
Dakota will include consideration of a
hunting season as a management tool.
Concerns about the impacts of hunting to the
stability of the population will weigh heavily
when those decisions are made.
DEPREDATIONS AND HUMAN
INTERACTIONS/CONFLICTS
South Dakota does operate with an
“Action Plan For Managing Mountain
Lion/Human/Property Interactions.” An
Action Plan was first developed in May of
1995 and has been revised since then. This
plan is included in the overall Mountain
Lion Management Plan, which is currently
under development. For our agency,
addressing “problem” lions is the most
difficult aspect of maintaining a population
of lions. Public emotions are strong and
varied which results in many
comments/opinions being expressed directly
at the “Action Plan.”
South Dakota’s Action Plan categorizes
Human/Lion interactions into five types:
1. Sighting - a visual observation of a
lion or a report of lion tracks or other
sign on unpopulated lands or rural
areas within the Black Hills.
2. Encounter - an unexpected direct
neutral meeting between a human and
SOUTH DAKOTA MOUNTAIN LION STATUS REPORT · Kintigh 45
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTH MOUNTAIN LION WORKSHOP
a lion without incident (Mountain lion
sightings in close proximity to homes,
stables or livestock in rural areas and
unpopulated lands outside of the
Black Hills). A mountain lion is
observed for the first time in close
proximity or within residential
developments and occupied
recreational area.
3. Incident - a conflict between a human
and lion that may have serious results
(e.g. a lion that must be forced to back
down). Recurring observations of a
lion in close proximity or within
residential developments and
occupied recreational areas.
Livestock is killed in rural areas.
4. Substantial public threat - a mountain
lion that is observed within a city near
areas where children are regularly
congregated, killing wildlife/pets
residential developments or occupied
recreational areas or repeatedly killing
livestock.
5. Attack - when a human is bodily
injured or killed by contact with a
mountain lion.
Each occurrence requires an
understanding of all the circumstances and
any history involved before an action is
decided upon. In general, with every report
of a lion a field investigation is highly
encouraged by agency personnel (Table 1).
Verification is key to any response.
Table 1. Public Safety reports and resulting lion removals in South Dakota, 1998 – 2002.
Year Number
Reports
Number
Incidents
Number
Encounters
Threatening
Encounters
Number of Public
Safety Incidents
Number Lions
Removed
1998 57 5 2 2 5 0
1999 54 1 0 0 1 0
2000 66 5 4 1 1 1
2001 144 4 8 3 4 0
2002 198 5 6 2 2 1