PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota hunters taking part in the first mountain lion hunting season in the Black Hills have harvested two more mountain lions.

These were the tenth and eleventh mountain lions taken as part of the season. One of the lions was a breeding age female, so the total harvest for the season now stands at three breeding age females and 11 lions total.

A hunter killed a mountain lion near Sheridan Lake late Tuesday afternoon. The lion was between 5-6 years old, weighed 91 pounds and was a breeding age female that had been radio-collared as part of the research project being conducted by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks and South Dakota State University.

"This situation was similar to the second breeding age female that was taken," according to GFP Game Program Administrator Tony Leif. "An elk hunter who also had a mountain lion license was aggressively approached by a female mountain lion. The hunter shot the mountain lion as much for self-defense as a lion hunt. The lion had a radio-collar and our staff identified it as being a female that probably had kittens."

Leif said that GFP staff sought out the location of the kittens and found them on Wednesday morning, had them checked by a veterinarian and then transferred them to SDSU. "The three kittens were approximately two months old, so we wanted to get them to the SDSU care facility as quickly as possible. We have options in place and hope to move the kittens to an accredited zoo facility within the next few days."

The other mountain lion was taken on Wednesday morning just west of Custer. An individual reported the presence of a mountain lion to a neighbor who had a mountain lion hunting license. The neighbor then shot the male, which was 3-years old and weighed 97 pounds.

The South Dakota mountain lion hunting season opened on Oct. 1 and continues through Dec. 15, unless 25 mountain lions or five breeding age females are harvested before that date. In the event that either harvest limit is reached, the mountain lion hunting season will cease immediately.

So far, no mountain lions have been harvested outside of the Black Hills, where landowners can purchase a permit to hunt mountain lions on their own land.

To get the most recent harvest information on the harvest quota for South Dakota’s mountain lion season, call toll free (866) 895-9067 or visit the GFP website at www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/MountainLions/MtLionseasonstatus.htm.

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