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Trapping
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South Dakota Mountain Lion Hunting Season
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To report a harvested mountain lion, call:
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License Fee:
$15 for statewide unit.Season Dates: Jan. 1, 2009 -- March 31, 2009. The mountain lion season will end earlier if the limit of 35 total mountain lions (males plus females), or 15 females, is met at an earlier date. Females harvested will count toward the limit of 35 lions.
License Eligibility: Only South Dakota residents are eligible.
Individual License Quota: Residents are allowed one mountain lion permit valid for taking one mountain lion.
Season Harvest Limit: A maximum harvest of 35 mountain lions (or 15 female mountain lions) has been established for this season. The season will be closed immediately when the harvest limit is met. All permittees are required to maintain daily contact by phone or Web site to ensure that the season is still in progress and has not been closed due to reaching the limit. This information will also be updated on the GFP Web site. From the homepage, highlight "Wildlife, Hunting and Fishing," and then click on hunting. Click on "Mountain Lions," and then on the link to "Season Harvest Limit."
Reporting Mountain Lion Kill: It is mandatory that all harvested mountain lions be reported to GFP personnel within 24 hours of harvest. In the Black Hills, the harvested lions can be checked in at the Rapid City GFP Office (3305 West South Street). Hunters who are successful in taking a mountain lion must call (605) 394-2391 during weekday office hours (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), or call State Radio at (605) 393-8121 during nights and weekends. Arrangements can then be made to have a GFP representative meet the hunter at the Rapid City GFP Regional Office.
Requirements:
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Mountain Lions with spotted coats (kittens) may not be harvested.
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Any mountain lion accompanying another mountain lion may not be harvested.
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All mountain lions taken in the Black Hills Unit, including carcass and pelt, must be presented to GFP staff at the Rapid City GFP Regional Office (3305 West South Street) within 24 hours of the kill for inspection and pelt tagging.
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Individuals who take mountain lions outside of the Black Hills must contact a Conservation Officer, State Trapper or other department representative within 24 hours of kill to arrange for inspection of the carcass and pelt.
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All firearms, muzzleloaders and archery equipment must meet the same minimum requirements established for deer hunting in South Dakota.
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Shooting hours are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ h our after sunset.
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Hunters may not hunt with the aid of dogs, bait or traps.
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Hunters may use electronic calls.
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The Game, Fish and Parks Commission may, by resolution, authorize the mountain lion season to extend beyond March 31.
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Landowners who have purchased a mountain lion license can harvest a mountain lion year-round on private land they own or private land they lease outside the Black Hills Fire Protection District. All harvested mountain lions must be presented to a conservation officer, state trapper or department representative within 24 hours.
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All licenses are sold by application through the GFP License Office in Pierre. Applications may be submitted online or by paper application through the mail. Licenses will be available for sale through the end of the season. Please allow ample time for processing and return of the license before the hunt takes place.
Background Information:
Biological data
collected from 20+ years of general monitoring; and 7 years of intense
research of mountain lions in
South Dakota
supported the establishment of a hunting season in 2005. South Dakota Game,
Fish and Parks (GFP) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) continue to
evaluate critical components related to Black Hills mountain lion population
including home range size, survival, dispersal, population size, disease,
and the effects of hunting. During the first phase of mountain lion
research (2003), home range size of adult male and female mountain lions
provided an estimate of 127-149 adult lions in the Black Hills. The second
and third phase (2004-2009), focusing on population dynamics and the effects
of hunting on mountain lion populations, continued the collection of
biological information through intensive telemetry work, which has increased
both the quantity and accuracy of data on this population. This additional
telemetry information has provided a better understanding of adult and young
survival, reproductive rates, dispersal movements, and has resulted in
refinements to home range sizes due to increased population size. All this
information is now used collectively in estimating the Black Hills mountain
lion population. The 2008 estimate for the
Black Hills mountain lion population was between 220-280 lions (adult
males, adult females, and dependent young).
A
harvest limit has been established for this season based on change in the
mountain lion population resulting
from mortality, births, lions coming into the Black Hills from other lion
populations, and lions dispersing from the
Black Hills. As habitat conditions degrade or improve, population goals will
fluctuate. Future mountain lion seasons will be based on the outcome of past
hunting season, changing habitat conditions, research results, and the
current population status.