South Dakota
In 1978, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks listed the mountain lion as a state threatened species. In 2003, mountain lions were removed from the threatened list and classified as a big game animal with protection under a year-round closed season.
The first hunting season was established in 2005 as an “experimental season” and mountain lions have continued to be hunted as a big game species since, with the exception of 2008 when there was no mountain lion hunting season. A total of 236 mountain lions were harvested from 2005 to 2012: 143 females and 93 males. In 2012 alone, seven cougars less than one year of age were killed.
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (SDGFP) manages it mountain lion population based on its 5 – year Mountain Lion Management Plan 2010 – 2015. In the 2010 plan, the state’s mountain lion population was estimated to be 223. The state is divided into two management regions, the Black Hills of west-central South Dakota bordering Wyoming and the remainder of the state referred to as the Prairie Region. The Black Hills Region contains the core of the mountain lion population and forms the basis for the state’s population estimates and quotas. As of 2013, the use of hounds to hunt cougars is legal within the Custer State Park portion of the Black Hills management area.
Cougars killed by SDGFP or private landowners, as well as road kill, incidental deaths by trapping or lions taken on tribal lands are NOT counted towards harvest objective quotas. As of 2009, landowners on their own land are allowed to kill a lion year-round outside the Black Hills. Harvest does not count toward quota outside of the Black Hill management unit season dates. As of 2010, there was no documentation of lions establishing home ranges within the prairie region although it is recognized as a movement corridor for dispersing mountain lions.
On January 15th, 2015, the SDGFP Commission voted 5-3 in favor of allowing the use of hounds to hunt mountain lions on private lands throughout the Prairie Region. This regulation change was pushed by South Dakota Houndsmen and had heavy political support from Senator Betty Olsen. The rule allows for year-round hound hunting, and cougars killed in the Prairie do not count towards the quota. The new rule will go into effect on March 2nd, 2015.
South Dakota’s Mountain Lion Management Plan is scheduled for review in 2015. The Cougar Fund will closely monitor the progress of the review. We will be submitting scientific resources that were not available in 2010 and strongly urging the wildlife managers to consider advances in biological research, in line with their commitment to use ‘current best science’ as a basis for management.
Current advocacy opportunities:
Check our Policy Watch page for updates.
Past advocacy opportunities:
Comments requested for SDGFP by January 15th 2015
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Senators
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John Thune (R)
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2321
Website | Contact
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Tim Johnson (D)
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
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Congressmen
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Kristi Noem (R)
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South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has divided the state into two management regions: the Black Hills of west-central South Dakota bordering Wyoming and the remainder of the state, which is referred to as the Prairie Region. The quota for the Black hills area is 75 animals (50 females), while the Prairie Region is open year-round and has no quota. As of 2013, hounds can be used to pursue cougars in Custer State Park in the Black Hills area. Hounds will be permitted year-round in the Prairie Region beginning March 2nd, 2015.
While the quota has remained stable in the Black Hills area, it has not been met in recent years, a possible indication of a population in decline. During the 2013-2014 season, 53 cougars were killed by hunters in the Black Hills area, 31 of which were females. Another 36 cougar mortalities were documented.
South Dakota is one of six states (in addition to Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) that provides cougar-specific hunter education in order to help hunters better identify the age/sex of a cougar and reduce incidental/illegal mortality.
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South Dakota MLMP Revision 2019
• The Cougar Fund -
Support Grand Teton National Park’s Preferred Alternative for Moose-Wilson
• The Cougar Fund -
Cougars Working Their Way Back Into Midwest
• The Cougar Fund -
Managing one species for the benefit of another raises some serious questions.
• The Cougar Fund -
SD Legislative committee reaffirms rule to allow hounds on prairie
• The Cougar FundAfter a challenge by Democratic Senator Jim Bradford, the South Dakota Legislative rules committee voted 3-2 to approve and reaffirm the rule change allowing year-round hound hunting in the prairie region.
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South Dakota. High demand, low harvest has advocates taking notice
• The Cougar Fund -
South Dakota unlikely to meet cougar quota
• The Cougar Fund -
Thank you Max Brown of South Dakota!
• The Cougar Fund -
Low cougar harvest in South Dakota has some suggesting longer season
• The Cougar FundAs the title of the article suggests, there are some in South Dakota who may advocate for a full-length cougar hunting season as it grows increasingly unlikely that the quota will be met before the March 31 closing date.
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Sioux City Journal article on cougar recolonization of Nebraska
• The Cougar FundThe author recalls his first mountain lion sighting in the early 2000's and the subsequent recolonization of Nebraska
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Black Hills cougar harvest up to 26
• The Cougar Fund -
Hound hunting to begin outside of Black Hills on March 2
• The Cougar Fund -
Cougar tracks confirmed in Belle Fourche, SD
• The Cougar Fund -
South Dakota to stop collaring cougars; will now use only DNA for research
• The Cougar Fund -
Biologist: South Dakota lion population declining
• The Cougar Fund -
17 cougars killed thus far in Black Hills
• The Cougar Fund -
Time marches on in South Dakota….in the wrong direction.
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Comments on South Dakota GFP Commission’s proposal to allow hound hunting in the Prairie
• The Cougar FundThe Cougar Fund submitted comments on the SDGFP Commission's proposal to expand hound hunting opportunities to the Prairie. We stressed the success of the current system in responding to conflict as well as the lack of need for hound hunting in the Prairie, amongst other concerns.
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Action Alert: Your comments needed for South Dakota cats! January 15th 2015
• The Cougar Fund -
5 of 6 lions killed in South Dakota hunt have been females
• The Cougar Fund6 lions have been killed so far in the Black Hills, 5 of which were females.
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2 Cats Killed on Opening Day in Black Hills
• The Cougar FundOne male and one female cougar were killed on opening day in South Dakota's Black Hills hunt area.
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South Dakota Hunt Opens Friday
• The Cougar FundThe Black Hills Fire Protection District cougar hunt season opens Friday. The 2015 quota remains the same as previous years: 75 cats, or 50 females.
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Rapid City Journal Endorses SD Lion Hunt
• The Cougar FundThe Rapid City Journal editorial board has deemed South Dakota's annual mountain lion hunt "not only acceptable, but completely necessary," citing increasing conflicts with domestic pets as a valid justification. Unfortunately, they ignored the large body of science that indicates sport hunting of cougars can result in increased conflict and depredation.
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South Dakota GF&P considers allowing hounds outside of Black Hills
• The Cougar FundThe South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission is deliberating whether hounds should be allowed in the pursuit of mountain lions outside of the Black Hills Fire Protection District hunt area.
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Three Kittens Accidentally Killed by Researchers
• The Cougar FundIn unrelated incidents in South Dakota this week, a domestic dog and cat were killed by a cougar, while three cougar kittens in a den were accidentally killed by researchers' hounds.
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Comment on South Dakota SB 76
• The Cougar FundThe Cougar Fund wrote to South Dakota senators requesting that they oppose SB 76, a bill that would have loosened the language in relation to circumstances in which a person can kill a mountain lion.
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Letter to South Dakota Game Fish and Parks
• The Cougar FundCougar Fund Comments on Hunting in South Dakota
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S. Dakota Press Release
• The Cougar FundThe Cougar Fund would like to state that we strongly oppose the proposed changes in South Dakota Game, Fish and Park’s rules regarding mountain lions, especially the proposal to let landowners outside of the Black Hills Fire Protection District kill mountain lions on their property year-round.
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S. Dakota Press release
• The Cougar FundSouth Dakota Game, Fish and Park’s rules regarding mountain lions, especially the proposal to let landowners outside of the Black Hills Fire Protection District kill mountain lions on their property year-round.
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Proceedings of the 11th Mountain Lion Workshop
• The Cougar FundProceedings of the 11th Mountain Lion Workshop
Integrating Scientific Findings into Management
Hunter Conference Center, Southern Utah University
Cedar City, Utah
May 12‐15, 2014 -
Integrating Values and Ethics into Wildlife Policy and Management—Lessons from North America
• The Cougar FundFox and Bekoff (2011)
Abstract: Few animals provoke as wide a range of emotions as wolves. Some see wolves as icons of a lost wilderness; others see them as intruders. As the battle continues between wolf proponents and opponents, finding solutions that resolve conflicts while supporting the integrity of nature is challenging. In this essay we argue that we need to make room for wolves and other native carnivores who are re-colonizing areas from which they were extirpated. Strategies that foster coexistence are necessary and wildlife agencies must consider all stakeholders and invest adequate resources to inform the public about how to mitigate conflicts between people/domestic animals, and predators. Values and ethics must be woven into wildlife policy and management and we must be willing to ask difficult ethical questions and learn from past mistakes.