Mountain Lion Hunting Season Ends
With all of the wildlife in the Black Hills, it’s not surprising that hunters and fishermen are attracted to the area. But what many nonresidents of the state might not realize is that one of the biggest seasons of the year has officially closed.
No not deer, not pheasants….
We have officially come to the close of Mountain Lion Season.
For some of you, this might be old news, but anyone who isn’t a resident of the state might be slightly surprised by this type of big game hunting in South Dakota.
The term “big game,” is very suiting. Mountain lions can be more than 8 feet long and weigh an average of 150 pounds. These cats have been in the area since at least the late 1800’s, as reported by the Custer Expedition at that time.
So how do you go about getting a license to hunt one of these cats? First of all, you must be a resident of South Dakota. (Sorry to any nonresident, lion-slaying hopefuls). If you meet this requirement, you then must fill out an application and submit a $15 fee.
As you might have guessed, there are plenty of regulations that must be respected. Mountain lion season is certainly not a free-for-all big game hunting expedition.
According to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, lions with spotted coats, which are kittens, cannot be killed, hunters cannot use dogs, bait or traps, hunting cannot be started more than ½ hour before sunrise and after sunset, and all kills must be reported to GFP within 24 hours. Also, only one kill is allowed per licensed hunter during the season, which spans from Jan. 1 to March 31.
You now might be wondering why the season is over in the middle of February, more than a month early. This is because the quota has been reached, which calls for an immediate stop to the season. This season, a maximum limit of 35 lions total or 15 females was set. On Valentine’s Day, the 15th female was harvested. Take a look here for a list of dates and locations of all the harvests.
Do you think you have the guts and skill associated with hunting a wild puma? You’ll just have to wait until next year! To keep updated on next year’s season, click here.
