PIERRE - Starting the state's mountain lion hunting season later could result in more contact between humans and the cougars, a conservationist says.

The state Game, Fish & Parks Commission moved the season from November and December to January through March. The season will end early if 35 total lions or 15 females are killed.

Sara Carlson of the Jackson, Wyo.-based Cougar Foundation said the change might increase the number of juvenile cougars and, in turn, the likelihood of humans encountering mountain lions.

"Cougars are a self-regulating population, and the older males generally keep the population in check, meaning if there are too many juveniles, the older males will kill them off," she said. "But hunting too many leads to more transitory males in the population, which are the problem animals."

Game, Fish & Parks does not expect juvenile male lion numbers to increase, said George Vandel, the agency's assistant wildlife division director.

"The highest number of animals in any given population is going to be younger animals, whether you're talking deer or pheasants or elks or mountain lions," he said. "They generally sort themselves out."

The change was made to reduce the number of female mountain lions killed with dependent cubs that become the GF&P's responsibility, Vandel said.

"Each year we evaluate the season and we look at the information we've gathered on population status," he said. "And one thing became evident last year, for whatever reason. We did end up with some situations where female mountain lions were harvested that had dependent young and that always puts us in a challenging situation on what to do with those animals."

The department takes care of mountain lions cubs a month old or younger while leaving older cubs in the wild when mothers are killed.

"They just get so big it's hard to handle and safely move the animals," he said.

South Dakota started a mountain lion season in 2005. That year, there were 2,597 mountain lion hunting licenses issued. Last year, it was 4,070.

The GF&P estimates South Dakota is home to 220 to 280 mountain lions, most of which are in the Black Hills.

Vandel said the number of mountain lions reported around people in South Dakota has not increased. He said he does not expect such reports to increase as a result of the changed season.