In the three years since South Dakota established a mountain lion-hunting season, state researchers have studied the cats in the Black Hills using GPS technology, statistical analysis and old-fashioned tracking.

That extensive research helped the state Game, Fish & Parks Department develop the changes proposed recently for the 2008 mountain lion-hunting season, changes that are intended to minimize the number of kittens orphaned and help ranchers protect their livestock, even if the new approach isn't ideal for the research.

The department worked to balance sound science against strong public opinion in presenting a recommendation earlier this month for the state's fourth mountain lion hunting season.

Outcry over the number of kittens orphaned this winter was a major reason for the recommendation to move the season start date from November to January. The changes proposed May 2, for the season will go to the GF&P Commission June 5 and 6 for final approval.

"The main reason for that is to avoid kittens three months or less being left out there as a result of a female being harvested," said GF&P regional wildlife manager John Kanta. "That was nothing more than a response to the outcry from the public that we heard from those kittens being left out there."

If the changes are approved, lion season will no longer coincide with deer season.

Extensive research was done to figure out how to reduce the number of orphans, according to GF&P game program administrator Tom Kirschenmann.

The goal of the new proposal is to keep hunters out of the woods while the highest number of very young kittens is being raised.

"What we have found is that reproduction of mountain lions does occur throughout the year, but we are finding higher amounts in the months of July, August and September," he said.

GF&P rescued three kittens during the 2005 season and rescued seven from the 2007 hunt.

Those cubs were shipped to South Dakota State University, and a broker was hired to help find homes for them.

Kanta said the move may not allow the department to move forward with research the way he wanted to, but the GF&P is willing to do what makes the public happy.

"We put a lot of value on the public opinions and their input, so it was right for us to change those season dates, whether it helps the research or not," he said.

Kanta said changing the start of the season changes a variable that he would have liked to keep constant in order to gauge the effects of the lion hunting season on the population.

"Ideally, I would have kept it the same as we had last year," he said.

But Kanta doesn't expect the change to significantly alter the GF&P's work.

Gov. Mike Rounds established the kitten-rescuing policy because he believes it reflects public sentiment on the issue.

Biologists say whether lion kittens are rescued or left to starve doesn't much change the area's lion population, which the hunt aims to control.

But state policy says lion kittens younger than 3 months old whose mothers have been killed in the lion season should be rescued if it is reasonable to do so.

Game program administrator Kirschenmann said a formula was used to estimate how many kittens are likely to be born in certain months and how old the kittens would be in other months.

The research was done using the 26 litters of cubs that the GF&P has been keeping tabs on.

To project how many cubs are likely to be born each month, the GF&P took the average of the month those 26 litters were born and used numbers based on population estimates.

Since there are an estimated 90 to 114 breeding-age females in the population, and 50 percent of those have cubs, GF&P is able to predict how many cubs will be born in certain months, Kirschenmann said.

GF&P officials know they can't solve the problem of orphaned kittens but hope to curb it.

Advocate responds

Custer veterinarian and lion advocate Sharon Seneczko, who heads the Black Hills Mountain Lion Foundation, believes the changes will help in reducing the amount of orphans because it will no longer cater to deer hunters who happen to have bought a lion tag.

"Now, we have a more focused group of hunters who hopefully can educate themselves better, know more about the animal they are hunting and hopefully orphan less kittens," she said.

But Seneczko thinks the GF&P should consider further changes, including requiring lion hunters to take a hunter safety course, which is required for Colorado hunters.

She is also worried that hunters will orphan cougar cubs that are older than 3 months but still not ready to be out on their own.

Those cats should be continually watched by the GF&P, she said.

"While I think it's a step in the right direction, they need to continue to monitor these animals," she said.

Ranchers could kill lions

Another change in the proposal for 2008 would allow South Dakota farmers and ranchers to kill a mountain lion on their own property at any time during the year.

Seneczko thinks the GF&P should not have recommended a change in the policy, since landowners can obtain depredation tags and take other measures to get rid of problem lions on their property.

Sen. Jim Lintz, R-Hermosa, thinks the proposed landowner tags are a good idea. Lintz has a mountain lion that wanders around his property, and he would like to be able to shoot it if necessary.

"I think it's very important that a rancher or anyone in the county that feels that there's a need to get rid of one, that they're able to do it," he said.

Lintz is concerned that having to call the GF&P for removal of a problem lion could be too time-consuming, especially in an emergency.

Although the proposed changes to the 2008 lion season are likely to give cubs a better chance at survival, the changes could also produce a different kind of lion hunter, according to GF&P regional supervisor Mike Kintigh.

He said the hunters who go after lions will be more specialized, since the deer and elk hunters will be done with their seasons.

"They will be dedicated lion hunters, not deer or elk hunters who might take a lion if they see one," he said.

Fewer hunters, colder weather and increased amounts of snow are all likely to slow the season, Kintigh said. He is not sure whether the quota - still 35 total or 15 female lions - will be met.

Spearfish hunter Keith Wintersteen said he likes the changes to the season because he believes there will be fewer hunters out at once.

It will also allow him to do more specialized hunting.

"I can concentrate on just doing one thing at a time," he said.

Wintersteen thinks having snow on the ground will provide hunters with a slight advantage, because they will be able to see the cats and their tracks more easily.

Lion travel patterns

The process of studying the cats to come up with the best recommendation for a season is ongoing, Kanta said.

"We're learning new things every day, and we continue to learn new things," he said.

Using radio collars to keep track of the animals is still the most important aspect of the research, he said.

The GF&P now has about 70 or 80 collars on cats, and Kanta hopes to continually use more of them. The South Dakota State University student who does the collar research gives Kanta a weekly report on where the lions are.

The locations are vital to making population estimates and figuring out how many lions are wandering in and out of the Hills.

The ability to track the cats came in especially handy when the department had to hunt down a cat that ran through Rapid City on March 3.

The cat cruised around town before it was killed near Boston's Restaurant the next morning.

Kanta was able to track the animal before it arrived in Rapid City, and the radio collar also helped the department follow it during the search.

He said he would keep radio collars on every species he manages, if it were possible.

"The collars are awesome," he said. "It's nice to have them out there, and it's great information."

Contact Ryan Woodard at 394-8412 or ryan.woodard@rapidcityjournal.com