Provincial, non scientific and just plain bad are the adjectives that best describe the South Dakota Game Commission's manner of reaching a decision on the expansion of Puma hunting in the State--- A LEAVE ME ALONE, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS response they have taken with a resident who sought to have the commission ease backon the draconian 2013 Puma killing plan--------As discussed previously on this blog, year round hunting of Pumas will be permitted outside Custer State Park and the Black Hills,,,,,,,,,,,,,,along with hounds allowed in Custer Park hunts and a 40% increase in the number of Pumas to be killed in the Black Hills.........Rancher and Hunter desires rule the day in South Dakota with wildlife science thrown out with "the evening trash"

GFP sticks with bigger harvest, statewide lion season

Bob Mercer;bhpioneer.com

MADISON — The state Game, Fish and Parks Commission didn’t budge Friday from the decisions made last month, when commissioners set regulations for hunting mountain lions during 2013.

Three people requested a statement from the commissioners about why they allowed more lions to be harvested in the Black Hills, let hounds to be used on select hunts in Custer State Park, and opened lion hunting year-round throughout the rest of South Dakota without limiting the harvest outside the Black Hills.

One of the requesters, Tom Huhnerkoch of Lead, also asked in writing for the commission to repeal the open season for mountain lions outside of the Black Hills zone.Chris Hesla, executive director for the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, spoke to the commission Thursday in support of Huhnerkock and the repeal.State law allows citizens to request statements from the commission. The commission Friday turned down Hunherkoch’s request for the repeal and agreed on a written explanation for the overall rules package.

For the Black Hills, the commission increased the overall harvest that will be allowed in the new season. The Black Hills season will start Dec. 26, 2012 and run until hunters report a total of 100 lions taken or a sub-quota of 70 females killed.Those are increases from the 2012 Black Hills harvest limits of 70 lions total and 50 females. Hunters killed 73 lions in the Black Hills during 2012. The 70th lion was one reported a day after it was killed, leaving the season open a 51st day. Three lions were taken on that final day.

Wildlife Division director Tony Leif provided a written draft of the explanation to the commission. “This is your statement. It’s important you’re comfortable with what we put together here,” Leif said.

The commission adopted the statement on a unanimous voice vote without any discussion.

Leif also offered to the commission a draft copy of a resolution denying Hunerkoch’s repeal. Leif said the commission’s decisions on the season fit within the division’s management plan.Commission member John Cooper of Pierre said “the vast majority” of South Dakota citizens have indicated through surveys that they want to see some lions in the Black Hills but don’t want lions spreading across the prairie.

“That’s kind of the social background to what the department did as to where we’re going to put our management efforts,” Cooper said. He is the past cabinet secretary overseeing the state Game, Fish and Parks Department.

Commission member Barry Jensen of White River, a former legislator, said he hasn’t found any groundswell of support for establishing mountain lion populations outside of the Black Hills in South Dakota. Jensen said the statewide season seems to fit the public’s expectations.“I’ve never talked to a rancher who said, “I wish I had a couple of mountain lions roaming around the ranch,” Jensen said.