98 Mountain Lions of the Black Hills
age was similar for those carcasses that were positive and those that were negative for
the disease. Of the 14 elk killed by lions, 9 (64%) were positive for CWD. Although
the sample size was low, these results supported se lection of diseased over healthy
elk. Based on these findings, we concluded that the elk carcasses observed by hunters
were more likely related to disease deaths than to surplus killing by lions.
That is not to say that multiple kill sites by mountain lions in close proximity to
one another do not occur. In these instances, however, there may be multiple lions
feeding on the same kill or kills. For example, six mountain lions in the Black Hills
were observed feeding at the same time on a vehicle- killed deer (fig. 6.11). Of the
lions at the site, there was one adult female (radio- collared) and her two kittens, a
kitten that was not a littermate (a suspected orphan), one adult male (based on size
alone), and one unknown animal. One animal was barely vis i ble (lying behind the
adult female on the right [fig. 6.11]) but in front of the tree trunk (B. Jansen, SDSU,
p e r s. c o m mu n .).
The long- term data set that we developed from necropsying mountain lion carcasses
provided a pattern of prey use for the species as the population increased in size and
then subsequently decreased owing to the increase in harvest (fig. 6.12). The pattern
likely characterizes how a large predator might first establish within an area, learn
figure 6.11. Mountain lions consuming prey at night in the Black Hills. Photo courtesy
of Brian Jansen.