38 Mountain Lions of the Black Hills
Capturing Mountain Lions
During our studies of mountain lions in the Black Hills, we captured mountain li-
ons more than 3 months old opportunistically, using trained dogs (Hornocker 1970),
foot- hold snares (Logan et al. 1999), foot- hold traps (with offset jaws), wire- cage traps
(Bauer et al. 2005), and the free- dart technique (capturing a free- ranging animal by
delivering an immobilizing dart without prior restraint). We captured kittens less than
3 months old by hand (Logan and Sweanor 2001). We restrained young lions by plac-
ing them in a burlap sack (e.g., kittens less than 3 months old) or by injecting cap-
tured animals with a mixture of Telazol (tiletamine/zolazaline- hydrochloride) and
xylazine- hydrochloride (Kreeger and Arnemo 2007); we always reconfirm drug dos-
ages before setting out to capture wild animals.
Mountain lions were aged by tooth wear and pelage description (Anderson and
Lindzey 2000), and animals more than 10 months old were fitted with either very
high frequency or global positioning system radio transmitters (Telonics Inc., Mesa,
AZ; North Star Science and Technology LLC, King George, VA; and Advanced
Telemetry Systems, Isanti, MN). We counteracted xylazine- hydrochloride with
yohimbine (Kreeger and Arnemo 2007), and, as with Lion M4, remained with se-
dated lions, observing them from a safe distance until they regained their ability to
move away from capture sites.
When capturing a lion using hounds, we treed the cat (fig. 3.6) and erected a net
around the tree prior to administering the immobilization drugs. After sufficiently im-
mobilizing the animal, we climbed the tree (fig. 3.7), attached a rope to the lion, and
lowered the animal to the ground. At times, the lion, upon being darted, would at-
tempt to escape by jumping from the tree and into the net. Some would escape, while
others that were partially immobilized would be supplementally drugged using a small
dose of ketamine. The advantage of using ketamine as the supplemental drug is that
the animal would not be doubly drugged with Telazol. Ketamine is metabolized in de-
pen dently from Telazol, so using this combination minimized the time the animal was
immobilized.
Before immobilized mountain lions were given the reversal drug, yohimbine, we
moved them to safe locations, relatively flat areas away from streams and rocky areas.
At times, we also covered such lions with space blankets (or coats, especially during
winter) prior to leaving the area, to ensure that drugged animals would maintain their
core body temperatures while metabolizing the remaining drugs. When we were con-
fident captured animals were in safe locations and were recovering from immobiliza-
tion drugs, we would monitor the lions from a safe distance, using standard telemetry
equipment.
At times we would look for the sign (tracks, scrapes) of mountain lions and set a
bait site to attempt to capture animals (fig. 3.5). A potential site might be a saddle be-
tween two mountains that was crossed by lions or an area that was regularly marked