16 Mountain Lions of the Black Hills
to the Black Hills region (Progulske 1974). This later treaty also created a safe travel
zone for settlers and prospectors interested in panning for gold from eastern South
Dakota through the central region of western South Dakota (fig. 2.2).
The geology of the Black Hills also marks the mountain chain as one of the oldest
regions on the North American continent. Portions of the Black Hills date as early as
the Precambrian Period to as late as the Pliocene Period. They were formed by a
pro cess known as “updoming.” As a dome of earth was pushed upward, the top
eroded away, leaving exposed rock layers. Soils of the Black Hills are identified as in
the gray wooded soil region, which is unique for South Dakota. These soils were
largely developed under timber in dry subhumid to humid climate and are derived
from limestone, sandstone, and local alluvium via igneous and metamorphic rocks
(Froiland 1990). The rockiness of the region provides unlimited crevasses (e.g., Spring
Creek and Spearfish Canyon) where mountain lions can escape notice, evade pursuit
by hunters as well as researchers, and use stealth to capture the diverse prey species
that inhabit the region.
Major topographical features of the range include a hogback range that encircles
the Black Hills (fig. 2.1); the Red Valley, which separates the hogback from the Black
Hills proper; the Limestone Plateau, which rises more than 2,000 m (6,560 ft.) within
the central region of the mountains; and the Harney Range, which also is centrally
situated within the Black Hills (Froiland 1990). The Black Hills extend about 190 km
(120 miles) from north to south and 95 km (60 miles) from east to west (Petersen 1984);
figure 2.1. View from the Hogback surrounding the Black Hills. Photo by Gail Jenks.