31When we set out to capture mountain lions in 1999, few thought we would be suc-
cessful, because of the low number of individuals believed to inhabit the Black Hills
and the rather complex methods needed to accomplish the task. One of our first suc-
cessful captures occurred along the South Dakota– Wyoming border. We had come
upon fresh tracks just after a light snow and assembled a crew, including a hounds-
man, employees of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, and my
PhD student Dorothy (Fecske) Wells; because this was about our fourth attempted
capture, I traveled to the region to assist.
We headed out to the area where the tracks had been found (by the houndsman)
and were able to tree the approximately 3.5- year- old male (M4) in short order, not far
from a road on private land (fig. 3.1). Luckily, the landowner was interested in the
proj ect, and once we had the lion sedated, he and his wife came out to the capture
site, which was not far from their home. They watched while we collected biological
data, including mea sure ments, body weight, age, and general condition (i.e., presence
of parasites, injuries, scars), and radio- collared the animal. The male lion was in su-
perb condition, weighing in at about 60 kg (135 lbs.) and with no noticeable injuries
or scars indicative of fights with other territorial males. It had recently fed, based on its
protruding abdomen, and its paws (pads and claws) were in excellent condition. After
we completed our examination, we administered the reversal chemical to revive the
cat and moved to a safe distance to observe it, to ensure that it safely regained its
senses and moved away from the capture site.
After the successful capture, we continued to collect location data on this indi-
vidual for more than two years. Its territory was one of the largest in the Black Hills,
covering an area that ranged from the south central (west of Custer along the Wyoming
CHAPTER 3