Seneczko wants to hold the line

Local veterinarian and Black Hills Mountain Lion Foundation member Sharon Seneczko would like to see the South Dakota Game Fish & Parks (GFP) Commission hold the line and study the results of a 70-lion hunting season in the Black Hills. 

She also knows getting the commission to do so is an uphill battle, saying it is under heavy political pressure to increase the number of lions killed during the season.

Despite that, she plans to attend the October meeting where the commission will make its decision on what the final number should be. She isn’t optimistic she will be able to change any minds, however.

“The fact they are even talking about raising it above the proposals, I think it will fall on deaf ears,” she said. “When I hear that, it’s pretty alarming. I don’t think (my testimony) will help.”

Seneczko pointed to the fact that GFP staff say the lion population in the Hills is a declining one as a reason to not raise the limit.

“The fact they have increased it aggressively each year shows they are doing their part to try to manage the lions,” she said. “The accusation that they (GFP) aren’t doing anything is inaccurate.”

Seneczko said the lion population in the Hills is an isolated one and an approach to manage them that is too heavy-handed, such as allowing an unlimited amount killed or too high of a quota, could do irreparable harm to the population.