How to Identify Mountain Lion in South Dakota

Adult mountain lions weigh 110 to 220 pounds and measure 6 to 8 feet long including their long tail. They have a compact, heavily muscled body with powerful shoulders and hindquarters. Their coat is uniformly tawny or dull brown, lighter on the underside and around the muzzle and chin area. The most distinctive feature is their long, black-tipped tail, which can be 24 to 36 inches long and is never white or ringed. Their ears are small and rounded, not tufted like a bobcat. Unlike other mountain lions in the Rockies, South Dakota individuals are nearly always solitary wandering males.

Bobcats are the large wild cat you might actually encounter in South Dakota year-round, so distinguishing them from the rare visiting mountain lion is important. Bobcats weigh only 15 to 35 pounds, roughly one-sixth the weight of a mountain lion. Bobcats have a distinctly short, stubby tail with black bands and a white underside, while mountain lions have a long, slender, solid-colored tail that is often longer than their hind leg. Bobcats have tufted ears, a spotted coat, and a stockier, more compact frame. A mountain lion is an order of magnitude larger and far more powerfully built.

Mountain lion paw prints are a reliable way to confirm presence. Front paws measure 4 to 5 inches across, hind paws 3.5 to 4.5 inches. Prints show four toe pads arranged in a semi-circle around a large central pad, with no claw marks visible (claws are retractable like in house cats). The prints are often accompanied by a tail drag mark in snow or mud. Tracks appear as a nearly straight line of prints, unlike the staggered pattern left by dogs, and they are found in remote, undisturbed areas such as creek bottoms and sparse prairie in western South Dakota.

Mountain lions are silent predators, but they do vocalize. They produce a distinctive high-pitched scream or yowl, often described as similar to a woman's cry or a loud, prolonged meow. This call is used during breeding season and can carry for up to a mile across open terrain. They also purr like housecats when content and hiss or growl when threatened. The eerie quality of the scream makes it unmistakable if you hear one, though such vocalizations are extremely unlikely in South Dakota given the rarity of the species.

Mountain lion faces are powerful and distinctive. They have a broad head with a strong jaw and a pinkish nose (unlike the black nose of most other large predators). The face tapers to a narrower muzzle. Their eyes are amber to yellowish and positioned forward-facing, giving them binocular vision suited to hunting. The back of each ear is dark, contrasting with the tawny face. Mountain lions lack the facial markings or spots of smaller wild cats, presenting a uniform, clean appearance. If you see a large felid face in South Dakota, any spotted or striped pattern rules out a mountain lion.

Mountain lion scat is thick, segmented, and often buried or covered with debris or dirt (scent marking behavior). Scat measures 1 to 2 inches in diameter and 4 to 6 inches long, much larger than bobcat scat. It typically contains hair and bone fragments from prey. The scat is dark brown or black and has a somewhat bulky appearance. Finding scat is rare in South Dakota, but it may appear along ridgelines, creek valleys, or other travel corridors in the state's western regions during the few months when mountain lions are known to pass through.

Mountain lions are built for power and stealth. They have long, muscular legs positioned directly beneath their body, giving them a slinky, low profile when walking. Their body is cylindrical and horizontal, extending well behind their hind legs due to the long tail. The front shoulders are notably muscular and prominent, giving the front half a heavy, powerful appearance. When standing on all fours, an adult mountain lion's shoulder height is 24 to 28 inches. Their movements are deliberate and fluid, very different from the bouncy gait of a bobcat or the plodding walk of a bear.

A full-grown mountain lion is roughly the size of a large German Shepherd dog, but far more muscular and with a much longer tail extending behind. They are about three times the length of a bobcat and weigh 6 to 7 times more. Mountain lions are considerably smaller than bears but far larger and more predatory-looking than any wild canine native to South Dakota. Adult mountain lions are never mistaken for coyotes or wolves. If you see a large cat-like animal in South Dakota that approaches the size of a large dog or larger, it is worth reporting to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.

Because mountain lions are so rare in South Dakota, finding direct signs is unlikely. Possible signs include claw marks on trees (cats scratch and mark territory), partially buried kills hidden in brush, and the tracks or scat described earlier. Scratch marks appear as gouged wood on the bark of isolated trees in remote areas, usually 5 to 15 feet up the trunk. Kills are often covered with debris or leaves. Sighting a mountain lion itself, though extremely rare, is the most definitive sign. If you believe you have documented any of these signs, photograph them and report them to the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks office serving your region.