The House Ag and Natural Resources Committee killed two bills aimed at mountain lions.
One bill allows anyone who legally shoots a mountain lion in self defense or in defense of livestock to keep the carcass.
A second bill would allow landowners with a lion hunting license to use any caliber gun and dogs to kill mountain lions on their property during hunting season.
Ranchers like Shannon Secrest want to use any means necessary to take out lions.
"So far there's been three of us that have shot lions with .22's and instantly killed them. I'd be more worried about the novice hunter who buys a wal-mart 270 who couldn't hit a paper plate at 100 yards they're more likely to case more harm than a rancher out protecting his family and pets and livestock," says Secrest.
But the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department and others testified against the bills. G-F and P officials say it will never restrict the ability of anyone to kill a lion in defense of themselves or their property. But the GF&P says hunting regulations must kept separate from defense killings.
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