After a day of ice fishing at Sheridan Lake, 33-year-old Ryan Hughes walked off the ice and into the forest. Seconds later... he says he was on the ground, and an angry mountain lion was on top of him. Hughes tried to fight it. After a couple minutes, the big cat ran off. 

"There is a lion there that has demonstrated the willingness to attack a person and we would very much like to remove that lion," says Mike Kintigh, Regional Supervisor for the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department.

Hughes says the cougar had a dead animal in its mouth. Game Fish and Parks Officials say the lion was probably protecting its prey. Hughes is scratched up... and Mike Kintigh with GF & P says he's lucky to have survived. 

"They are very efficient, I hate to say it, killing machines. They have evolved over time through the centuries to be very good at what they do, they're predators," adds Kintigh.

He and a team of four hound dogs spent most of the weekend searching for tracks and the animal's scent, but were unsuccessful. 

"We've got awful good hounds. We've tracked, treed and radio-collared well over 200 lions with this team of dogs," says Kintigh.

Game Fish and Parks officials say because it has been a few days since the attack, it could be hard to find the lion. 

"Unless somebody else sees a lion there or we can some other indication that it is back in that area," Kintigh replies.

Until then, they're asking people to be on the lookout for the lion.

GF & P officials are taking a closer look at hairs they they found on the victim.
It will be analyzed to confirm that Hughes was attacked by a lion. They'll also compare it with any lions they catch in the area.