Each permit comes with two deer tags; the cost is $36, plus a transaction fee. Deer can be hunted one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset for legal reasons. Columbia, SC 29202-0167 The White-tailed Deer is also the state bird of ten other states. Unlike weapons utilization, weapons preference is the single weapon that a hunter prefers. During 2020 an estimated 28,043 wild hogs were incidentally harvested by deer hunters in South Carolina Table 13), an 11 percent decrease from 2019 (31,508 hogs). Coyotes were first documented in Oconee and Pickens Counties in 1978 and were thought to be linked to animals that were illegally imported for hunting purposes. Over the course of the 3 year coyote control phase, 474 coyotes were trapped/killed on the study areas. The Game Commission is working on implementing these restrictions on private lands. One of the three must have at least four antler points 1 inch or longer on one antler (except for Barbour County). If these findings even moderately represent a statewide situation, this "new mortality factor" is clearly involved in the reduction in deer numbers. Given these results and the difficulty and high cost of coyote control, it seems apparent that making adjustments to how we manage deer is more important now than prior to the colonization of the state by coyotes. poison to attempt to control coyotes is a violation of Federal and State law. kills other wildlife and pets, and may be fatal to humans that come in contact with the substance. Resident hunters who were successful at harvesting at least one deer averaged nearly twice as many days (17 days) afield as unsuccessful residents (9 days) This assumes that hunters on WMA lands exhibit effort and deer harvest patterns similar to those of the general licensee database that was surveyed. Possessing any deer with the head detached while in transit from the point of kill is prohibited (50-11-400). were placed at approximately 200 hunting related retail outlets, and direct notification was sent by For the purposes of this survey hunter effort was measured in days with one day being defined as any portion of the day spent afield. The mailing list database was constructed by randomly selecting 30,000 known Big Game Permit holders that included 8 license types. Those in Game Zone 2 can legally kill 10 total deer. These areas offer a variety of terrain and habitats that are ideal for deer hunting. Can you hunt on private land in NC on Sunday? For the 2 Optional Antler Restriction Tags a deer must have a minimum of 4 points on one antler OR a minimum 12" inside antler spread. (Table 6) and Hampton, Allendale, Chester, Fairfield, and Bamberg for nonresidents (Table 7). approximately 74 percent of meeting attendees supported a statewide 5-buck limit while approximately They can also purchase 4 antlerless tags that are good for any date. Hunting or shooting deer from a water conveyance or any portion of the deer submerged in water is prohibited. During the 2020 deer season it is estimated that a total of 107,212 bucks and 90,681 does were harvested for a statewide total of 197,893 deer (Table 1). An upstate deer rescue will take them off your hands November 4, 2022 South Carolina, Fox Carolina. First, all deer must be taken with a rifle or shotgun. In the late 1980's coyotes were documented in the Pee Dee Region, again associated with illegal imports. Anderson, Spartanburg, and Saluda were the three Piedmont counties with the highest harvest rates. Total deer harvest by county is not comparable among counties because counties vary in size and are, therefore, not directly comparable. Comparisons can be made between deer harvests from the various counties in South Carolina if a harvest per unit area is established. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General | (Table 10, Table 11). 6). Ruth says that despite the fact that Botany Bay WMA is so remote in nature, its a fantastic hunting area. If you want, you may also be able to take feral hogs. How many points must a buck have before you can legally harvest it in South Carolina? There are many animals in the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, which is the largest in South Carolina. It is possible, but biologists at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources do not anticipate a large number of hunters killing 17 deer. Also, the argument can be made that muzzleloaders require less commitment than archery equipment and would allow nonresidents a comparatively easy method of harvesting deer during the special season. SCDNR Law Enforcement may issue a shoot at night permit with less stringent weapons Hunting with is prohibited in accordance with state law and regulations. The top 5 counties for harvest per unit area were Anderson (18.1 deer/mile2), Spartanburg (17.1 deer/mile2), Bamberg (16.4 deer/mile2), Orangeburg (15.3 deer/mile2), and Saluda (13.8 deer/mile2). The best place to take a buck in velvet is there. The hunting zones in South Carolina can be divided into four. (Table 9). There are two Game Zones 4 and 3 available. Please contact SCDNR for And the coyote population is on the rise. It is a WMA covering 8,000 acres that straddles Kershaw and Lancaster counties. (CWD), Deer South Carolina Deer Population: . Its possible, but SCDNR biologists dont anticipate a large number of hunters killing 17 deer. Since deer seasons statewide end on January 1 there was no need to sample individuals that were licensed thereafter. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com. encourage many hunters to re-think their strategy for stand choices and pressure patterns. Hogs are not protected animals in South Carolina and hunters can harvest them throughout the year during daylight hours and at night by registering their property. Each South Carolina resident deer hunter gets a base set of tags when they purchase a hunting license. Overall, results showed only modest increases in fawn survival following these efforts with an overall average of about 35 percent increase in survival. However, trapped This increase is projected to bring the total deer population to 6 million in 2019, an increase of 2% over 2018. Box 167 Hunters in Game Zone 1 can kill a maximum of nine deer, and Game Zone 2 hunters can kill a maximum of 10 deer. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - Rembert C. Dennis Building Adobe Reader is required to open Cumulative data through the first 3 years of the study indicated approximately 70 percent total fawn mortality with coyotes being responsible for approximately 80 percent of these mortalities. Cumulative data through the first 3 years of the study indicated approximately 70 percent total fawn mortality with coyotes being responsible for approximately 80 percent of these mortalities. Residents of South Carolina can hunt up to two antlered deer per day on private land in the states lower half, and five deer per season can be taken on private land. The following summarizes agency efforts to determine public sentiment on these issues. According to Charles Ruth, Big Game Coordinator for the SCDNR, specific reasons exist for the trend of big bucks . Statewide, results indicate the following: 70 percent of hunters support a limit on the number of antlered bucks a hunter can kill each year; 50 percent of deer hunters chose a limit of fewer than 5 bucks, 42 percent of hunters chose a limit of 5 bucks, and only 6 percent indicated that they supported no limit or a limit of greater than 5 bucks; 74 percent of deer hunters indicated support for a tagging system that would enable buck limits to be enforced; 78 percent of deer hunters indicated that they would be willing to pay at least $5 for a tagging system provided that revenue be used to administer the tagging program and for deer research and management; and 62 percent of deer hunters supported limiting the harvest of bucks based on antler criteria, such as antler points or antler spread, in an effort to reduce the harvest of young bucks. There was more hunting effort in Hampton County by nonresidents than by residents. whose licenses/big game permits expire before deer season begins should renew their licenses/big game permits at least 7-10 days prior deer hunting to ensure In each case, 2 of these bucks must have at least 4 points on one antler or a 12-inch inside spread. Also, since the acreage enrolled in the ADQP tends to be about one-half of the deer habitat in the Coastal Plain, past harvest figures have not documented deer harvests on non-quota lands (+- 3.1 million acres) because there was no legal requirement to report harvested deer in the Coastal Plain. Hunters kill approximately 6 million whitetail deer every year. For more information on the coyotes, please download the following Adobe PDF files: Phone Numbers | Accessibility | One area of big-buck focus is the upstate areas of Anderson, Pickens, Oconee and the northern part of Abbeville counties. If coyote predation was additive then deer populations would go down, but that is not what the study found. Like wild hogs, coyotes are a non-native species in South Carolina. The dramatic decrease in harvest the last two years is likely related to these factors as bottomland flooding has been relatively widespread the last few years particularly in 2018 which resulted in a record hog harvest. Finally, the estimated deer harvest on WMA lands is included in, not additive to, the county and statewide estimates found throughout this report. The Congaree National Park is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including deer, turkey, and quail. This is especially true when combined with extremely liberal deer harvests that have been the norm in South Carolina. Coyotes first appeared in the upstate in 1978, they are now present in all counties of South Carolina. In Game Zones 3 and 4, a hunter could in fact legally kill 17 deer. Here are 17 terrifying things in South Carolina that can, and just might, kill you. When hunting for deer, it is critical to plan ahead of time and find a suitable spot. As coyotes have become more numerous deer populations have coincidentally decreased in most areas of the state with the net affect being approximately 25 percent fewer deer statewide compared to record levels in the mid 1990s. It is important to recognize that habitat is the primary factor controlling deer density in South Carolina, though regulated harvest is important as well. 1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General | (No more than 2 BUCKS). Approximately 95 percent of these properties were located in coastal counties It is not uncommon to see South Carolinas White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) running through its forests all year. Coyotes are negatively impacting our official State This finding has been consistent for many years. while does 2.5 years old and older average nearly 101 lbs. acres of property. There have always been no restrictions on the amount of bucks a person can harvest in southern South Carolina, and they are permitted to harvest the buck in a single day or season. (Table 6) and 15,488 nonresidents (Table 7) for a total of 150,163 deer hunters statewide during 2020. The survey provides statistical reliability of + 1.60 percent at the statewide level and + 3.74 to 3.94 percent at the Game Zone level (depending on Game Zone). For example, each year South Carolina chooses 25,000 hunters at random to participate in its survey in an attempt to get reports from 15 percent of licensed hunters. Coyotes are negatively impacting our official State Animal, the White-tailed deer, by preying heavily on deer fawns. FOIA | Privacy Policy | Report SCDNR Deer Project Therefore, it is suspected that historic deer harvest figures only accounted for about one-half of the total deer harvest that occurred annually in the state. In each case, 2 of these bucks must have at least 4 points on one antler or a 12-inch inside spread. Another study in South Carolina removed coyotes from a large area for three years, and the researchers found that the deer population was largely unaffected by removal. Hunting can take many forms, ranging from small game to large game. The 2020 Deer Harvest Report is available for download in the PDF format. South Carolina is home to a diverse range of hunting opportunities on both public and private land. Bows (10%) are the second most preferred weapon which is interesting because compared to other states, there are limited exclusive opportunities for bow hunters in South Carolina. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) is the state agency charged with the management of the states natural resources. Since 2002, Despite efforts by landowners and hunters to trap and shoot coyotes, they are now part of the natural system and will likely continue to affect deer management at some level. Results for the 9 meetings held in the coastal plain indicate approximately 68 percent Covering Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, the valley . Hunters in Texas have killed 200 bucks since 2010 that made book. 2020 All rights reserved. Although the deer harvest in the state has generally declined in recent years, South Carolina remains at the top among southeastern states, many of which have also noted a declining trend. In 2009, South Carolina . Since 2002, the SC deer population has declined by more than 30%. 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