South Carolina deer hunting: 2026-27 game zones, WMAs and county harvest
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts South Carolina's harvest at 190,707 deer: 90,670 antlered bucks, 8,230 button bucks, 80,598 does and 11,209 of unknown sex. SCDNR counts 5,084 of those deer on WMA land. On private land, South Carolina's 2026-27 deer season opens August 15 in Game Zones 3 and 4 (buck only until September 14), September 15 with archery in Game Zone 2 and October 1 with primitive weapons in Game Zone 1, and runs to January 1 everywhere (SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 rules. Harvest: SCDNR Deer Harvest Reports to 2024.
up to 6.3 deer per sq mi of habitat6.3 to 7.8 deer per sq mi of habitat7.8 to 9.1 deer per sq mi of habitat9.1 to 10.2 deer per sq mi of habitatover 10.2 deer per sq mi of habitatWMAs with a page
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When is deer season in each South Carolina game zone?
| Game zone | Where | Private land seasons, 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | the part of Oconee, Pickens and Greenville counties north of the Norfolk Southern Railroad main line, except that from Westminster the line follows SC Highway 183 until the highway meets the railroad again in Greenville (SCDNR's Game Zone 1 page). | Primitive weapons: Oct. 1-10; Gun hunts: Oct. 11-Jan. 1; Youth deer days: Sept. 26 (antlered only, 1 deer); Jan. 2 (either sex, 2 deer) |
| Zone 2 | Abbeville, Anderson, Chester, Cherokee, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenwood, Lancaster, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union and York counties and the parts of Greenville, Oconee and Pickens counties south of the Game Zone 1 line. | Archery only: Sept. 15-30; Primitive weapons: Oct. 1-10; Gun hunts: Oct. 11-Jan. 1; Youth deer days: Sept. 12 (antlered only, 1 deer); Jan. 2 (either sex, 2 deer) |
| Zone 3 | Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper, Lexington, Orangeburg and Richland counties. | Archery and gun hunts: Aug. 15-Jan. 1 (Aug. 15-Sept. 14 buck only); Youth deer days: Aug. 8 (antlered only, 1 deer); Jan. 2 (either sex, 2 deer) |
| Zone 4 | Clarendon, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter and Williamsburg counties. | Archery only: Aug. 15-31 (buck only); Gun hunts: Sept. 1-Jan. 1 (Sept. 1-14 buck only); Youth deer days: Aug. 8 (antlered only, 1 deer); Jan. 2 (either sex, 2 deer) |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands. WMAs set their own dates on SCDNR's game zone tables; each WMA page here has its own.
How many deer can you take in South Carolina?
SCDNR's statewide antlered limit is 2 a day and 5 a season for residents, 2 a day and 4 a season for nonresidents, all seasons and methods together, on private and WMA land. Antlerless deer are 2 a day on Individual Antlerless Deer Tags; only 3 of those tags may be used in Game Zone 1, and no more than 5 on all WMAs in Game Zones 2, 3 and 4 combined. On WMAs the limit is 2 deer a day and 5 in all, no more than 2 antlered, unless an area's rules say otherwise. Every deer must be tagged before it is moved and reported through SC Game Check by midnight on the day of harvest.
SCDNR law makes it unlawful to hunt deer with dogs in Game Zones 1 and 2. In Game Zones 3 and 4 dogs are allowed on private land; on WMAs only on the dog drive hunt dates an area lists.
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands; SCDNR 2026-27 WMA regulations.
When is turkey season in South Carolina?
Spring turkey season runs April 3 to May 3, 2027 on private land and on WMAs statewide, some WMAs with fewer days or a lower limit. The limit is 2 gobblers a season for residents and nonresidents, no more than 1 a day and no more than 1 before April 10. Youth weekends on private land are March 27-28 and May 8-9; WMA youth days are March 27 and May 8. No Sunday turkey hunting on WMAs (SCDNR 2026-27 turkey regulations).
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 turkey regulations.
What do you need to hunt a South Carolina WMA?
SCDNR requires a valid South Carolina hunting license and a WMA permit to hunt any WMA, plus the big game tags for deer and turkey. No Sunday hunting on WMA land unless an area's rules allow it, no baiting on any WMA, and hunters younger than 16 must be with an adult 21 or older. Deer stands may go up no earlier than August 10 and must come down by January 15, labeled with the hunter's SCDNR customer ID. Many areas also require a data card or sign-in at the kiosk. Statewide WMA limit: 2 deer a day, 5 in all, no more than 2 antlered, unless the area's rules say otherwise; antlerless deer 2 a day.
SCDNR's WMA lottery hunts are applied for on GoOutdoorsSouthCarolina.com: deer hunts July 1 to August 15 ($20 an applicant, $25 for the Webb gun hunts), quail and waterfowl September 1 to October 15.
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 WMA regulations.
Where can you hunt public land in South Carolina?
87 SCDNR WMA properties have a page here, each with its 2026-27 seasons, rules and map. The largest are Francis Marion National Forest WMA (267,977 acres), Sumter National Forest Enoree Ranger District (160,612 acres), Sumter National Forest Long Cane Ranger District (122,086 acres) and Sumter National Forest Andrew Pickens Ranger District (83,744 acres). See every WMA.
Which South Carolina counties have the most deer harvested?
Orangeburg County (10,976), Anderson County (7,773), Williamsburg County (7,440), Spartanburg County (7,040) and Colleton County (6,136) had the most deer in the 2024 season. See all 46 counties.
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 190,707 | 98,900 | 80,598 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 198,171 | 104,353 | 93,818 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 179,414 | 98,539 | 80,875 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 174,569 | 95,351 | 79,218 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 197,893 | 107,212 | 90,681 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 193,073 | 105,201 | 87,872 | Survey estimate |
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report and earlier reports. 2024 bucks are antlered and button bucks together; 11,209 deer of unknown sex are in the total only.
Questions hunters ask
When does deer season open in South Carolina in 2026?
On private land, August 15 in Game Zones 3 and 4 (buck only until September 14), September 15 with archery in Game Zone 2 and October 1 with primitive weapons in Game Zone 1. Gun season runs to January 1 statewide. WMAs set their own dates on SCDNR's game zone tables (SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands).
How many deer can you kill in South Carolina?
Residents may take 2 antlered deer a day and 5 a season, nonresidents 2 a day and 4 a season, all seasons and methods together. Antlerless deer are 2 a day, 3 a season in Game Zone 1 and 9 a season in Game Zones 2, 3 and 4, all seasons and methods together, by SCDNR's 2026-27 private land seasons. On WMAs the limit is 2 a day and 5 in all, no more than 2 antlered, unless an area says otherwise.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in South Carolina?
Not in Game Zones 1 and 2, where it is unlawful. In Game Zones 3 and 4 dogs are allowed on private land, and on WMAs only on the dog drive hunt dates an area lists, such as those on the Francis Marion National Forest WMAs.
Can you hunt on Sunday in South Carolina?
Yes on private land. On WMAs, no, unless an area's rules allow it; several, such as the national forest WMA lands and some SCDNR properties, allow Sunday hunting from October 15 to January 31 for species in season.
Where do the South Carolina harvest numbers come from?
From SCDNR's annual Deer Harvest Report. For 2024 the county and WMA figures are deer reported through SC Game Check, corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report; for 2019 to 2023 they are SCDNR's estimates from its deer hunter survey. FilledTag copies them as published.
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Where these numbers come from
- Seasons and limits: SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands; SCDNR 2026-27 turkey regulations; SCDNR's game zone WMA tables (SCDNR 2026-27 Wildlife Management Areas list (SCDNR rules and regulations, eRegulations edition)).
- Harvest: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
- Maps: SCDNR Public Lands property boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries.
FilledTag is not part of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. SCDNR's hunting pages are the final word on every rule.