Aiken County deer harvest: South Carolina, 2019 to 2024
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts Aiken County's harvest at 5,734 deer: 2,976 antlered bucks, 207 button bucks, 2,186 does and 366 of unknown sex, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report. That is 7.3 deer per square mile of deer habitat. Ordered by SCDNR's 2024 harvest figures, the county is 7th of 46 by total deer and 33rd by deer per square mile. About 6,009 deer hunters spent 92,457 days hunting deer in the county. SCDNR's survey estimates for 2019 to 2023 run from 4,234 (2019) to 6,406 (2023). The county is in Game Zone 3.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: SCDNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2019 to 2024. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands.
Aiken CountySCDNR WMAsNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer, 2024 season | 5,734: 2,976 antlered, 207 button bucks, 2,186 does, 366 unknown |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of deer habitat | 7.3, 33rd of 46 |
| Place by SCDNR's total, 2024 | 7th of 46 counties |
| Deer hunters, 2024 | 6,009 (8th of 46), 15.4 days each on average |
| Days of deer hunting, 2024 | 92,457 (2nd of 46) |
| Hogs taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 1,054 (1.3 per square mile) |
| Coyotes taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 983 |
| Game zone | Zone 3 |
| Deer habitat (SCDNR) | 500,546 acres |
| Public land mapped here | 4 WMA properties with a page, 13,665 acres |
| Towns | Aiken, North Augusta, Burnettown, New Ellenton and Jackson |
How many deer are killed in Aiken County each season?
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Per sq mi of habitat | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5,734 | 3,183 | 2,186 | 7.3 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 6,406 | 3,584 | 2,822 | 8.2 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 5,345 | 3,228 | 2,117 | 6.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 4,293 | 2,391 | 1,902 | 5.5 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 4,508 | 2,427 | 2,081 | 5.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 4,234 | 2,620 | 1,614 | 5.4 | Survey estimate |
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest) and Table 1 of the 2019 to 2023 reports (SCDNR deer harvest reports). In 2024 SCDNR moved from a hunter survey to mandatory reporting through SC Game Check, so compare 2024 with the years before it with care. 2024 bucks are antlered and button bucks added together by FilledTag; the 366 deer of unknown sex are in the total only. Per square mile is SCDNR's own figure, on the forest and crop land it counts as deer habitat.
How many people hunt deer in Aiken County?
SCDNR estimates 6,009 people hunted deer in Aiken County in the 2024 season, 8th of 46 counties, averaging 15.4 days each for 92,457 days in all (2nd of 46).
The same report estimates deer hunters took 1,054 wild hogs (1.3 per square mile) and 983 coyotes (1.3 per square mile) in the county in 2024.
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 5 (hunters and days by county); SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 10 (hogs and coyotes by county). These are survey estimates.
When is deer season in Aiken County?
Aiken County is in Game Zone 3. Game Zone 3 is Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper, Lexington, Orangeburg and Richland counties.
Game Zone 3, private land
| 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) |
| Antlerless limit | 2 a day, 9 total all seasons and methods |
Dogs are allowed for deer on private land in Game Zone 3. Baiting deer is allowed on private land statewide and Sunday hunting is allowed on private land. WMAs set their own dates.
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands.
Where is the public hunting land in Aiken County?
| WMA property | Acres in Aiken County | First deer hunt, 2026-27 | Deer reported, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crackerneck WMA | 11,096 | Oct. 2-3 (archery) | 53 |
| Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve WMA | 2,010 | Sept. 15-30 (archery) | 18 |
| Henderson Heritage Preserve WMA | 498 | Sept. 15-Jan. 1 (archery only) | |
| Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve WMA | 61 | Sept. 15-Jan. 1 (archery only) |
Acres measured by FilledTag on SCDNR Public Lands property boundaries, U.S. Forest Service land ownership and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundaries. WMA harvest: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 4 (WMA harvest).
How does Aiken County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024 | Antlered bucks | Per sq mi of habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken County | 5,734 | 2,976 | 7.3 |
| Barnwell County | 3,266 | 1,452 | 7.4 |
| Edgefield County | 3,258 | 1,469 | 8.5 |
| Lexington County | 3,520 | 1,788 | 8 |
| Orangeburg County | 10,976 | 4,995 | 13.9 |
| Saluda County | 3,032 | 1,405 | 10.1 |
All from SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Aiken County, South Carolina last season?
5,734 in the 2024 season, by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report: 2,976 antlered bucks, 207 button bucks, 2,186 does and 366 of unknown sex. These are SC Game Check reports corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report.
How does Aiken County's deer harvest compare with other South Carolina counties?
SCDNR puts Aiken County's 2024 harvest at 5,734 deer, 7.3 per square mile of deer habitat against 8.7 statewide. Ordered by SCDNR's harvest figures, that is 7th of 46 counties by total deer and 33rd by deer per square mile.
When is deer season in Aiken County?
On private land: Game Zone 3, archery and gun hunts Aug. 15-Jan. 1 (Aug. 15-Sept. 14 buck only). WMAs set their own dates.
Is there public hunting land in Aiken County?
Yes. SCDNR's map puts Crackerneck WMA (11,096 acres in the county), Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve WMA (2,010 acres in the county), Henderson Heritage Preserve WMA (498 acres in the county) and Ditch Pond Heritage Preserve WMA (61 acres in the county) in Aiken County.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in Aiken County?
Yes, on private land, as the Game Zone 3 seasons allow. On WMAs, only on the dog drive hunt dates an area lists.
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Where these numbers come from
- Deer harvest, hunters, days, hogs and coyotes: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report and earlier reports (SCDNR deer harvest reports).
- Seasons and rules: SCDNR 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands. Public land: SCDNR Public Lands property boundaries. Counties, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries; U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Numbers are copied from SCDNR and the Census Bureau or measured from public maps; nothing here is estimated by FilledTag.
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