Anderson County deer harvest: South Carolina, 2019 to 2024
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts Anderson County's harvest at 7,773 deer: 3,798 antlered bucks, 372 button bucks, 3,081 does and 521 of unknown sex, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report. That is 22.7 deer per square mile of deer habitat. Ordered by SCDNR's 2024 harvest figures, the county is 2nd of 46 by total deer and 1st by deer per square mile. About 6,712 deer hunters spent 90,244 days hunting deer in the county. SCDNR's survey estimates for 2019 to 2023 run from 5,048 (2021) to 8,055 (2023). The county is in Game Zone 2.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: SCDNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2019 to 2024. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands.
Anderson CountySCDNR WMAsNational forestNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer, 2024 season | 7,773: 3,798 antlered, 372 button bucks, 3,081 does, 521 unknown |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of deer habitat | 22.7, 1st of 46 |
| Place by SCDNR's total, 2024 | 2nd of 46 counties |
| Deer hunters, 2024 | 6,712 (3rd of 46), 13.4 days each on average |
| Days of deer hunting, 2024 | 90,244 (3rd of 46) |
| Hogs taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 1,575 (4.6 per square mile) |
| Coyotes taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 829 |
| Game zone | Zone 2 |
| Deer habitat (SCDNR) | 219,068 acres |
| Public land mapped here | 1 WMA property with a page, 5,966 acres |
| Towns | Anderson, Pendleton, Williamston, Belton and Honea Path |
How many deer are killed in Anderson County each season?
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Per sq mi of habitat | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 7,773 | 4,170 | 3,081 | 22.7 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 8,055 | 4,674 | 3,381 | 23.5 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 5,071 | 2,773 | 2,298 | 14.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 5,048 | 2,923 | 2,125 | 14.7 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 6,181 | 3,135 | 3,046 | 18.1 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 5,926 | 3,435 | 2,491 | 17.3 | 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 521 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 Anderson County?
SCDNR estimates 6,712 people hunted deer in Anderson County in the 2024 season, 3rd of 46 counties, averaging 13.4 days each for 90,244 days in all (3rd of 46).
The same report estimates deer hunters took 1,575 wild hogs (4.6 per square mile) and 829 coyotes (2.4 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 Anderson County?
Anderson County is in Game Zone 2. Game Zone 2 is 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.
Game Zone 2, private land
| 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) |
| Antlerless limit | 2 a day, 9 total all seasons and methods |
Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2. 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 Anderson County?
| WMA property | Acres in Anderson County | First deer hunt, 2026-27 | Deer reported, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fants Grove WMA | 5,966 | Oct. 15-Dec. 22 (archery) | 87 |
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 Anderson County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024 | Antlered bucks | Per sq mi of habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 7,773 | 3,798 | 22.7 |
| Abbeville County | 4,063 | 1,958 | 11.7 |
| Greenville County | 4,711 | 2,402 | 10.2 |
| Laurens County | 5,891 | 2,834 | 11.9 |
| Oconee County | 2,314 | 1,283 | 5.2 |
| Pickens County | 3,147 | 1,585 | 9.2 |
All from SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Anderson County, South Carolina last season?
7,773 in the 2024 season, by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report: 3,798 antlered bucks, 372 button bucks, 3,081 does and 521 of unknown sex. These are SC Game Check reports corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report.
How does Anderson County's deer harvest compare with other South Carolina counties?
SCDNR puts Anderson County's 2024 harvest at 7,773 deer, 22.7 per square mile of deer habitat against 8.7 statewide. Ordered by SCDNR's harvest figures, that is 2nd of 46 counties by total deer and 1st by deer per square mile.
When is deer season in Anderson County?
On private land: Game Zone 2, archery only Sept. 15-30; primitive weapons Oct. 1-10; gun hunts Oct. 11-Jan. 1. WMAs set their own dates.
Is there public hunting land in Anderson County?
Yes. SCDNR's map puts Fants Grove WMA (5,966 acres in the county) in Anderson County.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in Anderson County?
No. Anderson County is in Game Zone 2, where hunting deer with dogs is unlawful.
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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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