Dorchester County deer harvest: South Carolina, 2019 to 2024
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts Dorchester County's harvest at 3,530 deer: 1,581 antlered bucks, 224 button bucks, 1,636 does and 89 of unknown sex, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report. That is 7.5 deer per square mile of deer habitat. Ordered by SCDNR's 2024 harvest figures, the county is 27th of 46 by total deer and 31st by deer per square mile. About 3,527 deer hunters spent 46,501 days hunting deer in the county. SCDNR's survey estimates for 2019 to 2023 run from 3,430 (2022) to 5,088 (2019). 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.
Dorchester CountySCDNR WMAsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer, 2024 season | 3,530: 1,581 antlered, 224 button bucks, 1,636 does, 89 unknown |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of deer habitat | 7.5, 31st of 46 |
| Place by SCDNR's total, 2024 | 27th of 46 counties |
| Deer hunters, 2024 | 3,527 (30th of 46), 13.2 days each on average |
| Days of deer hunting, 2024 | 46,501 (30th of 46) |
| Hogs taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 533 (1.1 per square mile) |
| Coyotes taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 296 |
| Game zone | Zone 3 |
| Deer habitat (SCDNR) | 302,717 acres |
| Public land mapped here | 1 WMA property with a page, 1,393 acres |
| Towns | Summerville, St. George, Ridgeville, Reevesville and Harleyville |
How many deer are killed in Dorchester County each season?
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Per sq mi of habitat | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3,530 | 1,805 | 1,636 | 7.5 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 3,525 | 1,883 | 1,642 | 7.5 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 3,430 | 2,080 | 1,350 | 7.3 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 3,586 | 1,728 | 1,858 | 7.6 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 4,325 | 2,148 | 2,177 | 9.1 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 5,088 | 2,942 | 2,146 | 10.8 | 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 89 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 Dorchester County?
SCDNR estimates 3,527 people hunted deer in Dorchester County in the 2024 season, 30th of 46 counties, averaging 13.2 days each for 46,501 days in all (30th of 46).
The same report estimates deer hunters took 533 wild hogs (1.1 per square mile) and 296 coyotes (0.6 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 Dorchester County?
Dorchester 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 Dorchester County?
| WMA property | Acres in Dorchester County | First deer hunt, 2026-27 | Deer reported, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edisto River WMA | 1,393 | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 (archery) | 21 |
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 Dorchester County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024 | Antlered bucks | Per sq mi of habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester County | 3,530 | 1,581 | 7.5 |
| Berkeley County | 5,557 | 2,597 | 6.3 |
| Charleston County | 2,905 | 1,431 | 6.4 |
| Colleton County | 6,136 | 2,716 | 7.8 |
| Orangeburg County | 10,976 | 4,995 | 13.9 |
All from SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Dorchester County, South Carolina last season?
3,530 in the 2024 season, by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report: 1,581 antlered bucks, 224 button bucks, 1,636 does and 89 of unknown sex. These are SC Game Check reports corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report.
How does Dorchester County's deer harvest compare with other South Carolina counties?
SCDNR puts Dorchester County's 2024 harvest at 3,530 deer, 7.5 per square mile of deer habitat against 8.7 statewide. Ordered by SCDNR's harvest figures, that is 27th of 46 counties by total deer and 31st by deer per square mile.
When is deer season in Dorchester 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 Dorchester County?
Yes. SCDNR's map puts Edisto River WMA (1,393 acres in the county) in Dorchester County.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in Dorchester 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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