Sumter County deer harvest: South Carolina, 2019 to 2024
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts Sumter County's harvest at 4,808 deer: 2,323 antlered bucks, 188 button bucks, 2,097 does and 200 of unknown sex, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report. That is 9.1 deer per square mile of deer habitat. Ordered by SCDNR's 2024 harvest figures, the county is 12th of 46 by total deer and 20th by deer per square mile. About 3,698 deer hunters spent 48,087 days hunting deer in the county. SCDNR's survey estimates for 2019 to 2023 run from 2,756 (2022) to 4,476 (2019). The county is in Game Zone 4.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: SCDNR Deer Harvest Reports, 2019 to 2024. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 deer seasons on private lands.
Sumter CountySCDNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer, 2024 season | 4,808: 2,323 antlered, 188 button bucks, 2,097 does, 200 unknown |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of deer habitat | 9.1, 20th of 46 |
| Place by SCDNR's total, 2024 | 12th of 46 counties |
| Deer hunters, 2024 | 3,698 (25th of 46), 13 days each on average |
| Days of deer hunting, 2024 | 48,087 (27th of 46) |
| Hogs taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 1,202 (2.3 per square mile) |
| Coyotes taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 349 |
| Game zone | Zone 4 |
| Deer habitat (SCDNR) | 338,968 acres |
| Public land mapped here | 4 WMA properties with a page, 27,604 acres |
| Towns | Sumter, Pinewood and Mayesville |
How many deer are killed in Sumter County each season?
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Per sq mi of habitat | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,808 | 2,511 | 2,097 | 9.1 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 3,135 | 1,704 | 1,431 | 5.9 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 2,756 | 1,334 | 1,422 | 5.2 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 3,581 | 2,449 | 1,132 | 6.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 3,469 | 1,804 | 1,665 | 6.5 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 4,476 | 2,428 | 2,048 | 8.5 | 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 200 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 Sumter County?
SCDNR estimates 3,698 people hunted deer in Sumter County in the 2024 season, 25th of 46 counties, averaging 13 days each for 48,087 days in all (27th of 46).
The same report estimates deer hunters took 1,202 wild hogs (2.3 per square mile) and 349 coyotes (0.7 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 Sumter County?
Sumter County is in Game Zone 4. Game Zone 4 is Clarendon, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Sumter and Williamsburg counties.
Game Zone 4, private land
| 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) |
| Antlerless limit | 2 a day, 9 total all seasons and methods |
Dogs are allowed for deer on private land in Game Zone 4. 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 Sumter County?
| WMA property | Acres in Sumter County | First deer hunt, 2026-27 | Deer reported, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester State Forest WMA | 26,857 | Sept. 15-30 (archery) | 239 |
| Bobwhite Hills WMA | 545 | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 (archery) | |
| Oak Lea WMA | 182 | Sept. 15-30 (archery) | 19 |
| Wateree River Heritage Preserve WMA | 20 | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 (archery) | 18 |
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 Sumter County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024 | Antlered bucks | Per sq mi of habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 4,808 | 2,323 | 9.1 |
| Calhoun County | 2,518 | 1,216 | 8.5 |
| Clarendon County | 4,357 | 1,858 | 9.4 |
| Florence County | 5,458 | 2,737 | 8.8 |
| Kershaw County | 5,103 | 2,635 | 9.1 |
| Lee County | 3,109 | 1,353 | 9 |
| Richland County | 2,884 | 1,462 | 5.4 |
All from SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in Sumter County, South Carolina last season?
4,808 in the 2024 season, by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report: 2,323 antlered bucks, 188 button bucks, 2,097 does and 200 of unknown sex. These are SC Game Check reports corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report.
How does Sumter County's deer harvest compare with other South Carolina counties?
SCDNR puts Sumter County's 2024 harvest at 4,808 deer, 9.1 per square mile of deer habitat against 8.7 statewide. Ordered by SCDNR's harvest figures, that is 12th of 46 counties by total deer and 20th by deer per square mile.
When is deer season in Sumter County?
On private land: Game Zone 4, archery only Aug. 15-31 (buck only); gun hunts Sept. 1-Jan. 1 (Sept. 1-14 buck only). WMAs set their own dates.
Is there public hunting land in Sumter County?
Yes. SCDNR's map puts Manchester State Forest WMA (26,857 acres in the county), Bobwhite Hills WMA (545 acres in the county), Oak Lea WMA (182 acres in the county) and Wateree River Heritage Preserve WMA (20 acres in the county) in Sumter County.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in Sumter County?
Yes, on private land, as the Game Zone 4 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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