York County deer harvest: South Carolina, 2019 to 2024
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report puts York County's harvest at 4,727 deer: 2,292 antlered bucks, 165 button bucks, 1,828 does and 441 of unknown sex, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report. That is 10.9 deer per square mile of deer habitat. Ordered by SCDNR's 2024 harvest figures, the county is 13th of 46 by total deer and 8th by deer per square mile. About 4,676 deer hunters spent 59,484 days hunting deer in the county. SCDNR's survey estimates for 2019 to 2023 run from 3,769 (2021) to 5,525 (2020). 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.
York CountySCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Deer, 2024 season | 4,727: 2,292 antlered, 165 button bucks, 1,828 does, 441 unknown |
|---|---|
| Per square mile of deer habitat | 10.9, 8th of 46 |
| Place by SCDNR's total, 2024 | 13th of 46 counties |
| Deer hunters, 2024 | 4,676 (17th of 46), 12.7 days each on average |
| Days of deer hunting, 2024 | 59,484 (16th of 46) |
| Hogs taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 0 (0 per square mile) |
| Coyotes taken by deer hunters, 2024 | 557 |
| Game zone | Zone 2 |
| Deer habitat (SCDNR) | 276,650 acres |
| Public land mapped here | 6 WMA properties with a page, 3,576 acres |
| Towns | Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York, Clover and Tega Cay |
How many deer are killed in York County each season?
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Per sq mi of habitat | How SCDNR counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,727 | 2,457 | 1,828 | 10.9 | Reported (SC Game Check, corrected) |
| 2023 | 4,743 | 2,559 | 2,184 | 11 | Survey estimate |
| 2022 | 4,690 | 2,557 | 2,133 | 10.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2021 | 3,769 | 2,152 | 1,617 | 8.7 | Survey estimate |
| 2020 | 5,525 | 3,059 | 2,466 | 12.8 | Survey estimate |
| 2019 | 4,669 | 2,622 | 2,047 | 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 441 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 York County?
SCDNR estimates 4,676 people hunted deer in York County in the 2024 season, 17th of 46 counties, averaging 12.7 days each for 59,484 days in all (16th of 46).
The same report estimates deer hunters took 0 wild hogs (0 per square mile) and 557 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 York County?
York 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 York County?
| WMA property | Acres in York County | First deer hunt, 2026-27 | Deer reported, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worth Mountain WMA | 1,311 | Sept. 15-30 (archery only) | 15 |
| Draper WMA | 801 | Sept. 15-30 (archery only) | 11 |
| Herbert Kirsch Wildlife Conservation Area | 635 | Sept. 15-30 (archery only) | |
| James Ross Wildlife Reservation | 305 | Sept. 15-30 (archery only) | |
| Rock Hill Blackjacks Heritage Preserve WMA | 290 | Sept. 15-Jan. 1 (archery) | 2 |
| McConnells Tract WMA | 234 | Sept. 15-30 (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 York County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer, 2024 | Antlered bucks | Per sq mi of habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| York County | 4,727 | 2,292 | 10.9 |
| Cherokee County | 2,861 | 1,394 | 11.7 |
| Chester County | 4,089 | 1,992 | 8.7 |
| Lancaster County | 4,407 | 2,198 | 10.6 |
| Union County | 3,929 | 1,858 | 9.7 |
All from SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer were killed in York County, South Carolina last season?
4,727 in the 2024 season, by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report: 2,292 antlered bucks, 165 button bucks, 1,828 does and 441 of unknown sex. These are SC Game Check reports corrected by SCDNR for hunters who did not report.
How does York County's deer harvest compare with other South Carolina counties?
SCDNR puts York County's 2024 harvest at 4,727 deer, 10.9 per square mile of deer habitat against 8.7 statewide. Ordered by SCDNR's harvest figures, that is 13th of 46 counties by total deer and 8th by deer per square mile.
When is deer season in York 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 York County?
Yes. SCDNR's map puts Worth Mountain WMA (1,311 acres in the county), Draper WMA (801 acres in the county), Herbert Kirsch Wildlife Conservation Area (635 acres in the county), James Ross Wildlife Reservation (305 acres in the county), Rock Hill Blackjacks Heritage Preserve WMA (290 acres in the county) and McConnells Tract WMA (234 acres in the county) in York County.
Can you hunt deer with dogs in York County?
No. York 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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