Tags for the upcoming 2019 white-tailed deer season have begun arriving in the mailboxes of South Carolina deer hunters, with one big change for this season that hunters will notice immediately.
Based on ■■■■■■■■ from hunters, SCDNR staff worked with the S.C. General Assembly during the past legislative session to eliminate the eight (8) date-specific antlerless deer tags used last year and replace them with two (2) antlerless tags that may be used on ANY DAY beginning September 15 in Game Zones 2, 3 or 4; and beginning October 1 in Game Zone 1. This change greatly simplifies the tagging system and increases resident hunters’ opportunity and flexibility to take antlerless deer.
In addition, resident hunters continue to have the opportunity to purchase four (4) optional antlerless tags for $5 each. Another new modification this year gives hunters who purchase all four (4) optional antlerless tags two (2) free bonus tags valid for antlerless deer on private land only in Game Zones 3 and 4 to help control deer damage to agricultural crops in those zones.
As in the past two years, resident hunters also still have the option to purchase two (2) additional antler-restricted buck tags for $5 each. The restriction is that the bucks must have 4 points on one antler or a minimum 12-inch inside spread. There is no particular order in which antlered buck tags must be used.
South Carolina residents that currently have an active Annual or Three-year Hunting License and Big Game Permit, Combination License, or Sportsman License that will be valid when deer season begins on August 15 should automatically receive a base set of deer tags in the mail at no cost. Please bear in mind that this is an enormous process, with over 150,000 sets of tags going out in the span of just a couple of weeks. SCDNR asks that current license-holders who should be receiving a base set of tags in the mail be patient and not call or email inquiring about the status of mailed tags prior to August 1st.
Got mine yesterday. I really like the non date specific doe tags. Curious with the decline in tags and drop in dog hunting if our deer populate is going to get critical? Time will tell. At least we still have many options through dnr to increase our harvest if needed.
Can’t believe it’s almost time again. Hope everyone has a successful and safe season!
I wouldn’t say the population is getting or has gotten “critical.” I think it’s getting to where it’s becoming more manageable and therefore the management plan has to shift from population reduction to sustaining the population.
I think too many hunters that were hunting when SC’s deer population was at an all time high (and was subsequently too high) are seeing the decline from those days to now, paired with the change in management system (i.e. tags and limits) and they get the impression the population is somehow in bad shape. That’s simply not the case. SC hunters still enjoy one of the longest (if not THE longest) rifle season in the country, one of the highest hunter success rates in the country, very liberal limits, inexpensive hunting license/tag fees and very few restrictions compared to other states so we, as SC hunters, don’t have much to complain about. Granted, that doesn’t mean some of us won’t go out of our way to find something to complain about. Lol!
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
I wouldn’t say the population is getting or has gotten “critical.” I think it’s getting to where it’s becoming more manageable and therefore the management plan has to shift from population reduction to sustaining the population.
I think too many hunters that were hunting when SC’s deer population was at an all time high (and was subsequently too high) are seeing the decline from those days to now, paired with the change in management system (i.e. tags and limits) and they get the impression the population is somehow in bad shape. That’s simply not the case. SC hunters still enjoy one of the longest (if not THE longest) rifle season in the country, one of the highest hunter success rates in the country, very liberal limits, inexpensive hunting license/tag fees and very few restrictions compared to other states so we, as SC hunters, don’t have much to complain about. Granted, that doesn’t mean some of us won’t go out of our way to find something to complain about. Lol!
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Bang, I think you missunderstand me. By critical, I’m saying to heaviely populated. There are deer in areas that never had them when I was young. Of course I’m just a small sample, but I have access to many hunting areas, and all are loaded with minimal harvest interest other than a big rack. NOt complaining just stating my thoughts. Some owners of very large tracks of land are more interested in birds than deer, but are not willing to let many if any hunt deer.
I got ya. Agencies like the DNR weren’t designed and aren’t setup to manage from a micro level though and that’s what the example you mentioned requires. I know some of those types of land owners you mentioned. They whine and complain and p1ss and moan about having too many deer and they blame the DNR yet they won’t take any responsibility in why they are in that predicament. The DNR offers special programs tailormade for those types of situations but the land owners won’t put forth the effort to take advantage of them. Plus, as you mentioned, they won’t extend an invitation to anyone to come help them with their “deer problem.”
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
I got ya. Agencies like the DNR weren’t designed and aren’t setup to manage from a micro level though and that’s what the example you mentioned requires. I know some of those types of land owners you mentioned. They whine and complain and p1ss and moan about having too many deer and they blame the DNR yet they won’t take any responsibility in why they are in that predicament. The DNR offers special programs tailormade for those types of situations but the land owners won’t put forth the effort to take advantage of them. Plus, as you mentioned, they won’t extend an invitation to anyone to come help them with their “deer problem.”
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Again I’m thinking you are misunderstanding me. None of the owners I’m talking about are Whining about the overpopulated deer. They think it’s cool and the guests and wifes love it too. They don’t see it as a problem and I do. On a micro level… maybe? I’m not talking about 1000 acres here and there. several continues plots and plantations the smaller being 3,000 the larger being 20,000 +
It’s all good, just having a conversation and not wanting to argue like I tend to be perceived as doing. I’ve no complaint with What DNR is doing with our Deer. I know it is a money making thing and they are trying to keep it thriving. I can put up fence to keep the woods goats out of my garden and keep the wife happy getting to see them all the time. I’m all for the $20 bucks for 4 extra tags and DNR being so good about depredation permits if needed. Honestly if it were $50 buck for the 4 extra tags wouldn’t be bad if money was used directly to fund DNR.
With the two that we now have for anytime, I’ll not need to purchase th
Did you guys catch the new DNR regulation, making the use of naturally derived deer scents illegal?
I just searched specifically no deer attractants on DNR’s web page and could find nothing about it? That’s a new one to me? Only thing I use is diesel fuel on my boots, but I know a bunch that swear by it. One old boy must have two gallons of doe pizz frozen. That would be a hard one to prove. Anybody?
I saw the natural scent ban. DNR did a live video on FB earlier this week and it’s printed on the envelope your tags come in. It stings a little. I’m not a big user of “sex scents” and attractants but I do have two go-to cover scents I use. I use RealDeer (from Shannon Outdoors) and EverCalm. RealDeer has glandular secretions (interdigital gland) and EverCalm contains urine so both of those are out of the pack for the upcoming season. I spoke with Doug Roberts of Conquest Scents earlier this week and he said they are working on a full synthetic version of EverCalm and they hope to have it out by this fall. He said several states are banning scents/attractants that contain “natural” ingredients (glandular/******l secretions, urine) in an effort to prevent CWD so there’s a big industry shift towards synthetic product right now. While I generally stand with the DNR on their decisions, this one bugs me a little. I’m all about doing anything we can to keep CWD out of SC but if you’re going to ban scents/attractants in the name of CWD prevention, how can we have statewide baiting? CWD is spread through contact with an infected deer. Well, bait piles/feeders congregate deer which increases potential contact with an infected deer so how can we ban one thing but not the other? Granted, we all know that’s because the DNR is aware of the crap storm they’d get from hunters if they banned baiting. Personally, that one has nothing to do with the deer and everything to do with the deer hunter.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Dang it bang, just read it on the envelope thanks to you. I never use facebook and why look at the back of an envelope?! this is bunk for those using sent. Still gonna be hard to prove.
Yeah, I though the placement (back of the envelope) was a bit odd. It will definitely be difficult to enforce. A GW would have to either catch you in the field with the banned product or catch you while doing random checks at processors, for those that use processors. As with any regulation, a lot will depend on the honesty of the sportsmen.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
Some owners of very large tracks of land are more interested in birds than deer, but are not willing to let many if any hunt deer.