2014 Early Migratory Seasons Set by SCDNR

Look for flocks of geese in freshly cutover corn fields

Goose getters will also return to the field in September for the early season on Canada geese which runs from September 1 – 30.  Shooting hours are 30-minutes before sunrise until sunset and the daily bag limit is 15 geese. Goose hunters will need a valid hunting license in addition to migratory bird permit, state waterfowl permit and a federal duck stamp. Specialized load and shot-size are also required, so be sure to read all SCDNR regulations carefully.

The second piece of good news from the feds involves the bag limit for early teal season, with an increase from four teal per day to six teal per day for waterfowl hunters. These blue-winged teal are the first ducks to migrate south and generally will be in the coastal impoundments of the Lowcountry and other duck ponds during the month of September. Teal are small birds and the increased opportunity to target just a couple more of them can serve to keep wingshooting skills sharp.

Early teal season runs Sept. 12 - 27 and hunters will need all of the same license and shot requirements, plus they have a different legal shooting time which runs from sunrise until sunset. Category II waterfowl areas on SCDNR lands are open for public hunting during early teal and goose seasons. All possession limits for the migratory bird season will now be three times the daily bag limit.

            

Another early hunting season announced by SCDNR is the two-part marsh hen season which begins September 8 – 12. The daily bag limit for king and clapper rails is 15 per day and shooting hours are 30-minutes before sunrise until sunset. The daily limit for sora and Virginia rails is 25 birds per hunter. The second season for marsh hens runs from October 6 through December 9, and hunter success usually coincides with the time of flood tides in the spartina marsh.

Did you miss the NEW expanded dove season dates for 2014 - if so, click here.

To view past blog entries about September goose hunting click Opening Day 2013 or 2011.