2019 Deer Lottery Hunts - Applications Update

New unrestricted deer hunts make young buck legal to harvest

The application process for all public SCDNR deer draw hunts is now open until the deadline of August 15. There are nine locations state wide for hunters to choose from for SCDNR public drawing deer hunts, but three of those properties have new regulations in 2019 and a new separate application form. The new lottery hunts are called unrestricted hunts because of the removal of any limitations on antler size in order for bucks to be legal to harvest.

Two of the properties located in Colleton County are now in the separate unrestricted draw hunt, Bear Island WMA and at Donnelly WMA, and the third property is Bonneau Ferry WMA in Berkeley County. The new unrestricted deer hunt lottery will operate the same in that applications that are not drawn will receive a preference point to use on their next consecutive deer draw hunt application. The removal of antler restrictions should lead to a greater chance for hunters to harvest a deer, and it could also lead to thinning out the deer populations at the Lowcountry properties that carry high numbers of deer.

It’s hard to overstate the good things that happen when people purchase or renew their South Carolina hunting license. Excise taxes come into play bringing federal dollars into S.C., and some monies go directly into management of thousands of acres by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. A hunting license keeps one legal while exercising the freedom to hunt, and it also allows them the privilege of entering into a growing number of lottery draw hunts on these public lands.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries on deer management click on Buck Tags NEW for 2017 - Coyotes - Game Zone Three - Charles Ruth -  Food Plots - Estimating Buck Age - QDMA Founder