Hunting News

Statewide deer harvest increases during 2020 season

Statewide deer harvest increases during 2020 season

By South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Results of the 2020 Deer Hunter survey indicate that the statewide deer harvest increased by 2.4%. The harvest totals of an estimated 107,212 bucks and 90,681 does made up a total harvest of 197,893 deer, up slightly from the 193,073 estimated deer harvest in 2019, according to Charles Ruth, Big Game Program coordinator.

Between 2002 and 2015, the deer population in the state trended down. Overall reduction in harvest is likely attributable to a number of factors, including habitat change, a long-term drought, two decades of aggressive antlerless deer harvest, and the complete colonization of the state by coyotes and their impact on fawn survival.

Since 2016, the state's deer harvest has increased possibly as a result of declining coyote densities.
The fall of 2020 was the fourth season of the all deer-tagging system and statewide limit on antlered deer. Although the harvest has increased 15% since 2016, the increase is primarily a result of a 25% increased doe harvest, rather than the 7% increase in bucks harvested.

“Prior to the tagging program,” Ruth said, “increases in harvest were normally the result of increases in the buck harvest or a more equal increase in buck and doe harvest. This disproportionate harvest may be indicative of the new buck limit having the desired effect of decreasing pressure on bucks and increasing the harvest of does. It will likely take a few years for this to become clearer.”

Top counties in 2020 included Anderson, Spartanburg and Saluda in the Piedmont, and Bamberg and Orangeburg in the coastal plain, with each of these counties exhibiting harvest rates of more than 13 deer per square mile, which Ruth said should be considered extraordinary.

Although the harvest is lower, South Carolina still ranks near the top among Southeastern states in harvest per unit area.

All areas of South Carolina have long and liberal firearms seasons, and most deer (161,085) were taken with centerfire rifles in 2020. Archery equipment (11,676 deer) and shotguns (15,040 deer) also contributed significantly to the overall deer harvest, whereas muzzleloaders, crossbows and handguns combined (10,092 deer) produced less than 5% of the total statewide harvest.

Although the annual Deer Hunter survey focuses on deer-hunting activities, there are also questions on the survey related to the harvest of wild hogs and coyotes in the state.

Results of this year’s survey indicate an estimated 18,919 coyotes were taken incidental to deer hunting. This figure represents a 9% decrease from 2019, continuing what seems to be a declining trend in coyote numbers in recent years. Additionally, approximately 28,043 wild hogs were killed by deer hunters statewide, representing an 11% decrease from 2019.

“Hog numbers, and thus harvest, can vary substantially from year to year due to bottomland flooding during the fall and winter farrowing season, which can cause mortality in piglets (and some adults), as well as increasing vulnerability to hunters as hogs move to higher ground,” Ruth said. “The dramatic decrease in harvest the last two years is likely related to these factors as bottomland flooding has been relatively widespread the last few years, particularly in 2018, which resulted in a record hog harvest.”

Other survey statistics indicate that about 134,675 South Carolina residents and 15,488 nonresidents hunted deer in the state in 2020.

Deer hunters reported an overall success rate of 69%, which Ruth said is outstanding. Overall hunting effort was estimated at just over 2.2 million days. The number of days devoted to deer hunting in South Carolina is very significant and points not only to the availability and popularity of deer as a game species, but to the obvious economic benefits related to this important natural resource. About $200 million in direct retail sales is related to deer hunting in South Carolina annually.

The complete 2020 South Carolina Deer Harvest Report can be viewed here.

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Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd