SC Deer Harvest increases in 2017

The statewide harvest of deer increased about 7% last season, according to Charles Ruth, Big Game Program Coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Results of the 2017 Deer Hunter Survey conducted by SCDNR indicate that the statewide harvest last season was comprised of an estimated 102,261 bucks and 83,025 does, which made up a total harvest of 185,286 deer. This increase in harvest is likely due to some level of “carry-over” of deer from 2015 and 2016. The 1,000-year flood spawned by hurricane Joaquin in 2015 and hurricane Matthew in 2016 each resulted in temporary season closures in some coastal counties and general access problems or decreased opportunity for hunters across much of the state. Also, each of these years saw unseasonably warm fall temperatures and there was what many called a record acorn crop in 2016. This resulted in back to back decreases in harvest. That being the case, there were likely deer that would have otherwise been harvested during those years that were carried-over to 2017. The fall of 2017 was the first season of the “all deer” tagging system and statewide limit on antlered deer. Interestingly, the 7% increase in harvest was primarily a result of an increase in doe harvest (12.5%) rather than an increase in the harvest of bucks (2.5%). Increases in harvest are 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. It will likely take a few years for this to become clearer. Top counties for harvest in 2017 included Bamberg, Hampton, and Calhoun in the coastal plain and Anderson and Spartanburg in the Upstate with each of these counties exhibiting harvest rates in excess of 12 deer per square mile, which should be considered extraordinary. Although the harvest has generally declined in recent years, South Carolina still ranks near the top among southeastern states in harvest per unit area.