Why It Matters: Lack of access to quality hunting grounds is a leading barrier to participation for new and seasoned hunters alike. As populations grow and more pressure is put on wild landscapes, the demand for quality access to lands open to hunting has never been greater. Legislative efforts that ensure a no-net-loss of public hunting land are critical in carrying our time-honored traditions into the future.
Highlights:
- In January 2025, former South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair and National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Executive Council Member Representative Bobby Cox and current Caucus Co-Chair Representative Heather Bauer introduced House Bill 3872 (H3872), which would limit the loss of available acreage open to hunting for South Carolina’s sportsmen and women.
- In February 2025, H3872 passed the South Carolina House of Representatives on a unanimous 110-0 vote followed by another unanimous vote of 43-0 from the South Carolina Senate in April 2026.
- The House of Representatives gave H3872 its final approval following a few minor changes from the Senate on May 6, 2026, and sent the bill to the Governor’s desk.
- Finally, on May 15, 2026, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Henry McMaster signed H3872 into law, officially protecting hunting access on over 290k acres of land.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is proud to report on an initiative that began as a concept in 2024 and has now been signed into law following a two-year effort in the Palmetto State. CSF worked very closely alongside the bi-partisan leaders of the Caucus from bill introduction to the Governor’s signature to ensure that H3872 became law – a huge win for all of South Carolina’s sportsmen and women.
South Carolina ranks among the fastest growing states in the country in population. People are realizing the many benefits of southern living in a state like South Carolina, which has plenty to offer when it comes to outdoor recreation – hunting included. Thus, there may not be a more fitting state in the country to enact legislation that will protect access to public hunting grounds for generations to come.
Dubbed the “Hunting Heritage Protection Act,” H3872 will require that, to the greatest practical extent, decisions made by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) must not result in any net loss of land acreage available for hunting on wildlife management areas owned by the state, which will apply to approximately 293,000 acres in the Palmetto State. H3872 also requires the SCDNR to submit annual reports to the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee and the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committees detailing the acreage available for hunting opportunities on WMAs owned by the SCDNR. The report must also describe any efforts made by the SCDNR to offset the loss of hunting opportunities, if any, on SCDNR owned WMAs.
CSF commends the Caucus for working closely alongside CSF over the past two years to put a bow on this much-needed legislative effort in South Carolina. While South Carolina may be small compared to its southern companions, its diverse public land hunting opportunities remain vast and protected well into the future.
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