Why It Matters: The South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) continues to set a strong example when it comes to keeping members engaged both during and outside of the legislative session. The bipartisan Caucus works under the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) network which serves to protect and advance our hunting, fishing, shooting sports, and trapping traditions. The Caucus keeps the interests of the Palmetto State’s sportsmen and women front of mind throughout the year.
Highlights:
- On October 8, the Caucus hosted its Annual South Carolina Southern Sporting Classic at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) new State Shooting Complex in Eastover, SC.
- Approximately 125 attendees, including 15 Caucus members, participated in the event which was centered around a friendly sporting clays competition followed by a dinner and reception.
- Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) staff and Caucus leadership were able to highlight recent policy wins in South Carolina, most notably the recent enactment of House Bill 3872 (H3872), better known as the Hunting Heritage Protection Act (No Net Loss of Public Lands).
It is hard to believe that we are now closer to the 2027 legislative session than we are to the recent 2026 legislative session in most states. In just a few short months, legislators will return to state capitols to continue working on behalf of their constituents. With that in mind, events like the SC Southern Sporting Classic are essential to getting the voice of hunters and anglers in front of policymakers. Fun afternoons at the range or afield allow legislators to spend time learning about the issues that impact their local sportsmen and women firsthand.
Caucus Co-Chair and NASC Executive Council member Senator Russell Ott and Co-Chair Representative Gary Brewer spoke on behalf of the Caucus, briefing attendees on recent legislative wins and upcoming challenges. The Co-Chairs took time to celebrate the recent passage of H3872, which was passed earlier this year and signed into law by Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Henry McMaster. H3872 limits the loss of available acreage open to hunting for South Carolina’s sportsmen and women. This was a two-year effort led by the Caucus and strongly supported by CSF from introduction to enactment.
Dubbed the “Hunting Heritage Protection Act,” H3872 will require that, to the greatest practical extent, decisions made by the 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 Wildlife Management Areas (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 is proud to work alongside the Caucus to host yet another successful SC Southern Sporting Classic, an event that has become a hallmark in the Palmetto State each October. CSF and the Caucus greatly appreciate this year’s sponsors, which include: The Southern Group (Presenting), SC Auto Dealers Association (Title), BlueCross BlueShield of SC, Ducks Unlimited, Maynard Nexsen, Mossy Oak, The Nature Conservancy of SC, Nucor Steel, Palmetto State Armory, South Carolina Sporting Dogs Association, and 1101 Public Affairs (Host).