Why It Matters: Under the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) umbrella, the South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) is a bipartisan group of state legislators that serve to protect and advance hunting, fishing, trapping, and shooting sports in the Palmetto State. The Caucus hosts events throughout the year, including policy centric events during session and now the SC Southern Sporting Classic in the fall. Regular events throughout the year allow Caucus Members to interact with the sporting-conservation community and discuss issues impacting South Carolina’s sportsmen and women.
Highlights:
- Last week, the Caucus hosted the South Carolina Southern Sporting Classic at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Palmetto Shooting Complex in Edgefield.
- Approximately 100 members of the sporting-conservation community attended, including members of the South Carolina and Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucuses, for a friendly sporting clays competition followed by a reception.
- The event offered the sporting community to come together and build comradery and facilitate discussions regarding issues important to South Carolina’s sportsmen and women ahead of the 2025 legislative session.
While hunting seasons are in full swing, most state legislative sessions, including South Carolina, are not in during the fall months. However, events like the SC Southern Sporting Classic brings sportsmen and women, state legislators, and partners together under one roof for an afternoon of fellowship and comradery. Additionally, it provides our community an opportunity to discuss issues that may be looming ahead of the 2025 legislative session.
Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Bobby Cox and Senator Thomas McElveen delivered remarks following the sporting clays competition highlighting the effectiveness of the Caucus over recent years. Including the expansion of the apprentice hunting license program in 2020 and the expansion of public land Sunday hunting to nearly 700,000 acres in 2023. Representative Cox also highlighted a successful Caucus Policy Forum and Reception held during session this year and reminded guests of the upcoming 21st Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit (Summit) in Baton Rouge, LA from November 19 – 22. South Carolina remains among the strongest states in attendance at the Summit each year in terms of Caucus Members and partners.
Also in attendance were members of Collegiate Sportsmen and Women’s Coalitions (CSWC) from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. The CSWC is a network of individual student-led organizations, supported and guided by CSF, that offers a new approach to sporting-conservation student organizations on campus focused on policy education and engagement.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) thanks all of its partners that sponsored this year’s SC Southern Sporting Classic including: The Southern Group (Presenting Sponsor), Ducks Unlimited (Title Sponsor), BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, FN Firearms, Local Boy Outfitters, Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, Nucor, South Carolina Auto Dealers Association, and 1101 Public Affairs (Host Sponsors) for generously supporting the Caucus.