South Carolina

Home to numerous waterways and a 187-mile Atlantic coastline, the Palmetto State provides hunters and anglers with a wide array of sporting opportunities in a diversity of landscapes. South Carolina features a lowland coastal plain in the southeast which rises to the Piedmont Plateau in the northwest. Major rivers in South Carolina include the Pee Dee, Savannah, Ashley, Combahee, and Edisto. Species iconic to South Carolina include white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, and American alligator. South Carolina’s hunting and fishing traditions date back hundreds of years, with Native Americans and early settlers relying on the state’s vast natural resources. Fast forward to today and the Palmetto State continues to attract sportsmen and women from across the world.

For more information on the elected officials protecting and promoting the sportsmen’s traditions in South Carolina, please contact: Conner Barker

Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus

Representative Jeff Duncan Representative Russell Fry Representative Nancy Mace Representative Ralph Norman Senator Tim Scott Representative William Timmons Representative Joe Wilson

South Carolina Governors Sportsmen's Caucus Member

Governor Henry McMaster

South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus Leadership

Representative Heather Bauer Representative Gary Brewer Senator Stephen Goldfinch Senator Russell Ott

South Carolina Policy Highlights

In 2023, thanks to the leadership of Caucus Co-Chair and NASC Executive Council Member Representative Bobby Cox and other Caucus Members, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources opened limited Sunday hunting opportunities on National Forests and select Wildlife Management Areas for the first time in the state's history.

The Caucus was instrumental in the passage of HB 3800 in 2020 which expanded the apprentice hunting license program to support efforts to recruit new hunters.

To address the decline in the turkey population, Caucus members led the charge to update turkey hunting regulations through the passage of SB 575 in 2019.

Paid Hunting License Holders

Paid Angling License Holders

.3 M

Generated for Wildlife Conservation

Fanning or Reaping as a Method of Taking Turkeys

Often cited for its potential safety risks, fanning or reaping of turkeys statistically has not proven to be an unsafe act as some anecdotally claim.… Read more.

Federal Land Hunting & Angling Access

Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and… Read more.

Sunday Hunting Restrictions

Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance. At the… Read more.

30×30: Recognizing Sportsmen’s Contributions to Conservation

Concerned about the uncertainty that 30×30 policies may pose for hunting and fishing access, the sportsmen’s community issued the Hunting and Fishing Community Statement on… Read more.

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October 5, 2026

Carolinas Take Note – White House Issues Executive Order Addressing Sunday Hunting Prohibitions

Why It Matters: Hunters now seem to be busier than ever and seek to take advantage of every free moment possible to participate in our time-honored traditions. For hunters in most states, that coveted time afield often occurs on the weekends with work and school occupying the weekdays. However, North and South Carolina remain among […]

September 28, 2026

South Atlantic Red Snapper Permits Approved, Opening Door to Longer Seasons and Better Data

Why It Matters: NOAA Fisheries has approved the latest round of exempted fishing permits (EFPs) for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, giving eligible anglers an opportunity to fish for South Atlantic red snapper beyond the three-day federal season while testing new state-led data collection methods. The information gathered on fishing effort, harvest, and discards will […]

August 31, 2026

South Carolina Conservation Education Fund Receives Initial Funding

Why It Matters: Hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) remains a key focus of state fish and wildlife agencies and hunters alike. Hunters are the primary funders of science-based wildlife management through the purchase of sporting licenses, which is the backbone of the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of […]

August 17, 2026

New South Atlantic Red Snapper EFPs Offer Viable Path to Better Management

Why It Matters: The South Atlantic’s recreational red snapper fishery has long been hampered by uncertainty surrounding estimates of recreational catch, effort, and discards. Three new Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) applications from Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina offer an opportunity to address that challenge by pairing additional fishing opportunity in the month of October with enhanced, state-based data collection. If […]

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South Carolina – 2026 American System of Conservation Funding Fact Sheet

South Carolina: American System of Conservation Funding Fact Sheet

2013 Sportsmen’s Economic Impact Report – South Carolina

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Impact You Can See

Investments in conservation education for youth were secured in SC.

Legislatures in AL, AR, DE, GA, IL, KY, LA, MS, NH, NV, NY, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, UT, VT, and WV celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Sportfish Restoration Program and formally recognized the crucial role that sportsmen and women play in funding conservation efforts through the “user pays, public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding.