2010-2011 Late Migratory Bird Hunting Seasons
Hunting Seasons & Limits
| Species | Open Dates (All dates inclusive) |
Shooting Hours | Daily Bag Limit | Possession Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove | Sept. 4 — Sept. 6 | 12 Noon until Sunset | 15 |
30 |
| Sept. 7 — Oct. 9 Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 21 — Jan. 15 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | |||
| Marsh Hens/Rails (Clapper, King, Sora & Virginia | Sept. 8 — Sept. 12 Oct. 6 — Dec. 9 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 15 (King & Clapper) 25 (Sora & Va.) |
30 (King & Clapper) 25 (Sora & Va.) |
| Early Teal | Sept. 15 — Sept. 30 | Sunrise until Sunset | 4 | 8 |
| Woodcock | Jan. 2 — Jan. 31 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 3 | 6 |
| Common Snipe (Wilson's) | Nov. 14 — Feb. 28 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 8 | 16 |
| Common Moorhens & Purple Gallinules | Sept. 8 — Sept. 12 Oct. 6 — Dec. 9 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 15 | 30 |
| Early Canada Geese (Statewide) | Sept.1 — Sept. 30 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 15 | 30 |
| * Ducks (Excluding Sea Ducks) | Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 11 — Jan. 30 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 6 total, including no more than 4 mallards (2 hens), 2 pintails, 1 fulvous whistling duck, 1 blackbellied whistling duck, 3 wood ducks, 2 redheads, 1 canvasback, 2 scaup, (1 black duck or 1 mottled duck), 6 ring-necked ducks, 6 blue-winged teal, 6 green-winged teal, 6 northern shoveler, 6 gadwall, 6 American wigeon, 6 ruddy duck, 6 bufflehead, and 6 goldeneye. | 12 total, including no more than 8 mallards (4 hens), 4 pintails, 2 fulvous whistling ducks, 2 black-bellied whistling ducks, 6 wood ducks, 4 redheads, 2 canvasbacks, 4 scaup, (2 black ducks or 2 mottled ducks or 1 black duck and 1 mottled duck), 12 ring-necked ducks, 12 blue-winged teal, 12 green-winged teal, 12 northern shoveler, 12 gadwall, 12 American wigeon, 12 ruddy duck, 12 bufflehead, and 12 goldeneye. |
| Mergansers | Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 11 — Jan. 30 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 5 (not to include more than 1 Hooded Merganser) | 10 (not to include more than 2 Hooded Mergansers) |
| ** Sea Ducks (eiders, scoters & long-tailed ducks) | Oct. 16 — Jan. 30 | 1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 7 (not to include more than 4 scoters) | 14 (not to include more than 8 scoters) |
| Coots | Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 11 — Jan. 30 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 15 | 30 |
| *** Canada Geese/White Fronted Geese (Late seasons) | Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 5 — Feb. 4 Feb. 7 — Feb. 10 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 5 (not to include more than 2 white-fronted geese). | 10 (not to include more than 4 white-fronted geese). |
| Blue & Snow geese | Nov. 20 — Nov. 27 Dec. 11 — Jan. 30 |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 25 | No limit |
| ****Brant | Dec. 12 — Jan. 30 (50 days) |
1/2 Hour before Sunrise until Sunset | 2 | 4 |
*There is no open season for harlequin ducks.
**Sea Ducks taken outside of the regular duck season may be hunted only in Atlantic Ocean waters separated from any shore, island or emergent vegetation by at least one mile of open water.
***Excludes all of Clarendon County, that portion of Orangeburg County North of SC Highway # 6 and that portion of Berkeley County North of SC Highway # 45 from the Orangeburg County Line to the junction of SC Highway # 45 and State Road S-8-31 and that portion West of the Santee Dam.
****The season for Atlantic brant is limited to 50 days.
Youth-Only Waterfowl Hunting Days:
Daily and possession bag limits are as indicated above. State Youth Day: Dec. 4, 2010. Only hunters 17 years of age or younger may hunt waterfowl (ducks and geese) on this day. The youth(s) must be accompanied by an adult of at least 21 years of age. The adult is not allowed to carry a gun or hunt, but must be properly licensed, including state and federal duck stamps. Youth who are 16 and 17 years of age who hunt on this day are not required to be licensed or have a state waterfowl stamp but must possess a Federal Waterfowl Stamp.
Federal Youth Days: Feb. 5-6, 2011. Only hunters 15 years of age or younger may hunt waterfowl (ducks and geese) on these days. The youth(s) must be accompanied by an adult of at least 18 years of age. The adult is not allowed to carry a gun or hunt, and does not have to be licensed.