2011 - 2012 Regulations - Turkey Seasons on Private Lands & WMA's
Game Zone 1 2 3 4 & 5 Private Lands and WMA Lands
Except Named WMAs listed below. 
Apr. 1 - May 1 Possession and use of tags required. Statewide Youth Hunt Day (tags required) Mar. 31, 2012
Limit 5 gobblers per season, no more than 2 per day, except 2 total gobblers for Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Horry, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, Richland and Sumter counties.
Game Zone 6 Private Lands
Mar. 15 - May 1 Possession and use of tags required. Statewide Youth Hunt Day (tags required) Mar. 31, 2012
Limit 5 gobblers statewide, no more than 2 per day.
General turkey hunting laws and regulations for hunting on private & WMA lands
- Sunday hunting allowed on private lands (SC 50-11-555). No Sunday hunting allowed on WMA land (Reg. 123-51).
- Statewide limit of 5 gobblers, no more than 2 per day (Reg. 123-51).
- All hunters, including hunters younger than 16 or those who are calling, guiding, must possess a valid set of turkey tags. All harvested turkeys must be tagged before being moved from the point of kill. No person may possess more than one set of turkey tags (SC 50-11-544).
- Legal weapons - shotguns, muzzleloading shotguns, bows and crossbows. All other weapons or methods are prohibited including rifles, pistols, buckshot (SC 50-11-500, Reg. 123-51).
- Turkeys may not be hunted with dogs, live decoys or electronic calls (SC 50-11-40, Reg. 123-51).
- Unlawful to shoot any turkey between 30 minutes after official sunset and 30 minutes before official sunrise. Unlawful to take or attempt to take a wild turkey from a vehicle on a public road. Unlawful to trap or snare wild turkey. Unlawful to take wild turkey from a watercraft (SC 50-11-500).
- Unlawful to hunt or take a wild turkey by means of bait or on or over any baited area (SC 50-11-510). Bait means placing, depositing, exposing, distributing, or scattering of salt, corn, wheat, or other grain, or foodstuffs to constitute a lure or attraction for wild turkeys. An area remains a baited area for ten days following the complete removal of all bait. NOTE: The following activities can result in a baited area if done prior to or during turkey season: planting, discing or manipulating chufa to expose the tubers; mowing or manipulating standing grain crops where grain is scattered or exposed; top sowing of any grains; bait or feed intended for other species.
Wildlife Management Areas Open to Turkey
Hunting Apr. 1 - May 1 (Named WMAs)
| Areas Open | Limit |
|---|---|
| Aiken Gopher Tortoise HP WMA | 2 |
| Bluefield WMA (Adult/youth Only, Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Cartwheel Bay HP (Fri & Sat Only) | 1 |
| 2Crackerneck WMA (Fri & Sat Only) | 5 |
| Draper WMA (Wed. & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Edisto River WMA (Wed. Only) | 2 |
| Fants Grove WMA | 2 |
| Francis Marion Hunt Unit (WMA Only) | 2 |
| 5Great Pee Dee River WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 1 |
| Hickory Top WMA | 2 |
| 1Keowee WMA | 2 |
| Lewis Ocean Bay HP (Fri & Sat Only) | 1 |
| 3Little Pee Dee River Complex (Fri & Sat Only) | 1 |
| Longleaf Pine HP WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Manchester State Forest WMA (Wed thru Sat Only) | 2 |
| Marsh WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| McBee WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Moultrie Hunt Unit (Wed & Sat Only) Greenfield, Hall, North Dike, Porcher | 2 |
| 4Oak Lea WMA (Wed Only) | 2 |
| 5Pee Dee Station Site WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 1 |
| Sand Hills State Forest WMA | 2 |
| Santee Dam WMA | 2 |
| Tillman Sand Ridge WMA (Fri & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Victoria Bluff WMA (Fri & Sat Only) | 1 |
| Waccamaw River HP (Fri & Sat Only) | 1 |
| 4Webb-Palachucola-Hamilton Ridge | 2 |
| Wee Tee State Forest (Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| Woodbury WMA (Wed thru Sat Only) | 2 |
| Worth Mountain WMA (Wed & Sat Only) | 2 |
| • Game Zones 1 & 2 "unnamed" WMA's including US Forest Service Land. | 5 |
| • Game Zones 3-5 "unnamed" WMA's - county limits apply (see Private Lands section) | |
Statewide Youth Hunt Day (Tags required) Mar. 31, 2012. For all areas listed above except Keowee WMA. See WMA's open on youth days (Adobe PDF file).
1Keowee WMA - Shotguns only -- north of Highway 123 and west of the Keowee Arm of Lake Hartwell to Highway 291 and west of Highway 291. Archery Only on other sections.
2Crackerneck WMA - Main gate opens at 4:30 AM and closed at 1:00 pm. All hunters must check in and out at main gate.
3Little Pee Dee River Complex includes Tilghman, Dargan (including upper Gunters Is. and Huggins tracts), Little Pee Dee River and Ward Heritage Preserves in portions of Horry and Marion counties.
4On Webb, Palachucola, Hamilton Ridge and Oak Lea WMA’s, all turkey hunters must pick up and return data cards daily to kiosk and display hang tags on vehicles. Harvested turkeys must be checked in at the self-check kiosk located adjacent to the check stations at the respective properties.
5On Pee Dee Station site WMA, Great Pee Dee River WMA, Woodbury WMA and Marsh WMA all hunters must sign in and sign out.
Savannah River Site Draw Hunts for Persons with Disabilities
Savannah River Site will hold a draw hunt for persons with disabilities in Apr.. For hunt applications, contact Illana Burkhart, NWTF, 800-843-6983 ext 7421.
Wildlife Management Area Public Hunt Drawings
Donnelley WMA, Santee Cooper WMA, Bonneau Ferry WMA (Adult/Youth) & Belfast WMA (Adult Hunts and Adult/Youth hunts). Turkey hunts available by public hunt drawing ONLY. To receive an application, please write: SCDNR Turkey Hunts, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202 or call 803-734-3886. Deadline for applications is Feb. 29.
US Army Corps of Engineers
The turkey season for all US Army Corps of Engineers lands, in Game Zones 1 and 2, is the same as the WMA turkey season unless otherwise posted.
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge
Turkey hunts available by public hunt drawing only. Contact: Carolina Sandhills NWR, 23734 Highway 1, McBee, SC 29101 or call 843-335-6026
How to get Turkey Tags
Request tags each year when you get your new hunting license. Tags will be mailed to you in late February. If "Turkey Tags" appears on your hunting license, you should receive tags by mail. If you do not get the tags by mail, they will be available at SCDNR offices and some local vendors beginning the first week in March. A list of vendors can be found at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/turkeyregs. You can also order tags on line at http://www.dnr.sc.gov/turkeytags/. Turkey Tags must be in possession while hunting for wild turkey.
The 2012 Spring Turkey Seasons on Private Lands and WMAs are provided in the Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open this file and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.
