Wildlife - 2024 Deer Harvest Report
The 2024 Deer Harvest Report is available for download in the PDF format.
Introduction
The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is the most popular, sought after, economically important, and controversial game animal in South Carolina. The 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey represents the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ (SCDNR), Wildlife Section’s ongoing commitment to conduct pertinent research related to the state’s white-tailed deer resource. The primary objectives of this survey research were to obtain valid estimates of: (1) noncompliance with electronic harvest reporting, (2) hunting effort related to deer, and (3) weapons use, weapons preference, and harvest rates by weapon type. Information on hunter opinion related to certain aspects of the deer resource as well as estimates of the wild hog and coyote harvest in the state is also presented.
Due to the importance of deer as a state resource, SCDNR believes that accurately assessing the harvest of deer, as well as hunter participation in deer hunting, is key to the management of this species. Proposed changes in deer-related laws and regulations should have foundations in biology, therefore, the population dynamics associated with annual hunting mortality cannot be ignored. Similarly, when issues arise that do not involve biological parameters, it is important to have information related to deer hunter activities afield because they too form an important basis for managing deer.
Since the inception of the Statewide Deer Research and Management Project (Deer Project) in 1972 the methods used to document the state’s deer harvest have changed. Historically, deer harvest figures were developed using a system of mandatory deer check stations in the 18 county Upstate (Game Zones 1 and 2) in conjunction with reported harvests from properties enrolled in the Deer Quota Program (DQP) in the 28 county Coastal Plain (Game Zones 3 and 4). This system yielded an actual count of harvested deer and was, therefore, an absolute minimum harvest figure. In the late 1990’s SCDNR began to transition to a postseason mail survey of randomly selected hunters to estimate the county level and statewide harvest of deer. In 2024 mandatory electronic harvest reporting for deer began using SC Game Check as it had for wild turkeys in 2021. Now, data from SC Game Check is combined with data from the online deer hunter survey to produce the annual deer harvest report.
Survey Methodology
The 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey was directed at all deer tag holders with email addresses other than youth under 16 years old. Youth under 16 were not included because laws prevent contacting youths without parental or guardian consent. The questionnaire for the 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey was developed by Big Game Program staff. The survey process began with an initial email notification of the impending survey, an initial survey, and two reminders directed at individuals who had yet to complete the survey.
Statistical analysis was conducted using Statistix 10 (Analytical Software, Tallahassee, FL).
Acknowledgments
Thanks to South Carolina deer hunters. Funding for this report, as well as all activities related to the Statewide Deer Research and Management Project, is made possible through hunters’ participation in deer tag programs. As a result, no state funds are associated with this program. SCDNR also thanks hunters and deer processors for their diligence in supporting the SC Game Check program which provides modern data that assists in properly managing the deer resource in South Carolina.
Results and Discussion
Excluding failed messages (9) and messages that bounced (6,651) a total of 205,085 email addresses were reached. A total of 34,894 surveys were started with 32,143 surveys being completed for a response rate of 15.7 percent.
Harvest Reporting Noncompliance
One of the primary goals of the 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey was to estimate noncompliance with mandatory harvest reporting through SC Game Check. This was accomplished in two ways. First, participants who indicated that they harvested deer were asked how many of the deer they harvested were reported. Second, by cross-referencing the reporting data with the responses an estimate was obtained of the percentage of individuals who said they reported but did not. Combining these estimates yielded a noncompliance rate of approximately 10 percent. This noncompliance rate should be considered extraordinarily low and is clearly a result of hunters being required to report by midnight of the day of harvest or prior to leaving the deer at a meat processor. Hunters are required to provide the processor with the harvest report confirmation number and the processor is required to record and maintain the confirmation number until the processed meat is received by the hunter of their representative. SCDNR thanks hunters and deer processors for their diligence in supporting the SC Game Check program which provides modern data that assists in properly managing the deer resource in South Carolina.
Deer Harvest
During the 2024 deer season the noncompliance corrected reported deer harvest included 90,670 antlered bucks, 8,230 button bucks (male fawns), 80,598 does and 11,209 deer of unknown sex for a total statewide harvest of 190,707 deer (Table 1). This represents a 4 percent decrease in harvest from 2023 (198,171) and is 40 percent below the record harvest established in 2002 (319,902). After many years of rapidly increasing from the 1970’s to the mid-1990’s, the deer population in South Carolina exhibited relative stability between 1995 and 2002. Between 2003 and 2015, however, the population trended down with the overall reduction in harvest likely attributable to several factors, including habitat change, two decades of aggressive antlerless deer harvest, and the complete colonization of the state by coyotes and their impact on fawn survival. Harvest figures since 2015 have generally been stable to slightly increasing and have tended to be between 175,000 and 200,000 deer annually.
Harvest Per Unit Area County Rankings
Comparisons can be made between deer harvests from the various counties in South Carolina if a harvest per unit area is established. Harvest per unit area standardizes the harvest among counties regardless of the size of individual counties. One measure of harvest rate is the number of deer taken per square mile (640ac. = 1 mile2). When considering the estimated deer habitat that is available in South Carolina, the deer harvest rate in 2024 averaged 8.7 deer per square mile over the entire state (Table 2). Although the deer harvest in the state is lower now than many years ago, South Carolina remains at the top among southeastern states, many of which have also noted a declining trend. The top 5 counties for harvest per unit area were Anderson (22.7 deer/mile2), Spartanburg (16.9 deer/mile2), Orangeburg (13.9 deer/mile2), Bamberg (12.9 deer/mile2), and Laurens (11.9 deer/mile2). Three of these counties were in the top 5 in 2023.
Deer Harvest Rankings by County
Total deer harvest by county is not comparable among counties because counties vary in size and are, therefore, not directly comparable. However, it has become customary to rank the counties based on number of deer harvested (Table 3). The top 5 counties during 2024 were Orangeburg, Anderson, Williamsburg, Spartanburg, and Colleton counties. Four of these counties were in the top 5 in 2023.
Deer Harvest on Wildlife Management Areas
Deer hunting on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) remains popular in South Carolina with approximately 60,000 WMA Permits issued annually. WMAs represent lands owned by SCDNR, other state-owned lands enrolled in the WMA Program, US Forest Service lands enrolled in the WMA Program, and private or corporate lands that are leased by SCDNR as part of the WMA Program. During the 2024 season the noncompliance corrected reported harvest was 2,826 bucks, 1,976 does, and 282 button bucks (male fawns) for a total of 5,084 deer on WMAs (Table 4).
Hunter Opinion Regarding the Deer Population
The 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey asked participants their opinion regarding the following question. Compared to past years, how would you rate the number of deer in the area that you hunt most often? Survey participants were given 3 choices: increasing, about the same, or decreasing. Most hunters (61%) indicated that the number of deer in the area they hunted most often was about the same as in past years. More hunters (23%) believed that the deer population was decreasing than increasing (16%). On a scale of 1 to 3 with 1 being increasing, 2 being neutral, and 3 being decreasing, the overall mean rating of 2.1 suggests that hunters viewed the deer population about the same compared to past years.
Number of Deer Hunters
Even though all individuals receiving a survey were deer tag holders, only 75 percent actually hunted deer. For residents, 73 percent of sampled licensees hunted deer and for nonresidents 93 percent hunted deer. Extrapolating to the respective licensee populations yields 173,520 residents and 16,811 nonresidents for a total of 190,330 deer hunters statewide during 2024 (Table 5). Counties with the highest estimates for individual hunters include Orangeburg, Laurens, Anderson, Spartanburg, and Colleton counties (Table 5). Four of these were in the top 5 in 2023.
Hunter Effort
For the purposes of this survey hunter effort was measured in days with one day being defined as any portion of the day spent afield. Hunters averaged 14.6 days afield for a total of 2,510,326 days deer hunting representing a 15 percent increase from 2023. Hunters who were successful at harvesting at least one deer averaged more days (17 days) afield than unsuccessful hunters (10 days) (Table 5).
The number of days devoted to deer hunting in South Carolina is very significant and points not only to the availability and popularity of deer as a game species, but to the obvious economic benefits related to this important natural resource. Previous surveys conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service indicate that approximately 200 million dollars in direct retail sales are related to deer hunting in South Carolina annually.
The top 5 South Carolina counties for overall days of deer hunting during 2024 were Orangeburg, Aiken, Anderson, Spartanburg, and Colleton (Table 5). These were the same top 5 counties as in 2023.
Hunter Success
For determination of hunting success only those individuals who actually hunted deer were included in the analysis and similarly, success was defined as harvesting at least one deer. Overall hunting success in 2024 was 60 percent, which should be considered very good.
Deer Harvest by Weapon Type and Weapons Utilization and Preference
All areas of South Carolina have long and liberal firearms seasons and the majority (85%) of deer were harvested with centerfire rifles (Table 6). Shotguns (5.9%) and bows (5.4%) also contribute significantly to the overall deer harvest in the state, whereas muzzleloaders, crossbows, and handguns combine to contribute less than 5 percent to the total harvest (Table 6).
Although rifles are used by about 92 percent of hunters, nearly 80 percent of hunters use multiple weapons during the deer season (Table 7, Table 8). Resident hunters appear to be more flexible than nonresidents in their use of multiple weapons and significantly more residents use archery equipment (29%) and shotguns (14%) than nonresidents (18% archery and 5% shotguns) (Table 9). This finding has been consistent for many years and two points can likely be made. First, since most aspects of deer hunting (travel, accommodations, etc.) are typically more convenient for residents, they may have more time to devote to becoming comfortable or proficient with additional weapons, in this case archery equipment. Second, shotguns are the customary weapon related to hunting deer with dogs and the argument can be made that dog hunting is being practiced more by residents than nonresidents. The weapons utilization data supports this contention.
Unlike weapons utilization, weapons preference is the single weapon that a hunter prefers. Obviously, a majority (80%) of deer hunters prefer rifles (Table 9). Bows (11%) are the second preferred weapon which is interesting because compared to other states, there are limited exclusive opportunities for bow hunters in South Carolina. Nonetheless, the number of hunters indicating that bows are their preferred weapon has increased over time. Finally, there are several interesting points that can be made about preferences for other weapons based on residency. Shotguns are preferred significantly more by residents (5%) than nonresidents (2%) and muzzleloaders are preferred more by nonresidents (1.7%) than by residents (0.9%) (Table 9). The explanation of this for shotguns is similar to that for weapons utilization in that residents do most of the dog hunting in the state and tend to use shotguns. With respect to muzzleloaders, nonresidents may use muzzleloaders to take advantage of a special season that is available in South Carolina earlier than in their home state.
Deer Harvest by Month of Season and Time of Day
Deer harvest by month of season and time of day was determined through the SC Game Check harvest reporting system. Although South Carolina is noted to have the longest firearms deer season in the country, the relationship between season length and deer harvest is often misunderstood. Deer naturally increase their movements during the breeding season or rut making them more susceptible to being seen and harvested by hunters. In contrast, outside of the breeding season deer movements are reduced, therefore the chances of hunters seeing and harvesting deer are reduced.
Deer harvest by month of season demonstrates this phenomenon (Figure 1). Although firearms seasons are not open in all parts of the state in late August and early September, relatively few deer are harvested during that time where the season is open. On the other hand, a disproportionately high number of deer are taken during October and November. October and November encompass the majority of the breeding season in South Carolina with over 80 percent of females conceiving during that period (Figure 2). Ultimately, timing of the season is a more important factor in determining deer harvest and quality hunting than the length of the season. Although South Carolina offers early opening seasons, there may be negative consequences as it relates to deer harvest. Hunters should understand that hunting pressure that builds prior to the breeding season can suppress daytime movements of deer during the breeding season when deer movements and hunter harvests should be greatest. With respect to harvest and time of day, 64 and 36 percent of deer were taken in the afternoon and morning, respectively.
Harvest Reporting Methods
SC Game Check Provides 3 methods to report: the Go Outdoors SC smartphone app, on the SCDNR website, by phone or text using the toll-free SC Game Check number. SC Game Check on the Go Outdoors SC smartphone app, was by far the most popular reporting method (93%), followed by phone/text (4%), and online (3%).
Wild Hog Harvest
The 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey also asked hunters to provide information on their wild hog and coyote harvesting activities. Documenting hog harvest became customary many years ago because wild hogs are commonly taken incidentally to deer hunting. Wild or feral hogs are often thought of as “game” and there is a certain amount of sport associated with harvesting hogs. Wild hogs provide quality meat for the hunter and mature hogs can make a highly sought-after “trophy”. Wild hogs are not native to South Carolina or any part of the North American continent. They are descendants of European domestic hogs that escaped or were released dating back as far as the early Spanish explorers. Also, closed-range or fencing requirements for livestock did not arise until the 1900's and letting hogs “free-range” was common prior to fencing laws. Wild hogs were historically associated with the major river flood plain systems in Coastal South Carolina. Unfortunately, recent relocations of wild hogs by hunters appear to be responsible for the species populating areas where they were not found in the past. Wild hogs directly compete with native species like deer and wild turkey for habitat and food, and hogs can do significant damage to the habitat and agricultural production through their rooting activities. Legislation passed during the 2005 session of the South Carolina General Assembly prohibits the release of hogs in the state and legislation passed in 2010 prohibits the removal of a live hog from the woods without a permit (SC Code Section 50-16-25). Hogs are not protected animals in South Carolina and hunters can harvest them throughout the year during daylight hours and at night by registering their property.
During 2024 an estimated 36,820 wild hogs were incidentally harvested by deer hunters in South Carolina Table 10),a modest 7 percent increase from 2023 (34,367 hogs). Evidence of the presence of hogs in 45 of 46 counties was made by hunter harvest activities. Statewide, approximately 1.7 hogs/mile2 were harvested, however,this figure is deceiving because hogs only inhabit a relatively small portion of the states’ land area. The top 5 counties for wild hog harvest per unit area were Abbeville (6.3 hogs/mile2), Allendale (5.0 hogs/mile2), Anderson (4.6 hogs/mile2), Richland (3.2 hogs/mile2) and Calhoun (2.8 hogs/mile2). Four of these counties were in the top 5 in 2023.
Coyote Harvest
Unlike wild hogs which are treated like game to some degree, coyotes are typically thought of as varmints that pose a threat to native game species. Like wild hogs, coyotes are a non-native species in South Carolina. Although a popular notion among hunters is that SCDNR released coyotes, the agency has never released coyotes in South Carolina. The occurrence of coyotes in the state is more recent than hogs and they appear to have gotten to the state by two methods, (1) natural movements from western states and (2) illegal importation. Coyotes were first documented in Oconee and Pickens Counties in 1978 and were thought to be linked to animals that were illegally imported for hunting purposes. Evidence for this includes an illegal importation case that was made and the fact that coyotes had not been documented in adjacent counties in Georgia and North Carolina. Within a few years coyotes began to appear in the western piedmont counties of Anderson, Abbeville, McCormick, etc. indicating a southeastern expansion from the original site. In the early 1980's coyotes were documented in Allendale County and were thought to be natural immigrants from Georgia since they had previously been documented in the adjacent Georgia counties. Coyotes from this source apparently populated to the Northeast until they encountered the Santee Cooper Lakes. In the late 1980's, coyotes were documented in the Pee Dee Region, again associated with illegal imports. In any event, by the mid-1990's coyotes had been documented in all South Carolina counties.
Sportsmen often voice concern over the presence of coyotes and the potential impact they have on game species such as deer. Though coyotes are one of the most adaptable animals, they are not designed to prey on big game. The coyote’s diet is chiefly composed of small mammals (rats and mice), insects, and a variety of vegetable matter including fruits. On the other hand, coyotes will take deer fawns and deer that are sick or injured. SCDNR has completed two major studies with researchers investigating the effects coyotes have on the survival of deer fawns. One study was conducted at the Savannah River Site (2005-2012) collaborating with the US Forest Service-Southern Research Station and the other on private land in McCormick County with researchers at Clemson University (2018-2022). Data from both studies revealed approximately 70 percent total fawn mortality with coyotes being responsible for approximately 80 percent of these mortalities. If these findings even moderately represent a statewide situation, this “new mortality factor” is clearly involved in the reduction in deer numbers. This is especially true when combined with extremely liberal deer harvests that have been the norm in South Carolina.
As part of the Savannah River Site project 3 years were for the purpose of determining if reducing coyote density through trapping increases fawn survival. It seems logical that if coyotes are preying on fawns, then significantly reducing coyote densities should increase fawn survival. Over the course of the 3-year coyote “control” phase, 474 coyotes were trapped/killed on the study areas. Overall, results showed only modest increases in fawn survival following these efforts with an overall average of about 35 percent increase in survival. Also, trapping seemed to help in some years but have little effect on predation in others. This “year” effect may have something to do with the availability of coyote food sources that may change in abundance annually. Given these results and the difficulty and high cost of coyote control, it seems apparent that making adjustments to how we manage deer, particularly female deer, is more important now than prior to the colonization of the state by coyotes.
Coyotes are not protected in South Carolina and hunters are allowed to harvest them throughout the year during daylight hours and at night by registering their property. During 2024 it is estimated that approximately 24,142 coyotes were harvested incidental to deer hunting in South Carolina (Table 10),which represents an 11 percent increase from 2023 (21,761 coyotes). There was evidence of coyotes being harvested in all 46 counties. Although the number of coyotes killed by deer hunters increased exponentially from the late 1990’s to 2014 pointing to the expansion of this species in South Carolina, the harvest has decreased over 30 percent in recent years likely indicating a moderation in coyote populations across the state which is typical of a species following colonization. Statewide approximately 1.1 coyotes/mile 1 were harvested and the top 5 counties for coyote harvest per unit area included Abbeville (2.5 coyotes/mile2), Chester (2.5 coyotes/mile2), Anderson (2.4 coyotes/mile2), Laurens (2.3 coyotes/mile2), and Spartanburg (2.0 coyotes/mile2). Three of these counties were in the top 5 last year.
Supplementary Information
The following section is not related to the 2024 Online Deer Hunter Survey but is offered as information relevant to the state’s deer population.
Based on preliminary data provided by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) the number of reported deer-vehicle collisions for 2023 was 6,531 (Table 11). The reader should bear in mind that many types of deer-vehicle collisions are self-reported by the driver. Additionally, reporting criteria have changed over time.
Average body weights and antler characteristic of deer vary among the constituent counties in South Carolina and are dependent on deer density and habitat conditions (Tables 12 and 13). Statewide averages for male deer indicate that 1.5-year-old bucks average about 107 lbs. and 3.6 antler points while bucks 2.5 years old and older average about 138 lbs. and 6.5 antler points. Yearling (1.5 years old) females average approximately 88 lbs. while does 2.5 years old and older average nearly 101 lbs. This information is based on sampling completed between 1987 and 1994.
The history of the deer population and harvest in South Carolina demonstrates a trend typical of a species that initially expands into available habitat, stabilizes, and begins to decline as habitat changes (Figures 3 and 4). It is important to recognize that habitat is the primary factor controlling deer density in South Carolina, though regulated harvest is important as well. Keep in mind that between 1750 and 1900 the deer population in South Carolina experienced a tremendous decline as it did in most of North America. Although unrestricted subsistence and commercial harvest of deer was important in the decline, major changes in habitat related to clearing of land for agriculture was the controlling factor.
By 1900 deer numbers in the State were very low, perhaps 20,000. However, in the 1920’s, significant drought and the cotton boll weevil had devastating consequences for farming. With the decline in farming, reforestation of the state began and was largely complete by the 1970’s. Timber harvest activities that followed into and throughout the 1980’s created vast areas of early successional habitat that allowed for a dramatic increase in the State’s deer population. South Carolina’s deer population peaked in the mid to late 1990’s at about 1 million deer.
Over time, deer hunters gained a better understanding of the relationship between deer numbers, habitat, and deer quality leading to more aggressive female harvests in many parts of the state. This increased emphasis on harvesting female deer to control deer densities has played a role in the stabilization and ultimate reduction in the State’s deer population. Habitat is also very important. Keep in mind that the same forest management activities that stimulated the growth in South Carolina’s deer population in the 1980s have resulted in considerable acreage currently being in even-aged stands that are greater than 15 years old. This habitat type simply does not support deer densities at the same level as habitat in early stages of ecological succession. As a result, a combination of habitat changes, high deer harvests, and the establishment of coyotes caused the deer population to trend down between 2003 and 2015. The last few years have seen an increase in harvest which is indicative of an increasing population. Currently the statewide population is estimated at about 700,000 deer.
The tables and graphs referred to in this report are available for download in the PDF format.