Bill
H 4066
Extends open season for antlered deer in SC Game Zones 1-2 to Jan 15 (archery and firearms), up from Jan 1; effective upon Governor's approval.
Note on source material
- The provided bill text combines two unrelated proposals: (a) a Massachusetts House filing (House No. 4066 / HD 1208) titled “An Act expanding homestead protections,” and (b) a South Carolina statutory amendment changing deer hunting seasons. This summary focuses on the deer-hunting language that matches the bill title “Open season for deer hunting.” The homestead-protections language appears to be included in error and is unrelated to the hunting provisions.
Purpose
- To extend the open season for hunting antlered (male) deer with archery equipment and firearms in South Carolina Game Zones 1 and 2 from January 1 to January 15.
Key provisions
- Amends Section 50-11-310(A) of the South Carolina Code (open seasons for antlered deer) to change the dates as follows:
- Game Zone 1
- Existing: Oct 1–Oct 10 (primitive weapons only); Oct 11–Jan 1 (archery and firearms).
- New: Oct 1–Oct 10 (primitive weapons only); Oct 11–Jan 15 (archery and firearms).
- Game Zone 2
- Existing: Sep 15–Sep 30 (archery only); Oct 1–Oct 10 (primitive weapons only); Oct 11–Jan 1 (archery and firearms).
- New: Sep 15–Sep 30 (archery only); Oct 1–Oct 10 (primitive weapons only); Oct 11–Jan 15 (archery and firearms).
- Game Zones 3 and 4: no change in the proposed text (Zone 3 remains Aug 15–Jan 1; Zone 4 remains Aug 15–Aug 31 archery, Sep 1–Jan 1 archery & firearms).
- Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.
Who is affected
- Hunters in South Carolina, particularly those hunting antlered deer in Game Zones 1 and 2 (they would have two additional weeks—through Jan 15—to hunt with archery and firearms).
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR): may need to update regulations, season calendars, public guidance, reporting/monitoring.
- Landowners, hunting clubs, and local communities in Zones 1 and 2: potential for increased hunting activity in early-to-mid January.
- Wildlife management: potential impacts on deer harvest levels and population dynamics, requiring monitoring and possible adjustments to management strategies.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Increased harvest opportunity: the extension may raise total harvest in Zones 1 and 2, depending on hunter participation and weather.
- Wildlife management implications: SCDNR will need to monitor population indices, doe:doe and buck:doe ratios, and adjust future seasons or bag limits as needed.
- Safety & enforcement: more time in-season could affect enforcement workload and hunter safety messaging (hunting during winter conditions).
- Administrative: license/permit periods, season calendars, and educational/outreach materials would be updated to reflect the new closing date.
Legislative status & timeline (as provided)
- Introduced / read first time: 2025-02-20.
- Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs: 2025-02-20.
- Senate concurred: 2025-05-05.
- Hearing scheduled: 10/21/2025, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM in A-2.
- Note: Some entries in the source (e.g., referral to The Judiciary or a Massachusetts filing dated 1/14/2025) reflect the mixed-source document and are unrelated to the deer-season amendment.
Related bills
- HD 1208 is listed as a related/replacing filing in the source material; verify whether HD 1208 is the original or companion filing for this amendment.
If you want, I can:
- Extract the exact statutory before/after language as a redline;
- Outline likely biological effects using recent SCDNR harvest and population data (if you provide data or allow me to fetch current public data); or
- Prepare talking points for stakeholders (hunters, landowners, wildlife managers).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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