2013 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 50 - Fish, Game and Watercraft
CHAPTER 11 - PROTECTION OF GAME

ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS

• SECTION 50-11-10. Adoption of Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act; prohibitions concerning hunting of waterfowl; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-15. Baiting prohibited in area over which migratory birds are hunted; penalties;.
• SECTION 50-11-20. Definitions; migratory waterfowl committee; responsibilities of committee; use of funds.
• SECTION 50-11-22. Harming actively nesting waterfowl or disturbing nest or nest box; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-24. Hunting migratory fowl in Gills Creek watershed in Lancaster County without permission; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-25. Prohibition on taking migratory waterfowl from certain blinds or positions; construction and use of blinds; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-26. Hunting migratory waterfowl on Bear Creek in Lancaster County without permission; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-27. Hunting and baiting on Lake Murray; violations and penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-28. Unlawful to hunt migratory waterfowl on Lake Greenwood; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-29. Unlawful to hunt migratory waterfowl on Lake Wateree; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-30. Repealed by 2008 Act No. 286, Section 11, eff June 11, 2008.
• SECTION 50-11-31. Hunting near dwelling or marina on Potato and Wyboo Creeks prohibited; baiting prohibited; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-32. Hunting waterfowl on Lake Marion; penalty.
• SECTION 50-11-33. Hunting migratory waterfowl on portions of Lake Marion; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-34. Hunting migratory waterfowl on portions of Lake Marion; penalty; markers.
• SECTION 50-11-35. Hunting migratory fowl in Murrell's Inlet Creek.
• SECTION 50-11-36. Hunting migratory waterfowl on Lake Keowee.
• SECTION 50-11-37. Hunting migratory waterfowl on Broadway Lake.
• SECTION 50-11-38. Hunting migratory waterfowl on Lake Moultrie.
• SECTION 50-11-40. Use of recorded sounds or amplified imitations of calls or sounds prohibited; exemptions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-45. Certain rifle defined as primitive weapon.
• SECTION 50-11-65. Training of bird dogs.
• SECTION 50-11-95. Computer-assisted remote hunting and remote hunting facilities; penalties; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-96. Introduction of fertility control agents into wildlife; exceptions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-100. Enclosure impeding free range of deer being hunted; construction unlawful; registration of existing enclosures; expansion of registered enclosures; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-105. Wildlife disease control; regulation of wildlife shipments; euthanasia.

ARTICLE 2. SMALL GAME

• SECTION 50-11-110. Small game defined.
• SECTION 50-11-120. Small game seasons.
• SECTION 50-11-140. Taking raccoons, opossums, squirrels, or fox during period they can be hunted without weapons.
• SECTION 50-11-150. Small game bag limits.
• SECTION 50-11-160. Unlawful to trap rabbits; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-170. Repealed by 2008 Act. No. 286, Section 11, eff June 11, 2008.
• SECTION 50-11-180. Trapping or snaring of quail prohibited; exceptions; requests for quail trapping permits; requirements.

ARTICLE 3. BIG GAME

• SECTION 50-11-300. Species constituting big game.
• SECTION 50-11-310. Open season for antlered deer.
• SECTION 50-11-335. Bag limit on antlered deer.
• SECTION 50-11-340. Penalty for hunting deer during closed season.
• SECTION 50-11-350. Illegally taking deer; penalty.
• SECTION 50-11-355. Hunting deer near residences.
• SECTION 50-11-356. Discharging weapon near poultry layer or broiler house prohibited; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-360. Taking or attempting to take elk; penalty.
• SECTION 50-11-380. Repealed by 2010 Act No. 211, Section 5, eff June 8, 2010.
• SECTION 50-11-390. Departmental authority over game zones.
• SECTION 50-11-400. Unlawful to possess deer with head detached when in transit from woods, swamps, fields, or roads; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-410. Antlerless deer defined; unlawful to hunt, kill, take, or possess antlerless deer; exceptions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-420. Penalty for possession of recently killed venison or fresh deerskin during closed season.
• SECTION 50-11-430. Bear hunting; unlawful acts; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-435. Weight restriction on bear taken; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-440. Black bears; feeding or enticing with food; penalty.
• SECTION 50-11-500. Provisions applicable to wild turkey.
• SECTION 50-11-510. Prohibition against baiting wild turkeys; definitions.
• SECTION 50-11-515. Use of wild turkey feathers in art.
• SECTION 50-11-520. Wild turkey season; declaration of open or closed seasons.
• SECTION 50-11-530. Authority of department to regulate wild turkey hunting.
• SECTION 50-11-540. Penalties for violating rules applicable to wild turkey hunting; forfeiture of hunting and fishing privileges.
• SECTION 50-11-544. Wild turkey hunting; transportation tags.
• SECTION 50-11-550. Repealed by 2008 Act No. 286, Section 11, eff June 11, 2008.
• SECTION 50-11-565. Archery equipment defined.

ARTICLE 4. NIGHT HUNTING, HARASSMENT OF WILDLIFE, TRESPASS OFFENSES

• SECTION 50-11-708. Use of artificial lights; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-710. Night hunting prohibited; exceptions; hunting of feral hogs, coyotes, and armadillos; definitions; penalties; use of artificial lights at night.
• SECTION 50-11-720. Penalties for night hunting for deer or bear.
• SECTION 50-11-730. Unlawful to hunt, shoot, or kill deer from a water conveyance; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-740. Confiscation, forfeiture, and sale of property used in hunting of deer or bear at night; procedures.
• SECTION 50-11-745. Releasing confiscated property to innocent owner or lienholder; failure to recover property.
• SECTION 50-11-750. Unlawful to feed or entice with food any alligator; exceptions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-760. Hunting from certain public roads and railroad rights-of-way prohibited; definitions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-770. Unpermitted hunting with use of a dog on property without hunting rights; dog not to be harmed; penalties; suspension of hunting privileges; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-780. Dogs engaged in hunting not required to be constrained by leash.

ARTICLE 5. NONGAME BIRDS AND ANIMALS, SANCTUARIES

• SECTION 50-11-810. Game birds for which no specific open season is designated are protected; department authorized to regulate taking of exotic game birds; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-820. Unlawful to kill, catch, have in possession, or offer or expose for sale resident or migratory wild bird; exception.
• SECTION 50-11-830. Unlawful to sell or have in possession for sale plumage, skin, or body of protected bird.
• SECTION 50-11-840. Destroying active wild bird nest or eggs; permit for removal.
• SECTION 50-11-850. Unlawful to transport resident or migratory wild nongame bird; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-851. Shooting, killing, or maiming of "carrier pigeon" prohibited; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-852. Unlawful to molest or kill birds of prey; bald eagles; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-853. Unlawful to catch, kill, capture, or detain homing, racing or carrier pigeon; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-854. Seasons and bag limits for hunting and taking crows.
• SECTION 50-11-860. Department to designate and establish sanctuaries; agreements with landowners.
• SECTION 50-11-870. Bird sanctuaries declared in certain areas; hunting waterfowl on Lake Wylie.
• SECTION 50-11-875. Bird sanctuary within City of Charleston.
• SECTION 50-11-880. Wildlife sanctuaries declared in certain areas; unlawful to discharge firearm or attempt to take or kill wildlife in sanctuaries; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-883. Designation of portion of Lake Secession, and of Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens as wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-890. Bird and squirrel sanctuaries declared in certain areas.
• SECTION 50-11-900. Nongame bird sanctuaries declared in certain areas.
• SECTION 50-11-910. Francis Beidler Forest declared wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-915. Playcard Environmental Education Center sanctuary in Horry County.
• SECTION 50-11-920. Kershaw County park declared wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-925. South Carolina Future Farmers of America Camp Wildlife Sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-930. Unlawful to trap, hunt, or molest ducks or geese or molest their nest on certain waters or tidelands; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-940 to 50-11-941. Repealed by 2013 Act No. 4, Section 2, eff March 4, 2013.
• SECTION 50-11-950. Certain lands owned by Brookgreen Gardens declared wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-960. Paris Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary designated.
• SECTION 50-11-961. Greenville Technical College campus declared wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-970. Certain lands owned by Lake Dogwood Corporation designated waterfowl sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-980. Certain lands and waters in Charleston Harbor and adjacent estuarine system designated wildlife sanctuary.
• SECTION 50-11-990. Penalties for hunting or trespassing upon land designated sanctuary.

ARTICLE 6. SPECIAL DEPREDATION PERMITS, COLLECTION PERMITS, CLOSING SEASONS, SPECIAL SEASONS

• SECTION 50-11-1050. Permit to remove destructive wildlife.
• SECTION 50-11-1060. Repealed by 2012 Act No. 257, Section 14, eff June 18, 2012.
• SECTION 50-11-1070. Repealed by 2012 Act No. 257, Section 14, eff June 18, 2012.
• SECTION 50-11-1080. No closed season on coyotes.
• SECTION 50-11-1090. Authority of department to permit taking of game animal; requirements.
• SECTION 50-11-1105. Authority of department to declare closed season when game cannot protect themselves; procedures; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1110. Authority of department to close or shorten open season upon request of county legislative delegation; procedures; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1120. Authority of department to declare open season on foxes upon request of county legislative delegation.
• SECTION 50-11-1130. Authorization for landowners to kill raccoons and squirrels destroying crops.
• SECTION 50-11-1140. United States Fish and Wildlife Service may allow hunting of deer on sea island within federally owned or controlled reserve.
• SECTION 50-11-1145. Trapping predatory animals within certain enclosures; types of traps permitted; release or destruction of animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1150. Authority of department to trap predatory animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1160. Authority of certain Federal employees to trap predatory animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1170. Department to cooperate with United States government to control predatory animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1180. Authority of department to issue permits to collect protected wildlife for scientific or propagating purposes; penalties.

ARTICLE 7. SHOOTING PRESERVES

• SECTION 50-11-1200. Operating licenses for privately owned shooting preserves.
• SECTION 50-11-1205. Licensing of new preserves.
• SECTION 50-11-1210. Annual fees.
• SECTION 50-11-1220. Preserve acreage requirements.
• SECTION 50-11-1230. Designation of boundaries.
• SECTION 50-11-1240. Repealed by 2010 Act No. 233, Section 13, eff July 1, 2010.
• SECTION 50-11-1250. Legal shooting preserve species.
• SECTION 50-11-1260. Continued release of pen-raised mallards and turkeys pursuant to license in effect as of December 31, 2005.
• SECTION 50-11-1270. Shooting season.
• SECTION 50-11-1280. Harvest limits.
• SECTION 50-11-1290. Tagging of harvested designated shooting preserve species; information required on tags.
• SECTION 50-11-1300. Stocking private preserve.
• SECTION 50-11-1310. Permit to operate quail call pen trap.
• SECTION 50-11-1320. Care of penned animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1330. Maintenance of records; copies to department.
• SECTION 50-11-1340. Responsibility of manager, owner, or licensee for violations on preserve; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1350. "Pen-raised quail" defined.
• SECTION 50-11-1360. Authorization to engage in business of propagating pen-raised quail.
• SECTION 50-11-1370. Commercial quail breeder's license.
• SECTION 50-11-1380. Pen-raised quail for consumption on hotel, restaurant, boardinghouse, or club premises.
• SECTION 50-11-1390. Revocation of or refusal to issue breeders license.
• SECTION 50-11-1400. Sale of pen-raised quail.
• SECTION 50-11-1410. Information required on package of pen-raised quail shipped out of state; records.
• SECTION 50-11-1420. Copy of invoice of pen-raised quail sold or shipped in State.
• SECTION 50-11-1430. Killing of pen-raised quail.
• SECTION 50-11-1440. Trapping wild quail.
• SECTION 50-11-1450. Violation of article, penalty.

ARTICLE 8. SHIPPING, STORAGE, SALE, OR TRANSPORTATION OF WILDLIFE

• SECTION 50-11-1700. Unlawful to keep certain birds or animals in cold storage or refrigerating plants; exceptions; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1710. Unlawful for transportation company to receive for shipment state game birds or animals; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-1720. Transportation of game birds or animals unlawfully killed or captured prohibited; exceptions.
• SECTION 50-11-1730. Authorization and application to transport game birds or animals out of state; limits; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1740. Limits on number of game birds or animals that may be shipped to private address in State.
• SECTION 50-11-1750. Application to ship game birds or animals.
• SECTION 50-11-1765. Possession, importation, or sale of live wolves.
• SECTION 50-11-1910. Sale of deer or deer parts; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-1920. Sale of exotic farm-raised venison; permits; inspection of premises and records; violations; punishment.
• SECTION 50-11-1930. Sale or purchase of willet or dove prohibited.
• SECTION 50-11-1940. Unlawful to buy or barter for sale wild quail; penalty.
• SECTION 50-11-1950. Possession and sale of pheasant eggs permitted.

ARTICLE 9. FIELD TRIALS

• SECTION 50-11-2100. Field trials; Department to promulgate regulations to permit field trials; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2110. Field trials in Game Zone 9; permits.

ARTICLE 10. WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS

• SECTION 50-11-2200. Establishment, operation, and maintenance of wildlife management areas; prohibited conduct; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2210. Abuse of wildlife management area land, Heritage Trust land, or department owned land or improvements; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2215. Noninterference with agency duties and landowner rights.
• SECTION 50-11-2220. Abuse of wildlife area land, Heritage Trust land, or department owned land or improvements; additional penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2225. Trespass on closed area; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2230. Public or private access to property must be available prior to leasing property to Wildlife Management Area Program.

ARTICLE 11. OPERATION GAME THIEF PROGRAM

• SECTION 50-11-2300. Operation Game Thief Program created; funding.
• SECTION 50-11-2310. Purposes for which program funds may be expended.
• SECTION 50-11-2320. Program funds to be expended in certain order.

ARTICLE 12. TRAPPING FURBEARING ANIMALS, REGULATION OF DEALERS, BUYERS, PROCESSORS, AND TRANSPORTERS OF FURS OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS OR ARTICLES

• SECTION 50-11-2400. Definitions.
• SECTION 50-11-2420. Repealed by 2012 Act No. 257, Section 14, eff June 18, 2012.
• SECTION 50-11-2430. Proof of ownership or permission to use land on which traps are set.
• SECTION 50-11-2440. Frequency of visitations.
• SECTION 50-11-2445. Removal of trapped wildlife by owner of trap or owner's designee; penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2450. Commercial fur licensees to report annually to department.
• SECTION 50-11-2460. Traps allowed for trapping; traps to bear owner's name and address.
• SECTION 50-11-2470. Fur dealer, buyer, and processor's license.
• SECTION 50-11-2475. Fur processor's license.
• SECTION 50-11-2480. Persons not required to obtain fur buyer's license.
• SECTION 50-11-2490. Fur buyers and processors to keep daily register; register sheets to be submitted to department monthly; furs, pelts, or hides not properly tagged declared contraband.
• SECTION 50-11-2510. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) tagging of otter and bobcat pelts.
• SECTION 50-11-2515. Prohibited acts.
• SECTION 50-11-2520. Inspection of business premises and records of licensee; revocation of license for failure to allow inspection.
• SECTION 50-11-2530. Confiscation of illegal traps, devices, furs, pelts, and hides; sale of confiscated items; use of funds; destruction of illegal traps.
• SECTION 50-11-2540. Trapping season; unlawful to trap out of season without authorization; taking of coyotes.
• SECTION 50-11-2550. Transportation of skins, furs, pelts, or hides of furbearing animals out of state; authority to open and inspect package containing furs, pelts or hides.
• SECTION 50-11-2560. Penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2565. Penalties.
• SECTION 50-11-2570. Issuance of special permit to capture destructive wildlife.
• SECTION 50-11-2575. Repealed by 2012 Act No. 257, Section 14, eff June 18,2012.

ARTICLE 13. FOX AND COYOTE HUNTING ENCLOSURES

• SECTION 50-11-2600. Definitions.
• SECTION 50-11-2605. Coyote and fox purchase and release.
• SECTION 50-11-2610. Enclosure permits.
• SECTION 50-11-2620. Obtaining foxes and coyotes to stock enclosures.
• SECTION 50-11-2630. Sales of live foxes or coyotes by trappers; records of sales.
• SECTION 50-11-2640. Importing foxes and coyotes.
• SECTION 50-11-2650. Penalties for violation of article.