2013 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 50 - Fish, Game and Watercraft
CHAPTER 11 - PROTECTION OF GAME
SECTION 50-11-710. Night hunting prohibited; exceptions; hunting of feral hogs, coyotes, and armadillos; definitions; penalties; use of artificial lights at night.

(A) Night hunting in this State is unlawful except that:

(1) Raccoons, opossums, foxes, mink, and skunk may be hunted at night; however, they may not be hunted with artificial lights except when treed or cornered with dogs, and may not be hunted with buckshot or any shot larger than a number four, or any rifle ammunition larger than a twenty-two rimfire.

(2) Feral hogs may be hunted at night with or without the aid of bait, electronic calls, artificial light, or night vision devices:

(a) during any time of the year with a bow and arrow other than a crossbow, or pistol having iron sights, a barrel length not exceeding nine inches, and which is not equipped with a butt-stock, scope, or laser site;

(b) from the last day of February to the first day of July of that same year with any legal firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow when notice is given to the department pursuant to subsection (D). When hunting at night with a center fire rifle pursuant to this item, a hunter must be at an elevated position at least ten feet from the ground; and

(c) at any time of the year under authority of and pursuant to the conditions contained in a depredation permit issued by the department pursuant to Section 50-11-2570.

(3) Coyotes and armadillos may be hunted at night with or without the aid of bait, electronic calls, artificial light, or night vision devices:

(a) during any time of the year with a bow and arrow other than a crossbow, a rimfire rifle, a shotgun with shot size no larger than a BB, or a pistol of any caliber having iron sights, a barrel length not exceeding nine inches, and which is not equipped with a butt-stock, scope, or laser light;

(b) from the last day of February to the first day of July of that same year with any legal firearm, bow and arrow, or crossbow when notice is given to the department pursuant to subsection (D). When hunting at night with a center fire rifle pursuant to this item, a hunter must be at an elevated position at least ten feet from the ground; and

(c) at any time of the year under authority of and pursuant to the conditions contained in a depredation permit issued by the department pursuant to Section 50-11-2570.

(B) The provisions contained in items (2)(b) and (3)(b) of subsection (A) do not apply to a person who has violated any provision contained in Article 4, Chapter 11, Title 50, except Section 50-11-708 and Section 50-11-750, during the previous five years.

(C) For the purposes of this section, "night" means that period of time between one hour after official sundown of a day and one hour before official sunrise of the following day.

(D) For the purposes of this section, "notice to the department" means that the landowner upon which the animals will be taken has either called the department at least forty-eight hours prior to hunting or registered the property as otherwise prescribed by the department. The notice must include the name of each person participating in the hunt, the hunting license number of each person participating in the hunt, and the location of the hunt. Property must be registered only one time during each season, or annually for year-round hunts.

(E) Any person violating the provisions of this section, upon conviction, must be fined for the first offense not more than one thousand dollars, or be imprisoned for not more than one year, or both; for the second offense within two years from the date of conviction for the first offense, not more than two thousand dollars nor less than four hundred dollars, or be imprisoned for not more than one year nor for less than ninety days, or both; for a third or subsequent offense within two years of the date of conviction for the last previous offense, not more than three thousand dollars nor less than five hundred dollars, or be imprisoned for not more than one year nor for less than one hundred twenty days, or both. Any person convicted under this section after more than two years have elapsed since his last conviction must be sentenced as for a first offense.

(F)(1) A person who violates items (2) and (3) of subsection (A) is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days, or both.

(2) In addition to any other penalty, any person convicted for a second or subsequent offense under this section within three years of the date of conviction for a first offense shall have his privilege to hunt in this State suspended for a period of two years. No hunting license may be issued to an individual while his privilege is suspended, and any license mistakenly issued is invalid. The penalty for hunting in this State during the period of suspension, upon conviction, must be imprisonment for not more than one year nor less than ninety days.

(G) The provisions of this section may not be construed to prevent any owner of property from protecting the property from destruction by wild game as provided by law.

(H) It is unlawful for a person to use artificial lights at night, except vehicle headlights while traveling in a normal manner on a public road or highway, while in possession of or with immediate access to both ammunition of a type prohibited for use at night by the first paragraph of this section and a weapon capable of firing the ammunition. A violation of this paragraph is punishable as provided by Section 50-11-720.

HISTORY: [Derived from former Section 50-11-20 (1962 Code Section 28-302; 1952 Code Section 28-302; 1942 Code Section 1785; 1932 Code Section 1754; Cr. C. '22 Section 737; 1919 (31) 269; 1920 (31) 732; 1930 (36) 1395; 1937 (40) 85; 1943 (43) 191; 1952 (47) 2179; 1973 (58) 641; 1984 Act No. 328, Section 1; 1988 Act No. 526, Section 1)]; 1988 Act No. 561, Section 1; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1262; 2003 Act No. 23, Section 2; 2010 Act No. 211, Section 2, eff upon approval (became law without the Governor's signature on June 8, 2010); 2010 Act No. 243, Section 1, eff June 11, 2010; 2012 Act No. 228, Section 1, eff June 18, 2012.