Hunting At Carolina Sandhills

While a primary objective of the Carolina Sandhills Refuge is to provide protection for all species of wildlife, the harvest of surplus animals is viewed as a tool to manage wildlife populations.

Hunting on the Refuge must be in accordance with all applicable State regulations and special refuge regulations. A special refuge permit is required for all hunts. Permits are free for all hunts except the turkey hunt, which requires a special quota hunt permit.This permit must be carried at all times while hunting, and is not valid until signed. Permits are non-transferable.

Camping, overnight parking, open fires, and littering are prohibited. The refuge is open (except designated closed areas) for prehunt scouting from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. Hunter access roads will be opened the weekend before each deer hunt. Weapons and dogs are not allowed on the Refuge during scouting. Dogs are permitted for bird hunting and for hunting raccoon and opossum at night only.

The use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on the Refuge is prohibited except by mobility impaired hunters in the designated mobility impaired hunt area. These hunters must provide a copy of their South Carolina Disabled Hunting license. These document must be presented at the Refuge office no later than 10 calendar days prior to the first day of the hunt period. A special permit will be issued to allow the use of an ATV on the Refuge. All rules and regulations pertaining to standard vehicles will also apply to ATVs. Weapons must be unloaded and encased while ATVs are in motion.

All hunting regulations can be downloaded as a small .pdf file here. This file also contains a map showing the designated hunt areas on the Refuge, as well as the general hunt permit form. Once downloaded, the file can be printed on your personal printer.

 

2012-2013 Hunt Dates

Download and print dates

Dove

• September 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2012 (12 noon until 6 pm at designated fields)
• Fridays during the second and third state seasons
• Download 2012 dove hunt regulations

Woodcock

• Fridays during the state season

Deer

• Youth - October 13, 2012
• Archery - October 15-20 and December 3-29, 2012 (excluding Sundays)
• Primitive Weapons - October 22-27, 2012
• Modern Gun - November 1-3 and November 15-17, 2012

Quail

• Fridays during the state season

Rabbit

• Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays during January 2013

Raccoon/Opossum

• November 26, 2012 (sunset) until 4 am Dec 1, 2012
• December 31, 2012 (sunset) until 4 am January 5, 2013
• February 4, 2013 (sunset) until 4 am February 9, 2013

Turkey

• Youth - March 30, 2013
• Hunt 1 - April 4-6, 2013 (computer draw; applications due March 1, 2013)
• Hunt 2 - April 11-13, 2013 (computer draw; applications due March 1, 2013)

           
Contact Don Cockman at Carolina Sandhills NWR for more information: 843-335-6024 or don_cockman@fws.gov.(Back to top)