The Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, located in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, is one of the Southeast’s premier sites for viewing the rapidly diminishing longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem.
A male turkey spreads its tail feathers while standing in some grass
Carolina Sandhills Turkey Lottery on Recreation.gov

If you applied for the turkey quota hunt lottery and were unsuccessful, unclaimed Turkey Hunt Permits will be available beginning on Wednesday, March 20th at 10:00 a.m. EST.

Unclaimed permits will be available on a first come/first serve basis to hunters who do not already have a permit or who are not already listed as a member of a hunt party on a permit.

Any duplicate permits will result in an immediate disqualification for the entire hunt party.  For example, if you are listed as a member of a hunt party for the second hunt period and try to purchase a permit for the first hunt period, both permits will be disqualified resulting in disqualification of the entire hunt party for both permits.

Cost of the permit is $15/hunter and one person may purchase for a group size of up to three hunters as long as permits are available. All hunt party members must be listed at time of purchase and no changes can be made once the permit is purchased. 

For the best opportunity to purchase one of these unclaimed permits, you should do the following:

Prior to 9:55 a.m. on March 20th

  • Log into your Recreation.gov user account.
  • Navigate to the Carolina Sandhills NWR Turkey Hunt Lottery Page
  • Be prepared to refresh your screen several times immediately at 10:00 a.m. until the box on the right side of the screen shows the permits available for sale.
  • Be prepared to complete the purchase of the permits before the page expires.

Visit Us

National Wildlife Refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. There are a multitude of opportunities for recreation and experiences with wildlife at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. 

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge was created to provide habitat for migratory birds, to demonstrate sound management practices that enhance natural resource conservation, and to provide wildlife-oriented recreation opportunities. In addition, the refuge supports a recovery population of the red-cockaded woodpecker.

      What We Do

      Wildlife conservation is at the heart of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It drives everything on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and waters managed within the Refuge System, from the purposes for which a national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
      A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

      Learn more about national wildlife refuge
      is established to the recreational activities offered to the resource management tools used. Using conservation best practices, the Refuge System manages Service lands and waters to help ensure the survival of native wildlife species. 

      Our Species

      Rolling beds of deep, sandy soils provide the foundation for Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, one of the last great vestiges of the longleaf pine ecosystem. The refuge also has habitats of streamside pocosins (translated “swamp on a hill”), open fields, hardwood ridges, wetlands and open water ponds.  Home to the rare and the ordinary, this refuge typifies the unique biological diversity of the longleaf pine ecosystem.

      Our Library

      Visit our digital library to find refuge brochures and documents.

      Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge Map

      This map is georeferenced and can be used with Avenza maps, which allows you to drop your phone's GPS location on top of the map as you navigate the refuge.

      Get Involved

      Master new skills. Meet new friends. Enjoy a sense of accomplishment from doing your part to further wildlife conservation for the pleasure of generations to follow through an internship or volunteering.