Over 40,000 turkey hunters take to the woods annually in South Carolina with hopes of harvesting a wily gobbler, and the 2013 spring turkey season was no exception. With an estimated harvest of 19,211 birds, the spring turkey harvest was down about 11 percent from 2012 and down 25 percent from the record harvest established […]
Disposal of deer remains may not be the highlight of a hunting trip, but the state’s Deer Program coordinator says it’s an important aspect of hunting, particularly in maintaining the hunter’s image. “Hunters should realize that improperly disposing of deer remains presents a negative public image,” said Charles Ruth, Deer/Turkey Project supervisor for the S.C. […]
SGT Marcus R. Smith of Saluda was awarded the title of statewide S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife officer of the year for 2013 during ceremonies held Sept. 26 in Columbia. Five other officers were also honored for their dedication in protecting the state’s natural resources through enforcement, education, special investigations, intelligence and records […]
Late fall and winter bring “hard times” for small game species like bobwhite quail and rabbits, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Natural food becomes scarce and resting and escape cover is thin in the fall and winter, according to Willie Simmons, Small Game Project Supervisor with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources […]
Becky Humphries joins the National Wild Turkey Federation as the Executive Vice President of Conservation. Humphries, a respected expert in wildlife and habitat conservation, will oversee the NWTF’s conservation efforts and its expanding team of wildlife biologists. With more than 35 years of experience, she has a proven record of tackling tough natural resource issues […]
The much-anticipated start of the 2013 deer season is just around the corner and South Carolina’s deer population is healthy and the season outlook is good. Although the deer harvest has been on a downward trend the last few years indicating that population levels have moderated, hunter success and deer harvest rates remain good, according […]
The National Wild Turkey Federation has announced its support of the Sportsmen’s Act of 2013, a package of pro-sportsmen legislation introduced in the Senate by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. The Sportsmen’s Act of 2013 is a bi-partisan effort to protect hunting, fishing and recreational shooting on federal lands and to eliminate many legal loopholes used […]
Since 2003, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Section and other partners have taken part in a long-term, multi-state banding project on mourning doves to improve information on dove life history. Over thirty-five states across the nation are participating in this landmark project, and more than 350,000 doves have been banded since the project […]
The complete listing of South Carolina’s antler records is now available to the public online at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website. Although summary information has been available annually, this is only the fourth time that the complete listing of all antler records has been available since 1998, according to Charles Ruth, Deer and Wild […]
In an effort to keep state waterways safe during the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend, the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division will again be conducting courtesy safety inspections at some public boat landings. S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) boating safety and enforcement officers will perform a quick, but thorough, inspection for […]