Hunt Season Information
The refuge is home to many game species, offering a variety of opportunities for hunters.
Hunters under the age of 16, must hunt with a parent or guardian. Youth hunters are defined by State law as age 17 or under. Youth hunters age 16 and 17 have Hunters Education and licensing requirements; consult State hunting regulations. The refuge designates certain days as youth only. Adults must accompany a youth under age 16 or youth who have not completed Hunters Education; however, only youth may possess a firearm and harvest game on designated youth days.
Deer hunts are held each fall for archery, primitive weapons and firearms hunters and designated youth days.
Turkeys are numerous in longleaf pine forests and a lottery-issued hunt is held each spring on portions of the refuge for gobblers. There are also designated youth days that do not require a quota permit. The turkey lottery application and permit system is on Recreation.gov. Visit Recreation.gov to learn more about applying to this hunt opportunity.
There are designated seasons for mourning doves, woodcock, Northern bobwhite quail, rabbits, raccoons, and opossum.
A refuge permit is required for all hunts and must be carried while hunting, and is not valid until signed. Permits are non-transferable. A Supplemental Information sheet is published annually that includes species, seasons, bag limits, weaponry, and tagging/reporting requirements. A hunter should possess both the Refuge Hunting Brochure Permit and the Supplemental Information sheet to ensure compliance with refuge and State regulations.
The refuge is open (except designated closed areas) for pre-hunt scouting from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. Dogs are permitted for bird hunting and for hunting raccoon and opossum at night only.
The use of all-terrain or utility vehicles (ATV/UTVs) on the refuge is prohibited except by permit for mobility-impaired hunters in the designated mobility-impaired hunt area. Mobility-impaired hunters must provide a copy of their South Carolina Disabled Hunting license and apply for an access permit. Application should be made at the Refuge Office no later than 10 calendar days prior to the first day of the hunt period. An access permit will be issued for the use of an ATV/UTV on the Refuge in the designated mobility-impaired access area. All refuge and State regulations pertaining to owning and operating motor vehicles will also apply to ATV/UTVs.
Map App: If you use a mobile device or tablet, download the georeferenced refuge .pdf map below. Then, import the .pdf map file into a compatible program, like Avenza, and when you are on the refuge, your location will be a blue dot! This will help you navigate the 150 miles of roads and 45,000 acres on the refuge!
