South Carolina deer hunters will find something new in their base set of tags this season — an additional opportunity to harvest a doe.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced that hunters will receive an extra antlerless deer tag in their base set for the 2026-27 season as the agency encourages hunters to increase doe harvests to help manage the state's deer population.
According to SCDNR, the average successful deer hunter in South Carolina harvests 1.8 deer per season, while fewer than 10% of the state's deer hunters harvest more than one doe per season.
The agency said increasing doe harvests can help maintain balanced deer populations, reduce pressure on available food sources and improve habitat for deer and other wildlife. A more balanced buck-to-doe ratio also can contribute to stronger rut activity and improved buck quality.
SCDNR said additional antlerless harvests also can benefit farmers by reducing deer damage to agricultural crops in areas where populations are high.
The agency is encouraging hunters to consider using their doe tags earlier in the season, when adult does can be easier to identify. Hunters who do not need additional venison also can consider donating harvested deer to Hunters for the Hungry, local food banks or permitted processors participating in the Deer Processors Fee Recovery Program.
The additional tag comes as SCDNR distributes nearly 250,000 sets of deer tags to hunters across the state.
Hunters with an annual or three-year hunting license and big game permit, combination license or sportsman license valid Aug. 15 automatically receive a free base set of deer tags. Lifetime, senior, gratis, disability and Catawba license holders who previously requested tags also receive them automatically, while youth hunters younger than 16 must request their free base set each year.
State law requires hunters to tag a deer immediately after harvest and before moving it from the point of kill. Hunters must mark the month, day and applicable Wildlife Management Area information on the tag before attaching it through the deer's hamstring. The tag must remain attached until the deer is quartered or received by a processor.
Hunters must carry their tags while hunting, and tags may not be transferred to or used by another person. Tags do not change daily or seasonal bag limits or regulations governing special seasons.
Individual antlerless deer tags may not be used before Sept. 15 in Game Zones 2, 3 and 4 or before Oct. 1 in Game Zone 1.
All harvested deer also must be reported through SC Game Check by midnight on the day of harvest. A deer taken to a processor must be reported before it is dropped off, and the hunter must provide the harvest confirmation number to the processor.
