(A224, R250, H4820)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-580, RELATING TO THE SEASON FOR HUNTING AND TAKING MALE WILD TURKEYS, BAG LIMITS, TAKING FEMALE WILD TURKEYS, AND ANNUAL REPORTING, SO AS TO ADJUST THE HUNTING SEASON AND LIMIT FOR TAKING MALE WILD TURKEYS; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-500, RELATING TO PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO WILD TURKEY, SO AS TO PROHIBIT HUNTING, KILLING, OR POSSESSING A MALE WILD TURKEY WITH A BEARD LESS THAN SIX INCHES LONG AND A TAIL FAN THAT IS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED, AND STALKING A WILD TURKEY BEHIND A DECOY OR TAIL FAN; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-11-590, RELATING TO YOUTH TURKEY HUNTING WEEKEND, SO AS TO ADJUST THE DATES AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ALLOWED TOTAL BAG LIMIT; BY AMENDING SECTION 50-9-640, RELATING TO WILD TURKEY TAG FEES, SO AS TO INCREASE TAG FEES; TO PROVIDE A SUNSET CLAUSE; AND BY REPEALING SECTION 5 OF ACT 91 OF 2021, RELATING TO CATCH AND SIZE LIMITS FOR THE TAKING, POSSESSING, LANDING, SELLING, OR PURCHASING OF CERTAIN FISH FROM THE STATE'S WATERS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Season for hunting and taking wild male turkeys, bag limits, annual report

SECTION 1.    Section 50-11-580 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 50-11-580.    (A) The season for the hunting and taking of legal male wild turkeys is April 3 through May 3.

(B) The season bag limit for legal male wild turkeys is two statewide for residents and two statewide for nonresidents. The daily bag limit is one, provided that only one legal male wild turkey may be taken prior to April 10.

(C) It is unlawful for a person to take a female wild turkey unless authorized by the department pursuant to Section 50-11-500(3).

(D) The department shall provide an annual report on wild turkey resources in South Carolina to the Chairman of the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee and the Chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, to include an itemized list of expenditures from the revenues generated from the sale of resident and nonresident wild turkey tags.

Provisions applicable to wild turkey, beard length

SECTION 2.    Section 50-11-500 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

(10) It is unlawful for a person to hunt, kill, or possess a male wild turkey with a beard less than six inches long and a tail fan that is not fully developed.

Provisions applicable to wild turkey, stalking

SECTION 3.    Section 50-11-500 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

(11) It is unlawful for a person to stalk a wild turkey while behind a decoy or tail fan. Tail fans include those made of real or synthetic feathers or an image or likeness of a tail fan applied to any material.

Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend

SECTION 4.    Section 50-11-590 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 50-11-590.    (A) The Saturday and Sunday preceding April 3 and the Saturday and Sunday following May 3 is declared to be a "Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend" for youth turkey hunters under eighteen years of age.

(B) A license or tag requirement is waived for a youth turkey hunter during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend.

(C) The total bag limit for the two Youth Turkey Hunting Weekends combined is one legal male wild turkey that shall count toward the season bag limit. A youth turkey hunter who has reached the season bag limit on or prior to May 3 must not harvest or attempt to harvest a turkey during the Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend following May 3 but is permitted to call turkeys for another youth turkey hunter. A turkey harvest must be reported to the electronic harvest reporting system pursuant to the provisions of Section 50-11-546.

(D) Youth turkey hunters who have not completed the hunter education program pursuant to Section 50-9-310, and who hunt during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend, must be accompanied by an adult who is at least twenty-one years of age. An adult must not harvest or attempt to harvest a turkey during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend but is permitted to call turkeys for a youth turkey hunter.

Wild turkey tag fees

SECTION 5.    Section 50-9-640 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

Section 50-9-640.    (A) For the privilege of hunting wild turkey, in addition to the required hunting license and big game permit, a person must possess a wild turkey tag issued in the person's name. The fee for a:

(1) resident is twenty-five dollars for two tags, one dollar of which may be retained by the license sales vendor; and

(2) nonresident is one hundred twenty-five dollars for two tags, one dollar of which may be retained by the license sales vendor.

(B) There is no cost for wild turkey tags for persons under the age of sixteen, lifetime licensees, and gratis licensees upon request to the department.

Sunset provision

SECTION 6.    The amendments contained in SECTIONS 1 and 4 of this act are repealed on May 11, 2028, and the text of these SECTIONS shall revert back to the language contained in the South Carolina Code of Laws as of January 1, 2024.

Repeal

SECTION 7.    SECTION 5 of Act 91 of 2021 is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION 8.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 27th day of June, 2024.

Approved the 2nd day of July, 2024.

This web page was last updated on July 29, 2024 at 12:17 PM