Across the Lowcountry, hunters gear up for white-tail deer season

Despite the fact that it opens on a Wednesday — in the middle of the work week and smack dab in the middle of the dog days of summer, — ardent deer hunters in South Carolina will be ready for one of their most important days of the year — Aug. 15, opening day for hunting white-tail deer.

Deer hunters will be up on all rules and regulations and have their hunting license/big game permits in their wallet in the back pocket of their camouflage hunting pants. That includes a free “base-set” of deer tags purchased prior to opening day or 7-10 days following the purchase if deer season has already started.

The tags includes three unrestricted antlered buck tags and eight date-specific antlerless deer tags, meaning each antlerless buck tag can only be used on a specific day. These antlerless buck tags replace doe tags used in previous years.

Residents are allowed to purchase two extra antler restriction buck tags for $5 each. These tags require that the buck should have four points on one antler or have a minimum 12-inch inside spread. Before a deer is moved from the place it is killed, one of these valid deer tags must be attached.

For the antlered deer, meaning the deer must have an antler measuring two inches above the hairline, a hunter must use one of the three antlered deer tags issued to him. That two-inch measurement means a so-called “button” buck — a male deer with two bumps of horn visible at the hairline — doesn’t count as an antlered deer so one of the eight antlerless deer tags will have to be used. These tags are valid for the entire deer season running from Aug. 15, 2018, -Jan. 1, 2019, with a state wide limit of five antlered bucks. Remember, though, two of these antlered bucks must meet the requirement of having four points on one antler or a 12-inch inside spread and a daily limit of 2 antlered bucks or antlerless deer with allowed designated tags.

Seasoned South Carolina deer hunters know these rules and regulations like the back of their hands. Shucks, I just about know all of them myself after living around menfolk in the family that were and still are hunters, including my granddaddy, daddy, brothers, husband and now, sons.

They also know that the legal hunt time is one hour before official sunrise and one hour after official sunset. Daylight savings time will allow for more hunt time in the evenings, but when Nov. 4 rolls around, daylight saving time will end, meaning later sunrises and earlier sunsets. Daylight saving time will mean a 6:20 a.m. sunrise and a 7:49 p.m. sunset on opening day.

According to Grier’s Almanac, the last day of the hunting season, Jan. 1, 2019, will bring a 7:08 a.m. sunrise and a 4:58 p.m. sunset.

The anxious deer hunter will start the season off warding off ticks and redbugs with sweat dripping from his brow and end up the last day of the season all wrapped in winter clothes and possibly with some frost on the tip of his nose.

But to a serious hunter it’s all worth it.

Happy hunting.

This story was originally published July 16, 2018 at 6:45 AM.