Will SC hunters be allowed to hunt on Sundays? New bill would open public lands
On any given Sunday, people can be found in South Carolina’s parks and wildlife areas enjoying the great outdoors. But while Palmetto State residents can participate in hiking, fishing or bird-watching, the one thing they won’t be doing is hunting — because it’s against the law.
A bill making its way through the S.C. Legislature would change that.
State Rep. Bobby Cox, R-Greenville, is sponsoring legislation that would permit hunting in state-run wildlife management areas on the day of rest.
“We’re one of the few states that doesn’t allow hunting on Sundays,” Cox said. “Some people want to go enjoy God’s creation by hunting, and we’re not allowing them to do it.”
South Carolina is one of a very few states that have this restriction, dating back to colonial-era “blue laws” that restricted several Sunday activities. The National Shooting Sports Foundation says that only Maine has a blanket ban on Sunday hunting, while Virginia’s governor currently has a bill on his desk to legalize the practice there.
North Carolina recently opened some public gamelands for Sunday hunting, while Maryland allows counties to set their own local rules for when hunting is allowed.
Sunday hunting in South Carolina is allowed on private land, but it took a lawsuit to open that loophole after S.C. voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting the right to hunt and fish in 2010. That leaves hunting on private property available on Sundays for those who have access to it, or who can afford membership in a private hunting club, but prohibited by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources for those whose only option is to hunt on public land.
“The DNR regulation discriminates against hunters that can’t afford to own or lease property or join a hunt club,” said John Culclasure, southeastern states director for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, which is backing Cox’s repeal bill.
The restrictions are particularly annoying for local hunters because, from hunting license fees to taxes on firearms and ammunition, they are major financial backers of the state’s wildlife management areas.
“They are the main contributors to managing these wildlife areas, and they are the only group prohibited from using them on a specific day,” said Trevor Santos with the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
DNR has moved to modify its restrictions, holding a series of public hearings around the state last summer and fall to get the public’s input. The agency ultimately proposed opening some wildlife management areas to Sunday hunters, a move put on hold as lawmakers consider a blanket legalization in all management areas.
While broadly supportive of Sunday hunting, the Edgefield-based National Wildlife Turkey Federation is staying neutral on the bill, waiting to see what new regulations DNR ultimately adopts, said NWTF district biologist Ricky Lackey.
Cox’s bill will be considered by the wildlife subcommittee early next week, and could soon move out of the House’s full agriculture committee for consideration in the Legislature this year. If the legislation does not become law this year, Cox will have to refile his proposal next year.
Hunting advocates hope the bill will open up new avenues for the pastime in a state where hunting culture is strong.
“With everything else we have going on, you might be left with just Sunday to go hunting,” Santos said. “This is a great opportunity to recruit new hunters, and ensure this heritage will carry on with a new generation of hunters and conservationists.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 12:52 PM.
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