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Committee approves state wildlife-management rule changes including new turkey limits
Summary
The House Regulations and Administrative Procedures Committee approved updates to wildlife management area rules that implement a 2024 statutory change to turkey bag limits and other season and area-specific adjustments.
The House Regulations and Administrative Procedures Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee approved changes to multiple wildlife management area regulations that implement recent statutory changes to turkey seasons and other game rules.
The rule package, document 5332, implements provisions of Act 224 of 2024 that reduce the statewide turkey bag limit and set the statewide turkey season dates, and it makes additional, area-specific adjustments to seasons and quotas. The committee approved the regulation by roll call; the subcommittee had recommended approval.
Billy Dukes, identified as chief of wildlife with the Department of Natural Resources, told the committee the changes "were done on wildlife management areas to conform to the statute," and that the statute decreased the statewide bag limit from three to two and outlined the opening dates and youth weekends. Dukes said department staff recommended a later start to help protect mature breeding males: "we were...looking for a later season to try to to save some mature gobblers...because those are your breeders."
The regulation also: sets seasons for specific areas (including South Saluda WMA), raises the bear quota in game zone 4, permits youth deer hunts with dogs on two specified Saturdays in November and December, prohibits ATVs at Liberty Hill WMA, and establishes opening and closing times for public dove fields, among other changes. Committee members asked questions about why the bag limit changed and why the statute restricts early-season take.
The committee recorded a unanimous approval for document 5332. The regulation will now proceed per the agency's rulemaking process.
Two members of the committee who spoke during the item identified themselves by name on the record; other legislators posed procedural and clarification questions during discussion.
The changes implement the legislature's 2024 statutory direction and adjust multiple localized regulatory details; the Department of Natural Resources presented the package and answered committee questions.
