Committee advances multi‑site wildlife management area regulation, increases coastal bear quota

Billy Dukes, chief of the wildlife section at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, described document 5,332 as an annual update to WMA regulations. The rule adds the South Saluda Wildlife Management Area in Pickens County ("about 2,000 acres"), establishes hunting seasons for that property, creates managed waterfowl areas on Coosahatchee WMA, establishes permanent public dove fields, and makes other seasonal and reporting changes across multiple WMAs.

Dukes also described a proposed quota increase for black bears in Game Zone 4 from 30 to 40. He said the quota system is designed to expand opportunity while remaining conservative: "What we have settled on to maximize opportunity for our sportsmen and maximize, potential for success is a bear quota... We we had estimated that, that a quota of 30 was approximately 10% of our existing population... We're going with what we consider is a still a fairly conservative quota of 40 bears for the Coastal Plain population." Dukes noted that because of reporting and closure timing a quota of 40 may result in a harvest "between 40 and 50," and that DNR will monitor population and harvest closely.

Committee members asked about population estimates and season structure in mountain Game Zone 1 and were told that Game Zone 1 is connected to North Carolina populations and estimated at roughly 1,000 to 1,200 bears in South Carolina's portion. The committee voted to send the regulation to the full committee with a recommendation to approve.