Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

As Passed By The Senate

May 09, 2024

H. 4820

Introduced by Reps. Forrest, Hixon, Hayes, Chumley, Burns, Haddon, Magnuson, Chapman, McDaniel and Gibson

S. Printed 05/09/24--S.

Read the first time March 27, 2024

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A bill

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 AND LIMIT FOR TAKING MALE WILD TURKEYS; and to provide a SUNSET provision.

    Amend Title To Conform

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

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 a of legal male wild turkeyturkeys is April 3 through May 3:

       (1) in Game Zones 1 and 2, April 1 through May 10;  and

       (2) in Game Zones 3 and 4, March 22 through April 30.

    (B) The season bag limit for legal male wild turkeys is threetwo statewide for residents and two statewide for nonresidents. The daily bag limit is one, provided that:

       (1) only one legal male wild turkey may be taken from April 1 throughprior to April 10 from within Game Zones 1 and 2;  and

       (2) only one male wild turkey may be taken from March 22 through March 31 from within Game Zones 3 and 4.

    (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.

    (E) Notwithstanding subsection (A), Game Zone 3 a landowner of property in a conservation easement that is two thousand five hundred acres or more may elect to begin the season for the hunting and taking of legal male wild turkeys on the property on March 22 by providing a statement of the election to the department.

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.

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.

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 the start of a game zone turkey seasonand the Saturday and Sunday following May 3 is declared to be a "Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend" within the game zone 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 during Youth Turkey Hunting Weekendfor the two Youth Turkey Hunting Weekends combined is one legal male wild turkey for the weekend 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 may must not harvest or attempt to harvest turkeys a turkey during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend but is permitted to call turkeys for a youth turkey hunter.

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 five twenty-five dollars for three 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.

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.

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

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

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