South Carolina's Prime Deer Season

EDITOR'S NOTE: You can start hunting deer in parts of South Carolina right now. As a matter of fact, South Carolina deer season in the southern half of the state begins on August 15th, unless that date falls on a Sunday. If the 15th falls on Sunday, the season starts on August 14th. The good news doesn't stop there. You can take as many deer as you like per day because there's no daily limit. To learn more about one of the longest deer-hunting seasons in the nation and the most liberal bag limit, we'll talk with Hayward Simmons this week. He is the owner and operator of Lakeview Plantation and Cedar Knoll lodge.

Question: When is the prime time for deer hunters to take bucks in South Carolina?

Answer: Prime times include opening day and the first few weeks of the season. Surprisingly the bucks make for really good hunting then. We have another flurry of good hunting a little bit later when the bucks start rubbing the velvet off their antlers. Around September 23, we start seeing the first signs of rutting activity, which continues to build through October. We have a very narrow rut because of our supplemental feeding program. Most of our does go into heat during the last week of October and the first week of November. The rutting activity seems to continue through Thanksgiving, while peaking during October and November.

Question: Where is Lakeview Plantation/Cedar Knoll Lodge located?

Answer: Our hunting area lies between Allendale and Estill, South Carolina, along the Savannah River.

For more information on hot-weather deer hunting, contact Hayward Simmons at 875 Cedar Knoll Road, Fairfax, South Carolina, 29827, or by phone at 803-584-0689 or email at lakeviewplantation@barnwellsc.com.

Tomorrow: South Carolina Offers Hunters the Choice of Using Black-Powder, Archery or Modern Weapons