Hundreds packed a Walterboro meeting over deer-dog hunting conflicts; SCDNR is gathering input in case lawmakers take up the issue.
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Author: Taylor Richardson
Published: 11:10 PM EDT August 10, 2026
Updated: 1:40 PM EDT August 11, 2026
WALTERBORO, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources held its third and final public input session Monday as the agency continues gathering feedback about conflicts surrounding deer hunting with dogs.
Hundreds of people from across the state attended the meeting in Walterboro to share their opinions on whether additional regulations should be considered.
The discussions come amid concerns about hunting dogs entering private property during deer hunts.
Some residents told SCDNR they believe additional regulations and stronger enforcement are needed to prevent hunting dogs from crossing property lines.
“There has to be some type of combination and reinforcement from the state level to help control these unruly clubs,” one public commenter said.
SCDNR Assistant Chief of Wildlife Jay Cantrell said the agency is not advocating for a specific change to the law.
“SCDNR does not pass laws. We do not have an agenda here. We just want to mediate both sides, identify the solutions to some of the problems that we are seeing,” Cantrell said.
While some residents called for additional restrictions, many people at Monday night’s meeting spoke against significant new regulations on deer hunting with dogs.
Opponents of additional regulations said responsible dog owners should not be punished because of the actions of a small number of hunters.
Others said they want to find a compromise that protects private property while allowing hunters to continue using dogs on land where they have permission.
Craig Stivender, a Calhoun County resident, said hunters and landowners need to find a way to prevent dogs from crossing property lines without infringing on hunters’ rights.
“We’ve got to be able to stop the dogs at the property lines the best we can from trespassing and going on other people’s property. Meanwhile, our rights shouldn’t be stepped on if we want to run dogs and we have acres to run them on,” Stivender said.
Some attendees also argued that SCDNR should focus on enforcing existing hunting laws before creating additional regulations.
“More regulation to me doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a solution there,” meeting attendee Justin Tozier said.