- By Tommy Braswell Special to The Post and Courier
- 13 hrs ago
- Venue changed for Aug. 10 Deer Hunting with Dogs forum
It’s not surprising that a larger venue was needed for the third of three public forums the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will hold to hear public input on the practice of hunting deer with dogs.
The final forum will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Aug. 10 at FAITH Church, located at 858 Bells Highway in Walterboro. Previous forums were held July 22 in Florence and July 27 in Orangeburg.
The SCDNR Board asked SCDNR staff to gather public input, including perspectives on areas of conflict and potential solutions.There is no pending legislation and SCDNR is not proposing or recommending any changes to current laws or regulations related to hunting deer with dogs. But it’s a touchy subject on both sides.
Those unable to attend Monday’s meeting may submit comments through SCDNR’s online public comment platform at arcg.is/0zzqv4. Online comments will receive the same consideration as comments shared during the public engagement forums.
The practice of using dogs to hunt deer is centuries old. Hunters take up stands, and a pack of dogs is released to jump the deer and send them running in the direction of the hunters. But conflict arises when the dogs stray onto adjacent properties, spooking deer that still hunters have hopes of harvesting.
Many Lowcountry residents are members of clubs that hunt on land leased from large property owners, and most of the large landowners have, in recent years, banned the practice of using dogs to hunt deer for their lease holders.
The practice is legal in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In South Carolina, the use of dogs to hunt deer is practiced primarily in Games Zones 3 and 4, known as the Coastal Plain.