South Carolina Crossbow Hunting

South Carolina is becoming a popular destination for serious crossbow hunters. It is a humid subtropical state with the east coast completely bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures in South Carolina are generally mild all year-round with very little, if any snowfall. This beautiful state offers crossbow hunters plenty of big game, including deer, bobcat, and bear.

South Carolina has a diverse geography that many crossbow hunters will find exciting and challenging. Game can be found in mountains, marshes, and estuaries. Crossbows may be used on private lands and WMA lands statewide during all archery, muzzleloader or gun seasons for deer, bear, and turkey. Check out South Carolina’s hunting rules and regulations listed below.

South Carolina Hunting Rules and Regulations

Senate Bill 691 (Passed June 11th, 2008)
Defines archery as” a longbow, recurve bow, compound bow or crossbow. There are no restrictions on draw weight/length, arrow weight/length, or broad head weight, width, or style.

Senate Bill 530 (Passed June 17th, 2008)
Any South Carolina resident that is a member of the Armed Forces that is stationed outside of the state will be permitted to hunt and fish without a license upon presentation of official furlough or leave papers.

South Carolina Crossbow and Archery Hunting Seasons

Game Zone 1
Mountain Hunt Unit: Oconee, Pickens, & Greenville Counties

Game Zone 2
Abbeville, Anderson, Chester, Cherokee, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenwood, Lancaster, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda, Spartanburg, Union, York Counties & those portions of the Counties of Greenville, Oconee, & Pickens south of the Game Zone 1 line

Game Zone 3
Aiken, Lexington, & Richland Counties

Game Zone 4
Kershaw, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Dillon, Florence, Marion & Horry Counties

Game Zone 5
Sumter, Lee, Darlington, Clarendon, Williamsburg, & Georgetown Counties

Game Zone 6
Allendale, Barnwell, Bamberg, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper & Orangeburg Counties