SC Hunt

NHSHOOTER · November 21, 2014, 03:32 PM

I will be heading down to the Columbia SC area for a deer hunt the day after Thanksgiving, just wondering if anyone else has hunted that area recently. I hear there are alot of deer down that way. Any opinions?

Saltydog235 · November 21, 2014, 04:42 PM

Movement has been slow in our club of late, not so much if you are hunting agricultural land Deer have been chasing heavily for the last few weeks. They've also been educated by this time in the season, if you are hunting permanent stands, camo up, stay still and stay quiet. Get in early in the AM and stay until you can't see in the scope because that is when you will see them more than likely.

Lemmon · November 22, 2014, 12:22 AM

Welcome to South Carolina..... I live north of Columbia and the last deer taken was with my auto. I don't hunt deer like I used to but the guys in my hunt group have been fairly successful this year. Wish you the best of luck in getting what you want. Remember that we have a variety of BBQ houses and a number of good Mom and Pops restaurants also......have fun and be safe..

Lemmon from Rural South Carolina

mxsailor803 · November 24, 2014, 10:42 AM

I'm heading to Hampton county in few weeks to get a little meat on the table. What's the moon phase that we are in right now? I've never had any luck with evening hunting on full moons. Mornings on the other hand, well, got a nice 9-pointer getting mounted right now lol. Watch the weather, if its going to get in the 70's bring a Thermacell. Skeeters will carry your butt off if its warm. Good luck.

Saltydog235 · November 24, 2014, 01:29 PM

Quote:

if its going to get in the 70's bring a Thermacell.

It was 52 in the stand the other day, 28 in the morning. I had to turn mine on because they got so bad.

NHSHOOTER · December 9, 2014, 09:15 PM

Finally made it down to So. Carolina to hunt, sat 5 sittings, 3 eves and 2 morns..saw a few doe and shot a spike horn buck. The deer were not moving well at all according to the locals but I did make some friends and was invited to head back down next fall. I like the way they hunt and I saw some fine racks hanging all around peoples properties and on the wall and my new friends house. BTW, the zone I hunted was no limit on bucks from mid aug to jan 1st..wow..

Snyper · December 9, 2014, 09:19 PM

Quote:

the zone I hunted was no limit on bucks from mid aug to jan 1st..wow..

There's not much that can compare with sitting in a stand when it's 95 degrees

Lemmon · December 9, 2014, 11:59 PM

glad you enjoyed your visit to South Carolina...... You are welcome to come back to visit...

Lemmon from Rural South Carolina

mxsailor803 · December 12, 2014, 04:03 AM

Thats one of the beauties of hunting in SC. Not many restrictions and its such a common practice to hunt from August 15th to Jan 1st. You'll even see teenagers with trucks and dog boxes in the back ready to go for the weekend. My box didn't come out until Jan 2nd every year for a long time. At least you got to see some deer on a slow time. Could've been worse, could've missed a wall hanger lol.

NHSHOOTER · December 12, 2014, 04:52 AM

I will be back. When I went this time I bought a 3 day license, next year I will buy one for the whole season and make a few trips down. I am really looking forward to it.

Saltydog235 · December 12, 2014, 10:40 AM

Come back early season, the deer are stupid then. They get educated by mid-late September.

NHSHOOTER · December 12, 2014, 06:35 PM

question for you Saltydog235 what about the heat of late summer? Isnt it still aweful hot down that way end of aug to 1st of sept? Do they still move when its real hot?

Saltydog235 · December 13, 2014, 11:27 PM

Heck, it's still hot here in October. I was hunting in shorts and a T shirt with my Bug Tamer and snake boots until late October. You do what you have to do to hunt. Deer move in late evenings and early AM, throw out the lunar tables, they don't mean a thing. Deer live in the elements every day, never seen one in an air conditioned field, never killed one in the air conditioning either. Though I do know of a rich landowner that had a air/heat conditioned stand. Had a garage and elevator too, his seat was a recliner, camo of course.

You just suck it up, take plenty of water and go sweat.

NHSHOOTER · December 14, 2014, 09:46 AM

Sounds good Saltydog, I will be there!!!

Snyper · December 14, 2014, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Do they still move when its real hot?

Not only do they move, but you're likely to see groups of bucks still in velvet.

Just get some fine mesh camo to keep the "skeeters" off

reynolds357 · December 14, 2014, 10:53 PM

Salty dog, I have pretty good success hunting by solunar tables and weather patterns. Yeah, I can always see does and small bucks in my food plots early in the morning and late in the evening, but the older bucks seem to move more by solunar schedule and weather patterns.

Saltydog235 · December 15, 2014, 08:39 AM

You must not be hunting pine plantations in the lowcountry with active forest management and logging operations. Deer movement isn't on the lunar tables then. Early season it's morning, late evening and nights.

reynolds357 · December 15, 2014, 08:42 PM

I am hunting in Georgia just a couple miles from the SC line. (Savannah River area)

The biggest bucks killed around here are usually killed when a major soulunar hunting period falls early in the early afternoon. The big bucks in this area are smart. The smartest ones are completely nocturnal during season. The almost as smart ones seem to have figured out that the hunters leave the woods during mid day.

Saltydog235 · December 15, 2014, 10:49 PM

Yeah, that's why I sit longer than about anyone in my club. I know in the AM when I hear the others start leaving, it's time to start paying attention to everything. To me you sit as long as you can every time out, good optics are a must for evenings.

November 21, 2014, 03:32 PM	#1
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	SC Hunt I will be heading down to the Columbia SC area for a deer hunt the day after Thanksgiving, just wondering if anyone else has hunted that area recently. I hear there are alot of deer down that way. Any opinions?

December 9, 2014, 11:59 PM	#8
Lemmon Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2009 Location: Rural South Carolina Posts: 445	You are welcome glad you enjoyed your visit to South Carolina...... You are welcome to come back to visit... Lemmon from Rural South Carolina

November 21, 2014, 04:42 PM	#2
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	Movement has been slow in our club of late, not so much if you are hunting agricultural land Deer have been chasing heavily for the last few weeks. They've also been educated by this time in the season, if you are hunting permanent stands, camo up, stay still and stay quiet. Get in early in the AM and stay until you can't see in the scope because that is when you will see them more than likely.

November 22, 2014, 12:22 AM	#3
Lemmon Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2009 Location: Rural South Carolina Posts: 445	Welcome to South Carolina..... I live north of Columbia and the last deer taken was with my auto. I don't hunt deer like I used to but the guys in my hunt group have been fairly successful this year. Wish you the best of luck in getting what you want. Remember that we have a variety of BBQ houses and a number of good Mom and Pops restaurants also......have fun and be safe.. Lemmon from Rural South Carolina

November 24, 2014, 10:42 AM	#4
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	I'm heading to Hampton county in few weeks to get a little meat on the table. What's the moon phase that we are in right now? I've never had any luck with evening hunting on full moons. Mornings on the other hand, well, got a nice 9-pointer getting mounted right now lol. Watch the weather, if its going to get in the 70's bring a Thermacell. Skeeters will carry your butt off if its warm. Good luck.

December 9, 2014, 09:15 PM	#6
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	Finally made it down to So. Carolina to hunt, sat 5 sittings, 3 eves and 2 morns..saw a few doe and shot a spike horn buck. The deer were not moving well at all according to the locals but I did make some friends and was invited to head back down next fall. I like the way they hunt and I saw some fine racks hanging all around peoples properties and on the wall and my new friends house. BTW, the zone I hunted was no limit on bucks from mid aug to jan 1st..wow..

December 12, 2014, 04:03 AM	#9
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	Thats one of the beauties of hunting in SC. Not many restrictions and its such a common practice to hunt from August 15th to Jan 1st. You'll even see teenagers with trucks and dog boxes in the back ready to go for the weekend. My box didn't come out until Jan 2nd every year for a long time. At least you got to see some deer on a slow time. Could've been worse, could've missed a wall hanger lol.

December 12, 2014, 04:52 AM	#10
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	I will be back. When I went this time I bought a 3 day license, next year I will buy one for the whole season and make a few trips down. I am really looking forward to it.

December 12, 2014, 10:40 AM	#11
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	Come back early season, the deer are stupid then. They get educated by mid-late September.

December 12, 2014, 06:35 PM	#12
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	question for you Saltydog235 what about the heat of late summer? Isnt it still aweful hot down that way end of aug to 1st of sept? Do they still move when its real hot?

December 13, 2014, 11:27 PM	#13
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	Heck, it's still hot here in October. I was hunting in shorts and a T shirt with my Bug Tamer and snake boots until late October. You do what you have to do to hunt. Deer move in late evenings and early AM, throw out the lunar tables, they don't mean a thing. Deer live in the elements every day, never seen one in an air conditioned field, never killed one in the air conditioning either. Though I do know of a rich landowner that had a air/heat conditioned stand. Had a garage and elevator too, his seat was a recliner, camo of course. You just suck it up, take plenty of water and go sweat.

December 14, 2014, 09:46 AM	#14
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	Sounds good Saltydog, I will be there!!!

December 14, 2014, 10:53 PM	#16
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	Salty dog, I have pretty good success hunting by solunar tables and weather patterns. Yeah, I can always see does and small bucks in my food plots early in the morning and late in the evening, but the older bucks seem to move more by solunar schedule and weather patterns.

December 15, 2014, 08:39 AM	#17
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	You must not be hunting pine plantations in the lowcountry with active forest management and logging operations. Deer movement isn't on the lunar tables then. Early season it's morning, late evening and nights.

December 15, 2014, 08:42 PM	#18
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I am hunting in Georgia just a couple miles from the SC line. (Savannah River area) The biggest bucks killed around here are usually killed when a major soulunar hunting period falls early in the early afternoon. The big bucks in this area are smart. The smartest ones are completely nocturnal during season. The almost as smart ones seem to have figured out that the hunters leave the woods during mid day.

December 15, 2014, 10:49 PM	#19
Saltydog235 Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2010 Location: Pawleys Island Posts: 1,563	Yeah, that's why I sit longer than about anyone in my club. I know in the AM when I hear the others start leaving, it's time to start paying attention to everything. To me you sit as long as you can every time out, good optics are a must for evenings.