Senate Fish, Game & Forestry Committee Amendment
H 4820 - Session 125 (2023-2024)
Turkey season

The Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry proposes the following amendment (SFGF-4820.BC0009S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:

SECTION 1. Section 50-11-580 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 50-11-580. (A) The season for the hunting and taking a of legal male wild turkeyturkeys is April 1 through May 1:
  (1) in Game Zones 1 and 2, April 1 through May 10; and
  (2) in Game Zones 3 and 4, March 22 through April 30.
 (B) The season bag limit for legal male wild turkeys is threetwo statewide for residents and two statewide for nonresidents. The daily bag limit is one, provided that:
  (1) only one legal male wild turkey may be taken from April 1 through April 10 from within Game Zones 1 and 2; and
  (2) only one male wild turkey may be taken from March 22 through March 31 from within Game Zones 3 and 4.
 (C) It is unlawful for a person to take a female wild turkey unless authorized by the department pursuant to Section 50-11-500(3).
 (D) The department shall provide an annual report on wild turkey resources in South Carolina to the Chairman of the Senate Fish, Game and Forestry Committee and the Chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

SECTION 2. Section 50-11-500 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 (10) It is unlawful for a person to hunt, kill, or possess a male wild turkey with a beard less than six inches long and a tail fan that is not fully developed.

SECTION 3. Section 50-11-500 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

 (11) It is unlawful for a person to hunt or stalk a wild turkey while holding or using for hunter concealment a tail fan, a partial or full decoy with a tail fan, or a tail fan mounted to a firearm.

SECTION 4. Section 50-11-590 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 50-11-590. (A) The Saturday and Sunday preceding April 1 the start of a game zone turkey seasonand the Saturday and Sunday following May 1 is declared to be a "Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend" within the game zone for youth turkey hunters under eighteen years of age.
 (B) A license or tag requirement is waived for a youth turkey hunter during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend.
 (C) The total bag limit during Youth Turkey Hunting Weekendfor the two Youth Turkey Hunting Weekends combined is one legal male wild turkey for the weekend that shall count toward the season bag limit. A turkey harvest must be reported to the electronic harvest reporting system pursuant to the provisions of Section 50-11-546.
 (D) Youth turkey hunters who have not completed the hunter education program pursuant to Section 50-9-310, and who hunt during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend, must be accompanied by an adult who is at least twenty-one years of age. An adult may not harvest or attempt to harvest turkeys during a Youth Turkey Hunting Weekend but is permitted to call turkeys for a youth turkey hunter.

SECTION 5. Section 50-9-640 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 50-9-640. (A) For the privilege of hunting wild turkey, in addition to the required hunting license and big game permit, a person must possess a wild turkey tag issued in the person's name. The fee for a:
  (1) resident is five twenty-five dollars for three two tags, one dollar of which may be retained by the license sales vendor; and
  (2) nonresident is one hundred twenty-five dollars for two tags, one dollar of which may be retained by the license sales vendor.
 (B) There is no cost for wild turkey tags for persons under the age of sixteen, lifetime licensees, and gratis licensees upon request to the department.

SECTION 6.  This act is repealed on May 11, 2028, and the text amended by this act shall revert to the language contained in the South Carolina Code of Laws as of January 1, 2024.

SECTION 7. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.