South Carolina § 50-11-120 - Small game seasons.
Full text of South Carolina South Carolina Code of Laws § 50-11-120 — Small game seasons., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 50-11-120. Small game seasons.
(A) Except as otherwise specified, the season for hunting and taking small game is Thanksgiving Day through March 1.
(1) Game Zone 1:
(a) rabbit: Thanksgiving Day through March 1, with weapons and dogs, day only; March 2 through the day before Thanksgiving Day, with dogs only, day and night, and no rabbits may be taken;
(b) squirrel: October 1 through March 1, with weapons and dogs; March 2 through September 30, with dogs only, and no squirrels may be taken;
(c) fox: year round but no fox may be taken March 2 through the day before Thanksgiving Day, inclusive;
(d) raccoon and opossum: September 15 through March 15, with weapons and dogs; March 16 through September 14, with dogs only, and no raccoon or opossum may be taken;
(e) quail: Monday before Thanksgiving Day through March 1, with weapons and dogs; March 2 to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, with dogs only, and no quail may be taken;
(f) grouse: Thanksgiving Day through March 1;
(g) beaver: year round.
(2) Game Zones 2 through 4:
(a) rabbit: Thanksgiving Day through March 1, with weapons and dogs, day only; March 2 through the day before Thanksgiving Day with dogs only, day and night, and no rabbits may be taken;
(b) squirrel: October 1 through March 1, with weapons and dogs; March 2 through September 30, with dogs only, and no squirrels may be taken;
(c) fox: year round but no fox may be taken March 2 through the day before Thanksgiving Day, inclusive;
(d) raccoon and opossum: September 15 through March 15, with weapons and dogs; March 16 through September 14, with dogs only, and no raccoon or opossum may be taken;
(e) quail: Monday before Thanksgiving Day through March 1, with weapons and dogs; March 2 to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, with dogs only, and no quail may be taken;
(f) beaver: year round.
(B) The season dates in this section are inclusive except as otherwise provided. Unless otherwise specified during the small game seasons when weapons are allowed, dogs also may be used.
(C) In all game zones it is lawful to run rabbits with dogs at any time during the year in enclosures but no rabbits may be taken.
(D) As used in this section where night hunting is authorized, "night" means the time between one hour after official sundown of a day and one hour before official sunrise the following day. Where daytime hunting only is allowed "day" means the time between one hour before official sunrise of a day and one hour after official sunset of the same day.
HISTORY: [Derived from former SECTIONS 50-11-310 (1962 Code SECTION 28-331; 1952 Code SECTION 28-331; 1942 Code SECTION 1781; 1932 Code SECTION 1751; 1945 (44) 110, 330; 1947 (45) 171; 1948 (45) 2013; 1952 (47) 2179; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTION 6); 50-11-350 (1962 Code SECTION 28-358; 1952 Code SECTION 28-358; 1942 Code SECTION 1789-1; 1938 (40) 1657; 1952 (47) 2179; 1979 Act No. 67; 1980 Act No. 338); 50-11-400 (1962 Code SECTION 28-421; 1952 (47) 2179; 1967 (55) 518; 1968 (55) 2832); 50-11-470. (1962 Code SECTION 28-333; 1952 Code SECTION 28-333; 1942 Code SECTIONS 1789, 1789-1, 1790-4; 1938 (40) 1657; 1939 (41) 534; 1940 (41) 1728; 1941 (42) 225; 1949 (46) 579; 1952 (47) 2179; 1953 (48) 392; 1954 (48) 1542; 1959 (51) 27; 1973 (58) 405, 406; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 1); 50-11-490. (1962 Code SECTION 28-333.1; 1952 (47) 2179); 50-11-500 (1962 Code SECTION 28-421.1; 1952 Code SECTION 28-333; 1942 Code SECTIONS 1789, 1789-1, 1790-4; 1938 (40) 1657; 1939 (41) 534; 1940 (41) 1728; 1941 (42) 225; 1949 (46) 579; 1953 (48) 392); 50-11-530 (1962 Code SECTION 28-334; 1952 Code SECTION 28-334; 1942 Code SECTIONS 1790, 1790-4; 1938 (40) 1657; 1940 (41) 1728; 1948 (45) 678, 1708; 1952 (47) 2179; 1953 (48) 326; 1957 (50) 520; 1963 (53) 90; 1967 (55) 289; 1972 (57) 2431; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 2); 50-11-540 (1962 Code SECTION 28-422; 1952 Code SECTION 28-422; 1948 (45) 1708; 1952 (47) 2179; 1953 (48) 124; 1954 (48) 1808); 50-11-580 (1962 Code SECTION 28-334.21; 1963 (53) 563, 564; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 3; 1984 Act No. 472); 50-11-590 (1962 Code SECTION 28-334.22; 1968 (55) 2496); 50-11-610 (1962 Code SECTION 28-335; 1952 Code SECTION 28-335; 1950 (46) 2360; 1952 (47) 2179; 1956 (49) 1814; 1957 (50) 80; 1972 (57) 2129; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 4; 1985 Act No. 183, SECTION 1); 50-11-630 (1962 Code SECTION 28-423; 1956 (49) 1814); 50-11-680 (1962 Code SECTION 28-336; 1953 (48) 292; 1957 (50) 77, 78; 1959 (51) 44; 1966 (54) 2008; 1976 Act No. 475; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 5; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTION 8); 50-11-710 (1962 Code SECTION 28-336.1; 1968 (55) 2727); 50-11-720 (1962 Code SECTION 28-337; 1952 Code SECTION 28-337; 1942 Code SECTION 1794; 1940 (41) 1692; 1952 (47) 2179; 1972 (57) 2751; 1978 Act No. 511); 50-11-750 (1962 Code SECTION 28-426; 1972 (57) 2373, 2713; 1974 (58) 2198; 1988 Act No. 549, SECTION 1); 50-11-760 (1962 Code SECTION 28-337.11; 1963 (53) 542; 1964 (53) 2099; 1967 (55) 517; 1974 (58) 2198); 50-11-780 (1962 Code SECTION 28-337.7; 1959 (51) 373); 50-11-785 (1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 6); 50-11-830 (1962 Code SECTION 28-337.8; 1963 (53) 296; 1967 (55) 922); 50-11-850 (1962 Code SECTION 28-338.1; 1952 Code SECTION 28-338.1; 1951 (47) 244; 1952 (47) 1844, 2179; 1955 (49) 105; 1959 (51) 37, 354; 1962 (52) 1711; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTIONS 7, 8; 1981 Act No. 63, SECTION 1; 1984 Act No. 460, SECTION 1; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTION 10); 50-11-860 (1962 Code SECTION 28-425; 1952 Code SECTION 28-338.1; 1951 (47) 244; 1952 (47) 1844, 2179); 50-11-870 (1962 Code SECTION 28-338.2; 1959 (51) 37); 50-11-880 (1962 Code SECTION 28-338.4; 1967 (55) 519); 50-11-910 (1962 Code SECTION 28-339; 1961 (52) 224; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 9; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTION 11); 50-11-960 (1962 Code SECTION 28-341; 1972 (57) 2189); 50-11-970 (1962 Code SECTION 28-339.1; 1974 (58) 2198; 1975 (59) 205; 1976 Act No. 485, SECTION 10; 1981 Act No. 119, SECTION 1; 1983 Act No. 95, SECTION 1; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTIONS 412, 13); 50-11-980 (1962 Code SECTION 28-379.2; 1974 (58) 2198; 1975 (59) 205); 50-11-985 (1976 Act No. 626, SECTION 2; 1977 Act No. 20, SECTION 1; 1979 Act No. 57, SECTIONS 1, 2; 1981 Act No. 63, SECTION 2; 1984 Act No. 460, SECTION 2; 1985 Act No. 68, SECTION 20); and 50-11-986 (1982 Act No. 274 SECTION 2; 1985 Act No. 88, SECTION 4; 1987 Act No. 55, SECTION 1)]; 1988 Act No. 561, SECTION 1; 1989 Act No. 170, SECTIONS 1, 3-5; 1990 Act No. 578, SECTION 1; 1991 Act No. 18, SECTION 1; 1992 Act No. 383, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 25, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1262; 1994 Act No. 311, SECTION 2; 1994 Act No. 473, SECTIONS 2, 3; 1994 Act No. 495, SECTION 1; 1995 Act No. 91, SECTION 1; 1995 Act No. 64, SECTION 1; 1999 Act No. 117, SECTION 2; 2003 Act No. 22, SECTIONS 1 to 11; 2003 Act No. 33, SECTION 2; 2004 Act No. 261, SECTIONS 1 to 11; 2006 Act No. 289, SECTION 2; 2014 Act No. 227 (S.1071), SECTION 2, eff July 1, 2015.
Effect of Amendment
2014 Act No. 227, SECTION 2, rewrote subsection (A), and in subsection (D), substituted "daytime" for "day time".
Source: official South Carolina text · Last verified 2026-08-27
Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina § 50-11-120
What does South Carolina Code of Laws § 50-11-120 cover?
Section 50-11-120 ("Small game seasons.") is part of the South Carolina Code of Laws, the codified statutory law of South Carolina. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.
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Sources & Verification
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