South Carolina § 50-11-500 - Provisions applicable to wild turkey.

§ 50-11-500. Provisions applicable to wild turkey.

(1) It is unlawful for a person to rob any wild turkey nest or own, possess, control, sell, or otherwise dispose of wild turkey eggs unless the possession of the eggs is authorized by permit issued by the department under the provisions of Section 50-11-1180.

(2) It is unlawful for a person to trap or snare any wild turkey.

(3) It is unlawful for a person to hunt, kill, or possess female wild turkeys at any time unless the department sets special open seasons for their taking.

(4) It is unlawful for a person to buy, sell, offer for sale, barter, or have in possession for sale any wild turkeys.

(5) It is unlawful for a person to release in the wild any pen-raised wild turkey unless that person is granted a permit to do so by the department. These permits are made after the department has caused a thorough study of the area on which pen-raised turkeys are to be released. The release of these turkeys is to take place under the supervision of department personnel. No pen-raised turkey may be released for any purpose unless it has been examined for parasites or disease and the release approved by the department not less than thirty days before the date of its release.

(6) It is unlawful for a person to shoot any wild turkey between thirty minutes after official sunset and thirty minutes before official sunrise.

(7) It is unlawful for a person to take or attempt to take a wild turkey with a rifle, pistol, buckshot, or shotgun slug.

(8) It is unlawful for a person to take or attempt to take a wild turkey from a vehicle on a public road.

(9) It is unlawful for a person to take or attempt to take a wild turkey from a watercraft on the waters of this State.

(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.

(11) It is unlawful for a person to stalk a wild turkey while behind a decoy or tail fan. Tail fans include those made of real or synthetic feathers or an image or likeness of a tail fan applied to any material.

HISTORY: [Derived from former SECTIONS 50-11-2020 (1962 Code SECTION 28-452; 1952 Code SECTION 28-452; 1942 Code SECTION 1781; 1932 Code SECTION 1751; 1945 (44) 110, 330; 1948 (45) 2013; 1952 (47) 2179; 1965 (54) 283; 1979 Act No. 186, SECTION 2); 50-11-2180 (1962 Code SECTION 28-468; 1952 Code SECTION 28-468; 1942 Code SECTION 1783-4; 1932 Code SECTION 1774; Cr. C. '22 SECTION 752; Cr. C. '12 SECTION 726; 1910 (26) 572; 1952 (47) 2179; 1979 Act No. 186, SECTION 4); 50-11-2210 (1962 Code SECTION 28-470.1; 1969 (56) 729; 1972 (57) 2431; 1979 Act No. 186, SECTION 1; 1984 Act No.318, SECTION 1; 1988 Act No. 573, SECTION 1; 1988 Act No. 581, SECTION 1; 1988 Act No. 582, SECTION 1)]; 1988 Act No. 561, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1262; 2002 Act No. 210, SECTION 2; 2005 Act No. 65, SECTION 1; 2024 Act No. 224 (H.4820), SECTIONS 2, 3, eff July 2, 2024.

Effect of Amendment

2024 Act No. 224, SECTION 2, added (10).

2024 Act No. 224, SECTION 3, added (11).