South Carolina · Whitetail rut
Whitetail rut dates in South Carolina.
South Carolina's coastal bucks peak weeks before the upstate — one of the most dramatic rut spreads in the Southeast.
Oct 15 – Oct 28 → Nov 8 – Nov 18 · South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
South Carolina's whitetail rut runs early on the coast and gradually later moving inland. Coastal Plain genetics descended in part from never-extirpated native herds, contributing to a much earlier peak than the upstate, where restoration stock came largely from out-of-state. Hunters who chase deer in multiple regions need different calendars for each.
Zone
Coastal Plain (Game Zone 4)
- Pre-rut
- Sep 25 – Oct 14
- Peak breeding
- Oct 15 – Oct 28
- Post-rut
- Oct 29 – Nov 10
- Late rut
- Nov 15 – Nov 28
Zone
Midlands (Game Zone 3)
- Pre-rut
- Oct 18 – Oct 31
- Peak breeding
- Nov 1 – Nov 12
- Post-rut
- Nov 13 – Nov 26
- Late rut
- Dec 1 – Dec 14
Zone
Upstate (Game Zones 1 & 2)
- Pre-rut
- Oct 25 – Nov 7
- Peak breeding
- Nov 8 – Nov 18
- Post-rut
- Nov 19 – Dec 2
- Late rut
- Dec 7 – Dec 20
Source
Data sourced from SCDNR deer-program reports and the agency's analysis of fetal-rate data from harvested does.
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