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Southeast

Zone-variable

Peak 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.

Peak breeding window: Oct 15 – Oct 28 → Nov 8 – Nov 18

Rut phases by zone

Pre-rut, peak, post-rut, late.

Peak Breeding column is highlighted — that's when most does are in estrus.

  • Zone

    Coastal Plain (Game Zone 4)

    Peak breeding

    Oct 15 – Oct 28

    Pre-rut

    Sep 25 – Oct 14

    Post-rut

    Oct 29 – Nov 10

    Late rut

    Nov 15 – Nov 28

  • Zone

    Midlands (Game Zone 3)

    Peak breeding

    Nov 1 – Nov 12

    Pre-rut

    Oct 18 – Oct 31

    Post-rut

    Nov 13 – Nov 26

    Late rut

    Dec 1 – Dec 14

  • Zone

    Upstate (Game Zones 1 & 2)

    Peak breeding

    Nov 8 – Nov 18

    Pre-rut

    Oct 25 – Nov 7

    Post-rut

    Nov 19 – Dec 2

    Late rut

    Dec 7 – Dec 20

What drives the rut here

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.

Sources

Data sourced from SCDNR deer-program reports and the agency's analysis of fetal-rate data from harvested does.

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Last verified June 10, 2026

Writers and biologists are welcome to cite these windows. Link to this page so readers get the current numbers — agencies revise, and we keep up.

Always verify with the official agency before basing planning decisions on this page. Peak windows shift year to year.

Get rut intel for your specific land.

State-wide windows are a starting point. Bield: Hunt logs every sit, observation, and condition on your property — and turns three seasons of your data into patterns no generic calendar can match.

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Rut timing in nearby states · Southeast

All states with published data