Lexington SC
Hunting
News
Live conditions, season status, solunar ratings, WMA profiles, and community hunting coverage for Lexington County and Game Zone 3.
Lexington Hunting Season Status
Lexington Hunting Weather Now
- Deer season is open — focus today's hunt on deer. Also open: Hog.
- Warm day. Deer activity will shift toward dusk. Focus on evening hunts near water and food sources.
- Calm winds are ideal for scent control. Play the wind carefully — enter and exit your stand downwind.
- Dark moon nights push deer to move in legal shooting hours at dawn and dusk. Be at your stand early.
- High humidity (100%) intensifies scent. Spray down thoroughly and hunt with wind in your face.
Lexington Hunt Conditions Today
Lexington Hunt Forecast — 5 Days
Lexington South Carolina Wildlife Management Areas
SCDNR heritage preserve on the Wateree River in Richland County. Quality Deer Management Area (4 points on one side or 12-inch spread). Deer archery Sept. 15–Oct. 10; still-gun deer and turkey hunting by lottery only; small game Jan. 2–Mar. 1.
Data/use cards required for all hunters and returned daily. (803) 353-6215. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
SC Forestry Commission state forest in the WMA program. Deer archery Sept. 15–30; still-gun deer Oct. 1–Jan. 1 (closed Oct. 31, Nov. 20–21 and Dec. 18–19); deer dog hunts by club lottery; hog hunts with dogs Mar. 1–6 and hog still-gun Mar. 8–13; small game Nov. 26–Mar. 1.
Firearms unloaded and cased when not in legal use; no shooting from or across open roads. The Palmetto Trail crosses the forest. Forestry Commission: (803) 494-8196. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
Quality Deer Management Area in Orangeburg County (4 points on one side or 12-inch spread). Deer archery Sept. 15–Oct. 31 and primitive weapons Nov. 1–20; dove on designated fields; small game Nov. 26–Mar. 1.
Data/use cards required and returned daily. Limit of 2 deer stands per hunter; no stands before Sept. 1. Campground open during scheduled deer hunts. (803) 429-2068. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
Small SCDNR waterfowl area in Fairfield County. Deer archery Sept. 15–Oct. 31 and small game Feb. 8–Mar. 1 under statewide WMA limits; see SCDNR waterfowl-area rules for duck hunt days.
(864) 427-5140. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
Dominion Energy land enrolled in the SCDNR WMA program. Follows Game Zone 2 WMA seasons: deer archery Sept. 15–30, primitive weapons Oct. 1–10, still gun Oct. 12–Jan. 1; hog hunts with dogs Jan. 2–9 and Mar. 20–27; no WMA small game before Sept. 1 or after Mar. 1.
No deer hunting with dogs in Game Zone 2. (803) 609-6992. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
Large WMA hunt unit spanning Cherokee, Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Laurens, Newberry, Spartanburg, Union and York counties. Follows Game Zone 2 WMA seasons: deer archery Sept. 15–30, primitive weapons Oct. 1–10, still gun Oct. 12–Jan. 1; spring turkey April 3–May 3, 2027 on WMA lands unless a property is more restrictive.
No deer hunting with dogs in Game Zone 2. Only lands posted with WMA signs are open. (864) 427-5140. WMA permit required in addition to an SC hunting license (Big Game Permit for deer). No Sunday hunting on WMA lands unless SCDNR lists it for the property.
Know a Lexington-area hunting land, WMA, or public access parcel that should be on this list? Let us know.
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Lexington Hunting FAQ
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Lexington (Lexington County) is in SCDNR Game Zone 3. 2026-27 private-land deer season: archery and gun Aug. 15 – Jan. 1, buck only Aug. 15 – Sept. 14. Youth deer days: Aug. 8 (antlered, limit 1) and Jan. 2 (either-sex, limit 2). WMA dates differ by property — see the WMA cards above and the SCDNR regulations.
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Public hunting near Lexington is listed in the WMA directory above. SCDNR manages all WMAs in South Carolina; a WMA license is required in addition to a basic hunting license.
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Yes. All hunters in South Carolina need a state hunting license. Deer and turkey require an additional big game permit. Hunting on any Wildlife Management Area (WMA) requires a WMA license. Federal migratory bird hunters age 16 and older need a federal duck stamp for waterfowl. Licenses and permits are available through SCDNR at dnr.sc.gov or at authorized license agents throughout Lexington County.
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Yes on private land: Sunday hunting is allowed on private lands statewide. On WMA lands Sunday hunting is not allowed (Reg. 123-51) except where SCDNR lists Sunday dates for a specific property — for example some WMAs allow Sunday hunting Oct. 15 – Jan. 31 for species in season.
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Antlered deer: residents 2 per day and 5 total; nonresidents 2 per day and 4 total (all seasons and methods combined, private and WMA lands). Antlerless on Game Zone 3 private lands: 2 per day, 9 total, using individual antlerless deer tags (valid from Sept. 15). Statewide WMA limit: 2 deer per day, 5 total, no more than 2 antlered. Report every harvest through SC Game Check.
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SCDNR lists no open bear season in Game Zone 3, which includes Lexington County. South Carolina bear seasons are limited to Game Zone 1, part of Game Zone 2, and five Game Zone 4 counties (Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Williamsburg). Report bear sightings or conflicts to SCDNR.
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