#07–49 February 19, 2007

DNR adult/youth turkey hunts deadline is March 2

Turkey hunters will get the chance to introduce youths to the grand sport of wild turkey hunting during adult-youth turkey drawing hunts sponsored in April by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. The deadline to apply for these hunts is Monday, March 2.

The application and fee deadline is Monday, March 2 for the Donnelley, Bonneau Ferry, and Santee Cooper WMA adult-youth turkey hunts, no exceptions. For applications and information write: Youth Turkey Hunt, PO Box 167, Columbia, SC 29202, call (803) 734-3886 in Columbia. Download application.

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is scheduling “drawing-only” adult-youth public turkey hunts on three areas: Donnelley, Bonneau Ferry, and Santee Cooper Wildlife Management Areas. Colleton County's Donnelley Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is an 8,048-acre tract in the ACE Basin, the Bonneau Ferry WMA is a 10,697-acre tract in Berkeley County, and Santee Cooper WMA is a 3,222-acre area in Orangeburg County. All three WMAs are managed by the DNR. The hunts will be held on Saturdays—April 7, 14, 21 and 28 with a bag limit of one gobbler per hunter.

Applications must be received through the mail with application fees enclosed; no fax applications will be accepted. Turkey hunters will be selected through a computerized drawing. Only adult-youth parties are allowed to apply. The adult as well as the youth can hunt and both can take one bird. One youth 10 to 17 years of age must accompany the adult, and youths must actively participate in the hunts. All youths, regardless of age, are required to possess a set of free turkey tags available at check stations, and all harvested turkeys must be checked at the management area check station where harvested.

Any applicant 16 years of age or older must have a 2006-2007 South Carolina hunting license, and each applicant 16 years or older chosen for the hunt must have a WMA permit, big game permit and turkey tags, all of which are included in the Junior Sportsmen’s License, except for turkey tags, which are free. Hunters under age 16 who are chosen for the hunt are only required to have turkey tags. A drawing hunt fee of $20, refundable if not successful in the drawing, is required for each application. Statewide turkey regulations will be enforced on all hunts.