Night hunting in SC and the DNR

LiveFreeorDie · Mar 1, 2013

I am considering night hunting on family property where recent evidence of coyote and wild boar have been discovered. I found this on the DNR website today: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/nighthunt/. Looks pretty simple, huh? DNR called me yesterday to confirm my adult son has permission to night hunt on the property. I told her "yes" but then proceeded to ask if I get any paperwork, license, tag, permission slip, etc. from DNR verifying that certain persons have permission to night hunt. She said "no". So I ask, "Then what do we do when DNR shows up and accuses us of deer hunting at night?". Her reply, "The officers will just have to make that determination". My first thought (to myself) was "WTF does that mean?". Listen, I know there are good DNR agents and bad ones and I've met both. The penalties for night hunting deer and bear (and there was a bear on the property last year as well) are stiff (see SC Code 50-11-720 and 18 points). My luck would be that the worst DNR a**hole in the State shows up, I have no paperwork showing I've applied and have DNR permission, I get charged and have all my precious possessions confiscated. NOT what I need. So I ask her again about paperwork and she tells me there's an application form. I ask her does she send me the form, do I fill it out online, or what? Her reply, "No, you give us the information and we fill it out here" and we give you a case number. Sorry guys, unless I have something in hand I'm supposed to trust and believe the government, when the answer I get is "The officers will just have to make that determination!". I am cynical and paranoid, but should I be about this? and do any of you have first hand experience with this process and are okay with it?

John Canuck · Mar 1, 2013

I has the same questions for them. I've had some wild boar on the property and when I called about it, I was excited about the answer. I'm making another call soon on it.

I've convinced a few of them not to return, but there are more.

wylie · Mar 1, 2013

Do they have a website where you can communicate with them through email. if you can get a response in email just print that email paper out and have it with you that you have permission to do tonight hunting

Tigerstripe · Mar 1, 2013

i live on the end of a lake. i had been digging out washed in dirt, loading a blue plastic barrel and pulling it out with my 4 wheeler. the bbl has been laying by the lake for 2 years and my wife and i are both near it hunting deer when these 3 wardens, well 1 and 2 birddog wardens show up.

we played a little cat and mouse game for a while. i was in a tree stand way up and they didnt see me, i called my wife and told her someone was coming her way and she let the warden with orange walk right up in front of the tree house she was in.

she says "excuse me, can i help you?". he says "well where are you?".Hahaha

they "said" the airplane saw the barrel and thought we might be bear hunting over bait. been laying in the same place 2 years dog food bags in it i was going to use for sand bags. his two followers seachered around like sniffing dogs, fast. couldnt get a look at them so fast.they came over to me did the same and left.

i believe someone told them we were hunting deer over bait. there was no bait. they left.

thought it was wierd, but never had a problem with them before. someone was just being a busybody.
you guys remember Buck Stone. great guy. he was the warden where i live. remembered me and knew i was not a bad guy. sadly he died of cancer a couple of years ago. they are ok. they are doing an impossible job. if you are doing right i dont think they are going to waste time trying to make it look wrong.

11B3XCIB · Mar 4, 2013

Wylie said:
Do they have a website where you can communicate with them through email. if you can get a response in email just print that email paper out and have it with you that you have permission to do tonight hunting

That's what I'd try to do. See if you can have the representative you speak to on the phone e-mail you the details.

I would feel a lot better having that documentation then letting the DNR officer's mind run rampant with the "What if's" rather than the "What is".

Cohiba · Mar 14, 2013

Get some masking tape.
Write in Big letters " FOR PIGS AND COYOTES ONLY" on the tape with a magic marker and stick it to the buttstock of your rifle and your ammo box's.
That should stump them.