SCDNR Deer Lottery Hunt Applications Are Open Through August 15

South Carolina hunters have a short window to get in on SCDNR deer lottery hunts. Applications for youth and adult deer lottery hunts are open now through August 15, 2026. For each deer lottery, applicants can choose up to 15 hunt site selections.

That matters because public and lottery access are part of keeping deer hunting available to regular people. Not everybody has family land, a lease, or a buddy with a farm. Draw hunts give more hunters a shot at managed opportunity, and they only work when hunters apply on time and show up ready to follow the rules.

Youth hunters ages 10 through 17 are eligible for Youth Only Deer Hunts. SCDNR says there is no application fee or license required for those youth hunts unless the hunter is 16 or 17. Hunters who are 16 or 17 need a Junior Sportsman’s License at the time of the hunt.

Applications can be submitted through the GoOutdoorsSC app or at gooutdoorssouthcarolina.com. Do not wait until the last minute and then complain about missing the draw.

Managed hunts, youth hunts, and public-land opportunity are worth protecting, but they are also worth using. If you want better access, participate in the systems that create it. Apply before August 15, read the hunt-specific rules, and represent hunters well when your name gets pulled.