Feral hogs and hog hunting in South Carolina

Feral hogs in South Carolina: where they are

South Carolina's wild hogs have deep roots. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) says hogs have lived on the coast since the Spanish released them in the 1500s, and that Eurasian wild hogs were introduced in the mountains in the early 1900s. For most of that time they stayed put. SCDNR describes the historic range as limited to the floodplains of major river systems.

Then they spread. In the 1980s, wild pigs were found in only 26 counties. By 2008 they were documented in all 46, including small, scattered populations in the Piedmont that SCDNR ties to recent translocations by people. In other words, people moved many of those hogs.

Numbers are rough because nobody can count hogs in a river swamp. SCDNR estimated about 150,000 wild pigs in 2010, and the estimated 2009 harvest was 36,888. SCDNR's deer hunter survey later estimated that deer hunters alone took 39,347 hogs in 2018 and 31,508 in 2019. That's hogs killed incidentally during deer season, before you count trappers and dedicated hog hunters.

Hogs here do the usual damage: rooted fields and food plots, torn-up wetlands and competition with deer and turkey. SCDNR's position is blunt. Wild hogs are not protected in South Carolina, and on private land there is no closed season or bag limit. For the "SC wild boar" question, see our wild boar vs. feral hog guide. They're the same animal.

Feral hog status	Documented in all 46 counties since 2008 (SCDNR)
Hunting license	Required (age 16+)
Season / bag limit on private land	No closed season, no bag limit (daylight)
Bait, calls and dogs on private land	Legal statewide, year-round
Night hunting	Only on property registered with SCDNR, renewed yearly with a harvest report
WMAs	No night hunting; daytime only where hog hunting is permitted
Live hogs	Illegal to remove a hog from the wild alive

Hog hunting and trapping rules in South Carolina

As of 2026, SCDNR's hog rules come down to three questions: is it day or night, is it private land or a WMA, and is the hog alive?

Daytime on private land

A South Carolina hunting license is required, but there's no closed season on feral hogs on private land statewide during daylight hours. Bait and electronic calls are legal on private land statewide, and dog hunting for hogs is allowed year-round on private land. One exception to watch: deer may not be hunted with dogs on any lands in Game Zones 1 and 2. Trapping hogs on private land is allowed year-round without a license or permit, but cable restraints (snares) are illegal for hogs on land, and traps should let deer and bear escape.

Night hunting

Night hog hunting is legal only on property registered with SCDNR where you have a lawful right to hunt. Registration is done online and must be renewed every year. After each 12-month registration, the property has to report its night hunting activity, and unreported properties won't be registered again until the report is filed. At night you may use any legal firearm, bow or crossbow, along with bait, electronic calls, artificial lights and night-vision devices. You may not hunt with a firearm within 300 yards of a residence without the occupant's permission, unless you're the landowner on your own land or working under a depredation permit. Anyone convicted of night hunting deer, bear or turkey in the past five years is ineligible.

Wildlife management areas

There's no night hunting on WMAs. Daytime hog hunting is allowed only where the WMA permits it, with weapons legal for the current open season. Dogs are allowed only during special dog hunts, and in Game Zones 1 and 2 hogs may not be hunted with dogs during still gun or muzzleloader deer or bear hunts.

Live hogs

It's illegal to remove a hog from the wild alive. Live swine moved on public roads or waterways need State Veterinarian-approved identification or a bill of sale, and unmarked swine are presumed wild. Check with Clemson Livestock Poultry Health for any livestock-side permits. Our trapping guide covers whole-sounder corral trapping.

Cooking wild hog, South Carolina style

South Carolina is the one state where barbecue sauce is yellow. Midlands mustard sauce ("Carolina Gold") is tangy and a little sweet, and it suits wild boar, which has more flavor than a commercial hog. Smoke a shoulder roast over hickory or pecan until it shreds past 160°F (71°C), then toss it with mustard sauce.

Save the trimmings for hash and rice, the Midlands side dish of slow-cooked pork and onions served over white rice. Stew meat simmered for hours with onion, a little mustard sauce and butter makes a solid wild-boar hash. Down in the Lowcountry, whole-hog cooks can start with a skin-on whole wild boar. It's leaner than a farm pig, so baste it often.

Wild boar meat delivery to South Carolina

We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of South Carolina — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 3–4 days by ground; 2-day air recommended (estimate), including Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Rock Hill and Greenville. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.

Transit is an estimate from Hubbard, TX. Summer heat in the Lowcountry is hard on any shipment, so we ship only Monday through Wednesday.

Feral hogs in South Carolina: FAQ

Sources

1. SCDNR — Wild hog information
2. SCDNR — Private property night hunting registration (feral hogs, coyotes, armadillos)
3. South Carolina Hunting Regulations (eRegulations) — Feral hog, coyote & armadillo regulations
4. Carolina Sportsman — S.C. hunters killed 31,508 wild hogs during 2019 (SCDNR deer hunter survey)
5. Carolina Sportsman — 2018 SCDNR deer hunter survey hog harvest (39,347)
6. S.C. Code § 50-11-715 — Night hunting of feral hogs, coyotes and armadillos
7. USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps

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