BREAKING: South Carolina Closes Game Zone 4 Bear Season One Hour After Sunset on October 27

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said on October 26, 2026, that bear season in Game Zone 4 closes one hour after official sunset on Tuesday, October 27, because the harvest quota was reached. Hunting there stays legal until that time. The advisory does not close Game Zone 1 or Game Zone 2.

What happened

SCDNR's October 26 advisory says the 2026 Game Zone 4 bear season closes one hour after official sunset on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Hunting is legal until then. Bears taken before the close still have to be reported. The reporting system stays open through October 30 because other zones remain open.

The notice cites section 50-11-430 and regulation Chapter 123-53. After that time, bear hunting in Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, or Williamsburg counties, or on the listed wildlife management areas, may be charged as a closed season. The advisory prints neither a sunset clock time nor a harvest count. The August 7, 2026 brochure and compiled regulation 123-53 both set the Zone 4 quota at 40 bears, all counties and WMAs combined. The statute says the department sets the quota. It does not print 40.

Why it matters for hunters and anglers

Section 50-11-300 lists black bear as big game, along with white tailed deer and wild turkey. The brochure says a Zone 4 quota met before October 30 closes the season 24 hours after notice. It tells hunters to check dnr.sc.gov or call 1-844-SC1-BEAR, (844) 721-2327. The statute requires at least twenty-four hours' notice. The advisory is that notice. It uses one hour after sunset on October 27 and does not add another clock time.

The bear hunting page still limits a hunter to one bear across Zones 1, 2, and 4. That page and the brochure say no sow with cubs and no bear of 100 lbs. or less. The statute bans taking a sow with cubs. The 100 lbs. figure is not in that section. The South Carolina turkey hunting guide is a different season. Other pieces are in the hunting section.

Who's affected (states/species/dates)

South Carolina, Game Zone 4 only. Private land in the advisory is Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Williamsburg counties. The wildlife management areas named in the advisory are:

• Cartwheel Bay Heritage Preserve WMA
• Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve WMA
• Little Pee Dee River Heritage Preserve Complex
• Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA
• Wee Tee WMA

The brochure lists that zone as still hunts with no dogs, October 17 through October 30. On those areas, bear weapons follow the open deer season. Regulation 123-53, amended effective May 23, 2025, lists private-land weapons as archery equipment, muzzleloaders of .36 caliber or greater, centerfire rifles, centerfire handguns, and shotguns with slugs or buckshot.

The advisory leaves Game Zone 1 open until October 30 and says the Zone 2 quota has not been reached. It does not mention Zone 3, and the brochure lists no Zone 3 bear season. In the statute, Zone 1 still-gun hunts end October 23 on private land and October 16 on wildlife management areas. Dog hunts run October 17 through October 30. The advisory does not say which method stays open.

Zone 2 in the brochure is private land, still hunts with no dogs, October 17 through October 30, with a quota of 20. That page includes all of Anderson County. Regulation 123-53 includes only the part of Anderson south of Game Zone 1. The advisory does not choose between those lines.

The bear page prices a tag at $25 for residents and $100 for nonresidents, free under 16, one per person. Tag the bear before moving it and report it by midnight that day through the Go Outdoors SC app, gooutdoorssouthcarolina.com, or 1-833-472-4263.

The statute bars bait. The bear page and brochure allow unprocessed bait on Zone 4 private land only. Section 50-11-430 prints a maximum of $2,500 or sixty days, a three-year suspension, and restitution of at least $1,500 per bear. The bear page and brochure print up to two years, not sixty days, for sale and out-of-season transport, citing 50-11-430 with 50-11-440, 50-1-130, and 50-1-125. The advisory does not discuss bait or which penalty applies.

What groups are saying

The Fish and Wildlife Service RSS, the Federal Register feeds checked for this draft, the National Deer Association, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers had no item on this closure in the last seven days.

SCDNR wrote: "The 2026 season for bear in Game Zone 4 will close one hour after official sunset on Tuesday, October 27, 2026." It wrote that the closure "only impacts" Game Zone 4, that Zone 1 "remains open until October 30," and that the Zone 2 quota "has not been reached."

What happens next / how to comment

There is no comment period.

The deadline in the advisory is one hour after official sunset on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Report a bear taken before then by midnight that day. The reporting system stays open through October 30 because other zones are open. That does not move the midnight report. Zone 2 closes only if SCDNR later says its quota is reached. Check the bear hunting page and the October 26 advisory before you hunt.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Game Zone 4 Bear Closure

When does Game Zone 4 bear season close?

One hour after official sunset on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. Hunting is legal until then. The advisory does not print a clock time.

Which places does the closure cover?

Private land in Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, and Williamsburg counties, plus Cartwheel Bay, Lewis Ocean Bay, the Little Pee Dee River Heritage Preserve Complex, Waccamaw River, and Wee Tee wildlife management areas.

Are other South Carolina bear zones still open?

The advisory leaves Zone 1 open until October 30 and says the Zone 2 quota is not reached. It does not mention Zone 3. Still-gun dates in Zone 1 end before October 27. Dog hunts in that zone run through October 30.

What is the bag limit, and what quota did the brochure publish?

One bear statewide, no sow with cubs, and no bear of 100 lbs. or less on the bear page and in the brochure. Zone 4's published quota is 40. Zone 2's is 20. The advisory does not print a harvest count.

How do you report a bear?

By midnight on the day of harvest. Tag the bear before moving it. Use the Go Outdoors SC app, gooutdoorssouthcarolina.com, or 1-833-472-4263.

Can the public comment on this closure?

No. The October 26 advisory is a closure notice, not a comment period.

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Sources

• SCDNR advisory, October 26, 2026
• SCDNR news releases
• SCDNR bear hunting page
• South Carolina alligator and bear regulations brochure, updated August 7, 2026
• S.C. Code of Laws Title 50, Chapter 11, including sections 50-11-300 and 50-11-430
• Compiled S.C. Code Reg. 123-53, amendment effective May 23, 2025
• Unsplash: black bear in a green forest, British Columbia (sawyer)