Biologist Charles Ruth said hog hunting is a bonus opportunity when deer hunting on WMAs and is often very good.
“We encourage the harvest of wild hogs; there’s no season or limit on them on a statewide basis, but hunting on WMAs can occur only during specific times,” Ruth said. “One is when hunters are hunting a permitted species, such as deer, on a WMA they can take hogs as long as they do so using the equipment that is permitted for that hunt. For example, if the deer hunt is archery only, hunters must use archery equipment. If it’s a gun-hunt, they can use the gun.
“Also, some WMAs have hunts specifically for hogs on designated dates,” he said. “If we hold a special hunt for hogs on a WMA, that’s a good sign a lot of hogs are to be had and we’re trying to thin the population. Those are usually good hunts.”
Ruth said that the same rules of hog hunting apply to harvesting coyotes on WMAs. Hunters must be hunting on approved hunts or when the WMA is open for hunting. But the large WMAs such as the Francis Marion National Forest and the Sumter National Forest have extensive deer seasons when it’s legal for hunting. Both coyotes and hogs can be harvested on any of these hunts.
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