South Carolina hunters post dismal slay numbers too.

March 7th 2011. The Times and Democrat of South Carolina

Duck hunters finished the season on S.C. Department of Natural Resources public hunting lands, with a total harvest of 6,441 birds, an average of 2.4 birds per hunter, slightly higher than the average reported last year. A total of 2,711 hunters participated in these popular hunts at the 16 Wildlife Management Areas that recorded individual hunt data.

Wood ducks accounted for 38 percent of the harvest, followed by American green-winged teal, northern shoveler, blue-winged teal, gadwall and ring-necked ducks.

"Overall, the season for our waterfowl areas was excellent, with many areas reporting harvests at an all time high in terms of birds harvested per hunter," said Dean Harrigal, waterfowl program coordinator with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "The significant cold weather in early December pushed birds into the state and they stayed here for the duration of the season. Birds were pretty well distributed around the state making for good hunter success on our management areas."

Category II Area, Hickory Top Green Tree Reservoir in Clarendon County had the highest hunter participation and harvest of all areas with 880 hunters reporting harvesting 1,715 birds, predominately wood ducks.

On Category I Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), drawing only 917 hunters (on seven areas) harvested 3,637 birds with an average of 4.0 birds per hunter. American green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler and gadwall were top birds in the bag.

Sandy Beach in Berkley County led in average harvest for Category I Areas with an average of 5.1 birds per hunter, followed by Bear Island WMA in Colleton County with 4.4 birds per hunter, Santee Coastal Reserve in Charleston and Georgetown counties with 4.1 birds per hunter, Santee Delta in Georgetown County with 3.8, and Samworth Wildlife Management Area in Georgetown County with 3.5 birds per hunter.

"Teal are a mainstay of our Category I Wildlife Management Areas, especially along the coast," said Harrigal. "When teal are around we generally have good hunter success."

Top individual hunt units were The Cape of the Santee Coastal Reserve (5.0 birds per hunter), Bear Island East (4.7 birds per hunter), Springfield/ The Cut of Bear Island (4.5 birds per hunter), Santee Delta West (4.2 birds per hunter), and Murphy Island of Santee Coastal Reserve (4.1 birds per hunter).

Hunt data was collected on six of the 25 Category II Wildlife Management Areas (open to the public on specific days). Hunters reported a harvest of 2,368 birds on these areas, the majority coming from Hickory Top Green Tree Reservoir. The average for 1,637 hunters was 1.4 birds per hunter. Wood ducks accounted for more than 89 percent of the bag.