When is deer gun season near Myrtle Beach in 2026?

On Lewis Ocean Bay and Waccamaw River heritage preserves, still-gun season runs Oct. 21, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027. In Brunswick County, N.C., gun season is Oct. 17 through Jan. 1. Source: SC and NC hunting regulations.

Are Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge trails open during hunts?

Trails in hunt areas close on hunt days. Deer hunts run through Nov. 14 in Units 2 and 3 and Nov. 16 through Dec. 5 in Unit 1, with no deer hunts on Sundays. Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Is there hunting in Myrtle Beach State Park?

No. Hunting is not allowed in Myrtle Beach or Huntington Beach state parks. Source: South Carolina State Parks and SC hunting regulations.

Can I walk my dog at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve?

SCDNR's rules for the preserve list no dog ban, but it is open to deer hunting through Jan. 1, 2027. Keep the dog leashed and put orange on both of you. Source: SCDNR.

Hiking in hunting season near Myrtle Beach: Waccamaw refuge and Lewis Ocean Bay dates

By the Outdoors Desk, Grand Strand Dispatch Published Nov. 2, 2026, 12:15 pm

Data card showing Dec. 5 as the last day the Waccamaw refuge closes hunt-area trails on hunt days.

Graphic: Vik Media Group

Deer gun season is open on the Grand Strand‘s public woods through New Year’s Day, and on Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge it decides which days the trails are open. Still-gun deer season on Lewis Ocean Bay and Waccamaw River heritage preserves runs Oct. 21, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027, per the South Carolina hunting regulations. On the refuge, trails in hunt areas close to the public on hunt days through Dec. 5, per the refuge’s 2026-27 hunt regulations.

When are the deer seasons near Myrtle Beach?

Deer hunting dates for hikers near Myrtle Beach, 2026-27

Where	Season	Dates
Lewis Ocean Bay and Waccamaw River heritage preserves	Still-gun deer	Oct. 21 – Jan. 1
Brunswick County, N.C.	Gun deer	Oct. 17 – Jan. 1
Waccamaw NWR, Units 2 and 3	Deer hunts, no Sundays	Through Nov. 14
Waccamaw NWR, Unit 1	Deer hunts, no Sundays	Nov. 16 – Dec. 5
Waccamaw NWR, Sandy Island	Archery by permit	Through Nov. 30
Myrtle Beach and Huntington Beach state parks	No hunting	All year

Source: SC and NC hunting regulations and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (2026-11-02)

On private land in Game Zone 4, which includes Horry and Georgetown counties, gun hunting runs Sept. 1 through Jan. 1, per the state regulations. Brunswick County, N.C., the north end of the Grand Strand, has its own gun season, Oct. 17, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027, per the North Carolina regulations.

Which Waccamaw refuge trails close, and when?

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge says it is closed to the general public during its deer, hog and turkey hunts, and its 2026-27 rules close trails in hunt areas on hunt days, per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The deer hunt schedule:

Units 2 and 3: through Saturday, Nov. 14.
Unit 1: Monday, Nov. 16, through Saturday, Dec. 5.
No deer hunts on Sundays.
Sandy Island archery, by permit only: through Nov. 30.

The refuge’s trails page lists 11 open trails, but neither it nor the hunt rules say which trail is in which unit. Plan a refuge hike for a Sunday or for a day after Dec. 5, and check the trails page and refuge map the day you go.

After deer season, hog hunts run in February and March, and a turkey hunt for adult-youth pairs is set for Saturdays in April in Unit 1. More hog hunts may be announced on the refuge website.

What about Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve?

Lewis Ocean Bay, in Horry County, is open during daylight hours year-round, has no fee and no marked trails, per SCDNR. Its heritage preserve rules list no dog ban, but it is a public hunting preserve in gun season through Jan. 1. If you walk its roads, wear blaze orange, put orange on your dog and keep it leashed. Horses are not allowed on trails or during deer hunts.

Where can I hike without hunters?

Hunting is not allowed in Myrtle Beach or Huntington Beach state parks. Myrtle Beach State Park‘s trails are closed November through January, so Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, with Sandpiper Pond Trail (1 mile one way) and Kerrigan Trail (a quarter mile), is the hunt-free option, per South Carolina State Parks.

What should I wear?

Blaze orange on any preserve or refuge trail during gun season.
Something orange for your dog, on a leash.
A plan to stay on roads and marked trails, and to finish before dark.

Who do I contact?

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge posts trail closures and hunt notices on its U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page. SCDNR manages Lewis Ocean Bay; its preserve page has the current rules.

Found a closed trail or a hunt sign where you didn’t expect one? Email our newsroom through the Contact link at the bottom of this page.

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Questions and answers

When is deer gun season near Myrtle Beach in 2026?: On Lewis Ocean Bay and Waccamaw River heritage preserves, still-gun season runs Oct. 21, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027. In Brunswick County, N.C., gun season is Oct. 17 through Jan. 1. Source: SC and NC hunting regulations.
Are Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge trails open during hunts?: Trails in hunt areas close on hunt days. Deer hunts run through Nov. 14 in Units 2 and 3 and Nov. 16 through Dec. 5 in Unit 1, with no deer hunts on Sundays. Source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Is there hunting in Myrtle Beach State Park?: No. Hunting is not allowed in Myrtle Beach or Huntington Beach state parks. Source: South Carolina State Parks and SC hunting regulations.
Can I walk my dog at Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve?: SCDNR's rules for the preserve list no dog ban, but it is open to deer hunting through Jan. 1, 2027. Keep the dog leashed and put orange on both of you. Source: SCDNR.

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