WELCOME to the Savannah River Site Deer Control Activities

THE 2008 APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED, PLEASE CHECK IN APRIL FOR THE 2009 APPLICATIONS

The mission of the Savannah River Site (SRS) Deer Control Activities is to conduct a harvest intended to lower the incidence of animal-vehicle collisions on the site and reduce the feral hog damage to valuable plant communities, timber plantations, and ecological research sites.

Since 1965, the Savannah River Site has provided optimal deer hunting opportunities for thousands of sportsmen. The site has over 150,000 acres of land that the annual deer hunts are conducted on. Harvesting of deer using the dog drive method has proven to be the most safe and effective manner to control the SRS deer population.

The SRS deer hunts are open to the general public. Hunts will be conducted on Wednesdays and Saturdays starting in October and lasting through December. The selection process is on a lottery system. If you wish to apply, please read the Hunt Information and you must agree to the terms and conditions before you can proceed to the application. After agreement to the terms and conditions, print the application, fill it out completely, and mail or fax it to our office (see application for postmark deadline). If your application is selected, you will be notified by mail.

All hunts are dog drives, half day morning hunts. If selected, you would report to the Deer Hunt Building at the specified date and time. Hunters will be required to show proof of Hunting License, Picture Identification, and your Deer Control Permit. All weapons and hunting gear will be inspected at sign-in point. A safety briefing is conducted each morning before the hunt. Hunters will be transported to their assigned hunt stand. Dog packs are positioned at their designated locations. The hunt will begin and end at a specified time. Hunt durations are approximately 3 to 4 hours. All harvested animals are tagged and brought to our check station where they are monitored for Cesium-137. They are field dressed and placed into a refrigerated truck. When hunts are terminated, hunters will be picked up and transported back to the Deer Hunt Building, where hunters can claim their harvested animals.

Savannah River Site also conducts an annual Mobility Impaired Hunt. For more information see the Mobility Impaired Hunt information below.

At Savannah River Site, safety is our main priority. During the hunts, we have Safety Auditors that are placed throughout the hunting area to ensure safe execution of the hunts. SRS has a “Zero Tolerance” policy for unsafe hunters. Anyone not obeying the Rules of the Hunt will be immediately and permanently removed from the SRS hunts.

2008 Standers Hunt Information and Application

2008 Mobility Impaired Hunt Information and Application

Dog Owner Information