South Carolina’s public offerings are plentiful

public offerings
(Photo by Rick Small)

South Carolina provides hunters with tremendous opportunities for public hunting across its 46 counties. Here are a few of the best, for different kinds of hunts: Deer, turkey, waterfowl, small game.

For deer, turkeys follow these tracks

WMAs for deer and turkey hunting are found in various shapes, sizes and management schemes. Charles Ruth, SCDNR’s deer and turkey program coordinator, said his choices on deer and turkey for 2020 actually are the same WMAs. But they’re the same for different reasons.

Webb Center, Palachucola, Hamilton Ridge

Ruth lumps these three Hampton County WMAs into one unit for both species because of proximity. They’re all located close to each other on the Savannah River.

“The Webb Center is a standalone deer draw hunt, while Hamilton Ridge and Palachucola are part of a multiple-site application process for gun hunting for deer,” Ruth said. “The Webb Center is standalone because it’s the premier deer draw hunt in the state. I refer to it as the ‘poor man’s commercial hunt’ because it’s a completely catered hunt for those drawn. The Webb Center offers a high success rate. And some big deer are harvested there.”

Ruth said hunters can apply for the Webb Center hunts at www.dnr.sc.gov. The opportunities at Hamilton Ridge and Palachucola include open hunting for archery season at these tracts without a draw process. 

Archery opportunities are excellent

“These areas offer excellent archery hunting for deer,” Ruth said. “Archery hunters have the opportunity to hunt these deer first, before they’re pressured. With appropriate effort, the potential for success is very good.”

Hunters have to be drawn for gun season at Hamilton Ridge and Palachucola. And they’re on their own to scout and hunt. Permanent stands are not allowed. But details are provided in the WMA regulations for the use of stands on WMAs. Ruth said the use of climbers, ground blinds and lock-on stands are examples of what can be used on WMAs. 

“I include the Webb, Hamilton Ridge and Palachucola tracts as the prime WMA turkey hunting experience in the Lowcountry,” Ruth said. “They’re all open during the same period as private-land hunting, except for Sundays. The management plan for these areas, particular the Webb Center, is ideal for turkeys, with thinning and prescribed burning practices. Plus, being adjacent to the Savannah River, much of this land is ideal habitat.”

WMAs are home to plenty of nice whitetail bucks if you put boots on the ground, get off the beaten path and find areas of good habitat. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Sumter National Forest

“This is a large area, encompassing over 200,000 acres. But one difference when considering various areas around the state is that within the coastal plain, multiple, named WMAs exist,” Ruth said. “That’s not always the case in the rest of the state.

“For deer and turkey hunters, this situation is excellent because this WMA is not one contiguous tract. It’s interspersed with private lands throughout,” he said. “This type of land use creates habitat diversity, which is good for game populations on both WMA and private lands. Plus, with the exception of Sundays for WMAs, the hunting season on the WMA generally coincides with private lands.”

Timber thinning plays a factor for hunters here

Ruth said the U.S. Forest Service manages timber on the Sumter National Forest in both the Central and Western Piedmont hunt units. And under its management practices, they routinely thin or clear different areas. 

With different areas in various stages of growth and/or regrowth, Ruth said hunters must do the necessary legwork to find prime areas.

“I know hunters who put in the effort to locate prime hunting habitat for deer or turkeys are rewarded,” he said. “But it’s an ongoing process that must be done every year.” 

Ruth said plenty of old-growth hardwoods and bottoms exist and are great for turkeys, along with newly cleared open lands and prescribed burn areas. For deer, thick bottoms are scattered throughout, as well as timber regrowth areas less than 10 years old that typically offer prime habitat.

Turkey hunting on South Carolina WMAs can be very rewarding if hunters do plenty of scouting and locate areas being used by gobblers. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Liberty Hill WMA

Liberty Hill is an 8,000-acre WMA straddling Kershaw and Lancaster counties. This includes 17 miles of shoreline on Lake Wateree and the Catawba River. 

Ruth said this WMA has antler restrictions for deer hunting. And it offers excellent deer and turkey habitat.

“Liberty Hill has a lot of typical, Piedmont habitat, with plenty of hardwoods interspersed with pines,” he said. 

The topography is hilly, rising from an elevation of 225 feet at Wateree’s shoreline to more than 500 feet on the hilltops. Ruth said selective timber harvests and prescribed fire are the primary management tools utilized to improve habitat conditions. Openings and meadows are also managed to provide early successional habitat and supplemental forage for wildlife.

“Access to this site is good, and hunters do need to check in and out. But it’s not a draw hunt; it’s open to hunters with a WMA permit,” he said.

South Carolina hunters can run into a lot of different waterfowl species, depending on the specific WMA and its location. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

These WMAs Offer crackerjack waterfowl hunting

Biologist Alicia Farrell said South Carolina WMAs provide excellent diversity in terms of hunting opportunities. And the top WMAs all provide excellent duck hunting.

“Different factors play a role in determining the best WMAs for various hunters,” Farrell said. “Ease of access is important to some. The diversity of species available at a given WMA is important to many. And the total harvest success is the crucial factor for others. Our Category I Waterfowl WMAs are the top areas for waterfowl hunting, and different areas have different blends of these factors.”

Farrell said Category I WMAs are all intensively managed for waterfowl hunting, and hunters are chosen by drawings. The application process begins mid-September, and hunters apply for WMAs for specific hunting days. Full details are in the WMA/waterfowl section of the SCDNR website at www.dnr.sc.gov. 

Farrell said the top 3 WMAs selected for waterfowl hunting for 2020/21 have unique characteristics that can help hunters find the right blend of characteristics for their individual hunting style.

Santee Coastal Reserve

“Located near McClellanville, this WMA had the highest harvest of ducks in the 2019-20 season,” she said. “But it’s a physically hard hunt, with difficult walks in marshy mud. It’s a hunt where hunters have to find and make their own hunting setup without the use of blinds.”

Farrell said that less dependence on blinds and more emphasis on moving, locating and hunting ducks where naturally congregated usually results in more ducks harvested. It’s a trend on their Category 1 WMAs in general.

“The reward for this demanding hunt is more ducks to hunt once you get to the hunting area,” she said. “Primary species last year were gadwall and green-winged teal. Another attractive factor of Santee Coastal Reserve is 17 different species of ducks were harvested last year. Really diverse waterfowl hunting opportunities exist here.”  

Broad River WMA

“The Broad River WMA is physically easier hunting to access, yet it still produces excellent hunting,” Farrell said. “Walking through flooded fields here is easier than the flooded, mucky marsh. Plus, some blinds are available, as well as areas where hunters find their own cover. The hunting may be near natural vegetation, close to planted agriculture crops or in a greentree reservoir type of hunting environment. In 2019-20, the primary species harvested here included ringnecks and mallards, with not as much species diversity as found on the coast. But of all the Category I WMA’s, Broad River produced the most mallards in the 2019-20 season.”

Broad River WMA is in Fairfield County.

Bear Island WMA

“A unique feature of Bear Island WMA is the opportunity to hunt saltwater and freshwater marsh environments,” she said. “Many hunters appreciate the opportunity for different types of hunts in close proximity. The harvest at Bear Island is very high, with a diversity of species represented. About half of the areas have blinds brushed. The other half require the hunter to set up where the majority of ducks are located.”

Farrell said the difficulty of this hunt is mid-range between Santee Coastal Reserve and Broad River.

“It’s very important that hunters recognize on all Category 1 hunts this year, because of COVID-19, social distancing will be observed for the safety of all,” Farrell said. “It’s a big change, and we want hunters to know this prior to the hunt.”

Bear Island WMA is in Colleton County.

Hidden WMA gems

“Not everyone can be drawn on Category I hunts. But some of the Category II hunts are excellent,” she said. “Category II sites are WMAs that have waterfowl habitat but are not managed intensely and specifically for waterfowl. These are open hunts and require hunters to do their own scouting and setups. But those who put in the work often have excellent success.”

“The three Category II sites, I think, are hidden gems for waterfowl are Donnelly, Dungannon and Hickory Top WMAs,” she said. “With good scouting, excellent waterfowl hunting is available at all of these areas.”

The Francis Marion National Forest and Crackerneck WMA both have excellent habitat for squirrels. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

For small game, visit these public areas

Michael Hook, SCDNR’s small-game program leader, said the status of small game hunting on WMAs is excellent and improving. He singled out three specific areas where hunters can target multiple small-game species.

Francis Marion National Forest

Hook said this 258,000-acre WMA in Berkeley and Charleston counties is continuously undergoing habitat changes, including timber cutting and other management practices. 

“That’s an exceptionally good recipe for creating great habitat for small-game hunting,” Hook said. “Proper habitat is the key to having excellent populations of small game. And timber thinning, clearing and prescribed burning continuously changes the area in terms of available habitat.” 

Hook said an excellent example is the progression of an area after a controlled burn, a major management tool at Francis Marion.

Burning improves habitat for small game in stages

“For the first two or three years after a burn, the quail population thrives,” he said. “In years 4 through 7, the area becomes overgrown with blackberries, sweet gums and becomes too thick for prime quail hunting. But it’s ideal for rabbits. With a little effort and windshield time, hunters can find a lot of prime hunting areas for both species.”

Hook said that woodcock are abundant throughout Francis Marion, and during woodcock season, quail hunting is also excellent. The two species make an excellent combo hunt.

“A real key to success in this area is not getting locked into a single area being good for a single species for multiple years,” he said. “As the habitat changes, the game species using it may change too.”

“The hardwood bottoms have an abundant squirrel population and excellent squirrel hunting exists,” he said. “Francis Marion National Forest is a small-game hunter’s dream.”

Crackerneck WMA

Hook said this 10,600-acre WMA in Aiken County has two distinct habitat types. One includes about 3,100 acres of swamp off of the Savannah River, characterized by old-growth timber, and the other about 7,500 acres of woodland. The land is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy. But the U.S. Forest Service does the timber management, and SCDNR oversees the hunting and wildlife management.

“With forest service management, the habitat is constantly changing. And this creates ideal small-game habitat,” he said. “Quail and rabbits are found in good numbers in the same type habitats as Francis Marion.

“Woodcock also provides another excellent hunting opportunity at Crackerneck. And SCDNR-managed dove fields are found on the area, typically providing excellent bird hunting.”

The swamp bottomlands have a considerable amount of mature timber, and Hook said they harbor an abundant squirrel population.

public offerings
Habitat is the key to good, huntable small-game populations. Quail love the habitat that develops after a prescribed burn of pines — common on WMAs — and they thrive for several years. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Fant’s Grove WMA

Fant’s Grove is an 8,540-acre property owned by Clemson University, primarily located in Anderson County with portions in Oconee and Pickens counties.

“The diversity of habitat at Fant’s Grove creates excellent hunting for woodcock, rabbits and squirrels, as well as having good habitat for quail,” he said. “As in the case with other WMAs, hunters must do the windshield work to find prime hunting for various species.”

Hook said excellent squirrel-hunting habitat is also found at Fant’s Grove. And multiple dove fields are planted annually, providing additional hunting opportunities.

“One interesting thing about Fant’s Grove is, in the right habitat, some sneaky good rabbit hunting exists,” he said. “Cottontails are plentiful. But Fant’s Grove is one of the few WMAs where true swamp rabbits are found in good numbers. And these are really big rabbits.”

Many hunters mistake a marsh rabbit for a cottontail. And while marsh rabbits are larger than cottontails, the true swamp rabbits are even larger than marsh rabbits.”

About Terry Madewell 799 Articles
Award-winning writer and photographer Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C., has been an outdoors writer for more than 30 years. He has a degree in wildlife and fisheries management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager.

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