South Carolina · Public Land · 2026 Edition
South Carolina Public Hunting Land 2026: WMAs & Access Rules
2 wildlife management areas tracked here, from 5,866 to 24,000 acres. A hunting license covers you on South Carolina WMA land the same as anywhere else in the state — but read the access rules below before you assume that's all you need.
01 — Wildlife management areas
| Area | County | Acres | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Webb Wildlife Center | Hampton | 5,866 | Deer, Turkey, Quail |
| Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area | Charleston | 24,000 | Waterfowl, Deer |
Webb Wildlife Center, near Garnett in Hampton County, is where South Carolina's whole WMA program began in 1941 — its still gun-hunts for deer are drawn, not first-come, with SCDNR staff driving hunters to and from their stands. Santee Coastal Reserve, a roughly 24,000-acre former rice plantation near McClellanville, is one of the state's premier waterfowl destinations, its old rice fields now managed as duck and goose impoundments. This list is a starting point, not SCDNR's full inventory of more than 75 WMAs and Heritage Preserves statewide.
02 — Access rules beyond your hunting license
South Carolina requires a statewide WMA permit on top of a regular hunting license for anyone hunting the more than 1 million acres in SCDNR's public hunting program (over 260,000 of it Department-owned across 75+ WMAs and Heritage Preserves, the rest leased using WMA-permit revenue) — over 61,000 permits were sold in a recent year. "Named" WMAs like Webb Wildlife Center run their own special seasons and, in some cases, draw-only hunts; "Other/Unnamed" WMA tracts instead follow whatever season applies to their Game Zone. Public dove fields add their own layer on top: a migratory bird permit, a 50-shell-per-hunt cap, and afternoon-only access.
03 — Where to go next
Verified · South Carolina Department of Natural Resources · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. WMA list and access rules read from SCDNR, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-08-01. This is a starting list, not the agency's full WMA inventory — confirm current rules for a specific area before you hunt it.