Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA is 525 acres of public hunting land in Oconee County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 1. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are Game Zone 1's seasons for WMAs SCDNR does not list by name: youth deer hunt day, primitive weapons, archery only and still gun hunts; the earliest dated hunt is Oct. 1-10 (primitive weapons).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 525 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Oconee County |
| Game zone | Zone 1 |
| Deer hunts | Youth deer hunt day, primitive weapons, archery only and still gun hunts |
| Archery deer | Oct. 17-30 |
| Still gun deer | Oct. 12-16, Oct. 31-Jan. 1 |
| Dogs for deer | No; deer hunting with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2 |
| Spring turkey | April 3 to May 3, limit 2 (regular WMA season) |
| Phone | (864) 654-1671 |
| Nearest towns | Walhalla (4 mi), West Union (4 mi) and Westminster (7 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's Game Zone 1 table does not list Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA by name, so the zone's seasons for its other WMAs are the ones below.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Deer Hunt Day | Jan. 2 (see Youth & Mobility Impaired Hunts WMAs) | 2 deer total |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Oct. 1-10 | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
| Archery only | Oct. 17-30 | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
| Still Gun Hunts | Oct. 12-16, Oct. 31-Jan. 1 No deer hunting on Long Creek Tracts (Oconee Co.) on or after Thanksgiving Day. | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR opens the regular WMAs in all four game zones, Forest Service land included, for spring turkey April 3 to May 3, 2027, limit 2 gobblers.
Source: SCDNR spring 2027 turkey seasons on WMAs.
How many deer are taken on Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA on its own; it counts 844 deer on its other and unnamed WMA lands together. Around it, Oconee County's harvest was 2,314 deer in the 2024 season (5.2 per square mile of deer habitat).
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 4 (WMA harvest); SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest).
What does SCDNR say about Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "It's a mountain-top experience where the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains meet. Peak elevation rises to 1,769 feet at Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve near Walhalla. In the winter months, deciduous trees drop their leaves to give hikers a clear view of the surrounding foothills. In the spring, visitors can delight to the blooming mountain laurel and rhododendron. The 70-year-old forest on the preserve includes the Virginia pine and the rare Table Mountain pine. In the fall, hardwoods, such as scarlet, black and chestnut oaks and mockernut hickory, paint a kaleidoscope of color."
- Hunting on the preserve is permitted in accordance with Game Zone 1 regulations.
- WMA's are open to hunting in season with a WMA permit.
Visiting hours: Buzzard Roost HPWMA is open only during daylight hours.
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Buzzard Roost HP and WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA in, and what do hunters take there?
| County | Acres of the area in it | County deer, 2024 season | Per square mile of deer habitat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee County | 525 | 2,314 | 5.2 |
Acres measured by FilledTag on SCDNR Public Lands property boundaries and the U.S. Census Bureau 2024 county boundaries. County harvest: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 1 (county harvest), for the whole county.
How do you get to Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 28, SC 183, US 76 and SC 11. Nearest towns: Walhalla (4 miles), West Union (4 miles), Westminster (7 miles) and Seneca (11 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (864) 654-1671.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Sumter National Forest Andrew Pickens Ranger District (next to it), Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA (2.5 miles), Brasstown Creek Heritage Preserve WMA (9.2 miles) and Fants Grove WMA (10.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA?
No. Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2.
What county is Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA in?
Oconee County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How big is Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA and where is it?
525 acres by measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary, in Oconee County, about 4 miles from Walhalla, near SC 28 and SC 183.
Get a South Carolina hunt plan when they open
South Carolina plans are not open yet. They are coming soon. Join the waiting list; the first 50 hunters get one plan free.
Use the map while you wait for your plan.
You need a South Carolina hunting license, a WMA permit and big game tags; statewide WMA limit: 2 deer a day, 5 in all, no more than 2 antlered, unless the area's rules say otherwise; antlerless deer 2 a day. The WMA rules on one page. FilledTag is not part of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; numbers are copied from SCDNR or measured from public maps, each with its source above.
South Carolina hunting All South Carolina WMAs Oconee County deer harvest