Hickory Top WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Hickory Top WMA is 3,959 acres of public hunting land in Clarendon County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 4. Hunters reported 15 deer taken on it in the 2024 season (12 antlered bucks and 3 does), by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 4 table: archery and primitive weapons; the earliest dated hunt is Sept. 15-Oct. 31 (archery).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Hickory Top WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 3,959 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's WMA list and 2024 harvest report give 1,105 |
|---|---|
| County | Clarendon County |
| Game zone | Zone 4 |
| Deer hunts | Archery and primitive weapons |
| Archery deer | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 |
| Dogs for deer | No dog drive hunts listed for the area |
| Spring turkey | April 3 to May 3, limit 2 |
| Deer reported, 2024 season | 15 (12 antlered bucks and 3 does) |
| Phone | (803) 429-2068 |
| Nearest towns | Santee (5 mi), Summerton (5 mi) and Elloree (6 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Hickory Top WMA?
- Data cards required for hunter access. Completed data cards must be returned daily upon leaving the WMA. Hickory Top Greentree Res. is closed to public access from Nov. 1-Mar. 1 except for scheduled waterfowl hunts. WMA permit required. Public waterfowl hunting without a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) permit will be allowed on all land and water below 76.8’ following current regulations governing waterfowl hunting on Lake Marion. Waterfowl hunting at or above 76.8' elevation requires a WMA permit. Waterfowl hunters crossing WMA lands to hunt areas below 76.8' lake elevation must have their guns unloaded and cased.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Archery | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Nov. 2-Jan. 1 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Hog Hunts (with Dogs) | Mar. 8-13 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | No Limit |
| Small Game | Refer to WMA seasons in chart. No fox squirrel hunting | Statewide limits |
| Raccoon & Opossum | Refer to WMA seasons in chart. |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Hickory Top WMA?
Hickory Top WMA is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open 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 Hickory Top WMA?
Hunters reported 15 deer on Hickory Top WMA in the 2024 season: 12 antlered bucks and 3 does. SCDNR's Table 4 counts the area as 1,105 acres (SCDNR's figure, not the measured size above), about one deer for every 74 acres on that figure.
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Acres SCDNR counted | Per square mile of those acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 1,105 | 8.7 |
| 2019 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 1,836 | 6.6 |
SCDNR's acreage for the area changed between reports (1,105 and 1,836 acres), so per square mile figures from years with different acres are not like for like. 2024: SC Game Check reports corrected for non-reporting (Table 4); FilledTag works out the per square mile figure from SCDNR's deer and acres. 2019: SCDNR's check station counts for the area, as printed in each year's report. Bucks in 2024 are antlered and button bucks added together. Some totals include deer of unknown sex.
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 4 (WMA harvest) and the 2019 report (SCDNR deer harvest reports).
What does SCDNR say about Hickory Top WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Hickory Top Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is owned by Santee Cooper (South Carolina Public Service Authority) and managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR)."
- This property is leased for hunting purposes only and not managed by SCDNR for any other activities.
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Hickory Top WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Hickory Top 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarendon County | 3,959 | 4,357 | 9.4 |
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 Hickory Top WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: I-95, US 15, US 301 and SC 267. Nearest towns: Santee (5 miles), Summerton (5 miles), Elloree (6 miles) and Pinewood (6 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (803) 429-2068.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Manchester State Forest WMA (3.4 miles), Oak Lea WMA (4.1 miles), Potato Creek Hatchery WMA (9.5 miles) and Santee Cooper WMA (12 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Hickory Top WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Sept. 15-Oct. 31; Deer Primitive Weapons: Nov. 2-Jan. 1. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Hickory Top WMA?
No dog drive hunts are listed for Hickory Top WMA on SCDNR's 2026-27 table, so deer are hunted without dogs there.
Can you hunt turkeys on Hickory Top WMA?
Yes. It is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for spring turkey, April 3 to May 3, 2027: limit 2 gobblers.
What county is Hickory Top WMA in?
Clarendon County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How many deer were killed on Hickory Top WMA last season?
15 in the 2024 season, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for non-reporting: 12 antlered bucks and 3 does.
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.
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