Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA is 1,349 acres of public hunting land in Pickens 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.
Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMAOther SCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,349 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Pickens 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 | Salem (13 mi), Pickens (13 mi) and Six Mile (16 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's Game Zone 1 table does not list Laurel Fork 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 | 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 Laurel Fork 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 Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA on its own; it counts 844 deer on its other and unnamed WMA lands together. Around it, Pickens County's harvest was 3,147 deer in the 2024 season (9.2 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 Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve covers over 1,000 acres in Pickens County. This mountain property features cove hardwoods, upland mixed hardwoods, a stand of very large tulip poplars and pine ridges. The tract protects the headwaters of Laurel Fork creek but the property does not extend to the well-known Laurel Fork Falls which lies within the "Jocassee Gorges." Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve is bisected by the Foothills Trail, where backpacking and primitive camping are allowed. A small waterfall, Virginia Hawkins Falls, lies just off the Foothills Trail near the western boundary of the preserve."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Laurel Fork HP and WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Laurel Fork 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens County | 1,349 | 3,147 | 9.2 |
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 Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: US 178 and SC 11. Nearest towns: Salem (13 miles), Pickens (13 miles), Six Mile (16 miles) and Liberty (19 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (864) 654-1671.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Jocassee Gorges WMA (next to it), Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve WMA (next to it), Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA (7.7 miles) and Mill Shoals WMA (7.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA?
No. Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2.
What county is Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA in?
Pickens County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How big is Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA and where is it?
1,349 acres by measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary, in Pickens County, about 13 miles from Salem, near US 178 and SC 11.
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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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