Manchester State Forest WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Manchester State Forest WMA is 26,857 acres of public hunting land in Sumter County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 4. Hunters reported 239 deer taken on it in the 2024 season (118 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks and 108 does), by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 4 table: dog hunts, archery and still gun hunts; the earliest dated hunt is Sept. 15-30 (archery).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Manchester State Forest WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 26,857 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's WMA list and 2024 harvest report give 23,135 |
|---|---|
| County | Sumter County |
| Game zone | Zone 4 |
| Deer hunts | Dog hunts, archery and still gun hunts |
| Archery deer | Sept. 15-30 |
| Still gun deer | Oct. 1-Jan. 1, except closed on Oct. 31, Nov. 20-21 & Dec. 18-19 |
| Dogs for deer | Dog hunts by drawing only (below) |
| Spring turkey | April 3 to May 3, limit 2 |
| Deer reported, 2024 season | 239 (118 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks and 108 does) |
| Phone | (803) 494-8196 |
| Nearest towns | Pinewood (next to it), Sumter (4 mi) and Paxville (6 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Manchester State Forest WMA?
- Dog hunt clubs by lottery only. SC Forestry Commission will handle lottery (803) 494-8196. Firearms must be unloaded and cased and not readily accessible when not in legal use. No deer hunting or shooting from, on, or across any road open to vehicle traffic. All hunters are reminded that the Palmetto Trail may be in use by nonhunters. Some gates may be locked due to wet roads.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Hunts (with Dogs) | Clubs selected by drawing | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Archery | Sept. 15-30 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Still Gun Hunts | Oct. 1-Jan. 1, except closed on Oct. 31, Nov. 20-21 & Dec. 18-19. No man drives | Statewide WMA limits |
| Hog Hunts (with Dogs) | Mar. 1-6 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | |
| Hog Still Gun Hunts | Mar. 8-13 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | |
| Small Game | Nov. 26-Mar. 1 | Statewide Bag Limits |
| Raccoon & Opossum | Game Zone 4 WMA seasons and limits. Refer to chart. | |
| Dove | Sat. afternoons only during 1st season in designated fields only. Any day during 2nd and 3rd seasons on general forest and designated fields. See Public Dove Field Regulations. |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Manchester State Forest WMA?
Manchester State Forest 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 Manchester State Forest WMA?
Hunters reported 239 deer on Manchester State Forest WMA in the 2024 season: 118 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks and 108 does. SCDNR's Table 4 counts the area as 23,135 acres (SCDNR's figure, not the measured size above), about one deer for every 97 acres on that figure.
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Acres SCDNR counted | Per square mile of those acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 239 | 131 | 108 | 23,135 | 6.6 |
| 2022 | 195 | 117 | 78 | 25,505 | 4.9 |
| 2020 | 157 | 93 | 64 | 25,505 | 3.9 |
| 2019 | 155 | 78 | 77 | 25,505 | 3.9 |
SCDNR's acreage for the area changed between reports (23,135 and 25,505 acres), so per square mile figures from years with different acres are not like for like. 2021 is left off: the figures FilledTag extracted for that year repeat 2022's exactly, which points to a copying error. 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 to 2022: 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 reports for 2019 to 2022 (SCDNR deer harvest reports).
What does SCDNR say about Manchester State Forest WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Manchester State Forest WMA is owned by the South Carolina Forestry Commission. Hunting opportunities on Manchester State Forest include two public dove fields, a category II waterfowl area, archery only areas, and quail hunt areas. There are other recreational opportunities on Manchester State Forest. Please refer to the map, the SCDNR Rules and Regulations book, and the Manchester State Forest website for details. Oak Lea WMA, to the south, is also a part of Manchester State Forest."
Visiting hours: See the Manchester State Forest website. Dove Field open for hunting on certain days. See the Regulations for specific open dates.
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Manchester State Forest, read October 2026.
Which county is Manchester State Forest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 26,857 | 4,808 | 9.1 |
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 Manchester State Forest WMA?
Highways through the area: SC 120 and SC 261. Nearest towns: Pinewood (next to it), Sumter (4 miles), Paxville (6 miles) and Eastover (6 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (803) 494-8196.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Oak Lea WMA (2.4 miles), Hickory Top WMA (3.4 miles), Wateree River Heritage Preserve WMA (5.1 miles) and Bobwhite Hills WMA (10.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Manchester State Forest WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Hunts (with Dogs): Clubs selected by drawing; Deer Archery: Sept. 15-30; Deer Still Gun Hunts: Oct. 1-Jan. 1, except closed on Oct. 31, Nov. 20-21 & Dec. 18-19. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Manchester State Forest WMA?
Only on its dog drive hunt dates: deer hunts (with dogs), Clubs selected by drawing.
Can you hunt turkeys on Manchester State Forest 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 Manchester State Forest WMA in?
Sumter County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How many deer were killed on Manchester State Forest WMA last season?
239 in the 2024 season, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for non-reporting: 118 antlered bucks, 13 button bucks and 108 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.
South Carolina hunting All South Carolina WMAs Sumter County deer harvest