Mill Shoals WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Mill Shoals WMA is 755 acres of public hunting land in Pickens County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 1. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 1 table: archery; the earliest dated hunt is Oct. 1-Jan. 1 (archery).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Mill Shoals WMAOther SCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 755 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Pickens County |
| Game zone | Zone 1 |
| Deer hunts | Archery |
| Archery deer | Oct. 1-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 |
| Phone | (864) 654-1671 |
| Nearest towns | Pickens (4 mi), Six Mile (7 mi) and Liberty (9 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Mill Shoals WMA?
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Archery | Oct. 1-Jan. 1 (GZ1 deer season) | |
| Bear Archery | Oct. 12-16 (GZ1 still season) | |
| Small Game (No hog hunts with dogs) | Refer to chart. | |
| Turkey | Statewide WMA Season |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Mill Shoals WMA?
Mill Shoals 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 Mill Shoals WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list Mill Shoals 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 Mill Shoals WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Mill Shoals Wildlife Management Area is in Game Zone 1."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Mill Shoals WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Mill Shoals 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 | 755 | 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 Mill Shoals WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: US 178, SC 11, SC 183 and SC 133. Nearest towns: Pickens (4 miles), Six Mile (7 miles), Liberty (9 miles) and Norris (10 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (864) 654-1671.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Jocassee Gorges WMA (2.5 miles), Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve WMA (6.3 miles), Laurel Fork Heritage Preserve WMA (7.7 miles) and South Saluda WMA (9.6 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Mill Shoals WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Oct. 1-Jan. 1 (GZ1 deer season). From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 1 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Mill Shoals WMA?
No. Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2.
Can you hunt turkeys on Mill Shoals 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 Mill Shoals WMA in?
Pickens County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
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 Pickens County deer harvest