Santee Cooper WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Santee Cooper WMA is 3,619 acres of public hunting land in Orangeburg County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 3. Hunters reported 18 deer taken on it in the 2024 season (7 antlered bucks and 11 does), by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 3 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 3 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Santee Cooper WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 3,619 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's WMA list and 2024 harvest report give 3,144 |
|---|---|
| County | Orangeburg County |
| Game zone | Zone 3 |
| Deer hunts | Archery and primitive weapons |
| Archery deer | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 |
| Dogs for deer | No dog drive hunts listed for the area |
| Quality deer management | Antlered deer must have minimum 4 points on one side, or a minimum 12 inch inside antler spread. |
| Spring turkey | April 3 to May 3 (youth only, Thurs.-Sat. only), limit 1 |
| Deer reported, 2024 season | 18 (7 antlered bucks and 11 does) |
| Phone | (803) 429-2068 |
| Nearest towns | Eutawville (2 mi), Vance (6 mi) and Holly Hill (9 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Santee Cooper WMA?
- Quality Deer Management Area Antlered deer must have minimum 4 points on one side, or a minimum 12 inch inside antler spread. Campground is open during scheduled deer hunts. Hunters limited to 2 deer/tree stands. No deer stand can be placed on WMA prior to Sept. 1. Data/Use cards are required for all users. Completed cards must be returned daily upon leaving the WMA.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Archery | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Nov. 1-20 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Dove | Designated fields on certain days. See Public Dove Fields List. | |
| Small Game | Nov. 26-Mar. 1 No fox squirrel hunting | Statewide limits |
| Raccoon & Opossum | Game Zone 3 WMA seasons and limits. Refer to chart. |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 3 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Santee Cooper WMA?
Santee Cooper WMA is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for spring turkey, April 3 to May 3, 2027: youth only, Thurs.-Sat. only, limit 1 gobbler.
Source: SCDNR spring 2027 turkey seasons on WMAs.
How many deer are taken on Santee Cooper WMA?
Hunters reported 18 deer on Santee Cooper WMA in the 2024 season: 7 antlered bucks and 11 does. SCDNR's Table 4 counts the area as 3,144 acres (SCDNR's figure, not the measured size above), about one deer for every 175 acres on that figure.
| Season | Deer | Bucks | Does | Acres SCDNR counted | Per square mile of those acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18 | 7 | 11 | 3,144 | 3.7 |
| 2019 | 41 | 15 | 26 | 2,828 | 9.3 |
SCDNR's acreage for the area changed between reports (3,144 and 2,828 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 Santee Cooper WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Santee Cooper WMA is situated in southeastern Orangeburg County near the town of Eutaw Springs. It includes several islands adjacent to the mainland part of the WMA, including Sixteen Island. A portion of Santee Cooper WMA (west of Ferguson Landing Way) is designated as a Category II Waterfowl Area and has entry restrictions during the waterfowl season. The WMA is mostly forested, but there are several scattered wildlife openings that are left fallow or planted to cool or warm-season plantings for the benefit of various wildlife species."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Santee Cooper WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Santee Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County | 3,619 | 10,976 | 13.9 |
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 Santee Cooper WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 6, SC 45 and SC 453. Nearest towns: Eutawville (2 miles), Vance (6 miles), Holly Hill (9 miles) and Santee (11 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (803) 429-2068.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Moultrie Hunt Unit WMA (next to it), Santee Dam WMA (4.2 miles), Potato Creek Hatchery WMA (6.7 miles) and Hickory Top WMA (12 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Santee Cooper WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Sept. 15-Oct. 31; Deer Primitive Weapons: Nov. 1-20. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 3 table.
What is a legal buck on Santee Cooper WMA?
Santee Cooper WMA is a quality deer management area: antlered deer must have minimum 4 points on one side, or a minimum 12 inch inside antler spread. 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.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Santee Cooper WMA?
No dog drive hunts are listed for Santee Cooper WMA on SCDNR's 2026-27 table, so deer are hunted without dogs there.
Can you hunt turkeys on Santee Cooper WMA?
Yes. It is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for spring turkey, April 3 to May 3, 2027: youth only, Thurs.-Sat. only, limit 1 gobbler.
What county is Santee Cooper WMA in?
Orangeburg County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How many deer were killed on Santee Cooper WMA last season?
18 in the 2024 season, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for non-reporting: 7 antlered bucks and 11 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 Orangeburg County deer harvest