Santee Dam WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Santee Dam WMA is 1,065 acres of public hunting land in Clarendon County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 4. Hunters reported 11 deer taken on it in the 2024 season (3 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 7 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.
Santee Dam WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational wildlife refugeLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,065 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's WMA list and 2024 harvest report give 575 |
|---|---|
| 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 | 11 (3 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 7 does) |
| Phone | (803) 429-2068 |
| Nearest towns | Summerton (11 mi), Eutawville (11 mi) and Greeleyville (11 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Santee Dam WMA?
- Hunter access by watercraft only from Borrow Pitt Landing (Clarendon Co.) or Wilson's Landing (Berkeley Co.) except during scheduled dove hunts (see Migratory Bird Regulations)
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Archery | Sept. 15-Oct. 31 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Nov. 1-Jan. 1 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Hog Hunts (with Dogs) | Mar. 8-13 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | No Limit |
| Dove | Dove hunts on designated days only. Season and limits published in the Public Dove Fields List. | |
| Small Game | Jan. 2-Mar. 1 No fox squirrel hunting. | Statewide limits |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Santee Dam WMA?
Santee Dam 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 Santee Dam WMA?
Hunters reported 11 deer on Santee Dam WMA in the 2024 season: 3 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 7 does. SCDNR's Table 4 counts the area as 575 acres (SCDNR's figure, not the measured size above), about one deer for every 52 acres on that figure.
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 4 (WMA harvest).
What does SCDNR say about Santee Dam WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Santee Dam 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). Located just below Wilson Dam along the banks of the Santee River, the Santee Dam WMA offers several hunting and fishing opportunities. The property is mostly forested, and most of the stands contain bottomland hardwood species. Dense understories of river cane, greenbrier, and wood oats occur in some of these stands."
- This property is leased for hunting purposes only and not managed by SCDNR for any other activities.
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Santee Dam WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Santee Dam 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 | 1,057 | 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 Santee Dam WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 45 and SC 260. Nearest towns: Summerton (11 miles), Eutawville (11 miles), Greeleyville (11 miles) and Manning (12 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 Cooper WMA (4.2 miles), Potato Creek Hatchery WMA (4.4 miles) and Francis Marion National Forest WMA (13.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Santee Dam WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Sept. 15-Oct. 31; Deer Primitive Weapons: Nov. 1-Jan. 1. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Santee Dam WMA?
No dog drive hunts are listed for Santee Dam WMA on SCDNR's 2026-27 table, so deer are hunted without dogs there.
Can you hunt turkeys on Santee Dam 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 Santee Dam WMA in?
Clarendon County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How many deer were killed on Santee Dam WMA last season?
11 in the 2024 season, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for non-reporting: 3 antlered bucks, 1 button buck and 7 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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