South Fenwick Island WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
South Fenwick Island WMA is 2,496 acres of public hunting land in Colleton County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 3. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 3 table: archery. Some deer hunts are by SCDNR lottery only.
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 3 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
South Fenwick Island WMAOther SCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 2,496 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's WMA list gives 427 |
|---|---|
| County | Colleton County |
| Game zone | Zone 3 |
| Deer hunts | Archery |
| Archery deer | By lottery only |
| Dogs for deer | No dog drive hunts listed for the area |
| Spring turkey | Not on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for turkey |
| Phone | (843) 844-8822 |
| Nearest towns | Edisto Beach (3 mi), Seabrook Island (12 mi) and Rockville (12 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on South Fenwick Island WMA?
- Deer Hunting by permit only. Primitive camping allowed by permit, which may be obtained at McKenzie Field Station, Bennetts Point, (843) 844-8822 No small game or waterfowl hunting.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Archery | Hunters selected by lottery. | Statewide WMA limits |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 3 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on South Fenwick Island WMA?
South Fenwick Island WMA is not on SCDNR's 2026-27 list of WMAs open for spring turkey. Check SCDNR's property page before planning a turkey hunt there.
Source: SCDNR spring 2027 turkey seasons on WMAs.
How many deer are taken on South Fenwick Island WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list South Fenwick Island WMA on its own; it counts 844 deer on its other and unnamed WMA lands together. Around it, Colleton County's harvest was 6,136 deer in the 2024 season (7.8 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 South Fenwick Island WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "South Fenwick is located several miles from the Atlantic Ocean in the heart of the ACE Basin, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the east coast. Bounded on one side by the South Edisto River and on the other side by the Ashepoo River, the 500-acre island (of which SCDNR manages 400 acres) is connected by a maze of salt marsh to Otter Island. With a mix of maritime forest, salt marsh, and open, former agricultural lands on the property, South Fenwick is home to a range of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoons, Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, and a variety of songbirds, waterfowl, and wading birds."
- South Fenwick Island includes private property.
- Please respect land owners and do not leave the trail on private property.
- Do not tie up to or trespass on private docks.
- Archery deer hunting permitted by lottery drawing only and hunt dates will vary each year.
- Applications are accepted from July 1 to August 15.
- To apply go to www.gooutdoorssouthcarolina.com.
- Primitive camp sites are available on the island year-round, except during archery season.
- Camping permits are required and available by calling the McKenzie Field Station at (843)-844-8822 or emailing mckenziefieldstation@dnr.sc.gov.
Visiting hours: South Fenwick Island is open to the public during daylight hours except during archery hunts. The property can only be accessed by boat. The primary access point is an SCDNR-marked dock on the Ashepoo River. The property will be closed the weekends of the Lottery Archery Hunts: 9/23/26-9/27/26 10/21/26-10/25/26 11/18/26-11/22/26 12/16/26-12/20/26
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, South Fenwick Island WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is South Fenwick Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colleton County | 2,496 | 6,136 | 7.8 |
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 South Fenwick Island WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 174. Nearest towns: Edisto Beach (3 miles), Seabrook Island (12 miles), Rockville (12 miles) and Meggett (13 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (843) 844-8822.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: St. Helena Sound Heritage Preserve WMA (next to it), Bear Island WMA (3.2 miles), Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve WMA (5.9 miles) and Old Island Heritage Preserve WMA (11.5 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on South Fenwick Island WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Hunters selected by lottery. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 3 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on South Fenwick Island WMA?
No dog drive hunts are listed for South Fenwick Island WMA on SCDNR's 2026-27 table, so deer are hunted without dogs there.
Can you hunt turkeys on South Fenwick Island WMA?
It is not on SCDNR's 2026-27 list of WMAs open for spring turkey; check SCDNR's property page before planning a turkey hunt.
What county is South Fenwick Island WMA in?
Colleton 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.
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