Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA is 1,254 acres of public hunting land in Oconee County, in SCDNR's WMA program, in Game Zone 1. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are Game Zone 1's seasons for WMAs SCDNR does not list by name: youth deer hunt day, primitive weapons, archery only and still gun hunts; the earliest dated hunt is Oct. 1-10 (primitive weapons).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMAOther SCDNR WMAsNational forestLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,254 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Oconee County |
| Game zone | Zone 1 |
| Deer hunts | Youth deer hunt day, primitive weapons, archery only and still gun hunts |
| Archery deer | Oct. 17-30 |
| Still gun deer | Oct. 12-16, Oct. 31-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 (regular WMA season) |
| Phone | (864) 654-1671 |
| Nearest towns | Walhalla (3 mi), West Union (4 mi) and Salem (7 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's Game Zone 1 table does not list Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA by name, so the zone's seasons for its other WMAs are the ones below.
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Deer Hunt Day | Jan. 2 (see Youth & Mobility Impaired Hunts WMAs) | 2 deer total |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Oct. 1-10 | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
| Archery only | Oct. 17-30 | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
| Still Gun Hunts | Oct. 12-16, Oct. 31-Jan. 1 No deer hunting on Long Creek Tracts (Oconee Co.) on or after Thanksgiving Day. | statewide WMA limits; all deer must be tagged |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 1 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR opens the regular WMAs in all four game zones, Forest Service land included, 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 Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA on its own; it counts 844 deer on its other and unnamed WMA lands together. Around it, Oconee County's harvest was 2,314 deer in the 2024 season (5.2 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 Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve is the product of a large grassroots effort to secure Issaqueena Falls, historic railroad tunnels, and a forested mountainside for the public. Outcries over a proposed development lead to a groundswell of public support for conserving the area. Originally, about a half of the property was held by the City of Walhalla as a conservation easement, while the other half was dedicated as a Heritage Preserve. However, in 2020 the Turnip Top tract was purchased and dedicated as a Heritage Preserve. Issaqueena Falls (over 100 feet high) is now owned and managed by the City of Walhalla as part of a public park."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Stumphouse Mountain HP and WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oconee County | 1,254 | 2,314 | 5.2 |
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 Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 28, SC 11, SC 183 and SC 107. Nearest towns: Walhalla (3 miles), West Union (4 miles), Salem (7 miles) and Westminster (9 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (864) 654-1671.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Sumter National Forest Andrew Pickens Ranger District (next to it), Buzzard Roost Heritage Preserve WMA (2.5 miles), Keowee WMA (10.6 miles) and Brasstown Creek Heritage Preserve WMA (11.7 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA?
No. Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2.
What county is Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA in?
Oconee County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How big is Stumphouse Mountain Heritage Preserve WMA and where is it?
1,254 acres by measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary, in Oconee County, about 3 miles from Walhalla, near SC 28 and SC 11.
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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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