Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA is 8,487 acres of public hunting land in Horry County, owned by SCDNR, in Game Zone 4. Hunters reported 59 deer taken on it in the 2024 season (33 antlered bucks, 4 button bucks and 22 does), by SCDNR's Deer Harvest Report. Its 2026-27 deer seasons are set on SCDNR's Game Zone 4 table: archery, primitive weapons and still gun hunts; the earliest dated hunt is Sept. 15-Oct. 10 (archery).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA table. Harvest: SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report.
Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMAOther SCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 8,487 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary); SCDNR's 2024 harvest report gives 6,691 |
|---|---|
| County | Horry County |
| Game zone | Zone 4 |
| Deer hunts | Archery, primitive weapons and still gun hunts |
| Archery deer | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 |
| Still gun deer | Oct. 21-Jan. 1 |
| Dogs for deer | No dog drive hunts listed for the area |
| Spring turkey | April 3 to May 3 (Thurs.-Sat. only), limit 2 |
| Deer reported, 2024 season | 59 (33 antlered bucks, 4 button bucks and 22 does) |
| Phone | (843) 546-8119 |
| Nearest towns | North Myrtle Beach (4 mi), Atlantic Beach (5 mi) and Briarcliffe Acres (6 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
| Hunt | Dates, 2026-27 | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Still Hunts (No Dogs) | Oct. 17-30 Tagging & Reporting required. | 1 bear; no sow with cubs, no bears 100 lbs. or less. |
| Deer Archery | Sept. 15-Oct. 10 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Primitive Weapons | Oct. 12-20 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Deer Still Gun Hunts | Oct. 21-Jan. 1 | Statewide WMA limits |
| Raccoon & Opossum | Refer to WMA seasons in chart. | Statewide limits |
| Other Small Game | Nov. 26-Mar. 1 No fox squirrel hunting. | Statewide limits |
| Hog Still Gun Hunts | Mar. 2-18 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | No Limit |
| Hog Hunts (with Dogs) | Mar. 19-26, July 20-Aug. 15 Refer to Reg. 2.16. | No Limit |
Source: SCDNR 2026-27 Game Zone 4 WMA seasons, read October 2026. SCDNR's rules are the final word.
When is turkey season on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for spring turkey, April 3 to May 3, 2027: Thurs.-Sat. only, limit 2 gobblers.
Source: SCDNR spring 2027 turkey seasons on WMAs.
How many deer are taken on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
Hunters reported 59 deer on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA in the 2024 season: 33 antlered bucks, 4 button bucks and 22 does. SCDNR's Table 4 counts the area as 6,691 acres (SCDNR's figure, not the measured size above), about one deer for every 113 acres on that figure.
Source: SCDNR 2024 Deer Harvest Report, Table 4 (WMA harvest).
What does SCDNR say about Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "The Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve was established to protect a large, relatively unbroken riverine bottomland hardwood ecosystem that contains several rare plant species. The preserve also serves as an important travel corridor for black bears and buffers an excellent example of a black water river. Black water rivers are so named because of the black color of the water. The color comes from tannic acid that is leached from fallen leaves and other organic matter. Blackwater rivers originate and flow entirely in the coastal plain and do not have the clay sediments that Piedmont rivers have."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Waccamaw River HP and WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Waccamaw River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County | 8,487 | 4,237 | 5.1 |
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 Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: SC 90, SC 22, SC 905 and SC 9. Nearest towns: North Myrtle Beach (4 miles), Atlantic Beach (5 miles), Briarcliffe Acres (6 miles) and Conway (7 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (843) 546-8119.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve WMA (next to it), Woodbury WMA (16.9 miles), Little Pee Dee River Heritage Preserve WMA (17.7 miles) and Cartwheel Bay Heritage Preserve WMA (20.9 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is deer season on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA in 2026-27?
Deer Archery: Sept. 15-Oct. 10; Deer Primitive Weapons: Oct. 12-20; Deer Still Gun Hunts: Oct. 21-Jan. 1. From SCDNR's 2026-27 Game Zone 4 table.
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
No dog drive hunts are listed for Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA on SCDNR's 2026-27 table, so deer are hunted without dogs there.
Can you hunt turkeys on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA?
Yes. It is on SCDNR's list of WMAs open for spring turkey, April 3 to May 3, 2027: Thurs.-Sat. only, limit 2 gobblers.
What county is Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA in?
Horry County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How many deer were killed on Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve WMA last season?
59 in the 2024 season, reported through SC Game Check and corrected by SCDNR for non-reporting: 33 antlered bucks, 4 button bucks and 22 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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