Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA: 2026-27 seasons, rules and map
Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA is 1,668 acres of public hunting land in Greenville 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.
Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMAOther SCDNR WMAsLake or riverHighwayCounty line
| Size | 1,668 acres (measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary) |
|---|---|
| County | Greenville 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 | Pickens (14 mi), Travelers Rest (15 mi) and Easley (19 mi) |
When are the 2026-27 seasons on Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's Game Zone 1 table does not list Watson-Cooper 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 | 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 Watson-Cooper 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 Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA?
SCDNR's 2024 Deer Harvest Report does not list Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA on its own; it counts 844 deer on its other and unnamed WMA lands together. Around it, Greenville County's harvest was 4,711 deer in the 2024 season (10.2 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 Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA?
From SCDNR's property page: "The Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve is part of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness and Recreation Area (MBWRA). The purpose of the MBWRA is to link the watersheds of Table Rock Reservoir and Poinsette Reservoir with an unbroken chain of undeveloped mountain land. A portion of this property was purchased with assistance from The Nature Conservancy. Several unmarked trails and abandoned logging roads provide access to other parts of the rugged mountain terrain. The Caesars Head Spur Trail of the Foothills Trail passes through Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve, making use of closed and restricted-use roads."
Source: SCDNR Public Lands, Watson-Cooper HP and WMA, read October 2026.
Which county is Watson-Cooper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville County | 1,668 | 4,711 | 10.2 |
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 Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA?
Highways within 5 miles: US 276, SC 8 and SC 11. Nearest towns: Pickens (14 miles), Travelers Rest (15 miles), Easley (19 miles) and Liberty (21 miles). SCDNR's number for the area: (864) 654-1671.
The closest other South Carolina WMAs with a page here: South Saluda WMA (2.3 miles), Eva Russell Chandler Heritage Preserve WMA (3.2 miles), Ashmore Heritage Preserve WMA (3.7 miles) and Jocassee Gorges WMA (4.3 miles).
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt deer with dogs on Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA?
No. Hunting deer with dogs is unlawful in Game Zones 1 and 2.
What county is Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA in?
Greenville County, measured on SCDNR's boundary.
How big is Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve WMA and where is it?
1,668 acres by measured by FilledTag on SCDNR's mapped boundary, in Greenville County, about 14 miles from Pickens, near US 276 and SC 8.
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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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