Clemson
Hunting
Report

The Andrew Pickens Ranger District of Sumter National Forest covers approximately 78,000 acres in Oconee County, SC, sharing a boundary with the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges to the east and North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest to the north. The district is named for Revolutionary War general Andrew Pickens, who was headquartered near the area. It encompasses the rugged Blue Ridge foothills with elevations ranging from 1,000 to more than 3,500 feet, providing diverse habitat for mountain game species including whitetail deer, wild turkey, and black bear. The Cassidy Bridge Hunt Camp and Cedar Creek Rifle Range (operated jointly by USFS and SCDNR) serve hunters accessing the forest. Nearly all land within the district is enrolled in the SCDNR WMA program.

Andrew Pickens Ranger District headquarters: 112 Andrew Pickens Cir, Mountain Rest, SC 29664, (864) 638-9568. Primary access roads include SC 107, Walhalla Road, and Cassidy Bridge Road. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. All hunters must comply with SCDNR WMA regulations. Big-game quota hunts for deer operate on scheduled Fri/Sat/Sun dates Oct–Jan. Check SCDNR draw schedule at dnr.sc.gov/wma for quota hunts.

The Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges is the crown jewel of South Carolina mountain hunting — 33,500 acres of Blue Ridge Escarpment hardwood and mixed-pine forest in northern Pickens and Oconee counties, named for SCDNR Director Emeritus James A. Timmerman. Purchased by the state in 1997–1998, Jocassee Gorges protects South Carolina's largest contiguous block of mountain property and is home to the state's most significant black bear population. Steep gorges, rhododendron-choked creek drainages, mature cove hardwoods, and high-elevation ridges create ideal habitat for bear, deer, and turkey. The property is part of a nearly 250-square-mile protected corridor connecting conservation lands in SC, NC, and GA. Deer densities are moderate due to the rugged terrain, but trophy buck opportunities exist for hunters willing to work the remote terrain.

Primary access via US-178 and Cleo Chapman Road (county road 143) — the only paved roads reaching the property. Seasonal gates control vehicle access: open approximately 5.5 months per year during hunting and fishing seasons; closed to general public access Nov 1–Feb 8 except on scheduled hunts. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. All terrain vehicles prohibited. Backcountry camping by permit only on dates when main hunt roads are not open. Check SCDNR WMA regulations for current schedule at dnr.sc.gov/managed/wild/jocassee.

Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve is a gorge-country Heritage Trust property in northern Pickens County, managed by SCDNR as both a natural heritage site and a Wildlife Management Area. Part of the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area family of properties, the preserve protects a steep mountain gorge with old-growth hemlock forest, rare ferns, rocky cliff faces, and the headwaters of Eastatoe Creek, which holds naturally reproducing rainbow trout. Hunting is permitted under WMA regulations for deer, turkey, bear, and small game. The preserve's rare botanical communities — including state-endangered species — make this property especially sensitive; hunters should stay on existing roads and trails to avoid disturbing protected plants.

Access via US-178 north of Pickens, then Horsepasture Road to the Foothills Trail parking area and preserve trailhead. Trail access on foot from the red gate. No motorized vehicle access beyond the parking area. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. Hiking trail and access road closures may occur following storm damage — check SCDNR's current WMA status before visiting. Fishing in Eastatoe Creek requires artificial lures only and a SC fishing license.

The Keowee WMA encompasses the hunting areas within the Clemson Experimental Forest, including the Fants Grove WMA, Keowee Archery Area, and Keowee Shotgun Area. These lands are part of the 17,500-acre Clemson University Forest, managed cooperatively with SCDNR as WMAs. The forest sits immediately southwest and northwest of the Clemson University campus, with shoreline on Lake Hartwell and proximity to Lake Keowee and Twelve Mile River. Fants Grove is a dedicated archery-only area for deer during its designated season. The forest's rolling hardwood and pine stands, creek drainages, and lake shoreline habitat provide productive hunting for deer and turkey within easy driving distance of downtown Clemson.

Access via Fants Grove Road, Cherry Road (SC 133), and forest gates off SC 76/123 corridors west and south of Clemson. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. Hunting is limited to WMA-designated sections — the Issaqueena Wildlife Refuge for Teaching and Research within the Clemson Experimental Forest is permanently closed to hunting. No camping; day-use hunting access only. Check Clemson University Experimental Forest WMA maps at clemson.edu/public/experimental-forest for current season area boundaries.

Franklin L. Gravely WMA is a 22,000-acre state-managed WMA straddling the Pickens–Greenville county line in the Blue Ridge foothills north of Table Rock State Park. Named in honor of SCDNR employee Franklin L. Gravely, it forms part of the 'Mountain Hunt Unit' — a contiguous block of nearly 200,000 acres of publicly accessible mountain hunting land along with Jocassee Gorges and the Andrew Pickens District of Sumter National Forest. The area encompasses Sassafras Mountain (the highest point in South Carolina at 3,560 feet), Table Rock, and the rugged Jocassee Gorges drainage. Black bear hunting is permitted in Game Zone 1 during the designated still-hunt and party dog-hunt seasons in October; a 350-pound bear was harvested in the WMA in 2017. Ruffed grouse — a Bird Game Zone 1-only species — inhabit the young-growth alder and mountain laurel thickets at mid-elevations.

Primary access via SC 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Hwy) and forest roads north of Pickens and Greenville counties. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. Big-game hunts on scheduled dates; check SCDNR WMA regulations for specific Gravely WMA dates. Property is adjacent to Table Rock State Park (limited hunting access from the park side) and connects north to Jocassee Gorges. All terrain vehicles prohibited on WMA lands.

Mill Shoals WMA is a 1,100-acre SCDNR-managed tract in northern Pickens County, situated within the Zone 1 mountain hunting corridor. Despite its modest size, Mill Shoals is notable for its inclusion in SCDNR's archery-only deer program for most of its season (Oct. 1–Jan. 1 for archery under WMA seasons and limits) and is one of the few small Pickens County WMAs specifically listed in the statewide WMA regulations with its own gun season window (Oct. 11–16 under Game Zone 1 still-gun rules). The property supports archery hunting for bear as well as deer, and its proximity to the Fants Grove / Jocassee corridor means bear range across the area. The mature hardwood and creek-bottom habitat provides quality early-season bowhunting opportunities close to the US-178 corridor.

Access via SC 11 and local roads in northern Pickens County near the Six Mile area. WMA permit and SC hunting license required. Deer must be tagged at point of kill before moving; report via SC Game Check by midnight on the day of harvest. No camping. Day-use hunting access only during designated seasons.