BEAR ISLAND WMA
Having hosted waterfowl hunts for over four decades, Bear Island WMA in Colleton County has developed quite a reputation as a quality duck-hunting area. The drought in the early part of this decade didn't do the area any favors, but lately the WMA has turned its back on those misfortunes and has been making steady gains ever since.

Bear Island WMA only averaged 1.7 ducks per hunter during the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons. Since then, the average has climbed from 2.37 two seasons ago to 2.74 during the 2005-06 season. The area consists of three parcels, the East and West sides and Springfield/The Cut, with the latter section of marsh supporting one of the best seasons statewide last season.

The Springfield/The Cut section averaged 3.7 ducks per hunter, bested only by portions of Santee Delta and Santee Coastal Reserve WMAs. Green- and blue-winged teal and shovelers made up two-thirds of the total harvest. Hunters also killed gadwalls, pintails and a few mallards.

Last season, green- and blue-winged teal and shovelers were also well represented on both the East and West sides, where hunters averaged 2.4 ducks per man on each section. Widgeon were common on both parcels, but gadwalls and hooded mergansers were more frequent in the bag on the East side, whereas mallards were the No. 2 species on the West side.

Bear Island WMA information can be obtained by calling SCDNR at (843) 844-8957.

SAMWORTH WMA
Like Bear Island WMA, the 1,588-acre Samworth WMA in Georgetown County has been hosting duck hunts for a long time. Hunts were curtailed for a few seasons in the early 2000s but resumed with good results.

Samworth WMA was reopened in the draw duck hunt lottery beginning with the 2004-05 season. Twenty-four hunters harvested 73 that year for a season average of 3.04 ducks per person. Green-winged teal were 58 percent of the harvest. Another 33 percent consisted of wood ducks, and mallards made up 7 percent of the total harvest.

Success dropped off a bit last season, with 19 hunters harvesting 37 ducks. Green-winged teal were again the top duck, and when combined with wood ducks, the two species comprised 78 percent of the harvest. Hunters also killed seven mallards.

The results from the last two seasons are typical for Samworth WMA. Harvest data from the mid-1980s indicated that hunters averaged about two ducks per person and the majority of the harvest consisted of green-winged teal and woodies with an occasional mallard.

Hunting takes place on former rice fields located in the river delta between the Pee Dee and Waccamaw rivers. As such, chest waders are encouraged, since old ditches are often over hip-boot height, sometimes well over. Hunting is from pre-constructed blinds that hunters draw for on the morning of their hunt.

Information about hunting at Samworth WMA can be obtained by calling (843) 546-8119.

BROAD RIVER WMA
While most of the draw duck hunt locations are on the coast, Piedmont and Upstate hunters have a honeyhole in their back yard. Broad River WMA, located near Winnsboro in Fairfield County, is about as good as it gets, especially if mallards are in your sights.

Hunters have walked out of the marsh with an average of two to three ducks per man for the last three seasons, which includes two busted seasons of food production. Habitat management at Broad River WMA consists of planting corn and manipulating water levels for moist-soil foods. Floods on the area in 2003 prevented crop production and tropical rains ruined an excellent crop of corn in 2004. Even so, hunters averaged 2.93 and 2.29 ducks per person, respectively, during those seasons. Last year, 44 hunters took 128 ducks (2.91 ducks per hunter).