Game managemant area in york county sc

Later, farmers found the land hard to work because the soil was muddy in the winter and dry and hard in the summer months. Today, the blackjacks are isolated parcels of natural communities of plants and animals in 12 counties of the Piedmont, including York County. The Preserve is the only location where the federally endangered Schweinitz's sunflower enjoys permanent protection.

Three rare plant communities and 21 rare plant species are found on this property. Irregular swamps are among the wettest sites in the blackjacks, usually full of water only during the winter months. The wetlands are home to a variety of wildlife, including amphibians. Drier land surrounds the winter swamps, with a different kind of vegetation.

One part leads to another, from glades, grasses and prairie-like meadows to the forest of hardwoods and pines. Huge rocks and boulders stud the forest floor.

In addition to the blackjack oaks, other trees include willow oaks, post oak, redbud, hickories, flowering dogwoods, hawthorns, red cedar and short-leaf pine. Grasses such as broom sedges flourish here. Tarheel hickory, Barberry, nodding onion and Indian current, all unusual in South Carolina, carpet the forest floor. Every season offers different delights. A significant number of desirable mast-producing hardwood species such as red oak, white oak, water oak, willow oak and swamp chestnut oak along with hickory, black walnut, dogwood and redbud occur.

About acres 48 percent of this tract is open land or is non-forested and consists primarily of abandoned fields, powerline right-of-ways and ponds. Many of the fields or open areas are relatively large in size, some in excess of 50 to 75 acres.

The open areas are managed by periodic mowing, disking and burning to maintain an early successional habitat. This Wildlife Management Area is managed specifically for small game, however good white-tailed deer and wild turkey populations are present.

Although managed for hunting, other forms of outdoor recreation such as hiking, biking and bird watching are popular at this WMA because of its proximity to Rock Hill, SC, and Charlotte, NC. No horseback riding is allowed. The property contains 3 stocked ponds and special limits and open times apply.