Santee Coastal Reserve (SCR) Wildlife Management Area was established by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources as a result of the purchase and donation of the property by The Nature Conservancy in 1974. This unique property represents a variety of habitats found in South Carolina including diverse uplands, freshwater, brackish and tidal wetlands and agricultural fields. This 24,000-acre property is composed of Murphy Island, Cedar Island, The Cape, Washo Reserve and adjacent upland habitats. Murphy Island, Cedar Island and The Cape are former rice fields managed for the benefit of breeding, migratory and wintering waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds. Loggerhead sea turtles nest on Murphy and Cedar Islands. Washo Reserve, owned and co-managed by The Nature Conservancy, is a 1,040-acre sanctuary within Santee Coastal Reserve consisting of a cypress lake and surrounding upland longleaf pine buffer. The impounded cypress lake harbors the oldest wading bird rookery in continuous use in North America. Learn more about Washo Reserve. The upland habitat at SCR contains a diversity of forest types, including a natural stand of longleaf pine, Carolina bays and mixed hardwoods. The long-leaf pine and other forested areas support many colonies of the endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker, songbirds, raptors, butterflies, fox squirrels and other small mammals. The SCDNR intensively manages SCR to provide optimum habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, to provide habitat for upland game and nongame species and to provide recreational opportunities for the hunting and non-hunting public. The area has four designated nature trails and miles of dirt roads for hikers and bicyclists. Late winter through early spring provides bird watching opportunities along the 500-foot boardwalk on the Washo Reserve to observe a variety of species including waterfowl, wading birds and migratory songbirds. Alligators are abundant in the managed wetlands and are most often seen from late February through mid-November. Hunting opportunities are available to the public for white-tailed deer, wild hogs, waterfowl (by special drawing only), bobwhite quail, small game and furbearers. Dates and times of hunts are available in the SCDNR Rules and Regulations brochure.