Hunting and Fishing in Pike County

Pike County is a sportsman’s paradise.  The combination of hardwood woodlands and multi-culture agriculture provides the ideal blend of components attractive to a host of wildlife. The topography of Pike County, with its rolling hills, creek bottoms and river bluffs offers ideal habitat.  The county has a national reputation among sportsmen for the quantity and quality of white tail deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, and a variety of other game species. Equally as inviting, is the quality fishing and convenient pleasure readily available on the Mississippi River to the west, and the Illinois River to the east.  Lake Pittsfield, 2 miles east of Pittsfield is a 200 acre lake surrounded by 480 acres of recreational land.  Pike County’s natural beauty and resources offer something for everyone. 

Whitetail Deer

Pike County is particularly renowned for its trophy whitetail deer hunting.  Pike County leads the state in the quantity of deer harvested during each season, and is the #2 county in the nation for the highest quantity of trophy whitetail entries in the Boone and Crocket Record Books, as well as Pope and Young Record Books.

Much of the success of deer hunting in Pike County is attributed to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ excellent management of our deer herds, strict enforcement of game laws, licensing and oversight of outfitters, and DNR’s excellent partnership with other agencies and hunting services.  IDNR also manages public land for hunting on Ray Norbut Fish and Wildlife Area (see below).  Complete information about hunting in Illinois and a list of licensed outfitters can be found on IDNR’s website www.dnr.state.il.us    The IDNR has published a list of all Illinois hunting dates and seasons, available as a PDF here, or on the IDNR web site.

It’s not just the abundant deer that make hunting in Pike County memorable.  It’s the friendly Pike County people, the varied accommodations, great places to eat, and helpful hunting services providers who will make your trip enjoyable.  Pittsfield, our county seat, was named one of the Top 5 Hunting Towns in America by Real Tree magazine; and all of our communities offer the same Pike County amenities and warm welcome to hunters.  Many of them are provided in this guide.  We hope you find it useful.

Once you’ve experienced Pike County hunting we know you’ll want to return, both to hunt and at other times- and bring your families!

Access Illinois Outdoors is a program where outdoor enthusiasts are matched with private landowners for whitetail deer hunting, turkey hunting and other outdoor activies.  Since its creation in 1994, more than 174 landowners have signed up, servicing more than 3000 visitors.  AIO also runs the Access Food program whereby hunters are encouraged to shoot a doe to help control the population, and then donate the meat to local food pantries.  Processing costs are covered by the program.  Contact information is provided below.

Ray Norbut Fish and Wildlife Area is a 1,140 acre mosaic of bottomlands, woodlands, rocky ravines, wetlands, open fields, steep hills, and bluffs.  Located along the Illinois River, it lies five miles east of Griggsville and two miles south of Valley City in the eastern part of the county.  All but 140 of the 1,140 acres are open to hunting. For the Firearm Deer season, a quota of hunters will be filled by special permit; drawing in Springfield.  For the Late-Winter Deer season, (formerly Handgun Season) a quota of hunters will be filled on a sign-in sheet at the office each morning. A Pike County permit is required.  For Archery Deer hunting, no quota is required but a statewide permit is required. Statewide seasons, shooting hours and bag limits apply.  All hunters are required to check in and out at the site headquarters and record their harvest. Site Specific regulations may change; consult the DNR website.

Access Illinois Outdoors   217-285-2464
1301 E. Washington St., Pittsfield, IL. 62363
www.accessil.org

Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
(hunting regulations, season, permits, list of licensed outfitters)
www.dnr.state.il.us
217-285-2221
Illinois 106 West, Pittsfield, IL 62363

Ray Norbut Fish & Wildlife Area  217-833-2811
46815 290th Avenue
Griggsville, IL 62340

Other Hunting Services:

Foiles Migrators   217-285-5665
(duck and goose calls, accessories and related waterfowl products, hunts)
101 N. Industrial Drive    Pittsfield, Il 62363
www.foilesstraitmeat.com

Longbeard Taxidermy   217-285-1377
Rt. 54 Pittsfield Industrial Park,  Pittsfield, IL. 62363

The Archery Shop   217-285-1610
7 East Industrial Park Dr., Pittsfield, IL. 62363
www.pikecountyarchery.com

Outfitters (a partial listing).   See IDNR website for a complete list.

Bighorn Outfitters
217-734-2651
16177 County Highway 11
Pleasant Hill, IL
www.pikebighorn.com
email:  pikebighorn@yahoo.com

Blue River Outdoors, Inc.  217-723-4269
45905 State Hwy 106, Pittsfield, IL. 62363
www.blueriveroutdoors.com

Buckeye Creek Outfitters   847-359-5912   or 217-285-4077
238 Reseda Parkway, Palatine, IL. 60067
www.buckeyecreek.com

Butler Farms Outdoor Adventure    217-723-4451
46744 255th Ave., Pittsfield, IL. 62363
www.butlerfarmsoutdoor.com

Campbell Farms Hunting   217-779-2792
515 Decatur St., Barry, IL.62312
www.gaileee@adams.net

Carter’s Hunting Lodge
217-723-4522
PO Box 259
Milton, IL 62352

Eagle Lakes Outfitters, Inc.
217-285-6446 or 217-426-3212
975 W. Washington St., Pittsfield, IL. 62363

Hadley Creek Outfitters
217-335-3804
26625 County Highway 4
Barry, IL

Heartland Lodge  
217-734-2526
10236 393rd St.  Nebo, IL. 62355
www.heartlandlodge.com

Hopewell Views Hunting Club & Game Farm
217-734-9234
19048 US Hwy 54
Rockport, IL

Illinois Xtreme Whitetail Lodge
601-955-8185
38841 St. Hwy 104
Baylis, IL
www.illinoisxtreme.com

JK Ranches  
217-285-5818 or 217-285-4164 (evenings and weekends)
42480 270th Ave., Griggsville, IL. 62340
www.jkranches.com

Milton’s Big Buck Inn & Outfitters
217-723-4444
248 Tucker St., Milton
Pittsfield, IL 62363
www.miltonsbigbuckinn.com
email: miltonsbigbuckinn@yahoo.com

Oak Ridge Outfitters, Inc.
217-335-2638(H) or 217-653-0345(Cell)
509 Grand Ave., Barry, IL. 62344

Pike Bucks Unlimited
217-285-6625
308 Sycamore St., Pittsfield, IL. 62363

Pike County Bucks
847-648-1171
P.O. Box 754, Wheeling, IL. 60090

Pikeland Outfitters
217-285-9040
22915 County Hwy 7, Pittsfield, IL. 62363

Rodhouse Rut-n-Strut Outfitter
217-734-2205
103 S. Main
Pleasant Hill, IL