The Experience

Once a modest farmhouse, the Clubhouse at NILO is now the preserve’s social center.

The walls are lined with photos, plaques, and awards, chronicling the story of the farm, the people, and of course, the dogs. When hunters and sport shooters gather here upon arrival, they shed their street clothes and get into hunting & shooting gear. Upstairs in the Clubhouse, guests can enjoy a cup of coffee while they meet their guides. Each guest is presented with a blaze orange hat, Illinois hunting license, eye and ear protection, and a hunting or shooting vest. If guns are needed, racks of superb Winchester over-and-under and autoloaders are available to select from. A quick firearm operation and safety briefing is completed and from there, it’s out to the fields where hunters will try to bag their birds. At midday, they return to the Clubhouse for lunch consisting of either renowned fried chicken or world-famous pheasant pot pie. After lunch, sport shooters try to sharpen their skills on the sporting clays course. When hunting and sport shooting is finished, hunters return to the Clubhouse to “swap lies” and relax. At the end of the day, don’t forget to take your birds with you. Guests take home boxes of dressed, frozen game birds, and NILO’s own recipes for preparing them.