Hadley Creek Outfitters

Attracting a loyal base of repeat customers over the years, Hadley Creek Outfitters offered its first whitetail deer hunts in 1997 on a modest 1,000 acres of land in Pike County, Illinois. Since its founding, Hadley Creek Outfitters has expanded to over 30,000 acres and has implemented a program that each year produces 15 to 20 whitetails measuring 170 inches or above. In addition, the overall trophy quality at Hadley Creek Outfitters has improved on a yearly basis since 2000. Hadley Creek Outfitters protects the age structure of its deer herds every year by controlling hunting pressure. It produces trophy whitetails by maintaining a habitat blend of 70 percent timber and 30 percent open ground and by providing appropriate food sources. The staff of Hadley Creek Outfitters plants hundreds of food plots containing corn, soybeans, and clover, as well as forage from Frigid Forage, Buck Forage Products, and BioLogic. This mix ensures an optimal year-round diet for the deer. Hadley Creek Outfitters offers fully guided archery and firearms hunts. Guides refrain from hunting and competing with clients, and they receive bonuses when their clients kill a buck scoring 140 and up. Hunting sites on the grounds include over 4,500 stand sites and vantage points strategically placed for all wind directions. In 2010, Hadley Creek Outfitters harvested 185 bucks that routinely measured in the mid-150s. On hunts during the rut, shot opportunity at bucks above 140 inches averages 150 percent. Hadley Creek keeps growing, with 80 percent of its customers repeat clients and direct referrals. In addition, the management has recently added spring wild turkey hunts and self-guided hunts.