What does my membership include?

During off-season months, members will also have access to cross-country skiing, fishing and hiking. Your membership includes hunting privileges when the club is open. For upland hunting the club will be open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Saturday and Sunday, as well as special days such as Christmas Eve and the Friday after Thanksgiving. The club will allow Bow hunting every day except Monday. Turkey hunting will follow the outlines of State seasons, as will shotgun deer hunting. Any waterfowl and dove* hunting will follow the same schedule as outlined above in the upland section.

In addition your membership includes access to and use of the Club’s Sporting clay course. Your first three rounds are free, additional rounds are $15.00. We also offer members a dog training area here you can work dogs and shoot birds from September 15th through March 1st.

In addition members will have the opportunity to participate in special club events, such as our annual dove & clay member guest, and our Friday before opening day Steak Fry.

Other Features and Services:

• Trained bird-dogs $50 per day, or $300 for the season
• Guide Service $100 per day, $500 per season, (If your party has a good day,
  it’s ok to tip)
• Special out of state trips and packages offered exclusively to our members.

How many members does the club have and how are they selected?

The club shall have no more than 30 individual members. Corporate memberships are limited to 4. Each corporate membership counts as 3 individual memberships. I.E if the club had 3 corporate members, it would be limited to 16 individual memberships. Each potential member will be interview by the club’s membership committee. The memberships are broken down by category as follows:

Upland 12-14 members

Deer Turkey 10-15 members

*Membership based on current acres. Board may decide to increase number available if acres under lease expand.

Upland members have access to Dove fields. Other members can add doves for $250.00.

The idea is to have the club made up of individuals with different interests to better use and manages our land resources.

How much land does the club have?

The club has leases on over 6500 acres in central and south central Illinois. These acres have been divided up into approximately 40 tracts. Each tract is monitored both with regard to hunting frequency and game harvest.

Does the club offer birds to release and hunt?

On certain tracts the club will release quail and Pheasants before the season. The quail will be released in September and October using an early release system. The club also offers birds for sale if members want extra released before a hunt. The club will also maintain pure tracts with no released birds for those who want to hunt only "wild" birds.

Are Turkey members allowed to Upland hunt and vise versa?

Day rates are available for members to hunt outside their stated membership, but are subject to availability.

May I bring guests?

Yes . Each member is allowed 3 free guests per year to hunt, not including special events for guests. Additional local guests (within 100 miles of Decatur) are $100 each visit, $50 for out of town. (A member may only bring the same person 3 times as a guest.) Guest fees will be charged for the club ranges, $20 for sporting clays, and $10 for archery. Children under 18, living at home do not count as guests, but must have passed the hunter safety course. No guests are allowed on the opening weekend of any season, unless there is a special event.

How do I make reservations?

This is the really exciting part of this club. All reservations/requests will be done through the club’s website. It will include maps, directions and hunting history for each tract. Members will also report the game harvest back to the club on the website.

What are my responsibilities as a member?

1. Observe all club rules: Days you can hunt, harvest limits*, number of guns in field, (3).
2. Report game harvest
3. Donate 5 hours of service as needed by the club for habitat projects. Members can buy out hours for $50 per hour

Harvest limits/guidelines:

Upland groups, (no more than 4, with 3 carrying guns) are allowed to harvest 12 quail and 4 pheasants. If members are hunting on tracts with released birds, harvest limits are raised to 16 quail and 6 pheasants, or State bag limits, which ever is less.

Deer: Yes, members are encouraged to harvest a doe first, bucks should be 8 points or better and/or estimated weight of 150 lbs.

Waterfowl: Drakes only

Membership Packages/Prices:

Corporate Rates:

Corporate members are allowed to have three people in the field on days club is open. If the principal member(s) are not present the club requires a guide be assigned to the businesses group and appropriate guide fees would apply.

© COPYRIGHT 2004 Golden Days Conservation Club