State guide · IL
Hunting outfitters and guides in Illinois, with the official wildlife agency and what we could confirm about outfitter and guide licensing.
Looking for hunting outfitters in Illinois? Start with what the state allows. Below are the game species the Illinois Department of Natural Resources lists hunting seasons for, grouped by type, from guided whitetail hunts in Illinois to turkey and duck hunts.
Sources (checked Oct 2026): IDNR - Hunting; IDNR - Hunting and Trapping Regulations (digest); IDNR - Deer Hunting; Hunt Illinois (IDNR) - Upland & Small Game.
Seasons, draws and regulations change every year and can differ by unit or zone. Confirm seasons and regulations with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources before you plan or book a hunt. This list is a starting point, not legal advice.
No public single-business license lookup
Licensing body: Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Office of Law Enforcement. Agency to ask:IDNR outfitter regulation information.
Not a legal conclusion: the official pages cited above do not offer a public lookup of a single outfitter's license, so we cannot check one for you. Ask the agency to confirm what an outfit holds before you pay.
State wildlife agency: Illinois Department of Natural Resources (link checked October 23, 2026). Illinois rules change: check with the agency before booking a hunt or operating as a guide.
| Species | Guided | Fully outfitted | Semi-guided | Drop camp | Listings | Sponsored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitetail deer | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | 5 | – |
| Turkey | – | 2 | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| Waterfowl | 2 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| Total (a listing counts in each row it matches) | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | 10 | – |
| Region | About the region | Outfitters | Species offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Illinois | Farmland, river corridors and wetlands in the north. | none yet | – |
| West-Central Illinois | Illinois and Mississippi River bottoms and the wooded farm country between them. | 4 | Whitetail deer, Turkey, Waterfowl |
| Central Illinois | The prairie farmland across the middle of the state. | none yet | – |
| Southern Illinois | The Shawnee Hills, river bottoms and lake country of the south. | 3 | Whitetail deer, Turkey, Waterfowl |
Filter the 7 outfitters below. Pick one species and one hunt type; if nothing shows, no listing offers both.
Pike County, Illinois outfitter offering fair-chase five-day archery hunts, short shotgun and muzzleloader seasons and an early-October youth gun…
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Southern Illinois guide service near Rend Lake and Benton (Jason Johns) running fully guided free-range whitetail and wild turkey hunts with lodging…
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Family-run Pike County outfit (established 1998) hosting up to six bowhunters per five-day hunt with lodge, meals, guiding and game care, plus…
Buckeye Creek Outfitters website
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Pike County, Illinois archery outfit near New Canton selling five-day bow and crossbow whitetail hunts from October through late season.
Eagle Lakes Outfitters website
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Southern Illinois waterfowl outfit running fully guided, all-day spring snow goose hunts from heated field blinds near the Ohio-Mississippi…
GETM Waterfowl Adventures website
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Southern Illinois outfit offering semi-guided bow and gun whitetail hunts and turkey hunts across four counties, with lodging in a large…
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
Waterfowl guide service (owner Scott Gower) hunting ducks and geese from permanent blinds on a 230-acre private island in Pool 19 of the Mississippi…
No public state license lookup: confirm with Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR)
| Outfitter | State | Service level | Species | Hunt types | License on file | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B&D Outfitters | IL | Guided | Whitetail deer | Archery, Muzzleloader, Youth and novice | ||
| Boneyard Outfitters | IL | Fully outfitted | Whitetail deer, Turkey | Archery, Youth and novice | ||
| Buckeye Creek Outfitters | IL | Fully outfitted | Whitetail deer, Turkey | Archery, Youth and novice | ||
| Eagle Lakes Outfitters | IL | Guided | Whitetail deer | Archery | ||
| GETM Waterfowl Adventures | IL | Guided | Waterfowl | Wingshooting | ||
| JM Outdoor Ops | IL | Semi-guided | Whitetail deer, Turkey | Archery, Rifle, Muzzleloader | ||
| South Central Snows | IL | Guided | Waterfowl | Wingshooting |
Listed for information only. Sun Up Hunts does not arrange or negotiate leases, does not act for any landowner or hunter, holds no real estate license and is not a party to any lease. We don't handle deposits or payments, and we get no fee or commission from these links. The lister sets price, terms and availability, so confirm everything directly with them before you pay or sign. Full lease listings disclaimer.
No one pays us for these links and none is ranked by payment. We copy no lease details, photos or descriptions: open the lister's page for current offers. Check Illinois licenses, tags and seasons with the state wildlife agency.
Official agency: Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Draws and lotteries: Illinois draw and application deadlines, with a link to the agency's own page.
Illinois is in the Midwest region. Hunting outfitters in bordering states:
Browse all 50 states from the home page, or see guided hunts by species.
7 published listings. Counts change as listings are reviewed, added or removed. The most recent listing check was on October 24, 2026.
4 guided (a guide hunts with you), 2 fully outfitted (guide, camp, meals and logistics), and 1 semi-guided (limited guide time or shared guides). Definitions are on each listing, and the contract is what counts.
Upgraded listings are labelled "Sponsored" (free Founding placements too) and, when enabled, shown first. The upgrade never changes a listing's facts, license check or editor's notes. Listing is free. Outfitters can choose an upgraded listing, always labelled "Sponsored": free for life for the first 25 Founding outfitters, then a flat monthly or annual fee (see the listing tiers page). There is no per-lead fee, no per-booking fee and no revenue share, and payment never buys a license check or changes a listing's facts.
Every listing shows when it was last checked; listings older than 365 days are flagged for re-checking. Regulations, licensing rules, seasons, draws and prices change and differ by state and land type. Information is checked on the date shown and is not legal advice. Always confirm requirements with the state wildlife agency and the licensing agency named on the page, and get hunt terms in a written contract.
