Illinois HUNT CAMP is a one-day social event for adult hunters of all types and abilities. Hunt Camp helps new hunters find their place within the outdoors community. It’s not easy to get into hunting or trapping, but Hunt Camp is a great place to start!
Illinois Hunt Camp 2026 will be held on Saturday, September 26th, from 2 PM until 7 PM at a Brand-New Location. This year we will be at the St. Charles Sportsman’s Club. The address is 44W471 W Keslinger Rd. Elburn, IL 60119.
Back again in 2026 is the Early Bird Giveaway that gives those that get their Hunt Camp ticket earliest, the best odds to win something awesome! Five winners will be selected to compete in a mini game to determine who picks their prize first. Prizes include winners choice of any Mentored Hunt on the table or winner’s choice of any item on the Outdoor Gear Prize table.
New in 2026, the Hunt Camp Shotgun Warmup (adults 18 and over only) – Starting at 2 PM and ending at 3:30 we will be busting some clay targets and practicing some wing shooting using our equipment and ammo. We will have eye and ear protection, but you can bring your own if you wish. Please do NOT bring your own firearm or ammo. We will provide all of that for this one. If interested in the Shotgun Warmup, make sure you get the Adult Shooting Registration ticket. It’s the same price as the non-shooting ticket but allows us to get an accurate count. NOTE: The Adult Shooting Registration ticket is only available through the end of August. Sept 1st, only non-shooting adult and children’s tickets will be available.
Early Bird Giveaway – One winner will be randomly selected out of ticket buyers 1-25, one from ticket buyers 1-50, one from 1-100, one from 1-200, and one from 1-300. These five winners will then play a mini game to determine the order in which they will select their prizes. Early Bird Prizes include winner’s choice of any Mentored Hunt on the prize table, Winner’s choice of any item on the Outdoor Gear prize table and 3 other pre-selected pieces of useful outdoor gear.
When you arrive to Hunt Camp you will get a Registration Packet with information and tickets to use for the Mentored Hunts and/or the Outdoor Gear Prizes. You can tour the Outdoors Skills and Organizations tables, try out the Hunt Camp games or get some food from the grill area while supplies last. You can sample several different dishes made using wild game over the course of Hunt Camp. At the end all the prizes are awarded, and Hunt Camp concludes with “The Final Showdown”. All food, games, prizes, parking and otherwise are included in the price of your Hunt Camp ticket.
Brand new hunters and people who are interested in hunting but have never tried are highly encouraged to attend. Hunt Camp is for you.
While children under the age of 18 are welcome, Hunt Camp is geared towards adults, and the prizes and mentored hunts are for adults only at Hunt Camp. Only adults will be able to do the shotgun warmup also. Children’s tickets are free with the purchase of an adult ticket. We recognize that few mentored hunting opportunities exist for adults, so Hunt Camp aims to try and fill that void. Kids can eat, fish, try out archery and tour all the Educational and Organization Tables.
What to Expect
FOOD
The outdoor grills will be fired up once again as traditional cookout fare is flame broiled to mouthwatering perfection: hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings. Food will be available (while supplies last) for free to all Hunt Camp attendees. Those with special diets may bring their own snacks. The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) generously donates food for Hunt Camp, so make sure you pay them back by donating to ICF whenever you make a hunting license purchase! Note that additional food featuring wild game dishes will be featured throughout Hunt Camp. All food is included.
WILD GAME SAMPLING
Back again and bigger than ever, we will have multiple opportunities for Hunt Camp guests to sample some dishes made using wild game, including a wild game appetizer sampling led by Learn to Hunt staff and an Iron Chef style Wild Game competition amongst the Hunt Camp Ambassadors where you can vote for your favorite recipe (available for free while supplies last). Last year Manoj swept the board with his Venison Curry. Come see what our staff and ambassadors whip up this year!
EDUCATION STATIONS
There will be educational stations and tables representing many of the most active outdoors groups in Illinois! Walk up and learn from experts about some useful skills. Learn about map reading and remote scouting, waterfowl identification, trapping, gun dog training, fishing in Illinois, foraging in Illinois and more!
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
There will be organizational tables, booths, and trailers set up for many of the Hunt Camp partner groups like: Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation, Safari Club International, Fur Takers of America, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, Delta Waterfowl, Illinois Conservation Foundation and the Illinois IDNR. This is a great opportunity for new hunters to talk to several local groups at once to figure out which ones might be the best fit. Special for Hunt Camp, any partner groups you join or support at Hunt Camp will get you a chance to participate in the FINAL SHOWDOWN, our last game of the evening with HUGE prizes up for grabs!
PRIZES (INCLUDING MENTORED HUNTS)
Adult Hunt Camp attendees will get tickets for the prize tables when they register for the event. No, there is not a way to buy more tickets. Prizes at Hunt Camp are earned, not bought! Back again is the hugely popular Mentored Hunt Prize Table filled with all sorts of mentored hunts and other outdoor opportunities. If you are a newer hunter or someone who would like to try out a new kind of hunting, the Mentored Hunt Table is sure to have what you are looking for. You can choose which types of mentored hunts or other experiences you want to try to win. Deer, turkey, small game, waterfowl, Train the Trainer (Gun Dog) training and more are available on this prize table. If you aren’t looking for mentored hunts, you can put your tickets into the Outdoor Gear Prize Table to win gear instead. Hunt Camp has something for everyone! NOTE: If you are an established Illinois hunter who would like to donate a mentored hunting opportunity or other outdoor experience, click the MENTORING A HUNT button above.
THE FINAL SHOWDOWN
This is it: the final and last gauntlet of competitions at Hunt Camp, the last event of the evening, and the moment past participants have been waiting for all day! Those guests that join or support the Outdoor groups at Hunt Camp will have a chance to participate in the FINAL SHOWDOWN and get a chance at some awesome prizes. Someone has to win — could it be you?
Where else can you get a day full of hands-on outdoor education from experts, an introduction to most of the active outdoors groups in Illinois, skill-based outdoors games, BBQ food, a chance to sample some wild game dishes and a chance to win outdoor gear and mentored hunts and other opportunities, all for under $20? Be prepared to join an outdoor group or two, though, if you like to win cool stuff — the only way into “The Final Showdown” is to join (cash, cards or checks work — all of these proceeds go directly to the groups involved supporting local conservation)! All ticket sales proceeds go back into Hunt Camp. This is about raising community amongst outdoorspeople, NOT a fund raiser.
