our story
Who is 5 Seasons?
Thousands of privately owned acres located in the heart of West Central Illinois! Our highly-managed property’s span across 4 counties proven to produce Boone & Crockett whitetails (Pike, Brown, McDonough & Adams Counties). Our properties have been intensely managed to grow and harvest mature whitetails for years now. Each 5 Seasons property has a strict QDM (Quality Deer Management) plan in place with both long term and short term goals to better the ground. Most of our properties consist of DEEP timber bottoms, agriculture (corn, soybeans, alfalfa, milo, etc.),hardwood ridges, river systems, and last but not least perfectly manicured food plots containing a variety of different seed blends from Horny Buck Seed.
5 Seasons offers many different properties to hunt. Its not an uncommon occurrence for our repeat hunters to pass a young buck with the great potential one season and then harvest the same buck in the season(s) to follow. At 5 Seasons, we pride ourselves on making sure our clients have a quality experience at our professional facilities. With beautiful lodging, home cooked meals, experienced guides, and some of the best Whitetail hunting in the world. It’s easy to understand why our clients rebook year after year, come see for yourself!
About the Owner
Jack Ficarra
This dream began for me years ago growing up on the East Coast. I became more and more obsessed with whitetail deer and basically any animal species I could hunt growing up. And then…it happened! I took my very first trip to Pike County, Illinois! Wow, was I blown away. Never in my life had I seen SO MANY giant whitetails and such beautiful country. Little did I know that that trip would change my life forever. From that year on I have never missed an Illinois hunting season. Years later my best friend and I decided we wanted to create the first ever LIVE hunting television show! After traveling and hunting all kinds of game species across the North American continent, and working with some of the best producers in the outdoor industry, we decided our true passion was farming for wildlife. So we left everything behind, packed our entire lives into a camper and headed West in search of our first farm! And, as they say, the rest is history! When I began guiding in the midwest my goal was, and will always be, simple: enjoying every moment in the outdoors with friends and family. Hunting has never been just something I do, it’s who I am. Seeing my passion in others eyes has become an addiction in and of it itself. After guiding and hunting in West Central Illinois for the past 11 years, I can personally say that its my favorite place on earth for growing giant whitetails. Each and every 5 Seasons property is managed to its highest potential for harvesting mature deer. I feel honored and personally obligated to share with others this amazing place I call home. Every hunter that comes through our doors is catered to unlike any other outfitter in our low volume camps. If you have been searching for a camp to consider your home away from home, then 5 Seasons is it. - Jack Ficarra, Owner
About the Co-Owner
Dylan Thomsen
I've been hunting/guiding whitetail deer in Illinois for over a decade now, and the drive continues to only increase year after year. The only thing that has changed over time is I want to share my passion with others. From the second I receive a call/text ``BBD``, to the second I show up at a clients stand it's nothing but positive emotions and smiles! The feeling that I get myself from watching someone's dreams come true, knowing all the blood, sweat and tears I poured into making that happen is indescribable! And being from Upstate New York I can relate to a lot of our clients that are used to hunting smaller racked deer! When I first came out to Illinois when I was 12 years old, I remember dreaming of this place! ``The land of the giants.`` You see it all over online, on your television and often hear people speaking of it! I was beyond thrilled to be in Illinois. Some good family friends had some land they hunted on and allowed us to hunt! I saw a well over 200 inch deer on the side of the road and I was just in awww, speechless....but thrilled thinking about the possibility of him walking by my stand. None to less in that moment I knew this is what I love to do! And now being the person planting the food plots, and hanging the stands I see it all come full circle. -Dylan Thomsen, Co-Owner
About the Guide
Scott Tozier
I've been bow hunting for over 3 decades now with over a dozen world and national championship archery titles. I grew up hunting deer in upper New York State and now find myself in the middle of giant whitetail heaven. I'm excited to be part of a team that's only purpose is to grow large bucks for their clients. I can't wait to be an integral part of a world class team thats only mission is to get shot opportunities on these Illinois giants.
About the Guide
Mitch Devine
The passion, feelings, and memories that bow hunting brings out in myself is something so real, that because of this, I feel so strongly about sharing it with others. After my first year hunting the midwest I knew from that moment that it was something I simply could not get enough of. The deer hunting at 5 Seasons in which our clients help to create through our management practices is something so incredible that it can only be truly understood when you experience it first hand.
