A hidden gem is nestled in the unsuspecting hills of Central New York State, and its name is Vernon National Shooting Preserve. It’s a heritage location for the modern sportsman: a generational family farm that has been lovingly converted into a full-service shooting sports and upland hunting center.
It’s a complete package for anyone who loves to pull a trigger. Vernon National Shooting Preserve is not only a premier pheasant hunt destination, but it’s also a recreational target shooter’s dream with a wide range of options, including two fully automated sporting clays courses with 16 stations, fully lit trap field, skeet, covered pistol range, and 600-yard rifle range. Clay shooting is available nearly all year round, with the exception only of February.
Sporting clays is popular with both recreational shooters and hunters alike. Dating back to the early 1900s, the sport simulates bird, waterfowl, and even rabbit hunting. A shooter stands in position as moving targets zip through the air. The goal is to hit as many as possible. The earliest iterations of the sport, which originated in England, involved live pigeons, but these days it is done with bright orange clay discs called, big surprise, clay pigeons. By the 1980s shooting clays had gained popularity in the United States, and the National Sporting Clays Association was founded in 1989.
It’s often referred to as golf with a shotgun because players move across a course from station to station, similar to how they would work through a golf course. Just like no two golf courses are the same, no two sporting clays courses are the same. They all offer their own varying terrain and setup. The shooting clays course at Vernon National offers shooters 16 different stations to try out or refine their skills across the sloping hills, fields, and forests on site. Shooting clay targets, or clay pigeons, is a great way for upland, waterfowl, and small game hunters to stay sharp and on target during the off-season. Those wingshooting skills can get rusty if not practiced regularly. Plus, it is a ton of fun.
“For most of the year, sporting clays is a huge part of what we do,” Darcy Nolan, co-owner, said. “It is an excellent way for people to enjoy spending time together, for people to entertain clients, or for corporations to have a team-building experience.”
There is a full-service gun shop on site with new and used firearms for sale, gun fitting and gunsmithing services, and try-before-you-buy options with access to a range so customers can shoot the guns they are considering before purchasing.
“Sport shooting is one of the fastest growing recreational sports,” Nolan said. “At Vernon National, we want to make it fun for everyone. That means making it accessible enough for beginners while keeping it challenging enough for experts.”
They also have a regular monthly ladies’ shooting night, themed fun events such as the New Year’s Day Flurry Shoot, host fundraisers for conservation organizations such as the Ruffed Grouse Society, Ducks Unlimited, and more. They also host a growing scholastic sporting clay team and offer private pistol training lessons. All that, plus a spacious clubhouse and banquet area.
Owned and maintained by the Acee family, the 500-acre shooting preserve is in Vernon Center, New York, with the world-class Turning Stone Resort Casino and Vernon Downs Casino and Hotel nearby. It’s a short drive from the nearest airport and near to an array of entertainment, dining, and lodging options.
Vernon National Shooting Preserve offers memberships, but it is also open to the public. Guests in the clubhouse are greeted by the wagging tails of old bird dogs and the friendly smiles of the hosts, Darcy Nolan and Marone “Ron” Acee. The Acee family and staff strive to make the shooting preserve as welcoming, enjoyable, and approachable as possible.
“We have a great team,” Nolan said. “We are lucky to have such a great group of people to help out.”
Origins
All of this exists for one simple reason: Ron Acee loved the sport of pheasant hunting. When retirement from his first career drew near, he began to think about what might be next. He also loved golf, so he thought he’d build a golf course. Work had begun when the attack on the World Trade Center, and the follow-out, in 2001 brought that project to a screeching halt. A dairy farmer by trade, pheasant hunting was a side passion for Acee until a trip to the Dakotas with his father and his bird dog Gus became the inspiration for Acee to transform his property into a pheasant preserve.
“I was a crop and dairy farmer,” Ron Acee said. “I sold off the cows and first cleared the land to build a golf course. I’ve always hunted and shot targets. It was important for me to be busy in retirement.”
Acee stayed busy, that’s for sure. What started as a simple operation for friends and family to have fun over time expanded into a full-fledged business. Around the year 2003, a full sporting clays course was constructed. Then in 2008, a new state-of-the-art fully automated sporting clays facility with 10 stations was opened. That’s been added to and now 14 stations are offering a wide variety of targets.
The clubhouse’s first life was as a dairy barn. After that it housed pheasants. One by one, the bird pens were moved out and the building was lovingly transformed into a cozy meeting space.
The pheasant hunting program at Vernon National Shooting Preserve is a popular choice for visiting sportsmen. The season runs from September through March. The terrain consists of varied covers from corn, sorghum, sunflowers, and natural grass to plantations of evergreens, hardwoods, extensive brush, and hedgerows all of which offer a natural, challenging hunt. It harkens back to a time of wild birds roaming countryside meadows and old orchards. Hunters can bring their own bird dog or opt to work with a guide and dog through Vernon National.
“Some people like to come on their own and enjoy having their own space in nature, but many other guests have never pheasant hunted before, so they go with one of our guides,” Nolan said. “Our guide’s job is to keep them safe in the field and get them on birds.”
Watching a bird dog work is something that cannot be fully appreciated until it is done. The way the dog puts their entire self into the process and takes the lead. Their enthusiasm on the flush and the little skip in their step and wag in their tag after a successful retrieve. For the hunter, there is a fine balance between maintaining control of self while allowing the dog to strategize the situation. There is the anticipation and focus of the dog at work followed by the excitement of a bird taking flight as the methodic walk and watch suddenly erupts into a flurry of feathers in the sky. Then the game is on and you’ve got only seconds to make the shot count before the bird is out of range.
“Pheasant hunting is a great way for people to start traditions with friends or family,” Nolan said. “It makes for a great half-day out enjoying hunting in the field. That’s really what we try to create for people. We want them to enjoy their time here and out in the field.”
Vernon National has an array of options for those interested in pheasant hunting, including public hunts, private membership hunts, handicap hunts, group or corporate outings, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and more.
On the horizon
The next few months are slated to be busy ones at Vernon National Shooting Preserve, with two major events to be hosted this summer. The facility will host the Huntstock festival, which has been run successfully in Massachusetts for the past two years, for its first New York event July 19 through 21.
Huntstock, the event dubbed by event organizers as the re-invented hunting show, brings hunting enthusiasts, top brands, industry experts, and popular content creators all together for one jam-packed weekend full of seminars, podcasts, giveaways, and tons of camaraderie. It is intentionally designed to be different than traditional hunting shows, which are typically held in the winter in exposition halls. Instead of a winter date, it is held amid the pre-hunting season anticipation of late summertime. The lineup is carefully curated to include not only some of the biggest names in hunting (especially in the Northeast) but also includes a younger generation of hunting content creators. This mix of established and emerging hunting influences creates a unique and vibrant festival atmosphere. Many attendees have said it feels like being at a huge deer camp full of like-minded hunters.
Attendees of Huntstock at Vernon National will be able to try out the clay shooting course, on top of what the event already offers, such as an archery course, educational seminars, and visiting all of the exhibitors set up on site. There will be camping available at Vernon National for the event. Tickets are now available for the three-day weekend on the Huntstock website.
For the third year in a row, Vernon National will host the New York State Clay Shooting Championships June 19 through 23. This prestigious event brings together shooters from the National Sporting Clays Association from all pockets of the country to the hills of Central New York for four days of competition. Shotgun blasts will echo through the hills as competitors engage in lively and friendly battles for the top spots in their designated classes and duke it out for the state’s top titles, trophies, and monetary prizes. The state’s clay shooting championship is a traveling competition, meaning it isn’t hosted at the same site every year. Shooting clubs across the state apply to be the host location. In other words, hosting this event is granted by bid and the folks at Vernon National are pleased to serve as host again this year.
Looking toward the future
As Ron Acee and Darcy Nolan meander towards retirement, the next generation is perched to take over the shooting sports complex. Acee’s son Jason is already heavily involved, with his sons Simon and Jared (who owns a gun shop in nearby Sherril, New York) also helping. Nolan’s daughter Hayden is also perched to increase involvement in the facility moving forward. There are big plans for Vernon National’s future, including building camping facilities and eventually, a luxurious all-in-one destination with upscale lodging options for guests.
The hope is to draw a customer base from across the country, and even beyond, to provide an all-inclusive shooting-sports vacation destination.
“We’ve grown it this far,” Acee said. “With the kids wanting to be involved, we’ll keep growing.”
Despite those big plans, Acee stays grounded in his roots and is again looking forward to retirement. Maybe this time, he’ll have a chance to swing those clubs.
“I brought half a dozen traps to start out so my sons, I, and some friends could shoot,” Ron said. “And then it escalated to this. Now I have my sons and my daughter and her husband who all want to continue it on, so now I can finally go play golf.”
