The Orvis Shooting Grounds at Pursell Farms

Sporting clays is one of the fastest growing sports in the Southeast. In fact, Orvis was responsible for introducing one of the first prototype sporting clays shooting courses at its shooting school in Manchester, Vermont.

Orvis hosts many outdoor enthusiasts who are in pursuit of an excellent clay shooting experience. The Pursell Farms shooting course is designed within the scenic rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and with the avid wingshooter in mind. The sporting clays course at the base of Chalybeate Mountain is a diverse combination of open fields and a natural canopy of southeastern hardwoods. Our course offers 12 uniquely designed stations which have been created to simulate a variety of true field shots from different hunting scenarios.

For more information call: 866-531-6213
Or email: schools@orvis.com


Fly Fishing School
The Orvis Shooting Grounds at Pursell Farms also features a comprehensive fly fishing school program based on the highly successful lesson format developed and refined over fifty years at our Vermont headquarters.

Expert Orvis fishing instructors will teach you multiple fly casting techniques, the essential fishing knots, equipment basics, and how to choose the right flies. This school will primarily focus on warmwater species such as bass and sunfish, but the casting you learn in the school can be utilized in any other fly-fishing scenario.

At the conclusion of the program you will be able to fly cast with authority and fish confidently. The fly fishing school tuition includes instruction, lunches, textbook, and use of Orvis tackle.

1- and 2-Day Fly Fishing School

For more information call: 866-531-6213
Or email: schools@orvis.com

If you would like to join one of our fly-fishing or wingshooting school dates, or if you simply want a refresher after a school, a warm up for that trip to England shooting high pheasants, or that trip to the Gunnison in Colorado casting for trout; our school instructors are available for private instruction all year round.

Must be at least 12 years old to participate in a shooting school.

Orvis Pursell Farms’ highly trained instructional fly-fishing and wingshooting staff can help with any experience level. From the novice to the pro you can expect to receive the personal attention needed to elevate and improve your skills.

If you and your clients desire peace, relaxation, and a chance to return to the “family farm,” visit us at Orvis Pursell Farm. We provide the perfect backdrop to suit your corporate retreat or recreational getaway in Alabama. Over the years Pursell Farms has been the “go to” destination for many of the top corporations in the Southeast. We offer a host of amenities that will ensure your time at Pursell Farms is productive and memorable. Our customized corporate retreat packages include sporting clays events, fly-fishing and wingshooting instruction, as well as professional catering and other non-shooting activities and team-building excursions to choose from.

Pursell Farms offers 10,000 square-feet of technologically sophisticated and professionally appointed meeting and event space. With more than ten years of experience in delivering educational programming with the experience at Pursell Farms, we have created the ideal meeting venue blending purpose-built conference rooms with the splendor and tranquility of nature. After your group spends a day out on the farm shooting or fly-casting you can retreat in one of our many fully-appointed meeting spaces, or simply relax in front of an unforgettable chef-prepared meal, all the while basking in Pursell Farms scenic, central Alabama surroundings.

Pursell Farms offers both the facilities and the personalized, professional service that will guarantee an enjoyable event experience. Immerse your team into the timeless charm of our traditional sporting services textured with the southern hospitality that only Orvis can offer by selecting Pursell Farms for your next corporate outing.

The most exclusive venue offered at Pursell Farms, is by private membership. Pursell Farms has traditionally been dedicated to upland bird hunting and Orvis Pursell Farms has a classic flair for what a traditional hunting club should be. Our extensive facilities include four upland fields for hunting pheasants and quail along with a traditional continental hunting area. Our duck-hole resides in a mix of flooded timber and open water offering the perfect wetland habitat for waterfowl game. The preserve hunting season runs October 15 to March 15. Make an appointment to tour the gun club. We are sure it will meet your highest standards.

*Please note that our sporting clays, schools, and pro shop are open to the public.

These hunts are offered to the guests of Orvis who are seeking a private destination to experience southern wingshooting at its best. Enjoy your time in the field harvesting braces of quail, cupped-winged duck and the high flight of pheasant through quintessential southeastern pines.

Orvis hunting and shooting school instructors are available for individual or group lessons, an experience for all ability levels.

Guests of The Farm can test their fly-fishing skills and wet a line for largemouth bass, crappie, or bream in Lake Christine, Lodge Lake, or Swamp Lake. Bring your own gear or rent ours. Fish from the banks, or enjoy the full experience out on the water in an aluminum johnboat with trolling motor. Either way, it’s not a rare occurrence for even the occasional angler to land a six- to eight-pound bass. Our lakes are intensely managed with proper fertilization, feeding, and harvests to maximize fish growth, and you just may have the talent—or the luck—to catch that elusive lunker.

Guided and non-guided experiences available.

Airports

Birmingham International Airport (BHM) – 1 hour South to Pursell Farms
5900 Messer Airport Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35212

• Highway 280 East through Chelsea, Harpersville and into Childersburg
• Right at 2nd traffic light in Childersburg onto County Road 008
• 11 miles to dead end in Fayetteville
• Right onto Sylacauga/Fayetteville Highway (County Road 002)
• Left at entrance to Pursell Farms, approximately ½ mile

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) – 2 hours Southwest to Pursell Farms
6000 N Terminal Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30320

• I-20 to junction of Highway 21 located at the Anniston-Oxford Exit
• Highway 21 South through Talladega to Winterboro
• Right onto Highway 76
• 10 miles to Childersburg
• Cross Highway 280 (turns into County Road 008)
• 11 miles to dead end in Fayetteville
• Right onto Sylacauga/Fayetteville Highway (County Road 002)
• Left at entrance to Pursell Farms, approximately ½ mile

Smaller/Private Planes, Jets and *Helicopters

*Helicopters can land on the property of Pursell Farms

Sylacauga, Merkel Field (SCD) 8 minutes west of Pursell Farms.

• 5,400' runway
• 195 Airport Rd, Sylacauga, Alabama 3515

Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM)

• North on I-65 to U.S. 231
• Right onto U.S. 231 and go north toward Sylacauga
• Left onto Highway 280 at the junction of U.S. 231 and Highway 280
• Approximately 2 miles to the second traffic light at Pinecrest School (Note: If you get to Walmart on Highway 280, you have gone too far.)
• Left at the traffic light onto the Sylacauga/Fayetteville Highway (County Road 002)
• Approximately 9 miles
• Left at entrance to Pursell Farms

Unique, inviting accommodations make you feel at home. At Pursell Farms, pastoral views, southern resort style and heartfelt hospitality are part of every leisure getaway and corporate retreat. No place is this more evident than in our charming accommodations. We take southern hospitality very seriously here, and we created Pursell Farms with an eye to every detail.

With furnishings and decorative touches personally selected by Ellen Pursell, our deluxe accommodations welcome 75 guests with a blend of understated elegance and cozy comforts. It’s like coming home, if by home you envision deep sofas worthy of naps, books and mementos that inspire conversation and reflection, and a gallery of family artwork. Each lodging features a unique character: from Parker Lodge with its grand stone fireplace and hunting trophies to the spacious, luxurious four-bedroom cabins and cottages.

Rooms and Accommodations

Parker Lodge:
Built of natural, quarried Alabama stone with red oak floors, Ponderosa pine ceilings and hand-hewn west coast cedar trusses, Parker Lodge is infused with simple charm and rustic splendor. Overlooking the 17th green and Lodge Lake, the 14,000-square-foot lodge features eight deluxe suites, great room, game room, multipurpose room, and full kitchen with dining room. With its indoor and outdoor seating areas, majestic stone fireplaces and scenic views, this is the perfect place to unwind or to host an intimate gathering of people:

• Capacity (Guests): 15
• Double-occupancy guest rooms: 7; one single
• Private baths
• Queen beds
• Shared great room
• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Porch
• Patio
• Two fireplaces
• Conference room
• Game room
• No TV’s in the rooms

The Cottages at Pursell Farms
These feature 12 luxury suites spread among three exclusive cottages. The essence of simple elegance and comfort amid scenic mountains and sparkling lakes, these guest quarters feature a large great room with stone fireplace, and each guest suite provides unique views, plasma screen TVs, two queen beds and a spacious, private bath. With a full kitchen and dining room, The Cottages also offer guests an unforgettable opportunity to enjoy savory meals prepared right before their eyes by Pursell Farms’ expert chefs.

Cottages (Jones, Mackenzie and Ross):

• Capacity (Guests): 24
• Double-occupancy guest rooms: 12
• Private baths
• Queen beds
• In-room flat-screen TV
• Great room
• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Porch
• Fireplace
• Personal club car

The Cabins on Masters Row:
Choose from four distinctive cabins and 16 spacious, double-occupancy guest rooms. With a private putting green and spectacular surroundings right off hole no. 11, The Cabins also feature a kitchenette and a cozy, common area perfectly suited for watching the big game, relaxing with friends, planning the next round of golf, or enjoying full-service catering from the Grille at the Clubhouse.

Cabins (Hogan, Sarazen, Nelson, Snead):

• Capacity (Guests): 32
• Double-occupancy suites: 16
• Private baths
• Queen beds
• In-room flat-screen TV
• TV room
• Kitchenette
• Porch
• Personal club car