For those who love to hunt and those who love to shoot, the River Bend Sportsman’s Resort in Fingerville, S.C., offers the perfect outdoor adventure. Opened in 1985 by Ralph Brendle as a retreat for hunters and shooters, River Bend Sportsman’s Resort sought to provide the finest bird hunting in the Southeast. Built on that philosophy, the property today offers guests–both men and women–an upscale sporting resort featuring field hunts; skeet and sporting clays courses; tower shoots; rifle and pistol target ranges; fly fishing; golf; paintball; and a summer youth sporting camp.

Encompassing 550 acres, River Bend includes a gorgeous lodge with both public and private dining rooms, a pro shop, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, sauna, a recreation room, and a bar. For overnight guests, the property maintains 14 rooms scattered between the River Bend Cottage and Shotgun Cabins.

Whether you’ve never picked up a shotgun in your life or you’re an expert marksman, River Bend Sportsman’s Resort offers a variety of experiences matched to your comfort level. To get guests started, the five-stand sporting clay course provides guests with an opportunity to familiarize or reacquaint themselves with the art of shooting. This covered, automated small sporting clay course is ideal for learning, warm-ups or practice.

Once you’re ready to move on to something more challenging, you can opt to shoot skeet or head out to the sporting clay course, often referred to as “golf with a gun” because it features a tee box- and target-like setup. Participants navigate the course utilizing 12 automated stations, which are scattered throughout the River Bend property. A variety of shots and simulated bird flights ensure that each station presents a unique shooting scenario.

For guests wanting to take home more than bragging rights, River Bend Sportsman’s Resort offers a variety of hunts throughout the year as well. In April, guests can take part in personalized and professional one-guide, one-hunter turkey hunts. From mid-October through Jan. 1, River Bend hosts guided deer hunts featuring a tripod deer stand over four shooting lanes with food plots.

Held every October through March, field hunts for quail, chukar and pheasant, accompanied by a professional guide and bird dogs, take place on one of the property’s eight fields. Also, released duck hunts at the property’s lake can be scheduled every October through March. These hunts feature three duck blinds with each blind holding four hunters, a guide and a dog.

Of course, for those visitors seeking a more varied experience, River Bend can accommodate requests for golf (available at four regional courses), fishing and whitewater rafting as well. And never underestimate the fun found playing paintball. For beginners or anyone wanting to improve their shooting skills, River Bend Sportsman’s Resort plays host to the Paragon School of Sporting, where you can sign up for clinics or private lessons.

After day turns into night, the fun can continue in the lodge, where guests can try their hand at billiards or settle in for a friendly game of poker. The recreation room also features a TV so you can catch up on the day’s news or watch the big game plus a large fireplace and seating area that is perfect for rehashing the day’s events.

If you’ve worked up an appetite, head to the lodge, where Chef Lee Whitehurst puts together daily menus featuring Southern cooking in both buffet and a la carte styles. Whether starting your day with scrumptious sausage gravy and biscuits, fueling up at lunch with chicken salad sandwiches, or completing your day with filet mignon and lobster tails, Whitehurst makes sure no one leaves his table wanting for more.

Perhaps the best reason to visit River Bend Sportsman’s Resort is the camaraderie found not just among fellow guests but with the River Bend staff as well. Every employee makes you feel at home from the moment you enter the property. This “just kick back and relax” attitude and environment makes every stay extremely enjoyable and very hard to leave behind at the end of your visit. www.rvrbend.com