The story of Flat Creek Lodge Fish and Game begins as all great ventures do – with a clear but simple idea. In 1995, after considering possible investments that might supplement their retirement years, Steve and Caroline Harless began to purchase timberland along Flat Creek in Emanuel County. Timberland production, pine tree cultivation, and farming had been a family tradition dating back to the American Revolution. By the early 1800s, some ancestors owned a great deal of the timberland along Flat Creek. In the economic environment of the mid 1990s, the Harless’s found that cutover timberland was affordable and would allow them to pursue a reverse migration to their family’s roots.

The Harless’s began to reforest and build ponds to generate plentiful timberland for the future. Restoration began with a small tenant house of the 1920s that had been used by a local hunt club. As the reforesting work progressed, they met many interesting people from all over Emanuel County, and during their visits each fall they watched as an influx of out-of-state hunters would converge on Emanuel County. Then one day the obvious was voiced by one of the hunters: “Y’all ought to build a hunting lodge.”

The comment lingered in their thoughts as they mulled over some possible uses for the land. Could they create not only a hunting lodge but also create employment opportunities that would benefit the surrounding area? When considering what type of lodge they might build, they remembered traveling to the Southwest and New England, staying in bed & breakfasts known only by word of mouth. Soon, a plan began to form that would allow them to tap into the creative talents of local craftsmen and artists to recreate an environment reminiscent of the early 20th century in eastern Georgia.

The tremendous local support was encouraging to everyone involved in the project. A local contractor and his crew built all of the buildings with rough-sawn yellow Georgia pine planed in a local sawmill. The Harless’s and their staff worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission to move a 1932 fire tower, now decommissioned, from Oak Park to its new site at Flat Creek Lodge. Today, the image of the fire tower is central to the Flat Creek Lodge logo. It might be an interesting historical note that Oak Park and Emanuel County were once known for their production of moonshine, a profitable venture in the bleak Southern economy of the 1920s and ‘30s. Northern travelers came through the county on U.S. Highway 1 to get their moonshine, hunt bob white quail, and stay at the Old Coleman Hotel.

Talented artisans from throughout the area were employed in the creative aspects of the exterior and interior design, including woodcarvers, whittlers, artists in metal craftsmanship and sculpture, taxidermists and naturalists (who created wildlife and plant life settings indigenous to the area), folk art painters and muralists, gourd artisans, potters, photographers, and florists (who designed native arrangements). The unique upholstery utilizes cow and deer hides, while the furniture is recycled from Habitat for Humanity, antique, and junk stores into memorably distinctive pieces. Flat Creek Lodge’s characteristic dining is the result of two particularly talented chefs who specialize in the preparation of wild game and recipes that incorporate foods raised and grown on the property.

Respect for ecology is the foundation of the activities that Flat Creek Lodge offers their members. The Harless’s believe that their wild game and farm-raised fish can be healthy, plentiful, and supported by Flat Creek lands if proper wildlife management techniques are employed. Bass and bream are tank-raised in a nursery ecosystem to supply the dining room with its daily fare, while many species of migratory birds find sanctuary among the 19 ponds that occupy 250 acres of the nearly 2000 acres of Flat Creek Lodge. Another 200 of those acres are dedicated to organic farming which produces their fruits and vegetables. Lettuces, herbs and beans thrive in hydroponics greenhouses. The fruits come from Flat Creek Lodge orchards and honey is abundant from Flat Creek Lodge beehives. Coming in 2007 a variety of cheeses and butter from Flat Creek’s own dairy will grace Flat Creek dining tables. Quail, pheasant, and wild duck are raised in flight pens for game stock and dining, while guineas, geese, swans, peacocks, and emus serve many purposes, both useful and aesthetic. And those fresh eggs at breakfast are from their own Rhode Island Reds.

The entire operation at Flat Creek Lodge is based on a well-planned ecological system. Hunters adhere to the rules of a lead-free environment, except the slugs used for deer and wild boar. Only shotguns and muzzle-loaders are permitted, and all sporting clays are biodegradable, causing no harm to the wildlife. Sportsmen on the premises are asked to respect the “fair chase” standard and abide by the philosophy of: “If you shoot it or catch it, you eat it or release it.”