Bill Bergland

Bill is 53 years old and was born and raised in Mendota Illinois. He now resides in Oswego Illinois with his wife Dawn of 21 yrs, and his 19 yr old son Ben, who is currently going to college.

While in junior high and high school Bill ran track and cross country where he qualified for State in both events. He spent his weekends and summers with his family on his grandparent’s farm.   There he learned the ways of the outdoors.  He learned to hunt, trap, fish and grow food in a garden.  They lived on dad’s teacher salary, and he is proud of the fact that most of the food they ate came from wild game and their garden instead of the grocery store.  Bill traveled extensively with his family, camping throughout this country, never staying in a hotel.

After high school he went to Western Illinois University and graduated with a degree in Law Enforcement.  After college he was hired by the Rantoul Police Dept. in east central Illinois, where he spent a little over 6 yrs as a patrol officer.  Most of that time was spent on midnight shift.  Although Bill enjoyed being a patrol officer, he didn’t want to spend his whole career as patrol officer and searched for something different.

In January of 2000, Bill’s dreams were realized when he was able to combine a career he loved with his love of the outdoors.  He was hired by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and became a Conservation Police Officer, CPO (aka Game Warden) for the state.  As a CPO, Bill has served in many roles.  He has been a range officer, field training

 officer, instructor at the academy, Officer Water Survival instructor, and is the primary air boat operator and instructor.

After 30 ½ yrs as a police officer, Bill will retire at the end of January of 2024.  He is very much looking forward to having more time to do more of the things he loves, such as hunting, fishing, and traveling.  He is also excited to spend more time guiding for Takedown.

Bill has played a significant role in the growth and success of Takedown over the years.  A staple on most tours and Eventures, much of the culture and brand that has been built has Bill’s fingerprints all over it!  He has been given many nicknames including “Pockets” & “Sauces”.  We can’t imagine where we’d be without him and are extremely grateful to call him a vital team member and friend.  Through thick and thin, Bill has always been reliable and trustworthy.  We are excited to see Bill play an even bigger role at Takedown in the years to come!

“One of my favorite things about being a Takedown Guide is the smile on a guest’s face that has never picked up a bow or shotgun and then hits that first bullseye or breaks that first clay!”  Bill