General Hunting Blog

Giant buck harvested in Pike County, IL

Hunting trophy whitetails is one of the most challenging hunts in the world. You have heard a lot about Pike & Calhoun Counties being the premier spot to hunt these illusive animals. It’s our goal at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge to make sure your trip is everything you expect it to be. The following will make

gun hunting the post rut

Hunting the peak of the rut in Pike County, Illinois is at the top of most die-hard bowhunters wish-list! With a high deer density, good buck to doe ratio and sheer number of trophy whitetails throughout the region, you never know what size of buck could be following a doe! It’s not unusual for mature

early season bowhunting whitetail hunting in illinois

There’s something magical about bowhunting October in Pike County, Illinois. The leaves are a brilliant array of different colors, overall deer movement is generally very good, and mature buck daytime movement is increasing. At the lodge, after several months of trail camera scouting, food plot preparation, and fine tuning our treestand set ups, we get

First doe harvested with archery equipment

Over the last 29 years of whitetail outfitting many things have changed in the whitetail hunting world, one thing has stayed the same: hunters love to eat venison. At the lodge we have seen more and more interest in harvesting does for meat to bring home, whether it be for the holiday tradition or for

Heartland Lodge Outfitters offers bow and firearm hunts

Rifle Hunting in Illinois Deer Hunting Laws The new rifle hunting laws in Illinois allow for a “single” shot or a rifle with the ability to only hold one shell and no other multi-shell magazines be in possession of the hunter. The list of legal rifles in Illinois can be found HERE >> on the

deer hunting vacation

Heartland Lodge offers the best all-inclusive deer hunting vacation packages available throughout the Midwest. We offer 100% free range deer hunts that includes everything a hunter needs to make a great deer hunting trip. Our deer hunting vacation packages include all the meals, 5-star lodging, and transportation to and from the hunter’s stand. You can

shed hunting tips and tactics, where to look

March 13th, 2024- Illinois Shed Hunting Update: Shed season is in full swing here in West Central Illinois. We have had above average temperatures and very little precipitation across Illinois. Typically, when we have more severe weather, sheds are easier to find since the deer congregate closer to quality food sources such as standing or

Heartland Lodge Outfitters offers bow and firearm hunts

Best Whitetail Outfitters and Hunts Heartland Lodge Whitetail Outfitters is regarded as one of the best deer hunts available not only in Illinois but throughout the country. What does it take to be ranked among the best whitetail hunting outfitters? We’re located in famed Pike County, Illinois- Historically one of the highest producing counties for

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Thank you for staying with Harpole’s Heartland Lodge! Please leave a review at one or more of the following link options below:   Trip Advisor >> Google >> Facebook- Hunting >> Facebook- Resort >> Yelp >>   We appreciate your business and can’t wait for you to return! -The Heartland Family        

Pre rut deer hunting in illinois

Pre-Rut Whitetail Hunting Using Calls & Deer Decoys Hunting whitetails during the pre-rut can be a great time to get a shot at a mature deer. Cupple the right weather conditions, trail-camera scrape monitoring, a good food source, and you have all the right ingredients for a high-quality pre-rut hunt. Hunting Scrapes Monitoring social scrapes