Whitetail Deer Hunting

This place is awesome, the people are great, and it was the best experience I’ve had in a long time. A shoutout to the guides, for putting in all their effort to make sure we had a good and successful hunt.

Great time. Very well ran. Great people!

From the moment we checked in we felt like we were welcome and treated like family. Chef Terry made excellent food, the lodge was clean and well cared for. Noah put me in the best position to shoot a buck and doe in the first two days. I got to enjoy the accommodation of the lodge on day three. Everything far exceeded my expectations. Well done!

We had tempered our expectations for seeing nice bucks and or many deer in Mid-January. We were pleasantly surprised to have seen plenty of deer and even a few mature bucks even though they were not in range. Our guide, Lou was as accommodating as he could possibly be and genuinely seemed to want success for us. The staff is incredibly friendly and Mr. Harpole visiting everyone at lunch felt like a refreshing change that many other businesses could learn from.

Everything about our stay was awesome! Mike is the man! He put us on deer every day, every time! He was always mindful of wind conditions. Mike was top shelf, when we return I want Mike as my guide!

Top notch service. Our guide Mike was absolutely the best! He made the trip for us. The food was amazing, the land was beautiful, will definitely be coming back. Seen well over 100 deer during our stay.

Fantastic experience! Everything was over the top!

My short stay at Heartland Lodge was absolutely wonderful! Gary and Wanda were wonderful hosts and extremely friendly and helpful. The food was excellent. The chefs and kitchen staff provided 5 star service. They really know how to make your time with them the very best. This was the first time in 35 years that I was bow hunting for whitetail. I consider myself a novice and enjoy learning all I can. My guide Matt was Fantastic. He was patient with me, answered all my questions. and taught me a lot about bow hunting. I was able to fill both my tags and put meat in the freezer. To sum up my experience...all I can say is...I'll be back! Thank you!

Seventh year hunting at Heartland Lodge. Always hate to leave, always rebook before leaving! Great place to be!

We stayed in the Prairie Ridge Lodge for 3 nights the first week of May. The accommodations were first class. We had a great time even though the weather wasn’t the best. The staff are all so accommodating and friendly. We can’t say enough about the food. Excellent food and lots of it!! If you leave hungry it’s your own fault. We are returning the last week of October and first of November for a combo pheasant and archery whitetail hunt. Can’t wait. Would love to visit more often if it wasn’t so far from Texas

Words can’t describe the awesome 6 days I had the last week of 2021 bow season. I’ve always had a trip like this on my bucket list of things to do in life and it did not disappoint. From my great guide I had Zach who everyday gave me a chance for a buck of a lifetime. Which I did on the final morning. Gary was right when he said at orientation to stay persistent and to be ready for that 10 second moment. The great food,staff,and cabins. I can’t say enough great things about my stay.I highly recommend this place.I only hope I have a chance to return again. November 2021

“I have hunted with Harpole’s every year since 2016, most years booking a hunt for both Deer and Turkey. Understanding I hunt solely with a longbow, most years have led to opportunities for both Deer and Turkey. Deer hunts have always been exciting, having opportunities to observe shooter deer chasing, fighting and bedding within 40 yds. 2021 was another first, I observed a 10 point and an 8 point in a stand off with two does close by resulting in an aggressive snort/wheeze (23 yds). I normally climb into the stand prior to first light and do not come down until after dark. Matt has always gone the extra mile to ensure good stand placement through advanced scouting. Often while in the stand I would text Matt describing a deer, only to Matt send a trail cam picture back to me of the actual deer! Fun stuff. Following the hunt each day is a great time of telling and listening to stories while eating dinner in a family style environment (meals are exceptional). Harpole’s staff have almost turned into family members! My time spent in the woods at Harpole’s continue to be cherished highly!” Gary Bird Inman, SC October 2021

Like many people I have talked myself out of using an outfitter over the years because I thought I would leave disappointed and feeling like I had wasted time and money. Well... with much encouragement from my wife we decided to go to Harpoles Heartland Lodge in early November 2020. We are both in the medical field and were WAY over due for a vacation thanks to COVID. I was to hunt for 6 days while she rested and enjoyed being away from the hospital. To say Harpoles was amazing is an understatement! My wife and I were made welcome by the staff and within a short time we all knew each other’s names and felt like friends. The accommodations were fantastic. Clean and cozy with everything you would want for a comfortable stay. Each meal served was excellent and absolutely more than enough. Even the lunch sent with me to the field was delicious and plentiful. All of these things are why we will be returning soon! I will not be concerned that I may be wasting my money.! As far my time ... it was absolutely perfect! It rarely happens that you are in the right place at the right time but when it does WOW.! The evening we arrived I was introduced to my guide Zach. After orientation he asked my preference of stand type. My reply was... put me in a place that you would go if you were hunting in the morning. Zach did just that. Now I have hunted for 40+yrs and have taken some very nice bucks but only two times now have I had the “Perfect Morning “. After getting settled in a lock on and daylight started to break a very nice 8pt chased a mature doe right by me. Soon after the woods were alive with deer. Some does but mostly young bucks with good potential. For a short time things got dead still, then I hear movement with deep guttural grunts. Yep.. a mature buck with a great rack. The buck did everything you could possibly want, he grunted, trashed a large bush, snort wheezed at another buck and then presented a broadside 20 yard shot! I look at my watch and it’s 0820 on day 1 and I have 150” buck on the ground!!! Doesn’t get much better than that right?! Wrong... the rest of our stay was the most relaxing vacation my wife and I ever had. The proprietor Gary Harpole loaned me his personal shotgun and we hunted quail and pheasant! My guide Rod was a real joy to hunt with. He had fantastic dogs that worked well together. I hunted deer also the rest of the week because I have dreamed of Pike County since childhood. I saw lots of deer and other wildlife and even saw a buck bigger than the one I took. He better look out in 2021. Thanks to Gary, Zach and all our new friends at Harpoles Heartland Lodge . We will be back!! Harvey - November 2020

Our experience at the Lodge Exceeded our expectations. The food and staff were top notch. Our guide was Matt, his professionalism and patience was appreciated! He has restored my faith in Outfitters. My son and I are looking forward to another whitetail hunt with Heartland Lodge. We will be talking about this deer hunt for a long time. Thanks Gary and Matt! Bill Hasse - December, 2020

Harpole’s truly is “God’s Playground.” From the beautiful scenery and landscape, to the healthy, abundance of wildlife diversity. The staff is beyond welcoming and friendly. Always treating you like family and aiming to please. Guides are “TOP NOTCH”, knowledgeable, courteous and work their tails off to put you on your hunt of a lifetime. From the staff to the fellow hunters from all over the country, Harpole’s is my new favorite place on earth. Jim Bauer Pittsburg PA Whitetail Hunt Nov 1-6, 2020

I've been before on an upland hunt but this was my first deer hunt. My experience was great and I can't say enough about Matt. He is a wonderful asset to your business. The girls working in the lodges are the best and always smile and have encouraging words. Gary is Blessed to have such a great crew! John Long, November 2020.

The experience at Heartland was outstanding! Zach is a great guide--friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, respectful, and efficient/prompt.  I very much appreciate the conspicuous God loving decorations and plaques.  "Deer camp" is sometimes crude, but it is refreshing to see God honored in the way you outfit and operate your business. Zach is a living testimony of your Christ centered world view. Thank you!!

Matt Brunet is an awesome guide! I actually think of him as a friend, not just a guide. Matt has taught me so much in the past five year about hunting whitetail in Illinois and is a huge reason why I keep coming back. Harpole's Heartland Lodge has become a regular stop on my vacation tour list every year. Everyone at the lodge loves what they do and make sure you have everything you need when you stay with them.

This was my 4th time visiting Heartland for the doe reduction season. Each time exceeds my expectations. Matt has been my guide each trip and continues to go above and beyond to make this a great experience. He has put me on deer each year. Weather was not perfect and I appreciate his honesty on deer movement. He still put me on deer. I was fortunate to have two does. Also, want to acknowledge the outstanding job that Stephanie does with check in and out. More than that, always there to help through my stay. Great job! See you in 2020.

It's become a tradition of mine to spend my Thanksgiving week hunting with Heartland Lodge. What started as a quick getaway to deer hunt has turned into something much bigger. Every year I come down and it's not just a deer hunting trip to me, it's a deer hunting trip with my Pike County family.  I look forward to seeing everyone and catching up with how they have been.  From walking in and seeing Melissa greet me to the safety meetings and camp talk. It's become a part of my life. Heartland Lodge isn't just deer hunting to me it's my home away from home. And one of these days maybe I'll decide to shoot a buck while I'm there!

Gary runs a great place. You can't control the weather or whitetail deer but all the areas in their control are well planned and attention to detail is top notch.  Would definitely recommend! Thanks to all!

Amazing staff and food. Hunting was great as well. Third time here and my dads fifth time. We love it! Definitely coming back in the future.  Couldn't ask for better. Thank you!

I spent a solid month researching and settled on Harpole's for our group and wasn't sorry that I did so.  From the moment we arrived and were greeted in the office to the moment we left, everything was top notch and the staff from top to bottom is friendly/professional. Zach Jumps is a pros-pro and will do everything in his power to put you on a quality animal. I was fortunate to harvest a buck of a lifetime but myself and others in my group had decided to return next year before I harvested my buck on day four.

Zach Jumps was amazing and made our experience with Heartland great.  The food and staff far exceeded expectations.

The staff at Heartland Lodge are fantastic, detailed, and caring.  I came as a solo hunter but left as close friends of my guide and other whitetail hunters.  The hunting was great until an unusual storm front dropped 15 inches of fresh snow.  Even with the snow, we hunted hard and in the 3 1/2 days of hunting I had a shooter buck out of range and a total deer count of 9 bucks and 23 does. Will definitely be back for another hunt!

Third time here and it is a very well ran business. Top notch guides, service, and accommodations.

This was my fifth trip and most successful hunting trip, but even if I didn't get my big buck, I would come to Heartland Lodge.  Great friends make it a great experience. I have already booked for next year.

Love our experience at Heartland Lodge. As first timers, it has exceeded our expectations. The food, staff, the whitetails, and the kids enjoying the snow.  Zach was a great guide! He is very knowledgeable and helpful!  I got a 10 point on my last day. He fixed me up a great spot in a ground blind with great deer action during my hunts. Thanks so much!

The accommodations were superb! Much better than anticipated.  Staff were over the top friendly and capable.  You should take great pride in the culture you have built.  Most importantly, the hunting set up was obviously one of the best-if not the best for whitetail hunting.  Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, capable, and professional--we will ask for him next time.

I have hunted at numerous outfitters. Most are high production, get in and get out, some try to be good outfitters.  Heartland makes you feel welcome and the guide works hard at knowing what animals are in the area and does his best to put you in the right spot.  Most outfitters put you in a spot and let you set there not knowing what is there, just going for the pot luck.  Not Zach--He is there to get you a quality animal and as a bonus, the rest of the staff want to make sure you are happy as well.  Matt is very serious about his guides, making sure they are doing their job. It's not easy keeping quality people. Hats off to Matt.