280lb Monster October 9pt!! Kirk Scribner took this monter whitetail during Illinois archery season in mid October. This mature whitetail weighed over 280lb pounds and scored 157" as a 9 point! Congratulations Kirk on an awesome buck!!... Read the full story

An October 143" 15pt!! Our good friend Ed Taylor from New Mexico harvested this nice buck. Ed shot him on October 25th and recovered him the morning of the 26th. After a bad shot the deer only went about a 100yrds and bedded down. It pays not to put any pressure on a deer after... Read the full story

A 130" October 10pt Rich Peace took this nice whitetail on October 26th. It was one of those overcast, cool days that you just felt like something was going to happen. It was Rich's first trip to Heartland Lodge. Congratulations Rich!!... Read the full story

146" October 10pt Bruiser Whitetail! Our new friend Dwayne Martin use a drag rag to bring this awesome whitetail to within bow range! Congratulations Dwayne!... Read the full story

Take your children quail and pheasant hunting! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Yesterday, Saturday was a beautiful fall day at Heartland Lodge. The trees are turning their orange, maroons and yellows as they always do, I never get tired of seeing this happen. It’s always a special time of year as we witness the winding down of sum... Read the full story

Best Laid Plans….. Follow me through this hypothetical scenario and see if any of this sounds familiar to you. During an early spring shed hunting trip you stumble upon an antler of a great buck right smack dab in the middle of your prime Illinois hunting spot. You show a... Read the full story

The All Day Sit For Whitetails If you want to grab the attention of any deer hunter in America all you need to do is start a sentence with, ”The best way to improve your odds of killing a big buck is ___________”. Mission accomplished; they are hanging on your every last word. Some... Read the full story

Rich Peace and His Illinois October Whitetail This year my dad and I decided to come to Pike County and try our luck at an Illinois whitetail. We booked a hunt the last week of October with The Heartland Lodge and we couldn't wait to get here. As we arrived, so did the unseasonable warm weather.... Read the full story

Allen's October Blog-Hunting Early Season Whitetails The deer hunting season is well underway here at Heartland Lodge. Despite heat and high winds, shooter deer opportunities have been numerous. The less than ideal weather conditions have reminded us to pay close attention to the little things that are fu... Read the full story

Memories Memories, Opening day has finally come and hunters have made their way into camp. It’s always an exciting time of year for both hunters and guides. It didn’t take long for everyone to be smiling and telling stories about previous seasons... Read the full story