Another bird hunting season has come and gone. We are in hot and dry mode here in the Midwest and are really in need of several good soaking rains. Will we get moisture? Only Mother Nature knows. None-the-less now is the time to begin getting ready fo
No rain and in the 90’s along with triple digits on the thermometer through the end of May, June and July makes it’s tough to get out there and scout whitetails. The best way I have found to scout deer during hot summer months, is from the inside a truc
The first thing you think of when scouting whitetails is not using a bike. I am not talking about a motorcycle but a bike that has peddles. Those who know me know that I like racing in triathlons and part of my training is riding the rolling hills of Pike
Join Cheyenne Bardwell – Ax Men this fall for a whitetail hunt! Cheyenne will be hunting with us December 7-12! There is a hunt and price for everyone so call us and reserve your spot:
Archery/Muzzleloader Combo (Dec 7-12) $3150
Muzzleloader Only (Dec
Let me say at the outset that for the most part I am no devotee of the 28 gauge. Most 28 gauge guns are far too light for serious shooting. The Benelli Legacy, for example, weighs a puny 4.9 pounds, and most other 28’s weigh about 5 ½ pounds. When you s
June 11th, 2012
Several years ago a U.S. maker of very fine bolt-action and single-shot rifles decided it wanted to get into the shotgun manufacturing business. The founder and president of the company was a devotee of light side-by-side game guns, with straight English
As the Illinois turkey season comes to a close, I start looking back on the memories made this season with the hunters at Heartland Lodge. An extremely warm and early spring was the last thing we wanted to see while gearing up for what we hope would be a
I have four nephews, but one in particular has become obsessed with hunting. Aubrey who will be ten this year went on his first spring turkey hunt with me. He didn’t have his own turkey tag, but I had a landowner turkey permit and could hunt all of the
April 26th, 2012
Two brothers harvest their first turkey on their youth turkey hunt at Heartland Lodge. Charlie (Age 13) and Tommy (Age 11) Filip both harvested their first turkeys on the same day! Illinois has a youth turkey season before the regular season starts, but t
March 22nd, 2012
Grab your shotguns, mouth calls, slates, and boxes, turkey seasons all over the country are getting underway! Some of you are already in full swing turkey mode, some are just getting started, and others, like the crew at Heartland, are working hard to pr
