Recreational Real Estate Investment Program

Invest in Your PASSION. Invest in Your TRADITION. Invest in Your LAND.

Explore the unique opportunity provided by Heartland Lodge’s recreational real estate investment program, where our guests can seamlessly transition from enjoying a retreat at the lodge to owning their own piece of paradise and becoming a part of the Heartland’s landowner family. We are focused on your enjoyment of the property along with maximizing ROI through local insights and connections. Our program offers a chance to create lasting traditions along with enjoying the peacefulness and tranquility of Pike and Calhoun Counties. Relish memorable experiences with friends and family. Nonhunters will also enjoy the camaraderie, outdoor recreation activities and the mental benefits of being in the outdoors.  Join us in creating a legacy and investing in a place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of daily life to reconnect with nature and create cherished memories for years to come.

Pike and Calhoun County Illinois is home to some of the most beautiful countryside’s of all the United States. The glaciers carved out beautiful bluff ridges thousands of years ago and created some of the most fertile habitat for wildlife of all kinds, and in turn, a sportsman’s perfect getaway destination. It’s no secret that this area is home to some of the best hunting properties available in the country. The rolling hills and bluffs create ideal habitat for a variety of game. Harpole’s Heartland Lodge was one of the first outfitters to open its doors to the public nearly three decades ago and has grown exponentially, drawing in outdoor enthusiast from across the globe.

Benefits of Heartland’s Landowner Program

When you become a member of our landowner program, you will gain access to a wide variety of benefits and professional services you are unlikely to find anywhere else, all in one place. This will not only save you precious time but will also improve your overall hunting and landowning experience.

Food Plot Maintenance:

When you become a member of our landowner program, we offer a food plot management program customizable to your property. It can be extremely tough to try and schedule time away from work and family to properly put in food plots, especially if you live several hours away. We will cultivate your food plots the proper way, without skipping the basic steps many out of area landowners cannot do without significant time invested. Mowing, spraying, disking, and planting when the conditions are right are vital to a successful food plot.

Farm Management:

We prioritize conservation-based farming practices that benefit both the wildlife and the landowner. We have several years of experience navigating CRP contracts and cash lease agreements. We can help you retain the most ROI while aligning with your recreational goals on your property.

Enjoy All the Recreational Activities the Lodge Offers:

Enjoy a variety of activities at the lodge- If you enjoy ATV riding, why not make a great investment and purchase your own recreational property that’s close to the biggest ATV park in Illinois!? Ride and relax on your own ATV recreational playground while being just minutes away from over 60 miles of trails! Heartland Lodge also offers turkey, waterfowl, upland and whitetail hunts along with a 15 station sporting clays course, fishing excursions, pistol range, horseback riding, morel mushroom hunting and much more!

Landowner Membership Program Package Benefits:

• Lodging- Multi-day and weekday lodging discounts
• Wingshooting- Family Hunt Holiday discount. Hunt Dec. 15th-30th and receive %15 off any upland, waterfowl or combo hunt package.
• Whitetail Hunting- 15% off muzzleloader only hunt (Mid-Dec.)

On-Site Lodging:

Enjoy Heartland’s luxury lodging options instead of the hassle and headache of a hunting camp on your property. We offer multi-day and week-long lodging discounts for our clients in our land program. You can enjoy staying in luxury lodging options and enjoy gourmet meals without having to do the dishes and close up camp after each time you visit your property.

Whitetail Hunting & Habitat Consulting:

When you join our landowner program, you will have the option to have your new property accessed by our whitetail habitat and hunting consultant that can develop a short- and long-term habitat plan and whitetail hunting playbook with your personal hunting style and goals in mind. This can include helping control invasives, create bedding areas, timber stand improvement projects and more.

How can we help you get the most RETURN ON INVESTMENT?

This is typically one of the most important attributes a recreational property can offer to buyers. Western Illinois can offer a high degree of return on investment in a variety of ways. Cash renting tillable acres or enrolling them into a Conservation Reserve Program, hunting leases, and timber harvest can all yield a return on investment.

The 3 most common income sources for recreational real estate: Farm Income (cash rent/Conservation Reserve Programs), Hunting Leases (can be specific to one game animal or time frame of the season) and Timber Harvest.

• Cash Rent
  • Cash renting your tillable acreage is a great way to help offset your yearly expenses. Depending on the quality of your soil, layout and terrain changes, landowners may receive $100-$250 per acre for “bluff” country properties and more per acre for strictly flat land, tillable acreage found near the Mississippi and Illinois river bottoms.
• Hunting Leases
  • Hunting leases are great for those looking to get the most out of their yearly return and do not mind others using their land for a specific time of year. Hunting leases in Pike and Calhoun Counties are in high demand. If a landowner is strictly a whitetail hunter and wishes to lease out the turkey hunting rights on a property, one can do so during the spring season only. There may be other leasing opportunities as well such as upland and waterfowl specific leases depending on where your farm is located and the type of habitat on your property. The lodge can help maximize your return on investment all the while you enjoy your property!
• Timber Harvest
  • Parcels with high quality hardwoods can bring thousands of dollars per acre. Typically, timber cuts are done every 10-15 years. Walnut and white oak trees are in demand and can bring hundreds if not thousands of dollars per tree depending on veneer quality. We have formed local logging connections to help landowners navigate through the timber harvesting process.

Pike & Calhoun Counties Recreational Opportunities

Whitetails – If you’re a serious deer hunter, you’ve probably heard of Pike County, Illinois being notorious for continually producing world class whitetails. Pike and Calhoun Counties have the ingredients required to consistently yield trophy whitetails year after year. Genetics, food, suitable habitat, and age structure all create perfect conditions for those serious whitetail hunters looking to own a prime slice of whitetail heaven. Learn more here about what to look for in a whitetail hunting property here >>

Upland Game – Hunting upland game such as quail, pheasant and woodcock has been a long-standing tradition in our area for several years. There are thousands of acres of native prairie grasses, overgrown thickets, and thick fence rows that border agricultural fields where native pheasants and quail flourish. Several thousand acres of CRP fields planted in native grasses has really helped to vitalize our wild quail populations in recent years.

Waterfowl – Hunting ducks and geese in the Illinois and Mississippi River bottoms cannot be compared to any other duck hunting area in the United States. Hunt diver ducks along the rivers, or mallards, wood ducks and teal in the flooded bean, corn and millet fields. Large Canadian geese and snow geese also migrate through the area every year.

Turkeys – If you’re staying at Heartland Lodge in the spring, it’s not uncommon to hear several turkeys gobbling right off the back decks. The river bluffs, intermixed with open terrain and native grasses, create ideal habitat for Eastern turkeys. Several birds can be heard in the river bluffs on a calm, spring morning. Our average tom weighs around 22-24 pounds in this area.

Purchasing a Private Cabin or Homestead in Illinois

If you are looking for a small acreage tract with a cabin for a weekend escape, we have you covered. Pike and Calhoun Counties are home to several weekend getaway cabins from out of state residents that utilize their properties periodically for a relaxing weekend getaway. Whether it be enjoying a drink on the deck of a river cabin on the mighty Mississippi or enjoying the complete seclusion of a private log cabin in the woods, Pike and Calhoun County offers something for anyone who loves the serenity of the outdoors.

We can possibly incorporate your getaway cabin in our resort and help you retain more ROI.

Start with Step #1 ..

See if you are a good fit for Heartland’s Landowner Program by contacting:

Gary Harpole

Gary@HeartlandLodge.com | 217-734-2526

Licensed IL Broker (License # 475183070) with Pioneer Land Company, Pittsfield, IL 949 W Washington St, Pittsfield, IL 62363

or

Zach Jumps

Zach@HeartlandLodge.com | 217-982-4039

Licensed IL Broker (License # 475182967) with Pioneer Land Company-Pittsfield, IL 949 W Washington St, Pittsfield, IL 62363

Quick Links

Farmers State Bank (Pittsfield, IL) Financial Statement Form Link

Great Rivers Bank (Barry, IL) Ag & Business Loans Link 

Last Updated: July 11th, 2024