Prime hunt spots are filling up fast! E-mail Zach@HeartlandLodge.com or call 217-982-4039 to reserve your 2024 or 2025 whitetail hunt today! We are celebrating our 30th year anniversary in 2025 and we would enjoy having you celebrate with us on a whitetail hunt of a lifetime. If you are looking for a free-range, all-inclusive whitetail
Whitetail Deer Hunting
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Early season whitetail hunting comes with its fair share of challenges, hot weather, mosquitos, long daylight hours and sporadic deer movement. However, with a good understanding of a buck’s tendencies a hunter’s odds can be improved. The whitetail’s necessities may shift with the seasons but can often be simplified to “food, water, and shelter (bedding)”.