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 …
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! …
Crossbow Deer Hunting in Illinois Crossbow whitetail hunting in Illinois is legal throughout the entire archery season regardless of age or physical ability. What affect will this have on the deer population and hunting in the state? We’ll touch on that in a moment but for now let’s look at …
Accurate Persistence… Matt Holmes went back to back on phenomenal bucks! Last year, Matt hunted opening week of the season and was lucky enough to harvest a beautiful main frame 12 point. This year, Matt hunted the middle of November during the peak of the rut here in Pike …
The weather forecast for the last week of October is going to bring well-above average temperatures before a major front moves through on Halloween that will bring a drop in temperatures and a few days of off and on rain showers. Even with warmer temperatures this week, this can be …
Bowhunting mature whitetails in Mid-October can be challenging, yet very rewarding when the weather conditions cooperate. Deer movement can seem to be idle at best during the “Indian Summers” the Midwest typically experiences sometime during the first 2-3 weeks of October. Many whitetail hunters refer to this time of year …
Thickets provide quality food and security for mature bucks. Especially in the Midwest, thickets consist of quality browse food sources such as dogwood, honeysuckle, and green briar. Hunting a thicket, commonly used as a bedding area can be challenging for a few reasons- finding a clear shooting lane through the …
Here are a few general tips I’ve compiled that will increase your opportunity at a trophy deer while hunting at the Heartland Lodge Outfitters and whitetail hunting in general. When it comes to trophy hunting, the smallest detail can make all the difference between a successful or unsuccessful hunt. The …
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 …
With only a few days to go before the archery season opens, you begin to finalize your October game plan. Maybe you already have a buck from last season that’s at the top of your list for this fall or you’re still waiting for him to show up. Either way, …
