Boone and Crockett Scoring Measuring a bucks score with the B&C (Boone and Crocket) scoring method is one of the most utilized ways of determining a whitetail deer’s score. It’s a relatively simple technique that doesn’t require a lot of time or effort to complete. All you need is a 1/4 inch wide, steel tape
To shoot or pass a buck weighs on many whitetail hunters’ minds each season. The looming question “what will he be next year?” might be squandering in your head when an opportunity at a buck presents itself. For years hunters have tried to justify there deer as “trophies” because of the number of inches of
If you enjoy watching monster, velvet toting bucks in the summertime, Pike County, Illinois might just be the top destination throughout the Midwest! Heartland Lodge is located in the heart of prime whitetail country that supports some of the biggest deer in the nation. The fertile farmlands that surround the lodge help to supplement growing
Mark Spillane was lucky enough to get the opportunity at a buck of a lifetime this week and was able to seal the deal with a 194 inch buck known as Jackpot. Whitetail manager Matt Brunet had been chasing the buck for two years, and was finally able to close in on the brute. Last
Ask any veteran whitetail hunter about the biggest buck they’ve ever seen, and their response will probably be a very captivating, animated story. Stories that usually begin with; it was just breaking light on a foggy morning…it was spitting snow and ice on a cold November day… I had been hunting the swamp buck for
My journey to Harpole’s Heartland Lodge (HHL) began some two and a half years before I set out from my home in Denver, Colorado this November to join my friend, former college roommate, and fraternity brother (some 20 years ago) at his beautiful hunting lodge in central Illinois. In early 2013, I stepped through the
It was the second evening of Jeff Mohney’s late muzzleloader hunt at the Heartland Lodge, the weather was near record highs for mid-December and deer movement had been relatively slow. With a major cold front moving through the next day, hopes were high that deer activity would be increasing throughout the evening. Jeff’s guide situated
On the first morning of Nic Schaalma’s hunt at Heartland Lodge, veteran guide Mark Hively situated Nic in a tree stand in the downwind corner of a secluded, thick, brushy field. Nic’s morning started slowly until around 9:00, when a 2 ½ yr old 9 point came in on the downwind side of the thicket
Most serious deer hunters will agree that a small percentage of “luck” has to be on your side in order to bag a trophy buck. Schaffer Dane may have been the luckiest deer hunter in camp this week. With unseasonably warm weather for November, Schaffer’s first few days in camp were met with relatively slow
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 Drop – to & from
