Illinois Gun & Firearm Whitetail Hunts

April 28th, 2026- Whitetail Outfitter Update: “Now is the time to reserve your whitetail hunt for this fall! We have limited spots available with several prime weeks already sold out! View available dates & rates here >>. Call 217-734-2526 or E-Mail Zach@HeartlandLodge.com to reserve your spot now!” 

Illinois firearm whitetail hunting, especially in Pike and Calhoun Counties,Big Whitetail buck taken during the illinois gun season has been a tradition at Heartland that dates back decades. The anticipation of opening day of Illinois’ whitetail gun season is more exciting than any holiday or occasion at the lodge. The Illinois gun season always opens on a Friday and all the local schools close for the occasion. It’s truly a unique whitetail hunting experience you won’t find anywhere else!

https://player.vimeo.com/video/32404965

What makes us different than all the other whitetail outfitters in Illinois and the Midwest?

  • Long-term deer management – Most of our whitetail properties have been under our management for 10+ years. Some for 20+ years!
  • No smoke-and-mirrors marketing – All of our deer photos and trail cam photos are from our hunters and properties. Many outfitters post photos of friends’ and families’ deer, along with trail cam photos on properties you will never be hunting.
  • Full time whitetail guides – Year-round whitetail guides and supporting staff. Most outfitters are only part time operations. At Heartland Lodge, we are a full-time whitetail outfitter that starts preparing for our next hunt the day after deer season ends
  • Our guides do not hunt the properties – Many outfitters allow their guides to hunt the same stands and properties as the hunters decreasing your opportunities.
  • Personal Service – We stay “small” by choice and only have one deer camp/lodge. We like to develop long-term friendships with all of our hunters. You will see the owner every day at the lodge. Low pressure and low volume on our properties keeps those mature whitetails from going nocturnal. Many outfitters run a high-volume operation, and you are just a number to them. We want you to be just as excited to return to Heartland as when you first arrived.
  • 30+ Years – Many outfitters come and go; Heartland Lodge has been a whitetail outfitter in Pike County IL for over 30+ years!
  • Hunting Tradition – Your stay with us is more than a deer hunt. Each year new traditions are being created by our guests. It’s our hope that you create your own memories at Heartland with your family or friends and carry on a tradition that started many years ago. Start your own tradition this season when you book a hunt with friends and family!
Start your own hunting tradition!

Your stay with us is more than a whitetail hunt. It’s part of a strong hunting tradition that started back decades ago. Each year, new traditions and memories are being created by our guests. The most cherished memories are not the game we harvested, but the memories created from time spent with family and friends. That is what hunting at Heartland Lodge is all about, creating legacy memories that you will always cherish.

 
Illinois Whitetail Firearm and Gun Seasons (Shotgun or Muzzleloader only)

Illinois’ first gun season always falls in November on the weekend before Thanksgiving. Opening day is on a Friday and the season ends on Sunday. These three days normally fall during the peak of the rut, creating some exciting days in the stand!  Illinois’ second gun season always falls the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend (normally the first weekend in December.) The second gun season starts on a Thursday and ends on the Sunday. If colder weather moves in, this hunt can be very productive for large whitetail bucks, plus you get an extra day of hunting. You can use approved shotguns, muzzleloaders and pistols during the first two firearm seasons (No rifles). Archery hunting is not allowed during these firearm seasons.

FAQ

 
Illinois Late Muzzleloader Season

Nice Pike County, IL whitetail.Illinois’ muzzleloader-only season falls on the weekend following the second gun season. This season starts on Friday and ends on Sunday. Only approved muzzleloaders are allowed. You can archery hunt during the muzzleloader-only season when you have an Illinois archery permit.

Our combo Archery/Muzzleloader hunt is very popular during this time. It is a seven-night, six-day package. You can either archery hunt three days before the muzzleloader season, then hunt the three days of muzzleloader or you can hunt with your bow the three days following the muzzleloader season. You can harvest a buck with your bow and your gun! The buck pictured above was harvested during our muzzleloader only season!

For more information on deer behavior and hunting strategy during the Illinois Muzzleloader Only Season

FAQ

 
Illinois Whitetails

Gun Hunting for deer in IllinoisWhat makes Illinois such a great deer hunting state? There are many factors, but low pressure and great genetics, along with a healthy age structure, make Illinois the best destination for hunting mature whitetails. Within Illinois, Pike County is the premier county for trophy whitetails. Pike County is located in-between the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. This fertile land has all the minerals whitetails need, along with an abundance of agriculture mixed in with just the right amount of hardwoods and cover that whitetails desire. All whitetails are free roaming when hunting at Heartland Lodge.

FAQ

 
Shotgun and Muzzleloader Permits in Illinois

Purchasing your shotgun permit for the first two seasons or late muzzleloader season is a very easy process. All Illinois residents can apply in the first lottery that normally ends at the end of May. All nonresidents and Illinois residents can apply in the second lottery that normally ends August 15th. If you apply in either one of these drawings, you should receive a permit. All leftover permits are then sold online or at a licensed vendor until they are sold out.

Shotgun permits come with one either-sex tag. For an additional small charge, a doe-only tag can be added.

The late season doe permits can be purchased online or at a licensed vendor for residents. If you are a nonresident and want to hunt one of these seasons, you must purchase a doe permit for one of the first firearms seasons. These permits are allowed to be used for the late doe season. In recent years, Pike County has been an unlimited county, meaning you can harvest as many does as you would like, as long as you have a deer permit for each one.

For more information on our deer hunts, go to our main Whitetail deer hunting page.

FAQ

 
Whitetail Deer Hunting Rates
2026 Archery Dates Available:
More on our Archery Hunts>>
October 1st–4th (Opening Week – 4 Days of Hunting) Click Here For More Info. $2,950
October 6th-9th (4 Days of Hunting) $2,950
October 12th-15th (4 Days of Hunting) $2,950
October 17th-19th (3 Days of Hunting) $2,450
October 21st-25th, (5 Days of Hunting) Click Here For More Info. $4,550 (1 spot available)
October 27th-31st (5 Days of Hunting) SOLD OUT
November 2nd-6th (5 Days of Hunting) SOLD OUT
November 8th-12th (5 Days of Hunting) $5,950 (2 spots available)
November 14th-18th (5 Days of Hunting) Click Here For More Info. $5,950
Nov. 28th-Dec. 1st (4 days of hunting) Click Here For More Info. $2,950

2026 Firearm Dates Available:
More on our Firearm Hunts>>
November 20th-22nd (Shotgun, Rifle or Muzzleloader) 3 Days of Hunting $5,550 (1 spot available)
December 3rd-6th (Shotgun, Rifle or Muzzleloader) 4 Days of Hunting Click Here For More Info. $4,150
December 11th-13th (Muzzleloader Only) 3 Days of Hunting Click Here For More Info. $2,750
**includes guides, meals, accommodations & game cleaning

Click Here For More Info. on Legal Rifles

All bookings are double occupancy in regular room at the Original Lodge, unless other arrangements are made. Private rooms can be arranged if available. All rooms have private baths. As part of the care and maintenance inside our lodge, we ask that you bring slippers or wear socks. Boots and shoes are removed in the mud room. The Original Lodge is for hunters only October – December 25th.  Prairie Ridge Lodge is for hunters only the entire month of November.

  • Non-hunting guests are welcome. The rate is $150 for each night for a regular room. Call for pricing on other rooms.
  • Non-hunting guest meal package is $100 per night.
  • If non-hunting guest would like to sit in the stand with hunters, the fee is $150 per hunting day. (This option is not available during rut weeks or firearm seasons, late-October thru mid-December- we have limited space in guide vehicles)
  • Private rooms are available upon request.
  • All Lodges/ Cabins have WIFI
  • $150 for a private regular room each night at The Original Lodge.
  • $175 for the Angler room (Queen Bed) each night at The Original Lodge.
  • $225 for the Whitetail suite (King Bed & Whirlpool) each night at The Original Lodge
  • $285 for the Luxury suite (King Bed, Whirlpool, & Fireplace) each night at Prairie Ridge Lodge
  • $385 for the Private Luxury Cabins (King Bed, Whirlpool, Fireplace & Private Deck) each night at the Luxury Cabins

Enjoy one of our Luxury Suites during your stay. For only $142.50 per hunter (per night – based on double occupancy) you can stay in one of these incredible rooms. Each spacious room has two king size beds, Whirlpool, fireplace, gun holders, private decks and entrance. Prices are valid only when purchasing a hunt package above, otherwise our regular room rates apply.

 
Deer Hunting Guide Jobs

If you are looking for a rewarding and fulfilling job as a whitetail hunting guide at one of the best whitetail hunting outfitters in the country, look no further than Heartland Lodge!

All of our whitetail hunting guides are experienced, accomplished deer hunters. We manage over 5,000 acres of the best whitetail hunting habitat in the country for trophy whitetails. We put in several acres of food plots, run trail cameras and scout year-around. Whether it be glassing summer bean fields in July or shed hunting in February, you will be hard-pressed to find more compassionate deer hunting guides. Our guides take great pride in our ability to pattern deer and give our clients the best guided deer hunting experience available. Please follow the link below for more information.

Click Here For More Details on Deer Guide Jobs

 
Heartland Lodge

10236 393rd St.
Nebo, IL
62355

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