rad_112176 Posted December 13, 2007 Report Share Posted December 13, 2007 Hey guys, My brother hooked me up with a hunt in Pike County, IL for late season. It is at Harpoles Heartland Lodge. Has anyone heard of this place? I checked them out on the internet and have talked to them numerous times. They seem like a good bunch and the price is pretty good. I am a little worried about the phrase you get what you pay for. The hunt we are going on is called a Doe Bananza that they have started doing the past couple of years i guess. The rule is you can shoot a doe a day and if you see a shooter buck ( 130" or larger with no limit ) you can shoot it and pay a trophy fee at that time. Kinda nice since we won't have to pay for the Trophy buck price unless we shoot one. I will probably be holding out for a 150" or larger since i can shoot a 130" on some of the public land we hunt in Southern IL. Either way it will be fun to spend some fun time with my brother where we can both relax and maybe even get a little filming in. We are going the day after Christmas and going for 5 days. Wish me some luck ( for a deer and for me to have a home to come back to. LOL ) P.S. - Next time when your other half asks why you are so addicted this time of year to hunt tell her that Wal-Mart ( or her favorite shop ) is going to be shut down from Jan 15th till Oct 1st and see how many times she thinks she needs to go in that period. It worked for mine..........:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakeE141414 Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 Well good luck on the hunt! p.s. That's a nice phrase to use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buckee Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 It sounds good if the price is right. At least you can come home with some doe meat for the freezer, and still have the hopes of getting a monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 My wife and I went on our Honeymoon there in Mid Oct. of 2002. It cost us over $2200 (she didn't hunt) and I saw 4 scrubs. The guy I was paired up with (2 per guide) shot a doe the 2nd to the last day. We both were very disappointed. No one out of the entire lodge killed a buck the week we were there. One spot, or farm as they call them, we hunted was called "Rip Rap". It was a 40 acre lease that bordered public land. Our guide Mike had a jacked up loud old Chevy that he would drive into our hunting spot in the mornings to drop us off. No one hunted by the lodge because that was a "trophy" area they owned which was kept for the rut hunts. I liked the people but half-heartedly believed all the guides actually worked hard to put you on a deer. Once you meet some of their guides, you will realize that a number of deer photos on their website are actually killed by their guides. Their guides are allowed to hunt the properties at certain times of the year. I think it is a conflict of interest. I'd rather hunt my home state of Wisconsin or go to Canada to kill big deer. I will say the hospitallity was exceptional and you will eat like a KING! Don't be on a diet when you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted December 14, 2007 Report Share Posted December 14, 2007 I have never hunted there. But I know exactly where this place is....Not to far from where I live.... And I have heard this same thing that PotashRLS is saying about the hunting and the way you are treated Good luck PotashRLS said: My wife and I went on our Honeymoon there in Mid Oct. of 2002. It cost us over $2200 (she didn't hunt) and I saw 4 scrubs. The guy I was paired up with (2 per guide) shot a doe the 2nd to the last day. We both were very disappointed. No one out of the entire lodge killed a buck the week we were there. One spot, or farm as they call them, we hunted was called "Rip Rap". It was a 40 acre lease that bordered public land. Our guide Mike had a jacked up loud old Chevy that he would drive into our hunting spot in the mornings to drop us off. No one hunted by the lodge because that was a "trophy" area they owned which was kept for the rut hunts. I liked the people but half-heartedly believed all the guides actually worked hard to put you on a deer. Once you meet some of their guides, you will realize that a number of deer photos on their website are actually killed by their guides. Their guides are allowed to hunt the properties at certain times of the year. I think it is a conflict of interest. I'd rather hunt my home state of Wisconsin or go to Canada to kill big deer. I will say the hospitallity was exceptional and you will eat like a KING! Don't be on a diet when you go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Thanks for the heads up PotashRLS and toddybowman. We paid $600 a person for 5 days and 4 nights with lodging and meals included and it is a $500 fee if you shoot a trophy. Not to bad of a price really. Like i said earlier, it will be worth it just to get away with my brother. I will let you guys know how we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddyboman Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 that does sound like a good price. I hope you guys get a crack at one of those PIKE county monsters :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Sounds like a fair enough price. Hope they treat you a bit better than potash posted about though, that does not sound too good. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie65 Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 Heartland Lodge is not far from me. They used to have lots of ground & be a top notch operation. That has been several years ago. They still have some good hunting ground but not near like what they used to have. For the price you paid I think no matter what you will have a good time. Also the $500 trophy fee is not bad, if you happen to get a shot at a bruiser. In my opinion they have gotten away from serious outfitting for trophies & become more of a getaway for people to come & stay for a weekend getaway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 If the deer are owned by the state how can they get away with charging a trophy fee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 brownie65 said: Heartland Lodge is not far from me. They used to have lots of ground & be a top notch operation. That has been several years ago. They still have some good hunting ground but not near like what they used to have. For the price you paid I think no matter what you will have a good time. Also the $500 trophy fee is not bad, if you happen to get a shot at a bruiser. In my opinion they have gotten away from serious outfitting for trophies & become more of a getaway for people to come & stay for a weekend getaway. Yeah brownie, It looks like they are big in the bed and breakfast business these days. We tried to go up there over the summer to stay but never got a chance to get away. You never know when a monster buck will sneak his way onto a piece of property so at least we are hunting in the right county for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest adrenaline_junky Posted December 15, 2007 Report Share Posted December 15, 2007 I have heard of the Heartland Lodge. Me and my buddies (Badlands Outdoors) are going there next year for a rut hunt to get some footage of them big Ill. deer. Let me know how you do and good luck. I like that line I'll remember to use it on mine.Thanks...LOL... Of course it probably wouldn't work cause my girlfriend loves to hunt as much as I do if not more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 adrenaline_junky said: I have heard of the Heartland Lodge. Me and my buddies (Badlands Outdoors) are going there next year for a rut hunt to get some footage of them big Ill. deer. Let me know how you do and good luck. I like that line I'll remember to use it on mine.Thanks...LOL... Of course it probably wouldn't work cause my girlfriend loves to hunt as much as I do if not more... I will be sure to post how we do so you know. I will also get some good details on how they did during the rut hunts so you know what to expect. Hopefully i will have a couple pics of my own to show ya. That is cool that your girlfriend likes hunting so much. Mine decided that next year she was going to start hunting so that way she can accuatly spend some time with me during hunting season. LOL. I am kinda excited to do some shopping for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowtech_archer07 Posted December 16, 2007 Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 I have heard of Heartland.. I know some people who have hunted there. It is supposed to be an immaculate lodge and absolutely beautiful. As far as those big Ill. deer, I hunt them every day so it's nothin new LOL. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2007 Bowtech_archer07 said: I have heard of Heartland.. I know some people who have hunted there. It is supposed to be an immaculate lodge and absolutely beautiful. As far as those big Ill. deer, I hunt them every day so it's nothin new LOL. Good luck! Where abouts in central IL do you hunt? I do alot of hunting around Rend Lake throughout the year just south of Mt Vernon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotashRLS Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 It sounds like you are getting a pretty good deal. I doubt you'll find a trophy charge as cheap as $500 too many other places. Maybe they have toned it down since I was there. Word of mouth may have hurt their business a bit. And yes, the lodge is awesome. The hosts are great as well. Hind sight being 20-20, I'd rather use my resident Wisconsin archery tag to book a hunt in Buffalo Co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach1 Posted December 17, 2007 Report Share Posted December 17, 2007 Went to a wedding at Heartland Lodge a couple years back. Beautiful place. Had a few college buddies from the area and they said the bucks around there were very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted December 19, 2007 Report Share Posted December 19, 2007 the way I read it the winter hunt is handgun only for doe. .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 20, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 ruttinbuc said: the way I read it the winter hunt is handgun only for doe. .... Hey ruttinbuc, The hunt we are going on is for bowhunting only. The doe hunt that you seen on the web site is for the late winter anterless gun season that starts in mid January. You have to either have a unused gun tag for that county or apply for a late winter gun tag for that county to be able to hunt this. They might have land owner tags they can issue out. Don't know if they allow them to do that or not. I have a couple of unused gun/muzzleloader tags but they are for a different county. Hoping to take the daughter out and get a doe during this season. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REALSCENT Posted December 24, 2007 Report Share Posted December 24, 2007 Guys,....I worked there for two years back in the late 90's. It was definitley a different time then,....I still hunt Pike county, but man has it changed over the last 13 years,....it is very overmarketed now,..overhunted,..and it is quickly becoming the 125 inch capital of the world,...don't let all of the marketing fool you,....times have changed and Pike county has changed drastically,...and not for the better.:( RS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad_112176 Posted December 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2007 Thanks for the heads up on the hunt. I didn't have high expectations to begin with since it is late season and it was pretty cheap. I am looking forward more to the time me and my brother will get to spend with each other. We both run busy schedules and it is odd for eather of us to get off for any period of time. I have sent all my workers home till after the new years and i think he is shutting his company down between the holidays also. It will be a little different without both of our phones ringing off the hook. I have the option to take 125" deer where i hunt on public land in IL and probably bigger so it will have to be a buck that i don't think i could shoot on public ground for me to take one. I am just hoping that the numbers are good so i can get some good pictures. I do agree that Pike County has become way to overmarketed and people don't realize that with a little research you can get just as good of hunt in most of the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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