Join Shooting Sportsman's Endorsed Lodge Program for a Q&A session with Heartland Lodge owner Gary Harpole that walks us through one of the best upland/waterfowl combo lodges in America.
Where is your lodge located?
Our lodge is in rural western Illinois about 85 miles northwest of St. Louis. We’re about as “Heartland” as it gets!
What bird species do you offer, and what is the limit?
We get started in mid-September with pheasants and quail, and that continues nonstop until mid-April. The regular migratory-bird season starts in October and runs through December, and that’s when we add geese (Canadas, snows, specklebellies), mallards, pintails, canvasbacks, wood ducks and teal to the mix. We also have special snow goose hunts in February and March. As far as limits go, our standard upland hunt is 4 pheasants and 8 quail. Our premium hunt includes an unlimited bag. For waterfowl we follow the standard federal regulations.
What is your hunter-to-guide ratio?
We are set up so that we can just as easily handle a party of 30 as a party of one. In general, however, we typically hunt 2 to 4 guests per guide. We do not mix groups on upland hunts.
What are the terrain and cover like?
We love this question! We pride ourselves on having some of the finest farmland cover anywhere: native prairie grasses, cornfields, milo food plots, flooded crops for the waterfowl. It is 100% classic upland bird and waterfowl habitat. The birds love it because it contains everything they need, and our guests love it because it is very agreeable to hunt.
Do you hunt with pointing or flushing dogs? Can a hunter bring and hunt with his or her dog—and if so, where will the dog stay?
We hunt the pheasants and quail with German shorthair pointers, English pointers and French Brittanys. The waterfowling is done with Labs. In both cases the dogs are trained to the level one would expect at a world-class wingshooting resort. Guests are welcome to bring their own dogs, which can be housed in our onsite kennel facilities.
Do you welcome non-hunting spouses—and if so, what is there for them to do?
Non-hunters are totally welcome. In fact, we are very well suited for non-hunting spouses, as we are a popular couples destination. Non-hunters can ride ATVs, shoot clay targets, golf, go shopping, visit wineries, hang out at the lodge and do a ton of other things.
How is your lodging managed?
We have a total of 60 beds in 36 rooms, all of which have private baths. The rooms are divided between cabins and lodges ranging from 1 to 13 bedrooms—and enjoying a cabin or lodge private for an individual group is very popular. Our standard offering is for double occupancy, but we are just about always able to accommodate single occupancy at a premium.
Learn more about Harpole's Heartland Lodge as a Shooting Sportsman Endorsed Lodge.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HEARTLAND LODGE