The numbers are staggering: 57 seasons as a bowhunter. 34 record-class bucks. And he’s never paid a dime to lease land, and he’s never taken an outfitted hunt. He’s done it all the old-fashioned way — and largely while hunting some of the most pressured public land in America. And for that, the editors of D&DH declare him as one of the best bowhunters in modern-day history.

Of course, that’s all subjective. And, if you ask him, he’ll immediately shy away from the topic. He would rather just talk about big bucks and how they are different than your run-of-the-mill yearlings and 2-1/2 year olds most guys are more than happy to take during archery season.

Most hunters know that bucks can have different personalities, but there’s something else between their ears that separates them — and I’m not referring to the amount of bone they grow. Take two different types of bucks: those living their entire lives on large land tracts carefully managed for trophy deer, the bucks you usually see on hunting TV shows, and those living in heavily hunted areas. Ask Michigan bowhunter John Eberhart what the main difference is between the two, and his answer’s simple.

“The bucks in heavily pressured areas are a lot smarter than the bucks you see on TV,” Eberhart explains. “They have to be, or they’d be dead.”

Eberhart, 72, has become a master at bowhunting pressured bucks on Michigan public land, where free access melds mature whitetails into battle-hardened, high-IQ creatures (eberhartswhitetailworkshop.com). He’s also hunted a smattering of private land after securing free permission from landowners. What’s noteworthy is that Eberhart’s never paid a dime to hunt anywhere, nor has he ever accepted a free hunt from famous TV hunter friends.

His success is unrivaled. To date, Eberhart’s taken 34 bucks qualifying for the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan record book. He’s also bagged 20 bucks measuring 125-180 inches in several other Midwestern states. And he’s been doing it for more than six decades.

Those who know bowhunting in Michigan know about Eberhart.

“I believe that John Eberhart is the best whitetail bowhunter who’s ever lived,” said Jim Brunette, former hunting director of Northwoods Wholesale Outlet in Pinconning, Michigan. “His commitment is just amazing.”

To be clear, Eberhart isn’t interested in gaining notoriety. He’s turned down offers to pursue whitetails on popular hunting shows, and he’s politely declined numerous offers to hunt managed properties for free. For him, it’s about matching wits with the smartest bucks on the planet, and teaching his methods to make better bowhunters. Let’s dig into those methods, or what I call the Eberhart System of Bowhunting, to see what makes him the best bowhunter in America.

Biography

Unlike a lot of us, Eberhart didn’t grow up in a hunting family. One day the teen strolled into an archery shop and struck up a conversation with the owner. Despite hunting for 18 years, the guy had never killed a deer due to uncontrolled buck fever.

Like a smallmouth bass, that talk hooked Eberhart on the daunting challenge of bagging whitetails with a bow. At 14, he bought a used Ben Pearson 45-pound bow and started hunting public land in southern Michigan with a local named Leroy who offered him a ride. Seemingly happy to tutor Eberhart, Leroy was actually using John to push deer to him by placing his pupil upwind of deer exiting a swamp.

At 15, Eberhart got his first deer with his bow, a doe that he double-lunged while concealed behind pine boughs. Leroy used the doe for target practice, quickly draining the joy of success from John’s heart. At 17, Eberhart bought his own car and taught himself the intricacies of bowhunting.

On public land in 1969, Eberhart arrowed his first big buck, an 8-pointer feeding at a white oak. His arrow landed a bit too far back, but two locals helped him recover the buck from a swamp. The buck grossed over 110 inches and immediately changed Eberhart’s mindset.

“Before, I was just happy to get any deer,” said Eberhart. “But getting a big buck made me step up my game and target bucks at least 2½ years old.”

More success would further hone what Eberhart was after. For over 40 years, he’s pursued only record-book, mature bucks and does to fill his freezer.

I’ve interviewed Eberhart many times, and, like Brunette, I quickly became aware that what sets him apart is his commitment to his methods. Routinely taking intelligent bucks from pressured areas can’t be attributed to luck – it’s the result of a comprehensive system of processes and strategies Eberhart developed and strictly implements for every hunt. Taken together, the Eberhart System made him insanely successful – and it can boost your success, too. Let’s break Eberhart’s system down into its different components: preparation, site selection/stand preparation and hunting strategies.

Preparation

The system starts with keeping your body as scent-free as possible. Eberhart doesn’t eat garlic, onions or spicy food during the season so he doesn’t emit potentially noxious odors when hunting. He doesn’t drink coffee any day he plans to hunt, as it causes jitteriness and increased urine output. Eberhart showers using unscented bar soap and washes his hair with a popular body wash/shampoo made for hunters. To minimize bacterial growth, he shaves his underarms and groin, which are two human odor hotspots. He also keeps the hair on his head short and doesn’t grow a beard, further slowing bacterial growth.

Eberhart states that one of his most effective strategies for beating whitetail noses is wearing activated carbon-lined clothing, including a headcover with a drop-down facemask and gloves, on every hunt. 

“I hunted by playing the wind for 33 years,” Eberhart explained. “Activated carbon clothing had been out for four years before I bought a suit. But I was still getting winded because I wasn’t covering my head, mouth and nose, or properly caring for all my accessory items and backpack.”

Eberhart experimented in secondary doe locations while hunting, comparing how deer reacted when he wore activated carbon versus regular clothing. Once he learned how to properly care for, use and store carbon apparel and accessories, he quickly became a firm believer in the power of activated carbon. And like the deer downwind of him, he hasn’t looked back.

“I’ve had well over 1,000 deer directly downwind of me without getting winded,” he said.

Eberhart follows a strict regimen to keep his clothing and all hunting equipment as scent-free as possible. Prior to the season, Eberhart washes all equipment that contains fabric in a large tub with scent-free detergent, changing the water/detergent several times, before rinsing and air-drying outdoors. Reactivate carbon clothing by placing it in a dryer on high for about 45 minutes. Wear ScentLok or rubber gloves whenever handling clothing, even when putting clothes away after hunting. Soiled carbon clothing should be washed without detergent, as detergent clogs up the pores in the carbon that adsorb odors. Store carbon clothing, backpacks and other equipment containing fabric in separate scent-free containers to prevent odor transference. Regularly use scent-free wipes to clean your bow and hard-surface equipment.

This is just an overview of Eberhart’s scent-control protocols. Email John at deerjohn51@gmail.com to receive his comprehensive routine.

Site Selection

Eberhart relishes the challenge of bowhunting on heavily pressured Michigan public lands and knows it’s imperative to identify mature buck haunts free of other hunters, so he regularly uses hip boots, chest waders and a canoe to access remote areas.

“I hunt where other hunters typically aren’t willing to go. For example, if I can access an area with just rubber boots, I don’t care how much mature buck sign’s there, I won’t set up a location because other hunters will find it and hunt there. The sign might continue to show up, but if a mature buck is using it, he’ll be visiting under security of darkness.”

When selecting ambush sites, Eberhart likes to get into the minds of mature bucks.

“When looking for a location [to hunt], pretend that you’re the deer, and everybody is trying to kill you. Where are the only places you will move during daylight where you’ll feel safe?”

All scouting is done in early spring right after the snow has melted, revealing scrapes and runways used by deer last fall. Over half of all his record bucks were taken near scrapes.

“Always select hunting spots where shot opportunities will be within or along edges of some form of security cover, because mature bucks in heavily pressured areas must have cover to feel comfortable being there during shooting hours.” 

Eberhart also looks for natural food sources that could provide hard or soft mast come autumn. Again, the food must be in/near adequate cover for deer to visit during daylight. Transition corridors from bedding areas to agriculture fields are also ideal hunt sites.

And unlike some hunters, Eberhart believes in hunting interior bedding areas.

“When I’m scouting in bedding areas, I’m looking for deer traffic sign, spots where runways converge, areas near mast trees and preferred browse, and deer sign such as heavy rubs and, while rare, even scrapes. I hunt the interior because does bed in them, and all daytime buck activity during the rut revolves around checking secure doe traffic areas.”

Hunting Strategies

Each spring, Eberhart selects about 40-50 different potential hunt sites, performing some prep work to ensure adequate shooting lanes and inconspicuous entry/exit routes. A month before the season opener, he’ll speed-scout each location to confirm which sites are near active acorn/apple trees deer will visit that fall.

The next key to Eberhart’s success is knowing when to hunt the different habitat types. For early season, which Eberhart defines as the first five days of archery season, he’ll hunt transition corridors from feeding to bedding areas in the morning. Afternoon hunts take place at natural food sources, avoiding morning hunts to prevent spooking deer already feeding at those locations. He remains after dark until deer have left to avoid tipping them off to his presence when leaving. Use only a small dim handheld flashlight pointed at the ground when traveling to/from hunting sites. Wearing a bright headlamp will inadvertently cast light around you, alerting deer that something’s amiss.

The next 15 days is what Eberhart refers to as the lull in heavily pressured areas. Mature bucks have gone primarily nocturnal beyond the confines of secure bedding areas due to the onslaught of preseason scouting, stand prep and early-season hunting, so Eberhart hunts standing cornfields adjacent to timber or swamps in the morning, usually rattling two short sparring sequences five minutes apart to lure bucks out. He’ll also hunt mornings in public-land bedding areas that he won’t hunt during the rut. Eberhart is in the tree 90 minutes before daylight to beat any bucks transitioning to bedding areas before daybreak.

During the pre-rut/rut, buck activity changes somewhat due to peaking testosterone levels and does going into estrus. Mother Nature occasionally overrides their better senses, compelling bucks to risk moving more during the day. For this period, Eberhart hunts near hard mast and fruit trees still dropping food, interiors of bedding areas and transition corridors between bedding areas. Remember, all spots must have adequate security cover for daytime use by bucks.

Watch John Eberhart’s “Public & Pressured Land Deer Hunter” series on YouTube

Eberhart suggests hunting during the post-rut in Midwestern states that don’t hold firearm deer season until primary breeding season nears completion. Using a doe decoy can lure bucks into range. 

Another key is using the right elevation equipment.

“In 1981, I started hunting out of a saddle,” Eberhart explained. “A saddle setup is incredibly lightweight, will last a lifetime and can be used on virtually any tree. They allow you to move 360 degrees around the tree, and you take them with you when you’re done hunting, preventing theft.”

Finally, act decisively when shot opportunities arise.

“When you get the first decent shot you think you can make, take it, because you never know when a mature buck will turn and go elsewhere, especially during the rut or if he’s with a hot doe. And make sure you’ve picked a spot on the vitals before shooting. Don’t body shoot, or you’re likely to hit the deer too far back and have a difficult recovery.”

In other words, commit to Eberhart’s system, and confidently execute your game plan when the moment of truth arrives.

— Darren Warner is a professional freelance writer from Michigan. He has covered national gun- and bowhunting topics for several decades and is a regular D&DH contributor.