John Eberhart Questions

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funderburk
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John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby funderburk » Sun May 05, 2019 6:11 am

**I have nothing but absolute respect for John Eberhart and appreciate his passion and dedication to the sport of hunting mature bucks. While I’m confused by some aspects of his style of hunting, this post is in no way meant to disrespect Mr. Eberhart or take shots at his way of doing things. My intentions are simply to have some questions answered through the filter of the Beast.**

Had a long trip this morning and decided to listen to some podcasts that I had put off for such an occasion. I ended up listening to John Eberhart and his strategies for killing mature bucks on heavily pressured land. I realized I didn’t know too much about the guy (other than he is a huge advocate for activated carbon), so I decided to hear the man out since he obviously has some experience consistently killing big deer.

After listening to a couple of lengthy podcasts with John, I walked away scratching my head about two specific things.

First, due to his activated carbon regimen, he self-admittedly never acknowledges the wind. He then went so far as to say he doesn’t even pay attention to how mature bucks use the wind. This really threw me for a loop. I won’t name the podcast, but the two hosts were obviously thrown off by John’s response, as well.

Second, John’s style of hunting seems to be heavily focused on food (white oaks and apple trees being the ones he spoke of most often). He mentioned sitting on transitions to and from bedding and food, but also talked about shooting deer right at the destination source.

Here is where I need clarity...

With all due respect, how is John killing deer while: 1) ignoring how mature bucks use the wind, and 2) prioritizing destination food sources over bedding.

In other words, how is he killing bucks in daylight by focusing on food and ignoring the wind?


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Jackson Marsh
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Sun May 05, 2019 6:40 am

A lone oak or apple tree in or very near to security cover (i.e. bedding) will be used in daylight. He also hunts scrapes in or very near to thick security cover.

I have no answer to the carbon/ignore the wind. Try it and report back to us ;)
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby may21581 » Sun May 05, 2019 6:48 am

Ok, so I too have read John's book and listened to his podcast. Let's just forget about the whole activated carbon thing and focus on other things that he shares in common with the other greats.
First their preseason scouting and tree prep work prior to the season is off the charts. They do their homework on food sources, destinations, bedding, and trails.
Second their attention to detail and dedication is borderline crazy! They go to great extremes preparing, and studying for the hunt.
John uses a saddle system while others use mobile stands. There is nothing wrong with this. This is his style and he found what works for him.
There is no right or wrong here. I think the big debate is the credit he gives to his clothing when in fact there are other major contributors to his success. Prove it right or prove it wrong it doesnt matter in the end.
John hunts high pressured Michigan bucks. He also has to deal with many more hunters per sq mile than other states. On the other hand I dont think he would want to hike 3 miles through waist high muck in frigid temps either. John's style and other hunters styles are much different given their location and background! I have respect for all of them! Just look at the whole picture, timing, location, style, ect when comparing or questioning methods. Good luck
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby funderburk » Sun May 05, 2019 7:26 am

Good thoughts. I’m definitely not jumping on the activated carbon/scent control train. Really blew my mind that he pays zero attention to the wind...
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Sun May 05, 2019 8:01 am

Jackson Marsh wrote:A lone oak or apple tree in or very near to security cover (i.e. bedding) will be used in daylight. He also hunts scrapes in or very near to thick security cover.

I have no answer to the carbon/ignore the wind. Try it and report back to us ;)


I’ve listened to a few podcasts with John too. He speaks of “security cover” a lot, and will occasionally call it a bedding area. If you pick up on that he’s pretty much revolving most of his hunts around being very near to bedding. I took away he’s narrowing in on the nearest food source to bedding for early season, specifically the 1st week. Kinda like an observation post at a good source, but close enough to bedding to have a kill shot. Then targeting unpressured bedding areas as the season progresses.

Activated carbon...... everything has an odor. If activated carbon clothes don’t grow in the woods, they’re a foreign odor to a deer.

I’ve got a blood tracking dog. Its pretty eye opening what he can pick up on. He instantly knows when I get home if I was in the woods without him and especially if I touched a deer. Multiply that to a deer’s sense of smell...The only thing I can relate to his wind strategy is he’s inherently setting up just off wind sometimes whether he’s sharing that he’s intended to or not.

John’s definitely a killer. I get the impression he’s trying so hard to sound different than everybody else so much that he never really gets too detailed on his tactics other than ScentLok. Hard to sell clothes, books, dvds if you’re basically teaching what everybody is sharing for free here.
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Sailfish_WC » Sun May 05, 2019 8:17 am

Dude kills big deer.
No matter what he wears or how says things.

As mentioned above; his scouting, prep work and intangibles are beyond reproach.
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby PK_ » Sun May 05, 2019 9:56 am

I haven’t followed much of his content lately, however I am fairly certain that he kills the majority of his bucks with a well placed arrow through the vital organs.

;)
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Sun May 05, 2019 9:59 am

John is a great hunter, I have a lot of respect for him. I have emailed him several times and I consider him one of my hunting mentors/hero’s along with Dan and a few others.

That being said, what he focus on is extremely hard to find.
He says he focus on destination areas like primary scrape areas, and white oaks with primary scraps, or fruit bearing trees with primary scrapes. All I know is I have been seriously hunting Michigan since 2007, and in that time I have only found a couple truly primary scrapes areas and I am yet to find a truly good producing white oak on any property I have hunted, you can add in wild apple trees to that also. The only oaks on the public I hunt down here in southern Michigan are red, and some kind of junk oak, and they are very inconsistent year to year.

What John does is hunts very high and has a hand full of properties that he know so well he could hunt in his sleep. He has killed most of his deer on private land. I think of all his deer 3/4 of his Michigan deer were killed on public. He is a great hunter, he is a great woodsman, and he knows his properties like the back of his hand. That is why he has great success not because of scentlok.

Take all the knowledge that Dan gives and soak it in. It will help you more then anything else out there.
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Sun May 05, 2019 10:01 am

You said "how mature bucks use the wind".

From what I have learned here on the beast is deer only use wind for the most part going into bedding. Once on their feet, they go from bedding to their food source regardless of the wind. (This doesn't include checking does during the rut. Only a feed pattern)
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby matt1336 » Sun May 05, 2019 10:24 am

Bowhunting Brian wrote:You said "how mature bucks use the wind".

From what I have learned here on the beast is deer only use wind for the most part going into bedding. Once on their feet, they go from bedding to their food source regardless of the wind. (This doesn't include checking does during the rut. Only a feed pattern)



Deer and the terms always and only don’t really go together too many times.
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Hawthorne » Sun May 05, 2019 10:43 am

I have eberharts 1st booked signed from 2003. He’s a good hunter and I think he was ahead of his time back then. I knew a couple guys from that time period that was killing really good bucks hunting bedding areas and getting in 2hrs early like eberhart preaches. I learned from them guys just like I did eberhart. His methods was a game changer back then, not scent lok but his other teachings. I think Dans methods took it to another level imo
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby tundra » Sun May 05, 2019 1:27 pm

when I was young we always got in early,,, heck I had mummy bags attached to my old screaming eagles tree stands,,,, we would be in the stand at 2am, if that is what it took,,,,, always had a cloth case for the bow, in case a warden questioned me,,,,,, we would sleep in the trees, and get them very early, nothing new really, just have to want it more than others

I think John is a fine hunter, and has a good system, and there are a lot like him, you never heard about either,,,,,, hunting simply comes down to the time you have, and how hard you want it,,,,, yes its really that simple, and hunting where the bucks are.......
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby funderburk » Sun May 05, 2019 1:29 pm

Jackson Marsh wrote:A lone oak or apple tree in or very near to security cover (i.e. bedding) will be used in daylight. He also hunts scrapes in or very near to thick security cover.

I have no answer to the carbon/ignore the wind. Try it and report back to us ;)


It’s too expensive to try! :lol:
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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Sun May 05, 2019 2:01 pm

tundra wrote:when I was young we always got in early,,, heck I had mummy bags attached to my old screaming eagles tree stands,,,, we would be in the stand at 2am, if that is what it took,,,,, always had a cloth case for the bow, in case a warden questioned me,,,,,, we would sleep in the trees, and get them very early, nothing new really, just have to want it more than others

I think John is a fine hunter, and has a good system, and there are a lot like him, you never heard about either,,,,,, hunting simply comes down to the time you have, and how hard you want it,,,,, yes its really that simple, and hunting where the bucks are.......

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Re: John Eberhart Questions

Unread postby may21581 » Sun May 05, 2019 2:29 pm

Some very good points here! After reading through them it reminds me of a story and video I watched on YouTube. Has anyone else ever seen the older fella that is like the world's fastest and most accurate slingshot shooter? This guy can hit quarters in the air with stones and shoot tall weeds and make them fall certain directions. I believe in the interview he claims he doesnt really aim but more of like a reaction or muscle memory from doing it so much. He said it just came natural to him. Well part of me believes John is like this guy and has just done things so long he doesnt realize he is doing them. Just like this other guy is aiming somehow but doesnt realize he is. They have developed extraordinary skills but dont really know where to give the credit. Scentlok is totally not containing all your scent, however getting very high in a tree with an off wind is something worth noting! Focusing on security cover is also a big item to add to the checkmark column! There is a reason why Dan is called "the big buck serial killer" . The guys tactics are brutal, extreme, and to the point, hes a beast! Not too many guys are crawling miles through muck up to their nads or belly crawling through ice water with a gun strapped to their back!
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