John is an avid deer hunter that’s hunted whitetails in Michigan for 60 seasons and has bowhunted out of state for 25 seasons.
John is a self-taught hunter and considers that to be one of the main reasons he does things outside what is considered the norm. He attributes his success on the very fact that he wasn’t mentored by relatives or friends on old school hunting methods. He learned through trial and error and due to his competitive desire to succeed and attention to detail, through the years he’s developed hunting tactics and strategies that have equated to consistent success on mature bucks in heavily pressured areas.
John became aware many years ago that the generic hunting methods and techniques written in hunting articles, books, and seen on TV shows and YouTube videos just didn’t work in heavily pressured areas and decided to do something about it to help other hunters be more successful.
The reality is that most nationally known hunting personalities hunt on limited access micro-managed properties or ranches with high mature buck to doe ratios and those properties and herd compositions grossly misrepresent the normal hunting conditions for the vast majority of hunters. Generic hunting methods work on the properties the so-called experts hunt but those same techniques, tactics, and strategies will rarely yield results on the few bucks that survive to maturity in heavily pressured areas that seemingly have PHD’s at avoiding hunters.
John’s hunting resume goes something like this:
Age: 75
Year’s deer hunting: 60
- Currently has 37 bucks listed in the Commemorative Bucks of Michigan record book (35 archery and 2 muzzleloader) coming off 21 different properties in 11 different counties with most coming from public land
- Took the Michigan state record muzzleloader buck in 1981 from public land and that has been the only state record buck to ever come from public land
- In 1997 began bowhunting out of state during Michigan’s gun season and to date has taken 22 P&Y class bucks (all archery) from 14 different properties on his 25 week long out of state hunts in 6 different states
- Has never owned, leased, or paid a dime to hunt anywhere opting to exclusively hunt public, free walk-on, and knock-on-doors for free permission properties whether in Michigan or out of state
- Has never hunted over bait or a food plot
- Due to the misleading misrepresentation by most of the hunting media stating that they “hunt 100% free range, wild deer” John along with his late son Chris, wrote the books “Bowhunting Pressured Whitetails” in 2003, “Precision Bowhunting” in 2006, and “Bowhunting Whitetails the Eberhart Way” in 2010
- In 2025 John released a 3 book series titled “Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks” and they are available in paperback, hardcover, audio (John narrated the audio book), and eBbook and signed books are available on this website, and others are on Amazon, on Tethrd’s website, and on Spotify
- In 2005 John wrote the manuscript, produced, and narrated the 3 volume, 100% instructional bowhunting DVD series titled “Bowhunting Presssured Whitetails”
- With the aid of certified professional archery instructors John narrated and produced an instructional DVD titled “Archery Mechanics” which includes everything from A to Z on; choosing a bow and accessories, proper shooting form, properly shooting from elevations, bow energy ratios, deciphering correct draw lengths, and much, much more
- Has written instructional bowhunting articles for Deer & Deer Hunting, Peterson’s Bowhunting, Bowhunting World, Bowhunter Magazine, Saddle Hunter magazine, Bow and Arrow Hunting, Mathew’s Bow Hunting, Michigan Sportsman, Michigan Out-of-Doors, Wisconsin Outdoor News, Woods & Water News, Outdoor News, and other regional magazines
- Has been interviewed for articles in Outdoor Life, Deer & Deer Hunting, Fur Fish Game, North American Whitetail, Archery Business, Bowhunting World, and other magazines
- Has done instructional bowhunting TV shows for American Archer, Michigan Out-of-Doors, and ScentLok infomercials
- Has done many dozens of deer hunting podcast interviews
- Has done interviews and written short instructional clips for many industry related media outlets
- Given many seminars on bowhunting pressured whitetails at the Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan’s Deer Expo Spectaculars, Massachusetts and Wisconsin Huntstock shows, as well as for many hunting organizations including some QDM organizations
- Did an extensive series of public land hunting videos for Deer & Deer Hunting that are still available online
- Aided Rivers West in designing their “Ambush Jacket” which won Field & Streams “Best of the Best” outdoor hunting garment award in 2005
- Designed 3 signature Saddle Hunting suits for ScentLok
- Has been involved in other garment designs for Scent Lok and Rivers West
- Is a pro staffer for Mathews, ScentLok, G5, and Moultree,