What Makes Someone a Good Hunter? w/ John Eberhart | HUNTR Podcast #93
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- Опубликовано: 23 дек 2024
- In this episode of HUNTR Podcast, we're joined by a guy who knows a thing or two about killing big bucks with his bow, John Eberhart. Based out of Michigan, John is a passionate public land hunter and wants nothing but the challenge. There's always a debate between public/private land hunters, and the debate continues...
John, 67 years old, has been a popular face in the hunting industry for quite some time, and not just for killing a lot of big bucks. John has also written a heavy number of instructional pieces for some of the top dogs in the industry.
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Nobody loves John Eberhart more than John Eberhart loves John Eberhart.
You got that right ! 😂 he may not be much but he’s all HE thinks about
As someone who has been in the "industry" and an experienced die hard bowhunter from Michigan with a bunch of nice bucks on the wall it's hard for me to wade through what John says anymore. He reminds me of the kind of guy that convinces himself that something he thought about is reality... I'm not calling him a liar but for some reason my "BS METER" goes wild whenever he's sharing his thoughts and experiences... he's like the guy at work who always has a crazier story whenever someone shares something that happened to them. Everything he does is harder, the deer he shoots are tougher, his hunting skill level is double anyone else, the hunting pressure is MORE wherever he's at, etc etc... he's a "topper" that is scared of losing his relevance in the industry.
Lol 😂
It’s called little man syndrome
John Eberhart’s actual accomplishments.
After hearing John speak down about several accomplished big buck killers on a recent podcast, I decided to pull out the Michigan record book and look for myself and crunch some numbers on John Eberhart’s actual accomplishments in Michigan as a deer hunter. Most people hear him say at nauseam that he has “over 30 bucks in the Michigan record books”. What very few people know is that “commemorative bucks of Michigan”, the record keepers for the state, only requires a typical whitetail score 100 inches to be considered a “record book deer”. A pretty low bar of entry, even by Michigan standards.
I Have heard John state on several occasions that killing good bucks in Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, etc. was easy and that several of the notable “big buck killers” couldn’t come to Michigan and have success. With that being said, discounting those “easy” states, the best way to “measure” John’s ability is to look at his success in his home state, Michigan.
He says over 30, I located 27. (May have missed a couple) 19 of his 27 deer score under the P&Y minimum 125 inches. (Many of them barely over 100 inches). 2 of his bucks are entered as muzzleloader kills and score under the B&C minimum 170 inches. Like I said, might have missed a couple but John, in his late 60’s, having hunted Michigan for over 40 years, has killed 6 actual P&Y deer in his home state from what I found. With the biggest being 144 inches.
I’ve only interacted with John once a couple years back at TAC Michigan and you could cut the arrogance with a knife. Which is surprising from someone with such an underwhelming body of work in his home state. He loves stroking his own ego at the expense of putting down others, when in actuality, by these numbers, is one of the biggest frauds in the hunting industry. Does anyone think Don Higgins would struggle to kill 6 P&Y bucks in Michigan in 40 years???
I would expect better numbers from a guy that can’t be smelled by deer…
Bucky for the first time in a while…we may on the same page. I had no idea of the 100” mark very interesting
Very very interesting. Thanks for sharing.... he say's over 30 record book deer, and the minimum entry is 100", how convenient to leave that out of the public eye and give everyone the impression that they are true P&Y record book deer. Nice little white lie... No surprise that a guy like that will trash another hunter in an attempt to elevate himself. Scum!
you forgot his biggest accomplishment; he has shot a bunch of bucks after they were dumb enough to get shot at least once and sometimes as many as four times
It about self promotion. The same with Infalt. When you really dig in and years go by and you see the truth it's all a promotion. Dan has done jack squat in Michigan in his recent trips. He has wounded a bunch of deer. It's funny to see all the guys on certain forums suck off the guys from Iowa or Wisconsin. To the northeast hunters those guys are laughable.
This post is wildly inaccurate. John held the Michigan state record bowkill for a short time. I think that buck scored in the 170’s. Look at his trophy room, read his books and watch his kill stories on his RUclips page. He’s killed bigger bucks than you state. I don’t know where you’re getting your info from?
Watched these out of order - but I am glad we did. John is a legend, and a very unique person. Most people will not be able to maintain that type of consistency in their hunting regiment. Dude is a legend and a killer. Good job keeping things civil, and not letting emotions run wild like the comment sections. Well done guys.
Haha we tried Austin
If this guy is the authority on who's a big buck killer yall should get Dr Fauci on next week to discuss CWD
🤣🤣 thats hilarious!!
Truth hurts don't it lol
Couldn’t believe he didn’t even know when Veterans Day was
Book bucks lots and lots of book bucks. No TV guy only lots of book bucks
This guy is a fantastic killer.. He probably just hurts your feelings..
This is my take on the challenge aspect. Some guys golf for a challenge. They always want to up their score and improve their technique. Some golf because they enjoy it and find it relaxing. Neither is wrong. Same with hunting. Some hunt for a challenge. The want bigger older bucks, to kill mature bucks on pressured land etc. Some guys hunt because they enjoy the experience, because they find it relaxing, because they love venison. Nothing wrong with any of it and most of us are but of both. The problem is the guy that loves the challenge and the guy that just enjoys the hunt for the relaxation or the venison will never understand each other.
Amen
Great topic, great guest guys! John is to the point and is strong with his beliefs, it's hard to deny his success. As a mid michigander, I can relate to his experiences. He's not wrong! As far as the best buck hunters... the best ones I know are humble and don't seek fame or social acceptance, they are silent killers that have museum worthy pole barns. And I would put $$ on their skills vs anybody..
Scott - I would love to find the pole barn heroes would be so cool to hear their humble expertise
Been bowhunting for over 40 years breaks my heart to what hunting has turned into!
Technology and egos...
Love listening to John! I think your wayyy underestimating the amount of people in the woods hunting only for meat. In New York I’d say over 50 percent of hunters put meat over rack size.
Definitely agree the right public or small private mindset is size because you have no control over someone else killing that buck. Meanwhile private/managed property (especially the bigger the property and more restricted the access to said property) you can go off age, knowing that they'll be bigger next year, because you can decently expect that buck to survive until you're ready to kill.
Don Higgins owns a whopping 120 acres in IL. So for John to suggest he owns hundreds of acres is false. Not to mention, IL is heavily hunted across the entire state. IMO for a guy that no longer concerns himself with scent/wind because of Scentlok, he should have 200” deer stacked up like cord wood…..
I wondered that also, since he "NEVER" gets smelled. what about bragging about the deer he kills, that are so stupid they have already been shot at least once, but some as many as four other times
Right
140 acres in Illinois... gotta be kidding me.......
I recently found The HUNTR podcast and have enjoyed listening to the episodes but I was disappointed listening to this episode with the hosts not correcting their guests regarding some of the comments made about Don Higgins after they just had him on as a guest on the podcast. To say he couldn't be a successful hunter outside his own property is a joke - he has killed many of his big bucks on permission properties (look up the Joey buck story) and his own property is only 120 acres. I don't think John was being maliscious - just misinformed and you should have spoken up.
Hey Randall - first off we know Don is an amazing hunter. That said when we have a guest on we want to give them as much room to state their opinion without feeling like we are trying to argue. That allows our guest a very open platform. Obviously Higgins is a major buck killer and some we have grown close too. So don’t take us not jumping in as a cop out, as much as open dialogue led by our guest
@@HUNTRPOD I think it's good that you guys allowed John to speak his mind. I agree and disagree with both John and Don depending on the topic; both tend to broad-brush EVERYTHING depending on their own point of view (and/or monetary gain). That said, the majority of Don's biggest buck have come from his backyard - it's not even an argument. If I remember right, the farmer found the sheds and put Don on the Joey buck, so that doesn't give him much clout in my book... which is why he went to Iowa last year on public; the result of that was a tag sandwich... If I'm hiring a consultant to set up a large farm that I own with no pressure around it, I'm hiring Don. If I'm hiring a consultant to put me on a buck anywhere outside of that scenario, give me Eberhart all day long. I'm definitely not hiring Terry P as I don't think he's ever killed a booner (hunting KY and IL), and on his most recent podcast it seems that it's the crossbow's fault that he forgot to stand up and shoot his target buck.
@@cs2756 the difference is Don harvested that deer on his first sit for it. People find big deer all the time whether it be word of mouth or via cell cam, but how often do they harvest that deer? If Don finds a deer and can get access to hunt it, he is probably going to get it done. Not saying there aren’t others that wouldn’t, but you can’t knock him because he got intel on the Joey buck.
@@claytonkrafft9716 If the logic of "first sit kill" is what makes a great hunter, what do you have to say about the other 30 unsuccessful "first sits" he had in Iowa last year without intel and not on his home farm? I believe that's the point that Eberhart's trying to make.
@@cs2756 I think you are misunderstanding my point. He had a target deer and went in and got it done. I believe he stated there were “good” deer he encountered in Iowa, but not the caliber he is looking for. That is what sets him apart. He isn’t lifting his bow for anything under 180”. I for one don’t have that discipline and I assume 95%+ of others don’t either. It wouldn’t have mattered if it took him 20 sits, if he gets his “target” deer that is a win.
Being a 19-year-old that loves huntingpublic land whitetails in southern and northern michigan theres nobody else i enjoy listening to more than john
He is a guy that you have to listen to when he talks. So much knowledge and experience
Being a 19 year old who loves land management don higgins, tony lapratt, and the drurys are the best of the best. John knows his stuff when it comes to hunting public but has it all wrong when it comes to hunting private. “If I was the only one hunting a property I’d be the MVP throw michael phelps out of the question” idk if John has ever hunted private ground before but that’s just not the case. He talks like every private land owner has a 500 acre property with a high fence around it.
Definitely going to listen to this tomorrow. John has made me a better hunter for sure. I tagged out last night here in 2B Allegheny county on a 10 point.
That’s our stomping grounds! Congrats dude, quick season haha
Congratulations buddy 👏
@@HUNTRPOD thanks guys!
@@colbykinney5633 thanks man
Man they open early in that County? I'm still waiting for the 1st. Congrats on the buck man
Really like your podcast. You seem to allow different guests room to speak to their reality/truth. I am a huge supporter of Don Higgins (as are you) and having guests with different angles/POV is something that is refreshing. It’s how all media used to be. If you can’t have disagreements how can we evolve as a society much less a hunter.
I know it can be misconstrued that we favor everything guests say, that isn’t true. But regardless of our view points we want the guest to feel like they can discuss what they want openly with no bias
I disagree with what he says about Don Higgins. There must be bad blood between he and Don, but he comes off as jealous. Also, who wants to hunt public ground unless you have too? Why would you want to hunt somewhere where other hunters are constantly screwing your hunts up? That would take the fun out of hunting for me.. I understand some people have no choice and go to public ground. I can respect that, but if you have other options it's a no brainer.
Completely agree here David
I think you are agreeing with him then. Private is better because it's easier. Private where there is one goal (giant deer management) being better than private also accomodating small game hunting, timber management, and turkey hunting etc. By the way, I also agree. (And would love to have something like Don has). The hosts did a good job of saying what it is: two different approaches....but it's all good!!! Private, public, p&Y, 200! All good
I’m a hear hear hear guy pshhhh 🤭😂🤣🤣🤣
Don Higgins is the man. What better way to say “I’m jealous and have a toxic chip on my shoulder” than bad mouth Don Higgins, of all people. Blows my mind.
We kinda asked off air if there is personal “beef” and sure doesn’t seem to be, I don’t think Don has ever met him lol
@@HUNTRPOD but Don isn't the one making the comments so there's that...
Have you watched Don's podcast about Crimping? Why are you defending him when he tries to discredit Dr. Grant Woods and insinuate he is a liar. Don says that he doesn't believe Woods doesn't have to add Lime or Fertilizer to his soil due to his notill method. Dr. Woods even has a video with a couple of people from the company that does the soil testing and they go over the soil test on the video.
@@bucksniper65 I’m no expert, but if that truly is the case I’d guarantee less than one percent of people will have the same results just from roller crimping. It isn’t a magic wand. Don and Terry also made it very clear that they weren’t trying to bash anyone and that they only wanted people to do their research before spending 30k.
I couldn’t agree more with what Don said, If a roller crimper was what it was cracked up to be more of the people that farm for a living would use them.
Furthermore the way John Eberhart (who even is that guy)talked about Don in this podcast is a lot different and more disrespectful than what you’re talking about so it’s kind of irrelevant.
@@elifrench4278 make no mistake, John Eberhart is a somebody. He’s killed a ton of monster deer on public land. That takes mad skills. But he’s an egomaniac and insecure. Not everyone needs to be better than someone else at someone to be satisfied with an accomplishment. It’s one reason why I don’t follow him much and lean more toward Infalt.
John represents the vast majority of local public land hunters. I get why so many in the comments are negative but kudos to ya'll for giving all sides a platform.
Thank Mike, in all honesty we don’t relate to John as much as we probably do Don, but that said we did not want John to feel like his opinion was not wanted
Enjoyed tuning in ! Growing up in the Northern most part of WI, I could relate to a lot of the content.
I believe I have listened to every podcast. I can honestly say after listening to them all, I enjoy listening to the conversation. I hear the opinions, some of which I disagree with or simply have a different opinion, but it's nice to see you guys listening, hearing, and evolving. There are a lot of motivations to hunt that are not at all or are severely underrepresented here. I think the podcast could benefit from interviewing someone who shares totally different opinions. Good luck this year guys.
Let me understand this, you said… “the biggest property that I’ve managed is 130 acres, so actually I’m really not controlling anything!” All while you are having a conversation about Don Higgins controlling his deer on his farm, which is only 120 acres!!
I’m interested in how many pure public guys think along the same lines here. Seems like a bunch believe if you hunt private you aren’t as good of a hunter as them … which is BS
@@HUNTRPOD gotta admit though it makes it alot easier when you have private land .
😂😂😂
If John was mid 20s right now with social media, the guy would gave a gigantic following. Love the guy, has his beliefs, and will die with them. Also calls out some of the guys that other hunters don't because they don't want to have a negative persona from anyone. Love how he basically said Don is a deer farmer but doesn't know didly non how to hunt
Well we wanted John’s opinions to come out because we think a lot of people also feel the same way but won’t say it.
Spot on. People who don't hunt highly pressured public land have no idea how different it is from hunting private farms. I've done both in the state of Michigan and private farm hunting is a joke in comparison. Got lots of friends who are killers in private who have never got a single deer on public
I remember the battle between sent-lok and scent blocker, i bought one of scent blockers dream season suits back in the day, i actually still have it. Ya had to throw it in the dryer for a little bit to activate it lol!! That was back when i was a scent freak, my scent control these days is fresh earth scent waffers lol!! Love the smell of those things!!
Loved the podcast.
If it was about who's the hardest worker,someone like Higgins or someone who hunts only public I'd say it would be about even,however
The guy that has to actually find ( hunt) a spot or a shooter deer on pressured land ,maybe even In an other state never having been there ,carrying his equipment
on his back in and back out
Takes in my opinion some tremendous physical & mental tuffness knowing if you do shoot a deer you'll
Also have to drag it out .if you own your own land you drive your ATV to it and haul it out.
There's so much more could be said on who's the better hunter.i lean towards the guy that gets it done on pressured public land
I think that’s a great point of view
Great episode! To each their own when it comes to hunting in my opinion, but it cracks me up hearing that it's difficult to hunt the Northeast and in doing so they are consistently referring to PA. Try the true Northeast and come to Maine to hunt; Good luck bub!
Oh no doubt man, that’s an insanely hard state. It is on my bucket list to hunt though, that’s the tru Big Woods bucks
@@HUNTRPOD We'd welcome you with open arms. Good luck to all this season!
36:00 starts the Don Higgins & tony lapratt talk.
Relate deer hunting to pheasant hunting and quail hunting. Private land is thousands of times easier than attempting it on public here in Iowa. It’s a non-debate. Then add food plots or sorghum strips to the private and it should almost be unethical, as I look out at 90 acres enrolled in the pheasants forever program. John is right in his analysis of what is land managers do.
The one thing I agree with John on is where (state and type of property) absolutely affects the potential outcome
Let’s just be real here. Guys like Eberhart, Infalt, the THP crew are better and more adaptable hunters then all those land managers/ tv pros. Don Kisky once said it perfectly in response to a compliment he got for being a great hunter. “ I’m very good at killing deer on my farm only. As well I should be. I set it up and managed it for all these years. There’s guys out there tgat are much better hunters then me.” He was right. Same goes for lakoskys, Higgins, drurys, Jordan’s etc
I mean I agree in some respects. But I do think some of those mentioned have skills lol that are better than others. I’m sure we will never know and just have to classify then into two separate groups
where I live and hunt, bucks will spook if they hear the slightest twig snap within 30-40 yards of them. go trampling thru their area like an elephant in the morning trying to beat them to their bedding areas and they won't even go there because they are that alert and skiddish. Even during the rut they can be hard to find because ohio is a 1 buck state and 1 doe on public state, and there's a lot of does on the public properties. So there's much more skills required to kill those bucks, no doubt. but more than skills, it's will and persistence. so if you don't have the mindset for finding success, you'll wash out hunting those places.
Polyester …the dyes more so…can be impregnated with UV brightener which can’t be washed out. It’s used in the industry to make camo colors more vivid
I have a question, I was in the woods yesterday putting up 2 more stand setups and today is our first cold front, do you think it would be worth hunting this evening even tho I was in there yesterday
I like your channel. Regarding this episode I would have liked to have seen you guys redirect the conversation w John. I feel it got focused on calling out other hunters (higgins/drury, etc) it breeds division. making comments like Don or Mark couldn’t come to MI and kill big deer. How does he know. If John wants to hit public hey that’s great but don’t bash hunters that decide to purchase private land and manage it and then refer to them as not real hunters. I smell something called jealousy.
We understand that point, but our thought process is to always allow guest room for unbiased opinion. Frankly we want to hear it, obviously many people including us do not agree with John’s viewpoints on Higgins and Drury, but we want to hear why he thinks that…now with it out there we can all debate why or why not that is correct
Mr Eberhart has lost a lot of major points in my book for his judgement of another hunter who he has never so much as had a conversation with. He could have just stated he doesn't agree with him without slandering the man. I assume the best of you guys that you've reached out to the party mentioned this week to try and heal that relationship, I like seeing the dialogue between you guys in the past. I'm know from listening to his podcast this week there was some offense taken.
There is absolutely nothing greater than owning your own land, managing it how you see fit and killing big deer off of it. The amount of satisfaction it brings is astonishing. And anyone that tells you otherwise is just a gas bag.
Its funny how a guy who keeps shooting the same size deer every year bashes others. I wonder why John goes to Kansas every year if he's so much happier shooting 120" Michigan bucks?
Haha you aren’t wrong, it’s for sure brought out the stick and drew the line on the sand!
John is a good deer hunter. However his my way or the highway mindset gets old.
John what you do works for you and that’s great. However Just because other hunters don’t hunt like you doesn’t make them any less of a hunter.
Stubborn in his ways and listen it works for him but yes pretty one sided in terms of views, but maybe a lifetime of hunting one way does that?
How long can white tail deer live? Spanish hunter here
Can be up to 18 years, but in most cases less than 8.5 naturally
Kansas is where deer go to retire, where as old people on the east coast go to Florida. Jokes aside what are your options on the way deer act in states with the amount or preditors, human or otherwise?
to say Midwestern guys have all but a guarantee of shooting a "mature" buck vs a guy in the east is like comparing apples to oranges. Yes you might see a "book buck" all the time in Kansas or iowa, but the deer he is talking about shooting and a guy like Higgins or the drurys aren't even picking up their bows for. A 3 or 4 yr old deer and a 5 or 6 yr old deer are completely different. He just comes off as jealous to not have the finances or the land to bash the guys that do. I'm gunna go with Higgins could kill a 2.5-3.5 in PA
I'm sure you could learn alot of hunting tactics from John like you could from anyone his age that hunts as much as he has.
I would argue doing what Don higgins does finding and killing a world class deer vs killing a pope and young buck on public property in pressured states is as difficult even more. He doesn't own tons of land he COMPETES against as many people to get permission and hunt around neighbors.
I love yalls podcasts but I can't stand eberharts little cocky personality. He uses that little free permission phrase like it means he done something. Some of my best spots are free permission.
The deer he kills in Kansas I wouldn't pick my bow up for
JE doesnt say anything out of line. I have hunted Michigan and it is completely different than other states. Public hunting in Michigan is waaay tougher than most any state I have hunted. From scent control, public hunting P&Y trophies, to saddle hunting, this guy has done it his way! If you took offense to his understanding of public hunting vs land management hunting in certain states(Mi), you are completely missing it. I have never met JE, so I have no bias. But let me say this- he hunts to be a better hunter and if you send JE and DH into the woods in the middle of public ground anywhere-i know who my bet goes on to harvest a quality whitetail. In saying that, JE season doesnt start Oct 1st, it starts Jan 1st! Watch his youtubes, he has a ton of knowledge that most any hunter can gain knowledge from no matter how long you have hunted
I think JE had some great insight, should he call out Don or Mark, no because we don’t know what they could do and probably never will because they don’t want to hunt like that. But overall John stated his opinion without interference from us and that’s what we want
All right I need to chime in here. Great show……baking soda in a sock pat down. Shower with unscented dawn dish soap and keep hunting clothes in a black garbage bag with half a cup baking soda. Quick shake in the bag and nothing else needed. You will get so close you can pet them on the ground
Do y’all ever put in for Iowa or have any desire to hunt out there?
This John guy is a joke. I don’t care who or where you hunt you shouldn’t bash one way of hunting vs another. Don Higgins is twice the man and hunter that this guy is. Don shares his faith and love for the outdoors and never bad talks anyone. And for these clowns to use him for a podcast and then let this jackwaggon trash him a month later is bs and I hope they realize this. This guy needs to take some notes from Don on morals of life as well as deer management and maybe Michigan will be another Kansas one day.
Kyle, totally agree. John is quite full of himself. I kind of liked this podcast but this is bull.
Guys you have to understand we have no idea where a podcast is going to go with a guest. Why John had words about Don, I may never know but once he started we wanted to hear it. If you think we agreed with him you are completely wrong
Kyle you said take notes from Don on morals of life. Seriously? Don discredits and calls Dr. Grant Woods a liar on Don's own podcast. Man you are a Higgins superfan.
He makes it so deer can't smell him at all. Where is the challenge in that?
I'm with John, it's different hunting. Those deer farms are what we all dream about, but in reality a majority of us just wanna fill our tags to feed our family. I'll take an adk deer any day over a farm fresh free range deer. That's just me
Btw I'm not say don is a bad hunter by no means I personally connect with what John says. I have hard enough time taking time off of work and definitely don't have the money to "raise" deer on thousands of acres. And yes there is a difference in hunting methods
Oh I get it man. We took a lot of hate on this one BUT we wanted Kohn to speak his mind, uninterrupted by us. I don’t agree with the Don stuff necessarily but I do agree with the part of it’s where you hunt that makes you a big buck killer. That’s why I drive 17hrs to Kansas. But if I lived in Illinois or Iowa, yea we’d likely kill giants every year. Reality is we don’t so we don’t stand a chance apples to apples
Nobody I know needs to fill all there tags to feed the family! This isn’t Alaska subsistence type lifestyle
Really enjoyed the podcast especially being apart of the many hunters competeing in the challengs of hunting public land in Pa.
It was a hot topic and one we don’t relate to much, but for sure seems like public land hunters feel strongly about how private land guys manage and hunt.
Very true, personally it doesnt really bother me cause im one of the public land hunters that do pass on respectable younger bucks in hope that they do survive to see another year but all in all we are all still trying to kill that giant, mature buck.
John’s a legend. End of discussion. Killed more monster bucks than most.
You guys ever have any luck in southern York county pa ?
Seriously guys, I liked listening to your podcasts with Mark Drury, Ben Rising, etc. Personally I very much respect what Don Higgins has done and is doing for deer hunting. For you guys to have great conversations with Ben, Mark, and Don, and then allow a guy like John to come onto your podcast, allow him to trash Don, and for you to actually play along. Really??!!!! John is so full of himself and how he's a better hunter because he doesn't have a "managed" property, absolutely disgusting! this is NOT what our industry needs!
Jerry - we get it man. And trust us no idea it was going to go that way. Kind of came out of nowhere and caught us off guard, I get the points about managed land (that’s about all I do), but why Don was targeted or any of those guys not sure. I think John just said what a lot of public land guys think, shocking but maybe necessary to get out there. Ruffled my feathers a bit, and obviously a lot of others
@@HUNTRPOD Maybe the public land hunters think its easy to kill a mature deer on a managed property, truth is it's not "easy". Yes the infrastructure may be there however you still need to be smart about your hunting approach. That being said, John bashing Don to say what "public land hunter" may think is highly unprofessional especially coming from someone who is a so called "professional" in the outdoor industry. Sorry, I usually don't comment much but this one got my attention.
@@jerrymullet2810I agree with the professional aspect of your argument, but if your not going out and finding sign or deer, rather manufacturing it by managing land. Your not really a hunter, rather a farmer. Basically baiting with live food.
@@finnallen5981 I can see where your point of view is coming from. Maybe it depends on how we define "hunter". I would agree that it is more difficult to find and kill a mature deer on public land versus a private piece that is managed. Managing a property is much more than planting a food plot and calling it managing the land. The most important part of managing a hunting property is habitat improvement, of which planting food plots is often included. Keep in mind that we are hunting wild deer on public or private land, they are not bound by a fence and they aren't "our" deer. Maybe that's a missing component to a hunter who exclusively hunts public? We can "manage" a property ie, "improve the habitat to encourage the deer to spend much of their daylight hours on our property", and even if we do that we cannot just sit on a food plot and shoot a mature buck like clockwork. You still need to "hunt", look for sign, figure out how deer use the property, where the funnels are, just like you would on a public piece.
As a hunting community I believe we should be working together to promote hunting whether its public or private land, rather than trying to knock the other guy for having a private piece versus hunting public (not saying you were, just making a general statement). Each one, public and private, requires a unique skillset as a hunter. Just my perspective. Interesting conversation.
Definitely agree with you. Deer on private land aren’t fenced in, comparing it to a deer farm is not right. It definitely takes a skill set and knowledge of deer and natrue to know how to create better habitat for them. Saying that it doesn’t take skill to correctly manage a property is nuts. If it was easy, every hunter that owns land would manage it right and kill big deer but most don’t, even when they try.
according to the 2015 records of north American whitetail deer there are 108 deer killed over 200 in Illinois and 1215 between 125 and 140 in Michigan. this would seem to indicate that is much harder to kill an "easy" deer over 200 in Illinois on these managed farms than a deer 125-140 in Michigan. Illinois has 150,000 archery hunters compared to roughly 311,000 in Michigan.
And a quick search I just did shows that Michigan has much much much more public hunting ground than Illinois as Illinois is 90% private
@@brandonbauer6543 last time I checked, Illinois had over 1000 square miles of public hunting. I know several spots that are very lightly hunted, especially in the morning during the week
Congrats on the prize Steve!
Michigan is an easy state to be a successful deer hunter in.
The man, the myth, the legend. John is an encyclopedia on the topic. love the podcast.
Hey you won the trail cam hit us up with name and address
Info@wearehuntr.com
impossible to define because of the variables. I however believe that guys like Higgins would have similar success as Eberhart in Michigan, if forced to hunt there. I grew up in Illinois and have since moved to Iowa and did that because I want to hunt undisturbed mature bucks. I don't care that it is easier. the biggest advantage to hunting public or heavily hunted states is the mental ability to ignore the things you can't control. I do not have that ability. if you are a mature buck hunter, you will be looking for the best place to take a mature buck, not the hardest place. I have chosen Iowa. Eberhart has chosen a swamp in Michigan, which is the best place in his area. I will be having as much fun as he is, but I will not require the mental toughness that he has. I saw the debate, but obviously a different one than John saw.
I agree totally. I live in Louisiana and primarily hunt private so I can enjoy land management as well as take my kids. We have local public that is archery only with 5/10 other hunters on any given day but I may have 20 gun hunters all around my private. So how exactly do people assume public is lesser in quality or more pressured? John would put myself or even Don higgins who's hunting a 20 acre permission property in the very small group of guys that own thousands of acres because they are all PRIVATE. I hunt southeast Kansas to chase what Louisiana doesn't provide and hunt my butt off but because I lease private I don't think my buck would be considered as hard earned as John would consider his
What sets Don apart from just about everyone else in the industry is his discipline. You can count on one hand the number of guys that will pass 170-190 class bucks to shoot them at 200-220. John's name doesn't belong in the same conversation as Don's when it comes hunting whitetails and knowledge of the animal.
Absolutely! No way I can pass on those deer in my career yet. But also why I don’t have a 200 on the wall let alone multiple ones
@@HUNTRPOD Just the fact that John insinuates that guys like Don and the Drurys have no skill is completely asinine. If this were the case there would be thousands of guys all over the Midwest that would be killing 180+ inch deer every year. I sense nothing but jealousy from John here!
@@rylanaho687 Don also has people hunting all around the properties he hunts, many with permission only. how come none of them have multiple 200-inch deer?
I agree. Don past a 216 in buck and waited the next year and he was 220. Bet this John would not do that.
No disrespect at all folks, but I cannot agree with that. Discipline? Do you hunt public land at all? It takes discipline to even go because of the challenge. And you can see the different reaction on a public land hunter’s face when they take a nice buck… genuine reward. Nothing can compare to the reward of pursuing an animal in IT’S environment, not a man made environment. John has accomplished way more when it comes to EDUCATING PURSUERS of an animal.
I agree with John, one is hunting the other almost like collecting livestock with antlers.. I don't have a problem with it but putting them people on a pedestal like the industry does is silly... I would rather watch a guy get a 140 on public than a 200 out of a box blind every single time and I bet most people are just like me. Just a opinion not that I wouldn't shewt a 200 out of a box blind cause I would I'm just saying call it what it is.
@Mid Missouri Mountain Man A 200 inch on private is more rare, but actually harvesting one is no harder than harvesting a specific 140" you also have on camera. The fact of even having a 200" on your property is sheer luck so killing a 200" takes no "extra" skill.
@Mid Missouri Mountain Man I am certain you're not the only outdoorsman who works hard to produce high quality habitat on their property. That being said, you will never convince me a 6 year old 200" buck is harder to kill than a 6 year old 130" buck. The bone on their head doesn't make them any smarter or better at surviving. Its all luck of the draw on whether you have a good property that has 200" caliber deer. If your neighbor consistently kills them does that make your neighbor a better hunter than you? Think about that for a second.
Killing 5.5 year old bucks is the challenge... Antler size depends on your region... 200 inchs doesnt exist everywhere
@@r4nc0r6521 Exactly. Thank you.
@Mid Missouri Mountain Man Thats my point? The score has nothing to do with how hard they are to kill. People talk about 200" deer being insanely difficult to kill but its equally as difficult to kill a 150" in PA. The score is all luck, as you just said... your neighbors or someone around you end up killing the big bucks all the time and they're not as hardcore or skilled of a hunter as you. That proves my point?
When I was in college a peer told me "90% of how good of a hunter you are is where you hunt."
It absolutely if a major factor, undeniable! Jared hunts mainly east central Ohio and I’m in the mountain of western Pa…hat he is passing I am shooting. That’s not because we do t have the same goals, but simply what’s realistic in the area
You guys gained a fan with me here. Great podcast, look forward to consuming more of your content.
Thanks Ken!
Clicked hoping to hear these guys talk about something other than how hard it is to hunt in Michigan. Half an hour in, not looking good so far.
It got there…in a John’s way
As a northern michigan public land hunter. Hunting in michigan is hard..... if you havent heard😉
He’s not a minority! I’d take a giant top 10 buck 47:42 on public with a bow over a private land state record ! But that’s just me and my gratification I feel
Hey guys love the podcast. I was just wondering about the ring finger. Was that an accident with a wedding band? I was just wonder as me being in the military I got a tattoo to keep from injury but I think it would be a great thing for men in a groove ring sponsorship if so. Thanks and love the deer grow.
Yup, got caught on a treestand step a few years back
Totally disagree about Tony being a better hunter that Don higgins what are you smokin?
Hahaha well we are getting Tony on later this year to hear his side of it
Don is elite, I don't think John really knows what don does.
@@HUNTRPOD John obviously knows absolutely nothing about Don or what he has accomplished. Tony and Don hunt completely different types of property and have totally different goals.Both have great ideas that everyone can tweek to work on their ground. To say he smoked Don just shows he isn't as smart as he thinks he is.
So he said he gets dressed in his vehicle and the leaves. Wouldn't your vehicle have foreign scent? Wouldn't you get dress outside your vehicle. Scent lok was sued for saying they totally eliminate scent and lost. Have to use the wind to your advantage........
I’m the John Eberhart of WAKE COUNTY NC 😂 flat land big buck killer … 146 5/8 10 point 22 inside spread scored at NC DIXIE DEER CLASSIC and I don’t know if I’ll find that 150 in wake co. NC ! I still have yet to kill anything bigger than a 10 so an 11 point would be nice unless I count the spike I killed in 1994 😂
I get wanting to kill on public land that's 80 %of what I hunt but with that said if you go on public and hunt a apple tree what's the difference if you plant the tree on private of find it on public??🤔
About 10 years
😂
you guys talk about every state around minnesota but never minnesota? I can assure you that there is all kinds of hunting pressure minnesota! Even with that being the case you see plenty of 4-5 year old deer every year, does this make minnesota hunters great hunters??
I’ve come to the point that I half to look at age more than antler size. The areas I hunt just don’t have high scoring deer.
Patients is the main thing in hunting. 50 % of hunting is getting your ass out of bed and going. 20 % is scent/camo and the rest is luck. There’s a guy I grew up around never hunted in his life and was eating supper and looked out his back window and there stood a 22 pt buck. He shot it and it’s on his wall. And still he don’t hunt. Crazy. You gotta be in the right spot at the right time. It’s hard to say who’s the best hunter. My dad had me out hunting with him at 6 yo and I was by myself hunting at 8. I’m 42 now and hunted all my life. Growing up i had 4 or 5 different places to hunt. 50 to 100 acres each spot. Farm land my uncle owned. Well he’s passed so that land is gone. Some guys have 1,000 of acres to hunt with monster bucks but that doesn’t make them a good hunter. These guys on these hunting shows that pay to kill these big bucks doesn’t make them professionals. I believe a true hunter is not being able to bait deer or use dogs to run them out. A true hunter to me is someone that gos back In the mountains not knowing what bucks are in there. That’s what I consider hunting. I seen a video the other day a guy sitting in his tree stand waiting for his feeder to kick on because that’s when the deer know it’s food. 🤦🏼 That’s not hunting! Idc what you say it’s not even close to being a hunter.
There's a reason why all the shows are filmed in the midwest and not the Northeast or Southeast...because you need content, and it's very easy to go a year or 2 and not kill a big buck in those places, but if you need to kill big bucks every year on film for content... you go to the midwest
The Indiana statches are killer!
Jealousy is what most guys I know are driven by that say Drurys, Higgins, Winke etc aren’t good hunters because they have a ton of unpressured land and money.
To say Don couldn’t kill a PA 2.5 year old consistently is a farce. If he “had to” he would, but (and I’m not a huge Higgins fan) he has the luxury of not doing it that way.
And on that matter too, how much more does a higgins or drurys do for habitat and the health of a deer herd? He sure has to out others down to prop himself up
Put
Bill Winke has proven he can kill bucks about anywhere. He killed a monster on the new land that hes on by sleeping in the woods overnight. I bet ole JE never has done that.
Man this causing quite the topic lol I propose you guys get John and Don and next podcast together lol
Haha I texted Don and he know he kills giants, so I’m not sure it worth his time
Midwest whitetail is still using the ozonics 😅
and it's still not making any difference
@@stevefulscher8531 exactly, love Midwest whitetail but every time I see an ozonics machine I think to myself “there is no way they’d use that if they weren’t sponsored” lol
Still listen to all of the episodes but first time commenting in awhile….the episodes with John are priceless. I can only imagine what Don Higgins is thinking when/if he hears what John has to say. I as a hunter who hunts public and pressured private land, agree with a lot he has to say…..the truth is not always easy to hear sometimes.
So much in this episode to recall and add comments to but I’ll leave it with that. John is must see/listen material and always can learn something from him!
Couldn’t stand the guy’s arrogance way before this podcast and now even more. Enjoy your record book 125” deer. I am not picking my bow up for that.
I hear you do need more powders for steel shot and powder Can easily get your hands on
Who has the most official Boone Crockett buck entires? Google turned up nothing
Good question and not sure. I’m not even worried on entries as much as gross booners
@@HUNTRPOD I completely agree on gross vs net. I think we can answer the net Boone record holder easily at some point. I figured that person would be a good guest on the show.
Both sides are great but it’s true entertainment vs real hunting pressured bucks is different
Enjoyed this one ole John is a no nonsense killer man shaves before he goes to the tree John the deer ripper lol
This dude is the Jeff Sturgis of Michigan.
So bigger deer need better habitat, less pressure to get that big, you give them that, and you're a shittier hunter by his definition. Oh and that makes it easier. Quite the conundrum.
Was this guy used as click bait?
The goal was to get varying opinions, John is not a manager he just deals with the hand he is dealt. We can appreciate that. But we tend to lean the other way which is hard work year round leads to success. To each his own I guess
@@HUNTRPOD yeah i get we all deal with the hand we are dealt. Most guys respect that about each other, I know your questions tried to steer the convo that way, he was just so dense that it took awhile, too long.
I love this.BUT WHY would you walk over such a great man and hunter don will always be a legend in my book
There is for sure some beef there…Don says there isn’t, but sure seems John has a bone to pick
First and last time ever listening to this podcast.
To attack Lapratt and Higgins like this is just plain wrong.
Case of a guy knocking others down to promote himself.
Obviously we don’t agree with everything John says, but we don’t want our guest to feel like they have an open forum.
Don't judge the overall podcast on this guest. Higgins has been on multiple times too. Along with Sturgis and many other "names" and the guys just let them all speak their beliefs instead of trying to control the conversation to validate their own beliefs - which IMO is what makes it very good.
Appreciate the backup Mike, hopefully they check out the others, but we know this podcast isn’t for everyone
@@mikechavezjr9533 I’ll bet they won’t get Don on again.
Also the fact that the hunting public literally kills decent deer wherever they go even PA. But Don Higgins or most big time hunters couldn’t? That’s funny since they came from working at Midwest Whitetail and learning a lot there, plus their childhood hunting experiences growing up. Which is permission farm and private “easy killing” where they came from. Private hunting is nothing like what he’s portraying lol none of it’s that easy.
Agree!
I have some large bucks and they are smarter then us any day of the week in their woods. management doesn't make the deer any less smart you still have to get close to a mature genius whos lived for 6+ years in those woods. honesty this guys opinion is his opinion about Don so it doesn't give it any validity he basically is saying because guys like Don own land and manage it properly the mature bucks are some how less smart. 20 bucks is 20 bucks John. mature bucks are outstanding at understanding the woods you being in a pressured or un pressured public spot doesn't make the deer any smarter then a deer that's pressured or un pressured on private..... mature bucks are smart. you still sit 20 outta 30 days seeing no giants cause most are nocturnal as far as iv been collecting 1000s of trail cam photos most of my giants are night time or illegal shooting light bucks. call that pressured deer or not these big guys are that big for a reason. Dons humble as they come. I wanna add public tree stand or blind hunting is amazing and takes dedication to go into the public land zones and find big bucks with no management but comparing the two it still takes up months and years of experimental hunting hours to land a world class whitetail for the two approaches public or private so I personally think its pointless to compare, both hunters spent 1000 hours a year tracking data
Really great comment! I 100% agree on the mature buck aspect. Ultimately I think easier on private is because it’s more likely they exist. That said, I guarantee I would have an easier time killing a mature buck on public land in Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, either of the Dakotas…than I would killing a mature buck on any lands in Pennsylvania. I’ve done both, and that’s the truth.
I'm with John, a public land buck is more of an accomplishment. I neither listen to, or watch, the hunters who have prime land in large acreage amounts in states that are known for low hunter pressure and many mature bucks. The skill set must be earned. I use to watch some of todays high profile tv personalities who hunted land that was pressured and I respected their skill set. Today they kill larger bucks but no longer have to improve their skill set.
Public land hunting...High pressure..And if you can kill a mature buck out of the rut when they aren't making poor decisons..That's my goal..In my opinion. That's hunting but everyone has an opinion
It's almost food plot season! Lol Great show guys as always I love the dialogue between two different opinions even though the outcome of both is the same, thanks for having John on again!
Good god if I had to go through that much messing around to conceal scent I think I'd end up saying the hell with it
I personally would have more pride if I harvested my deer on public land vs private land any day.
I don’t think anyone would argue public hunting is usually harder, this seems to be a more recent phenomenon in many states. 20 years ago most private was open to hunting
Dude with the glasses is spot on
Have you guys ever seen Don's consulting clients bucks they killed and were they killed them. That may say something about how good a hunter he is. Also Don has killed the majority of his top five bucks on other property than his own. I think the thing you are overlooking is how good of a woodsman Don is. He can name literally every plant species and tree specie in your woods when he consults. That in it self is something you guys do not know. And Don does not have this properties all lock down to just himself to hunt. Seems a little strange that guys that have not hunted as long as Don should degrade him.
Greta point! I have and they are super successful, that has a lot to do with how Don set it up, I almost bought a property Don setup, it had giants on it. That’s not by chance at all.
That said if you NEVER pay attention to how to manage and set up a property like John, you frankly don’t care. Two completely different points of view
@@HUNTRPOD I hoped you understood. I did not want to come through as being rude. I know Don would not want me to come to his defense and be rude.
I know guys from MI where I'm from that dont shoot anything big at home go to kansas and are world class hunters
Why do you guys never talk about Wisconsin? More booners are shot there then anywhere in the country. I live in eastern Kansas and travel to Wisconsin every year to hunt. And in my honest opinion where I hunt in southwest Wisconsin blows away the hunting in Kansas.
Oh very interesting! The assumption was it has been decreasing in quality with hunting pressure but you are saying that it’s still great??
it may have more booners but if you factor in the number of hunters, it actually makes states like Kansas and Iowa even better
I dont see how a podcast like this is helping anyone or anything. Use your platform to do some good. Your “I bought a farm” segments actually have good info in them. These are just an hour of bashing individuals or hunting practices.
Appreciate the input Matt, these podcasts are meant to bring to light some of the things people “don’t want to talk about” in our passionate segment. I hope you see it as a bash fest, we see it as hearing opinions from varying sides within hunting. As much as we all want to believe in fairytales, hunting is divided. But if we can understand each other better maybe it won’t be segregated
Big fan ..I hunt East KS and as 95% public land hunter there are tons of pressure and people everywhere.. 171 is my biggest with 20 plus years of Kansas hunting a 200-in deer is rare they aren't just running around everywhere. I only know one person who has shot one. However, it is not uncommon for a 180 class to be taken and that's a big deer anywhere
No doubt man
I'm waiting on the outcome of CJ gate!
If you guys could get Mitch Rompola on here, it would break the internet
Did he really say that a 4 or 5 yr old buck has no problem walking past people sitting in treestands because nothing bad happened to him as a 1,2,3 yr old?????? Wth 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
ya, you heard it right
I mean I thought you guys tried to interject pretty well to challenge his negative spin on Don and Drury's ability. You let him speak his mind but also offered your own opinion so maybe he could find an understanding in that. Not really sure why people are coming at you guys the way they are.
Haha no idea man, I mean clearly we didn’t agree but they act like we are promoting what he said. All that said, John surely feels wrong about what he said so it was a bit eye opening that there is likely a large group of hunters that see it that way
I listened to a podcast the other day where John was saying how much hard work it takes to kill a book buck. He said, My son Chris worked hard, but only killed one book buck, where I've killed over 50. I hated hearing that, as his son Chris isn't even alive anymore, having unfortunately passing on awhile back. But the way he said it, just did not sit quite right with me. And maybe he didn't mean for it to come out that way. In my opinion, deer hunting has become very stupid anymore....and that's coming from a deer hunter. Too much competition, too much technology allowed, I could go on and on.
I won’t comment to Chris, I don’t know but know he was a great guy. I think there has always been competition like big buck pools and stuff, but that’s about as far as it goes
I know Don personally and obviously John didn’t check his facts before spouting off about him. He doesn’t own a very large tract of land at all, the far majority of his giants didn’t come off his land and I guarantee he could hunt the same private ground as John and have way more trophies on the wall. He eats, breathes and sleeps deer hunting.
I know people are getting worked up about this, and take the people out of the equation. I like this debate…we found a very deep division here and now where do we go from here?
@@HUNTRPOD honestly as bow hunters we need to support each other and check the ego’s at the door. This is not a competition and as long as somebody harvest a whitetail legally, ethically, & it’s free range I’m going to congratulate them. Hell I was hunting a buck on a property I had permission to hunt for the last 2 seasons that went well over 200 inches that got killed last year in gun season. The guy never knew the deer existed and I put countless hours hunting him with a bow. I had the deer at 60 yds but didn’t want to take a chance at wounding it. Yes I was very bummed about it but I still had the integrity to congratulate the guy and told him the history of the deer.
@@HUNTRPOD You like the debate? Do you like how it made Higgins out to be?
Yall need to come to FL😂😂😂
I am a very Avid Deer Hunter and Predator Hunter but I think we would have been better off without the coyote snowmobile story that is the kind of material that the anti-hunting community relish
Yeaaa not the best
I listened to Don Higgins podcast after hearing this one. He took the high road after getting torched by this guest (John E) of yours. Good luck ever getting Higgins back on your show. Don Higgins is all class and this podcast and your guest trashed him.
How did we trash Don??? John had some beef with him but never heard us agree
@@HUNTRPOD So you're saying Don will be on this program again? You burned that bridge, having this guest hammer him.