Sep 13, 2026
John Eberhart returns to the Big Buck Registry Deer Hunt Podcast
for the BBR three-peat.
John first joined us on Episode 209 in 2017 to discuss hunting
heavily pressured bucks and his pioneering use of the tree saddle.
He returned on Episode 287 in 2019, when we took a much deeper look
at saddle hunting, postseason preparation, bedding areas, entry
routes and hunting mature bucks on public land.
Now, at 75 years old, John is back to discuss the most
comprehensive work of his career: the three-volume “Ultimate Guide
to DIY Bucks,” coauthored with Tethrd cofounder Greg Godfrey.
John began writing the day after retiring in January 2023.
Eighteen months later, the manuscript had become so large that it
needed to be divided into three books. John then spent another
three months narrating and editing the audiobook editions
himself.
This series brings together more than 60 seasons of John’s
experience pursuing mature whitetails exclusively on public and
free-permission properties. The lessons are supported by dozens of
condensed kill stories showing how the strategies worked in actual
hunting situations.
This conversation goes well beyond the books.
John explains why hunting pressure should determine nearly every
decision a hunter makes, why he has conducted his serious scouting
after the season since 1976 and why repeatedly hunting a productive
early-season location can destroy its value during the rut.
We discuss security cover, seasonal timing, standing corn,
sparring sequences, cellular cameras, saddle hunting, scent
control, overlooked river crossings—and why John believes a minivan
may be the ultimate DIY hunting vehicle.
John also shares some unfiltered opinions about hunting
television, modern crossbows, the commercial hunting industry and
whether hunting success can truly be measured without
competition.
Whether you agree with every part of John’s system or not, this
episode will challenge you to examine how you scout, how you hunt
and how much unnecessary pressure you may be placing on your best
locations.
HERE’S WHAT WE DISCUSS:
• Completing the John Eberhart BBR three-peat
• Writing the “Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks”
• Why one enormous manuscript became three books
• John narrating and editing his own audiobooks
• Writing so new hunters can understand hunting terminology
• Using real kill stories to demonstrate hunting strategies
• Greg Godfrey’s role in the books
• How John became the “Godfather of Saddle Hunting”
• The original Anderson Tree Sling
• Trophyline, Tethrd and the evolution of modern saddles
• Why John still hunts from his modified 1981 tree sling
• The advantages of traveling light
• Why climbers can stop hunters from reaching security cover
• John’s career inside the hunting and outdoor industry
• Separating useful products from hunting-industry marketing
• Becoming a self-taught bowhunter
• Complicated lessons from John’s first hunting mentor
• Miles Keller and searching for every possible advantage
• Discovering postseason scouting in 1976
• Seeing the woods as they appear during the rut
• Why preseason scouting can educate mature bucks
• Hunting-pressure differences between managed and public land
• Thinking like a buck that believes everyone is trying to kill
him
• How repeated intrusion changes mature-buck behavior
• Protecting doe movement ahead of the rut
• The four segments of the deer season
• Daily timing versus seasonal timing
• Early-season food-source strategies
• Preseason speed tours
• The reality of the October lull
• Why falling foliage changes daylight movement
• Hunting standing corn without damaging rut locations
• Sparring sequences versus aggressive rattling
• John’s 2022 six-yard sparring-sequence buck
• Perimeter and transition security cover
• Hunting the destination instead of guessing at one travel
route
• Shallow river crossings as overlooked deer funnels
• A first-evening 171-inch Iowa public-land buck
• The abandoned Kansas farmhouse pinch point
• Five mature bucks taken near one corner of the old house
• Social camouflage and the hunting minivan
• Why John prefers a minivan over a pickup truck
• Organizing clothing, recovery equipment and hunting gear
• John’s complete scent-control system
• Why covering the head and hair is critical
• Contaminated backpacks, aiders and overlooked equipment
• John’s record-book results before and after adopting scent
control
• Why John says he no longer selects locations according to
wind
• Hunting television versus ordinary pressured properties
• Why competition matters when evaluating hunting ability
• Security cover in the mountains, marshes and agricultural
country
• Cellular cameras as both an advantage and a trap
• Why some camera-avoiding bucks never appear in photographs
• Mounting cameras above a mature buck’s normal sightline
• Hunting fresh camera information during travel hunts
• John’s opinion of modern crossbows
• Archery practice, bow fitting and disappearing pro shops
• One-stick climbing and rappelling
• Saddle selection for larger hunters
• Staying connected to the tree from the ground up
• Health and conditioning as hunting tools
• Why John still works out and prepares trees at 75
• Hunting access as today’s greatest challenge
• The difficulty facing new public-land hunters
• Preserving John’s story in a future BBR book
• Where to purchase signed books and audiobook editions
• The original BBR closing song, “No Easy Ground”
JOHN EBERHART LINKS:
John’s Official Website and Autographed Books:
https://deer-john.net/
Ultimate Guide to DIY Bucks at Tethrd:
https://tethrd.com/products/ultimate-guide-to-diy-bucks
Eberhart Outdoors on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@eberhartoutdoors4219
PREVIOUS BBR APPEARANCES:
Episode 209 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting High Pressured
Bucks
Episode 287 – John Eberhart: Saddle Hunting Novice to Expert
https://bigbuckregistry.libsyn.com/287-john-eberhart-saddle-hunting-novice-to-expert
BIG BUCK REGISTRY:
Website:
https://bigbuckregistry.com/
Listen to the Podcast:
https://bigbuckregistry.com/
Follow, subscribe and share this episode with another deer
hunter. Your support helps BBR continue preserving the knowledge,
personalities and stories that make deer hunting an enduring piece
of American outdoor culture.
CREDITS:
Hosted, Written, Edited and Produced by Jason “Jay” Scott
Ammann
Original Closing Song: “No Easy Ground”
Big Buck Registry® is a registered brand of BOSPN Media LLC.
Stay safe, shoot straight, and see you next time in the deer
woods.
