What Makes Someone a Good Hunter? w/ John Eberhart | HUNTR Podcast #93

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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[@The_Rut_Funnel]

Nobody loves John Eberhart more than John Eberhart loves John Eberhart.

[@MichaelSMITHERS-xv2ow]

You got that right ! 😂 he may not be much but he’s all HE thinks about

[@buckydoedowner9040]

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…

[@HUNTRPOD]

Bucky for the first time in a while…we may on the same page. I had no idea of the 100” mark very interesting

[@jerrymullet2810]

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!

[@stevefulscher8531]

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

[@BeastGrifters]

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.

[@jasonphillips73]

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 KZbin page. He’s killed bigger bucks than you state. I don’t know where you’re getting your info from?

[@williamjoseph7857]

Been bowhunting for over 40 years breaks my heart to what hunting has turned into!

[@davidvvv501]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Completely agree here David

[@rupertmedford3901]

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

[@adambelk3495]

I’m a hear hear hear guy pshhhh 🤭😂🤣🤣🤣

[@austinl18]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Haha we tried Austin

[@elifrench4278]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@titansfan2104]

@@HUNTRPOD but Don isn't the one making the comments so there's that...

[@bucksniper65]

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.

[@elifrench4278]

@@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.

[@decaturridgebees8761]

@@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.

[@justbone21]

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.

[@FarmallFanatic]

Dude with the glasses is spot on

[@talltinefarms]

If this guy is the authority on who's a big buck killer yall should get Dr Fauci on next week to discuss CWD

[@travisyoder1417]

🤣🤣 thats hilarious!!

[@BattleBendOutdoors]

Truth hurts don't it lol

[@braxtonhella8874]

Couldn’t believe he didn’t even know when Veterans Day was

[@jhuntley575]

Book bucks lots and lots of book bucks. No TV guy only lots of book bucks

[@micahdunleavy9227]

This guy is a fantastic killer.. He probably just hurts your feelings..

[@peterkorzenowski2552]

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?

[@HUNTRPOD]

Haha you aren’t wrong, it’s for sure brought out the stick and drew the line on the sand!

[@anthonyperotti151]

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

[@ericpennington6530]

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!!

[@captainmannwhatever]

John’s a legend. End of discussion. Killed more monster bucks than most.

[@austinjager3167]

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

[@jaysonscaccia3188]

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

[@jaysonscaccia3188]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@reddawng43x91]

Nobody I know needs to fill all there tags to feed the family! This isn’t Alaska subsistence type lifestyle

[@rylanaho687]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@rylanaho687]

​@@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!

[@stevefulscher8531]

@@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?

[@johndeere4011]

I agree. Don past a 216 in buck and waited the next year and he was 220. Bet this John would not do that.

[@bobbycunninghamm]

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.

[@chadmirandy1220]

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.

[@brandonbauer6543]

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

[@brandonbauer6543]

Put

[@allentodd5436]

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.

[@davidcergnul4660]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@stevefulscher8531]

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.

[@brandonbauer6543]

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

[@stevefulscher8531]

@@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

[@brandonbauer6543]

Congrats on the prize Steve!

[@jhuntley575]

Michigan is an easy state to be a successful deer hunter in.

[@bobvanecek2028]

Totally disagree about Tony being a better hunter that Don higgins what are you smokin?

[@HUNTRPOD]

Hahaha well we are getting Tony on later this year to hear his side of it

[@craigholland2274]

Don is elite, I don't think John really knows what don does.

[@bobvanecek2028]

@@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.

[@woodzman991]

The man, the myth, the legend. John is an encyclopedia on the topic. love the podcast.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Hey you won the trail cam hit us up with name and address [e-mail]

[@BattleBendOutdoors]

Enjoyed this one ole John is a no nonsense killer man shaves before he goes to the tree John the deer ripper lol

[@amancioalfoceamartinez803]

How long can white tail deer live? Spanish hunter here

[@HUNTRPOD]

Can be up to 18 years, but in most cases less than 8.5 naturally

[@kristopherbrissenden362]

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........

[@lilbuckyoutdoors8660]

Really enjoyed the podcast especially being apart of the many hunters competeing in the challengs of hunting public land in Pa.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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.

[@lilbuckyoutdoors8660]

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.

[@mattanthony201]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@calebemory2134]

I love this.BUT WHY would you walk over such a great man and hunter don will always be a legend in my book

[@HUNTRPOD]

There is for sure some beef there…Don says there isn’t, but sure seems John has a bone to pick

[@jasonlarsen5739]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

No doubt man

[@jasonlarsen5739]

I'm waiting on the outcome of CJ gate!

[@kwhopperkid3497]

Man some of these people can get really butt hurt over Don Higgins. Im with Jon he is hunting the big bucks that are on the public land he doesn't have much control over the deer or even other hunters you can pattern a buck to the tee and other hunter can mess it up! It's like drag racing a 80s diesel pickup to a brand new diesel pickup totally different ends of the spectrum! I think guys shooting p&y on public is cooler than guys shooting b&c on private but that's my opinion!

[@reddawng43x91]

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

[@brandonbauer6543]

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 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@stevefulscher8531]

ya, you heard it right

[@dylanstoddart298]

Midwest whitetail is still using the ozonics 😅

[@stevefulscher8531]

and it's still not making any difference

[@dylanstoddart298]

@@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

[@xOccipital]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Agree!

[@RenatoModisette-v8m]

Schaefer Lodge

[@PizzaSteveNY]

Man this causing quite the topic lol I propose you guys get John and Don and next podcast together lol

[@HUNTRPOD]

Haha I texted Don and he know he kills giants, so I’m not sure it worth his time

[@chrismacomber9727]

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??🤔

[@kreggdanuser2963]

About 10 years

[@jacobjohnson9747]

😂

[@josh3297]

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!

[@claytonkrafft9716]

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.

[@juddevans8043]

Yall literally take the fun out of hunting!!!

[@MarjorieHall-d9y]

Nader Alley

[@shanecorley5000]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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?

[@shanecorley5000]

@@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.

[@hawkman2516]

@@HUNTRPOD You like the debate? Do you like how it made Higgins out to be?

[@ronaldmoser7229]

The only problem I see in Ohio hunting is so many people come from other states and shoot the 2 1/2 year olds an most of it is just get clicks nowadays I don't have to see you shoot a deer just the experience you have is what is important I wish we had serious restrictions for antlers here just my opinion.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Bingo

[@RositaPace-f8r]

Mertie Forges

[@ChrisJones-mw8cn]

Come on guys we tune into the podcast to hear deer content. Not hunters bashing other hunters in a big pecker contest! John Eberhart couldn't tie Don Higgins shoes! *UNSUBSCRIBE*

[@HUNTRPOD]

Chris our goal was to hear John’s take, that’s what he did. We obviously tried to explain our side but he has his strong opinions. The goal of the podcast is to dig deep. But it’s not for everyone

[@RVK866]

Him and Infalt could both use a refresher on scoring a deer .. everything is a 170 but then you see their trophy walls 😂

[@xOccipital]

Harder or not, it is more satisfying to see a giant buck in your man made food plot. No doubt. Public ground is actually physically completely way easier. All you do is scout and walk in with your setup and pick a tree and hunt. instead of clearing, plotting, hanging stands, fertilizing and planting, water holes, hinge cuts, burns or whatever it is. It’s just more satisfying. Easier? I mean maybe but think of this, if I had all that time put into public land I would most definitely kill way bigger bucks because I’d be finding them and hunting them down and moving until I found something. I’ve killed plenty on both. And he’s so wrong about don higgins.. it was hard to watch him say those things lmao what a tool shed.

[@HUNTRPOD]

I think it’s leaning hard on the if they aren’t there you can’t kill them. Mature bucks? Yea probably less in most states public land. But if I’m just hunting 125s I think I can…that may be what I do in PA this year to prove a point lol

[@xOccipital]

@@HUNTRPOD I like that. You’re exactly right. I like this podcast and you two are great. My fiancé killed a 140 last season on public and he was 6.5 years old. Zero land management and farms around, just homework and first sit got him. My 300 acre private is nowhere that east. It just depends on what deer are there to hunt. Private, you can’t track them down, you’re extremely limited. There’s no stopping on most public. Far more opportunity on public. Like you said, I really rather manipulate the mature bucks on what I created and to kill them at 10 yards in what I did to make that happen is far more satisfying. The hunt might be easier at times, but far far harder work goes into that.

[@benjaminhorneys6322]

​@@xOccipitalwhat state did he/she kill the 140 in

[@michaelobernuefemann9725]

Don Higgins is by far one of the best in the business there is a reason for his success coming from nothing and to becoming the guy he is today. To trash talk another hunter like that is why nobody likes John and why John will never be like don Higgins or Tony. Tony and don both are widely successful and don’t even trash talk each other. Then there is John…..

[@justinadams159]

These are not real deer hunters they don’t even need to be talking to John Eberhart. When he said he never thought about it. that way when Jon brought up Don Higgins I just laughed.

[@whitetaillandmanagement]

The one thing he nailed. Guys who kill on the same properties are NOT “achieving” the same things as guys who do it in numerous places. I design properties full time all across the country and even I can admit, with the 400 acres I now own, it doesn’t take much skill when I climb into my enclosed blind on my 12 acres of food. It’s just not. It took money, more than anything. I came up hunting big woods stuff and hunting about every states public. It’s just different. So you have to look at these guys situation different. One is not as impressive as the other. Sadly, money buys big deer. And it’s kind of wrecked it for me. That’s what I love about elk hunting. You have to HUNT down the animal. Refreshing. Catching up on your guys stuff. Keep at it

[@HUNTRPOD]

Good stuff man and you aren’t wrong. I love killing big bucks just as much as the next guy, but my properties are vastly different. Some set up for giants and others are mountain hillside with timber ghosts lol either way I love the differences

[@caseyhepler2806]

Hunter or Harvester comparison

[@HUNTRPOD]

Good call there is a difference

[@thomasbrowning9865]

High pressure deer? Come to SC after a 10 week gun season and kill a 125"

[@HUNTRPOD]

Yea that’s an uphill battle

[@aaronbartlett3573]

Anyone that says it takes zero skill to kill a giant on private ground is a complete fool! Sounds like John is jealous of people who have went in debt to buy property and/or put the work into a property to make it "easier". He acts like all private property has a high fence around it to keep the deer on the property so nobody else kills it which is also laughable. I've never agreed with much of anything John has had to say but I've respected him for what he does. I've lost any respect I had for him after this podcast.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Yea tough one here as we like John a lot, but seemed like there’s a hard dislike for him on management mindset guys, which we pretty much are lol

[@aaronbartlett3573]

@@HUNTRPOD Its sad he picked that way to try to stay relevant and you allowed him a platform to do it. That is one of the many issues with the hunting industry today.

[@HUNTRPOD]

We get it, but maybe there was a reason for it. Our goal is to hear and unbiased opinion, especially if we don’t agree with it. Now once laid out clearly we stated that we didn’t necessarily agree

[@claytonkrafft9716]

@@HUNTRPOD it is your podcast and you should have the backbone to disagree with a guest. Except you folded like a cheap suit.

[@capthollis]

If John were in Texas with his arrogant attitude ass he’d be put in a high chair with his spaghettios and a pacephire stuck in his baby mouth. Talking shit about another man on a podcast makes you a keyboard warrior . Sooner or later Don Higgins and Him will see each other and Don will wipe the floor with his ass

[@stevenculver6416]

After mitch passes that buck will be verified and scored and will be the world record. The guy is a world class hunter and has shot massive bucks. John is a world class hunter but I believe there is more between them than anyone will ever know and I believe the sand soil that he talks about is b.s. I believe it's pure jealousy. The thing that nobody wants to bring up is the massive body on the deer. Where did that deer come from?

[@stevenculver6416]

Will John apologize when his buck is verified after he's gone. The jealousy out of him is obvious. If it's proved it's a fake then the conspiracy will be proved correct

[@GissingCorey-e9h]

Cremin Creek

[@brionlamar5718]

Never heard of you guys, don't subscribe. I just saw the title somewhere in a FB post, and thought I would drop in and see what this is about. I THOUGHT this would be about, "What Makes Someone a Good Hunter?". As in, here's a good hunter, how do you do that? Instead, in 43 minutes (that's all I could afford to waste of my life), I found the same ol penis comparison. Oh well. I thought that you guys were eloquent, and respectful; not only in the video, also in your comments, from what I could read. Love Eberhart, but he does come across as disrespectful; however, I don't hear jealousy. I hear a guy who has had the argument so many times, he defaults to it now, no matter the conversation. Maybe a little sociopath in there too.😆 Thanks for the content. I'll check some other videos at some point to see if I want to subscribe. If you made it this far, I'll tell you for what content I am in search. How to be a better hunter. That's it.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Keep listening to the new stuff and absolutely dig back in…there is some great content throughout

[@NellyJulia-h5w]

Velva Vista

[@mr.skeptical3071]

If you want to kill a big deer, you go to Ka., IA, or ILL. If you want to catch a big bass you go to TX, Ca., Or Fl. Its that simple

[@HUNTRPOD]

Seems straight forward

[@BIG_RIK]

As someone who uses OZONICS in the tree idk guys... ive seen some pretty interesting things that lead me to believe it works... I just hope I dont get some cancer or something from it LOL.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Hahahaha

[@HUNTRPOD]

You won a cell cam, shoot us name and address at [e-mail]

[@fordman921]

I’d personally take a 6 year old 6pt over any two or three year old that’s 130 or 140

[@HUNTRPOD]

Absolutely!

[@russelllangworthy8855]

Why?

[@dylantackes5337]

mines 3/3/94 🤣

[@Archerygeek7788]

John’s so full of himself it’s sickening him and Stan pots make a pair.

[@usernamehere6061]

Do these 2 ever kill deer on video?

[@HUNTRPOD]

Not any more, just enjoy the hunt. Cameramen in trees and pressure to film take away from that anymore. E appreciate those who do, but that’s not for us or why we hunt

[@usernamehere6061]

@@HUNTRPOD Any old footage I could go back and watch then?

[@HUNTRPOD]

Did back on this channel several years

[@rupertmedford3901]

Native Americans were conservationists? I wouldn't buy everything that I saw on a 1990s Earth Day commercial. There used to be giant armadillos beavers camels and sloths. Where do you think thy went? They were hunted to Extinction. The native Americans were at least a thousand years behind everyone else. When Europe was enjoying the Renaissance they were sitting around a campfire chipping stones scraping with bones. Every culture has interesting and fantastic facets without us romanticizing. The American Indian was a survivor not a conservationist. Conservation is born of first world people that have plenty of food on their table and dollars in their pocket. The Aboriginal peoples whether the Bush people of Africa the Maori of NZ or the American Indian did what they had to do to survive and in at least some sense that is more admirable than conservation. We've no right to look down on it but we should recognize it.

[@HUNTRPOD]

That make sense Rupert…I do believe at some level they were conservationist. They knew they the Buffalo was a limited resource and would take more than they need. The European implants would end that. I think there was evolution from the primal survive native Americans to those dealing with early colonist

[@rupertmedford3901]

@@HUNTRPOD I'll take that. Certainly early Europeans were a far for devastating force with advanced technology and even less of an ethic (killing without using). The North American model of Wildlife Management is truly an amazing thing considering history

[@HUNTRPOD]

Absolutely! And the scary thing is I believe there is some threat to it. Essentially the model, though amazing, has not been “tweaked” as time has gone on. That’s why some agencies are broke, while others like Missouri who get a fraction of a percent from state sales tax are super wealthy

[@rupertmedford3901]

@@HUNTRPOD you are preaching to the converted now. I'm a biologist with North Carolina's Wildlife agency and even in a state with a Wildlife commission I can tell you that politics rules supreme. We have a pretty good thing going in North Carolina but nothing like Missouri. In my time with the agency we have lost nearly all of our state funding and politicians are always after our vitally important endowment fund. Luckily we have a pretty strong hunting contingency in North Carolina and license sales keep us floating

[@Jason-eo2vv]

Definitely more satisfying to kill one on public,it's like going to a strange bar or place and leaving with the most beautiful 😍 woman there and going back to her apartment, LoL 😂 definitely a great feeling

[@HUNTRPOD]

Hahaha love that

[@advancedhabitatsolutionsah2396]

Sounds like alot of bias opinions. No clue who this Steve guy is. He definitely comes off as arrogant!

[@HUNTRPOD]

Lol John Eberhardt, and I don’t think he’d argue if you labeled him a bit “confident”

[@mountaineerdefense2507]

John is right. Dudes who can routinely blast nice bucks on public are better hunters than dudes who manicure their properties and control it. Anyone can go in on the right wind in preset stands and food plots on unpressured deer. Dudes who hunt public have to find the deer, access them, deal with other hunters, and put the shot in. It’s that simple.

[@HUNTRPOD]

While I do believe there are som guys who couldn’t hunt their way out of a wet paper bag, Don isn’t one of those, and neither is Tony LaPratt. Not completely knocking outfitters but much less skill required to go sit where someone else has set the table, versus you building the table and then eating at it. I also think there are a ton of public land guys that frankly I’m surprised they know how to load there weapon. Going out a couple days a year for the hell of it. All said, there are shit hunters on all side of the ball. But Don is not one of them, and neither is John.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Also keep in mind I don’t believe that hunters with less skill shouldn’t be out, we all start somewhere. But there are definitely those who have amazing hunting skills…Ben Rising is a great example. Love him or hate him, the dude kills big deer.

[@mountaineerdefense2507]

@@HUNTRPOD I think you’re confusing “hunters” with deer managers. Hunting is the ability to go KILL anywhere, knowing how deer move, where they move, WHY they move, and how to set up on them and best them. The learned ability to move,stalk, set up, and kill because of the total understanding of the game. Whether that be a hang and hunt in the big woods or a stalk. One of the best white tail killers I’ve ever watched is Zach from the hunting public, that dude knows HOW to find and kill deer. I believe that’s what separates hunters from killers. And don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather build my land out and have the satisfaction of managing deer and picking and choosing what deer I want to kill. I know how hard it is to kill pressured public land deer and how much easier it is to set in a good stand on a local farmers 300+ acre unpressured piece. I’ve done both

[@HUNTRPOD]

Ok I get that, but I would argue easily can be both. I may manage 130 acres for unpressured situation, but ultimately I’m going after a mature buck. If he’s not there I’ll go find him in the big woods on public, and keep going until I find one. I agree that Zach does a great job, also remember Zach is out there for about 100 days a year. You give most guys that type of time/experience and the skills will form…no knock on Zach as it takes a long time for that type of consistent success. But good dialogue man! I appreciate at least common sense comments!

[@danweaver5787]

@@mountaineerdefense2507 agreed. Guys like Eberhart Infalt n THP crew are better n more adaptable hunters then the land managers. I think most of the land manager guys would even agree with that. Eberhart doesn’t always use proper etiquette and the silly little children get upset lol 🙄

[@uactedstupidly]

stealth cam sux, my browning camera have been far more reliable.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Does browning even make a cell cam?

[@uactedstupidly]

I have about 20 browning cams, most are the Dark Ops model. Used to have over a dozen Stealth cam but all have crapped out but one, many within 1st year. Will NEVER buy stealth cam again@@HUNTRPOD

[@kyletepe4261]

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.

[@jerrymullet2810]

Kyle, totally agree. John is quite full of himself. I kind of liked this podcast but this is bull.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@bucksniper65]

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.

[@jhuntley575]

He makes it so deer can't smell him at all. Where is the challenge in that?

[@talltinefarms]

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

[@veteranoutdoorsman9978]

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.

[@Eaaatlife]

Amen

[@jimmaupin6721]

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…..

[@stevefulscher8531]

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

[@trevortempleton5277]

Right

[@JustinKarns-b1h]

140 acres in Illinois... gotta be kidding me.......

[@josephfloyd2728]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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?

[@thebarefarmer6924]

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.

[@danweaver5787]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@Dominic-ti7kq]

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.

[@hsbtrophyquesthelmuth888]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@WILDBREED76]

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!!

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@daveyboy8907]

@@HUNTRPOD gotta admit though it makes it alot easier when you have private land .

[@justinadams159]

😂😂😂

[@scottchamberlain8073]

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..

[@HUNTRPOD]

Scott - I would love to find the pole barn heroes would be so cool to hear their humble expertise

[@adammiller4595]

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.

[@benhershberger6921]

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.

[@jhuntley575]

Lol 😂

[@RVK866]

It’s called little man syndrome

[@Bo-Huntr]

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.

[@Bo-Huntr]

Was this guy used as click bait?

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@Bo-Huntr]

@@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.

[@walterbrown8293]

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.

[@southerngrownhunting]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Obviously we don’t agree with everything John says, but we don’t want our guest to feel like they have an open forum.

[@mikechavezjr9533]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Appreciate the backup Mike, hopefully they check out the others, but we know this podcast isn’t for everyone

[@claytonkrafft9716]

@@mikechavezjr9533 I’ll bet they won’t get Don on again.

[@randallbahr3661]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@cs2756]

@@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.

[@claytonkrafft9716]

@@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.

[@cs2756]

@@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.

[@claytonkrafft9716]

@@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.

[@jonrichards4561]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

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.

[@heavyd2249]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

That’s our stomping grounds! Congrats dude, quick season haha

[@colbykinney5633]

Congratulations buddy 👏

[@heavyd2249]

@@HUNTRPOD thanks guys!

[@heavyd2249]

@@colbykinney5633 thanks man

[@PizzaSteveNY]

Man they open early in that County? I'm still waiting for the 1st. Congrats on the buck man

[@hawkman2516]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

How did we trash Don??? John had some beef with him but never heard us agree

[@hawkman2516]

@@HUNTRPOD So you're saying Don will be on this program again? You burned that bridge, having this guest hammer him.

[@bloodlines9610]

Come hunt public in SC lol they'll probably give up hunting entirely

[@tylercagle1486]

This dude is the Jeff Sturgis of Michigan.

[@jetjohnson1106]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

It got there…in a John’s way

[@wyattsawyer8166]

As a northern michigan public land hunter. Hunting in michigan is hard..... if you havent heard😉

[@noiwcm]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

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.

[@christopherroot1603]

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

[@johndeere4011]

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.

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@johndeere4011]

@@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.

[@jackcampbell2307]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

Yeaaa not the best

[@joeykessinger6464]

John needs to do his homework before he opens his mouth.

[@HUNTRPOD]

Hahaha at the end of the day John says what he personally believes, we may not agree with it, but that’s what’s great about debating this stuff.

[@Bo-Huntr]

@@HUNTRPOD nah man, that was straight out calling drury and higgins out, hardcore, blatently. Lets hear rebuttals. John put it out there.

[@normyoder2622]

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

[@HUNTRPOD]

I think that’s a great point of view

[@alanmiller5530]

I’ll never listen to this podcast again…. if you have a guy on your Podcasts and you agree with them on the things they say and then bring another guy on and He is just stomping him in the ground and you release that podcast very disrespectful

[@colbykinney5633]

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.

[@usernamehere6061]

@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.

[@usernamehere6061]

@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.

[@r4nc0r6521]

Killing 5.5 year old bucks is the challenge... Antler size depends on your region... 200 inchs doesnt exist everywhere

[@usernamehere6061]

@@r4nc0r6521 Exactly. Thank you.

[@usernamehere6061]

@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?

[@travissmith-wz5nc]

36:00 starts the Don Higgins & tony lapratt talk.

[@RedmanOutdoors366]

You guys have no idea what we deal with the wild in the Midwest is wild i have seen things i can't even imagine what the east or North would think 🤔 creatures might make you think you were on montok or plum Island lol 😆

[@Hubble-M]

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?

[@jerrymullet2810]

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!

[@HUNTRPOD]

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

[@jerrymullet2810]

@@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.

[@finnallen5981]

@@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.

[@jerrymullet2810]

@@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.

[@jacobjohnson9747]

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.