What’s amazing is that despite Eberhart’s strict hunting methodology, he has logged the most bow bucks (35) in Michigan’s record book, a state with the second most licensed bow deer hunters, only bested by Pennsylvania.
Besides hunting Michigan early to late season, Eberhart leaves during the state’s one-week gun season, typically travelling to saddle hunt public and free permission lands in Illinois, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. Camping out of what he calls a “soccer mom mini-van”, Eberhart’s goal at each destination is to spend as much time saddled 25-feet or more up trees, returning home with another mega buck for the trophy room.
“So, I’m usually hunting out-of-state one week of the year. Since 1997, I’ve killed 20 book bucks in those states, too, making for a total of 55 book bucks. And all of those have been taken off public or free permission properties,” offers Eberhart.
“Before smartphone apps and aerial mapping, all of the farmers used to go down and talk to the ladies at the county seat, so that’s where I would start my search for huntable land. I’d order plat books and ask those ladies if they knew of anyone who let bow hunters access their land. One lady in Missouri said, ‘Yeah, I know a farmer that lets people hunt and she gave me his number and I called him and he owned 40 acres where nobody was hunting. He owned something like 3000 acres, but he had 40 sitting by itself and he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll let you bow on that.’ So I went down there during their gun season, and I shot a book buck off that property. That’s how I’ve always done things,” notes Eberhart.
