Jon Tharp (ProStaff Member)

I was born October 18, 1971 in Bloomfield, IA. I began hunting at the young age of six with my father in rural southern Iowa near the Missouri border. As a youngster, I was learning hunting and shooting skills while hunting deer, rabbits, pheasants, quail, squirrels and turkeys with my father. I harvested my first whitetail buck at the age of twelve on a cold December morning from a large white oak tree with dad at my side. It was at this moment, I was destined to be a deer hunter.

As I became a teenager, my love for the outdoors and wildlife intensified. I chose to pursue a career in wildlife conservation. I attended Upper Iowa University in the hills of northeast Iowa and graduated with a BS in Conservation Management. My love for the outdoors and its inhabitants has taken me to several states in North America. I have hunted ducks on the plains of North Dakota, turkeys in the winds of Kansas and fished the waters of Lake Michigan for salmon. But in the end, it is my passion for the pursuit of whitetails that intensifies with each passing fall. The whitetail haven of southeast Iowa keeps me in the heartland most of the time. In the fall of 1995, I thought I was an expert archery hunter as I harvested my first Pope and Young buck at the young age of twenty-four. Since that time, I have been fortunate enough to harvest three more Pope and Young bucks. I also have a Booner to my name with a gun. I have a dream and goal of hunting and harvesting a majestic bugling bull elk high on a mountain with bow in hand.

My passion for whitetails has evolved into an all year hobby. In the fall and winter, it is likely you will find me in a blind or tree stand when not working. In winter before the antlers are falling off, I can be found in the woods using a chainsaw to improve wildlife habitat. As the antlers begin to fall, I will devote as much time to finding them as I do hunting the deer. There will be a spring break for chasing gobblers. The summer heat welcomes velvet scouting with the use of trail cameras and video camera. It was my passion and success of harvesting mature whitetails that led me to start an outfitting business in 2008, Bar Y Ranch Outfitting. I wanted to share my opportunities with whitetail enthusiasts like myself.

I owe many thanks to my wife, Sarah, for my hunting opportunities and successes. It is her family farm nestled in the hills of southeastern Iowa that provides my heaven on earth. The whitetail paradise has blessed me with six bucks scoring 150 inches or better. I thank my wife of eight years for her support and understanding of my devotion to the world of whitetails.

I have been fortunate to have success as a whitetail hunter. I recently became interested in the filming aspect of hunting. I purchased a professional video camera and now call myself a camera man. I have been learning and gaining experience. It is a renewed joy and challenge in life to capture hunts on video for the viewer’s enjoyment. I hope to bring this spirit to the scenes of The Rule TV Show.