The ewiger Jäger (eternal hunter; der ewige Jäger; German: [ˈeːvɪɡɐ ˈjɛːɡɐ, deːɐ̯ ˈeːvɪɡə ˈjɛːɡɐ]) is a local variant of the ghostly wild huntsman (German wilder Jäger; German: [ˈvɪldɐ ˈjɛːɡɐ]) found in German, Belgian, and American folklore.

According to the Brothers Grimm’s Deutsche Sagen (German folktales), Count Eberhard of Württemberg encountered the ewiger Jäger while hunting in the woods. After hearing a loud swooshing and other noise like that made by a huntsman, Count Eberhard dismounted his steed and asked the ghost whether it wanted to harm him. The ghostly hunter said no and told the count that he was a human like him and was formerly a lord. When the ghost was a lord, he found such pleasure in hunting that he begged God to let him hunt until Judgement Day. His wish was answered, much to his chagrin, and ever since, the ewiger Jäger had to chase the same deer for five and a half centuries before meeting Count Eberhard. He also told the count that his house and nobility were still undisclosed. On hearing this, Count Eberhard asked the huntsman to show his face so he could identify him. The revealed face was hardly as big as a fist, withered like a turnip and wrinkled like a mushroom. After that, the ghostly huntsman continued chasing his deer, and the count returned to his land.

Ludwig Bechstein told the same legend and gave additional detail. According to him, the ewiger Jäger appears as a gnarled little man dressed in green. In Swabia, where the meeting with the Count of Württemberg took place, this ghost is also known as Weltsjäger or rather in Swabian diminutive as Weltschjägerle (both: (little) world hunter) since he has to chase and run around the whole world. He was punished with eternal hunt for going for a hunt on a Sunday, breaking Sunday rest. After this encounter, the count was horror-stricken and never again went hunting.

Other Swabian variants of the eternal hunter mentioned by Bechstein are the following:

The eternal hunter appears with a hammer in hand, meant to thin out woods. With it he hits the trees which causes a curious high sound.

The eternal hunter is a Freischütz who, to obtain never-failing magic bullets, shot into the sun in the Devil's name at Christmas Eve and Good Friday. As punishment for his sacrilege he is damned to hunt eternally at night. He can be heard chasing along accompanied by his dogs.

Another Freischütz called Neck (as Bechstein mentions, usually the name of a water sprite) had fun shooting poachers to death. One Sunday, he shot five poachers at once. The dying men cursed him to eternal life. One of the poachers, who also had magic bullets, shot the Freischütz straight through his heart. Ever since he rides through the woods with a stag as his mount. He is accompanied by little white dogs whom he edges on by shouting "Hu dock dock dock! Hu dock dock dock!"

Other names for the eternal hunter are Ruprecht, Hans, and Riesenjäger. The latter term means "giant hunter", given his gigantic stature.