The Mindful Hunter Podcast

🎁 WIN A KOWA 88 SPOTTING SCOPE: Mindful Munitions is officially open. Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry or Mindful Munitions earns one entry to win a Kowa 88 spotting scope. The giveaway ends October 30 at midnight Pacific Time.

👉 Forged in the Backcountry: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/ 👉 Mindful Munitions: https://mindfulmunitions.com/

Can a 500-yard shot actually be easier than a 150-yard shot? And is all the E...

🎁 WIN A KOWA 88 SPOTTING SCOPE: Mindful Munitions is officially open. Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry or Mindful Munitions earns one entry to win a Kowa 88 spotting scope. The giveaway ends October 30 at midnight Pacific Time.

👉 Forged in the Backcountry: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/

👉 Mindful Munitions: https://mindfulmunitions.com/

Jay is back to finish the unanswered questions from the last Mindful Hunter...

🎁 WIN A KOWA 88 SPOTTING SCOPE: Mindful Munitions is officially open. Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry or Mindful Munitions earns one entry to win a Kowa 88 spotting scope. The giveaway ends October 30 at midnight Pacific Time.

👉 Forged in the Backcountry: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/

👉 Mindful Munitions: https://mindfulmunitions.com/

Are you looking to take your wild game processing to the next level? In this...

We are back after a month and a half hiatus! In this solo Q&A episode, Jay tackles some of the most controversial and highly requested topics from the Mindful Hunter audience. First up, Jay breaks down the new arrow ballistics study and explains why 90% of hunters are wasting their time agonizing over FOC and vane configuration instead of just practicing under pressure. Then, he dives into a highly debated topic: why bear hunte...

DOWNLOAD THE FREE 4-MONTH TRAINING PLAN PDF:

👉 https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools

🎁 THE ULTIMATE GUIDED HUNT GIVEAWAY: Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry (including the new camo Forged Base Boxers) earns one entry to win an all-expenses-paid custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting. You pick the hunt: BC Black Bear or Mule Deer, Alberta Archery Mule Deer, or Rifle Coues Deer in Mexico. 👉 https://forgedinthebac...

This week Jay sits down with Jaden from West Elk Precision to nerd out on all things custom rifles, precision shooting, and long-range hunting. Jaden shares his journey from a Colorado kid hunting with a factory Remington 700 to attending gunsmithing school and launching his own custom rifle shop focused on the rapidly growing pre-fit barrel market. They dive deep into the philosophy of building the perfect hybrid hunting/competiti...

There is only two weeks left in The Ultimate Custom Guided Hunt giveaway from Forged In The Backcountry. Head on over to https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/ and for every $5 you spend, you will get one entry to win an all-expenses-paid custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting

In this final instalment of the Outdoor Vitals Mountain Pursuit series, I review the Hybrid Pursuit Fleece, a dynamic insulation piece designed for a...

After seven straight weeks of guiding spring black bears in British Columbia, Jay sits down with Mindful Hunter Outfitting guide Dimitri to wrap up the season. It was a grind of a year — 18 clients, endless rain, and some truly brutal pack-outs — but the final tally tells the story: 11 bears killed, 3 wounded, and 6 missed.

In this episode, Jay and Dimitri break down the week-by-week action, from tracking down a 20-yea...

The Outdoor Vitals Vantage Puffy Jacket steps into the ring against the well-established Stone Glacier Grumman. In this in-depth review, I compare warmth, weight, durability, and overall field performance after over 40 days of real-world use across a full hunting season. Whether you’re building a lightweight system or looking for a late-season insulation upgrade, this video breaks down which jacket makes sense — and whe...

Welcome back to the Mindful Hunter Podcast! In this episode, Jay sits down with Zach from Montana Wild — a guy who has been a fixture in hunting media for over a decade and played a massive role in the early creative direction of Stone Glacier. In the first half, Jay and Zach dive deep into the history of hunting media, from the early days of YouTube to the "golden era" of founder-led, design-centric companies like Stone Glac...

Are the Outdoor Vitals Altura Pants the ultimate lightweight hunting pants — or do they fall short in critical areas? After 40+ days of hunting and guiding in a range of conditions, I put these pants through a brutal real-world test. In this review, I cover fit, durability, field performance, and how they stack up against industry staples like the Sitka Ascent and Stone Glacier De Havilland Lite.

This is part 1 of a 3-part se...

Welcome back to the Mindful Hunter Podcast! In this episode, Jay is in the basement with returning guest Bo Campbell, fresh off his first-ever bear hunt in British Columbia with Mindful Hunter Outfitting. They debrief the trip, talk through the realities of a 49-day guiding season, and make a big announcement: the launch of Mindful Hunter Outfitting South — guided Coues deer hunts in Mexico.

Jay gets radically honest about th...

This is my updated base gear list heading into the 2026 hunting season. In this video, I go through everything I’m running—packs, shelters, optics, insulation, boots, rifles, water filtration, and more. This isn’t sponsored hype—just real-world gear that works.

🎁 THE GIVEAWAY: For every $5 you spend at Forged in the Backcountry you'll receive one entry to win a custom guided hunt from Mindful Hunter Outfitt...

🎯 This is your no-BS guide to supplements that actually improve performance, recovery, and focus for serious hunters. Whether you’re training hard in the offseason or heading deep into the backcountry, these are the only supplements I personally use — with product examples and clinical dosing recommendations.

👊 Focused on real-world benefits like strength, hydration, joint support, and endurance — no fluff, no m...

Are the Meindl Glockner GTX boots the perfect choice for alpine hunters — or just too much boot for most terrain? After 100+ days in the field, I put these boots through their paces across goat hunts, creek crossings, and even a glacier with fully automatic crampons. This is a real-world, no-BS review for serious hunters who want gear that performs when it matters.

🟫 Chapters: 00:00 – Intro & Spotting Scope Giveawa...

In this video, I break down the most important lessons I learned during my first full year as an outfitter across Alberta and British Columbia. From scaling my business to guiding 12 clients across three different territories, this year taught me more than I ever expected—about hunting, decision-making, pressure, and staying focused under stress.

Whether you’re a new guide, an aspiring outfitter, or just a dedicated hun...

After testing half a dozen knives this season, the North Arm Knives Lynx rose to the top. With its wide sweeping belly, full-size G10 handle, and tough Magnacut blade, this fixed blade knife proved itself in the field during multiple big game breakdowns.

In this review, I walk through what makes this knife exceptional, what it’s not ideal for, and why it’s earned a spot in my kill kit. Whether you’re a backpack hu...

Is this the ultimate tripod head for hunters? The Wiser Precision Ridge Warden might be the most practical hybrid tripod head on the market — lightweight, strong, and uniquely capable of both glassing and shooting with its pan, tilt, and cant functionality. In this in-depth review, I test it with a Kowa 88 spotter and my rifle setup to see if it really replaces the need for separate glassing and shooting heads. We break down ...

Welcome back to the Mindful Hunter Podcast! In this episode, Jay gives a raw update from the middle of a wild spring bear guiding season — six bears down, two clients still in the field, and some honest reflection on wounding and misses that's worth hearing if you're planning a guided hunt. Then we get into the real reason this episode exists: the official launch of the Forged Base Series Socks.

Jay breaks down exactly why he...