I recorded this podcast while driving home from Northern Alberta. I spent a week sitting in treestands at -20c trying to kill a buck with my bow. I wasn’t successful but I learned a ton and I go over my takeaways from the hunt and my thoughts about all the gear I used. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG http...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 101
The battle of the ultralight backpack titans! Here is my analysis of the Seek Outside Goshawk 6300 vs the Stone Glacier Terminus 7000. If you want to enter to win either of these bags head over to Mindful Reviews. Comparing these two ultralight packs was a blast. These backpacks both go about trying to solve the same problems in very unique ways. https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ 0:00 – Intro 1:23 – Mindful Reviews community launch 5:44 – Tribalism in marketing 6:51 – Premium gear 7:39 – Individu...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 100
I had a great chat with John Barklow who is not only the Big Game Product Manager for Sitka but is a very accomplished bowhunter and has a fantastic newsletter full of insights and tactics for hunters of all experience levels. John Barklow https://www.instagram.com/jbarklow/ https://knowledgefromstorms.com/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https:...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 99
This week I broke down my entire archery setup including bow, arrow build, broadhead, speed, everything. After that, I dove into an archery-focused Q&A. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast...
Oct 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 98
Well my friends I was finally able to break the curse. In this podcast, I go over my history with elk in B.C. and then break down my latest hunt where I was lucky enough to arrow a great bull while hunting solo. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www....
Oct 14, 2022•55 min•Ep. 97
I just spent 9 days hunting elk with my old man and brother in northern BC. While we didn’t kill an elk it was our first hunt all together and it was great to spend time together. I thought I’d do a gear breakdown and share some of my takeaways from the hunt. Also, I’m headed back out solo for elk on Sunday and dove into my plan for that as well. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.m...
Sep 30, 2022•56 min•Ep. 96
Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois is a MeatEater culinary contributor, an expert on all things Cajun, and an all-around badass with an infectious love of cooking, the outdoors, and intense pride in his home state of Louisiana. He just debuted season 2 of his feature cooking and hunting show Duck Camp Dinners last week on the MeatEater YouTube channel. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting down with Jean-Paul and was part history lesson, part cooking lesson, and part waterfowl hunting lesson. Chef Jean-Paul Bourge...
Sep 09, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 95
To wrap up the three-podcast series on my sheep hunt I did a massive Q & A covering the hunt itself, the filming process, and the gear I used. I answered things like the best and worst piece of gear I brought, my e-scouting process, how the new tent held up, and much more. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact...
Sep 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 94
I felt as though there was some value in digging a little deeper into my decision-making process during this hunt and going over some of my mistakes might be useful to some people. It also gave me a chance to reflect on the journey and see where I could improve next year. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG h...
Aug 26, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 93
Okay, I’m back from my sheep hunt. I didn’t kill a sheep, but I certainly got to put some gear through its paces and learned lots that I’ve got to share. Let me know if you have any follow-up questions. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhu...
Aug 19, 2022•59 min•Ep. 92
Up next in the Mindful Review series is a comparative analysis of 9, 2-person 3-season tents including the Big Agnes Copper Spur, Sea To Summit Telos, Hilleberg Niak, MSR Hubba Hubba, Nemo Dragonfly, Stone Glacier Skyscraper 2P, Kuiu Mountain Star, Hilleberg Helags, and the Slingfin Portal. I looked at 30 different elements including price, build quality, practical space, pole construction, and many more. I am also raffling off 4 of the tents and if you head to the link below you can buy tickets...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 91
Going through the process of prepping for a bodybuilding contest is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I’ve been lucky enough to do some pretty hard things in my life. I learned a lot about who I am and what it takes to be successful. I thought it would be interesting to see how I could apply those lessons to becoming a better hunter. Here’s what I came up with. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nu...
Jul 15, 2022•46 min•Ep. 90
Okay, folks so I have put together my nutritional plan for my 2022 solo sheep hunt. I have included macros, micros, electrolytes, and all my supplements. In addition to that, I am reposting my Backcountry Meal Planning Guide for free (link below) and have also teamed up with Wilderness Athlete to give away over $200 worth of supplements. Giveaway Instructions: Go to my Instagram page and look for the latest post with the photo of the supplements being given away https://www.instagram.com/mindful...
Jul 08, 2022•15 min•Ep. 80
This week I had the opportunity to sit down with someone I have looked up to for a long time. Trail Kreitzer is a legitimate backcountry hunter in the truest sense of the words. Not only is he insanely dedicated he is also extremely analytical about his process and his gear. The pack dump videos he does for GoHunt are some of the finest on YouTube. We talked about all kinds of things from the psychology of mentally breaking in the mountains to a deep dive on all sorts of cool gear topics. This m...
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 89
This week I break down my backpacking camera gear for hunting. I dive into it from both a photography and videography perspective and cover cameras, lenses, power management etc. I also give three different gear lists for three different budgets. Let me know your thoughts. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG ...
Jun 24, 2022•39 min•Ep. 88
Time for another solo Q&A episode. This week I answered questions about how to get fit for hunting in the backcountry. I personally believe this is a lot simpler than most people make it out. I discussed everything from training splits to injury recovery and a whole lot in-between. Let me know your thoughts! Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter h...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 87
This week I sat down with my good friend Big Ron Partlow. Ron owns West Coast Iron, the gym I train at, hosts the podcast It’s Just Bodybuilding, is sponsored by the supplement company Mutant, and is a retired IFBB professional bodybuilder. We had a great conversation and covered things like how Ron started training, bodybuilding in the 90’sand how to build a life doing what you love. Ron Partlow https://www.instagram.com/rep300/ It’s Just Bodybuilding Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 86
Here are the final results for the most ambitious review I’ve ever attempted. In addition to multiple smaller elements, I looked at load shelf capability and tested 80lbs and 120lbs loads. The results surprised even me. I’d love to hear your comments and feedback and requests for future comparative reviews you’d like to see. I hope you enjoy it. I reviewed the Kifaru Fulcrum with Duplex Lite Frame Stone Glacier Sky Guide 7900 with X-Curve Frame Mystery Ranch Marshall Exo K3 6400 Kuiu 7800 Pro 0:...
Jun 03, 2022•59 min•Ep. 85
This week I sat down and answered questions off IG. I covered things like tips for new bowhunters, my favourite kind of bear hunting, the software I use to edit videos, how I prefer to butcher meat, and a whole lot more. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast htt...
May 27, 2022•57 min•Ep. 84
Well, here it is! Part 1 of my attempt at the most comprehensive 10-day + hunting backpack review ever done. In this first part, I do an overview of each bag, test out 40lbs loads and look at 14 different individual characteristics of the bags. In part 2 I will continue to add more elements and run 80lbs and 120lbs tests. The results surprised even me. I’d love to hear your comments and feedback and requests for other elements you’d like to see in part 2. I hope you enjoy it. I reviewed the Kifa...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 83
Nick Marchiando is one of my favourite backcountry filmmakers right now. I wanted to sit down with him and pick his brain and hear his story. Nick has a very unique perspective on production and storytelling and we had a great chat. Nick Marchiando https://www.instagram.com/nmarchiando/ https://www.instagram.com/backcountrybcandbeyond/ https://www.nickmarchiando.com/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutritio...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 82
Ray is one of the best Taxidermists I know. I have been taking him my bears for the last 5 years. After getting a ton of questions on how to properly prepare trophies in the field for taxidermy I thought I should just have him on so he could share some of his knowledge and wisdom. I hope we all get a chance this season to utilize some of the techniques Ray shared in this episode. If you like looking at beautiful mounts, I highly recommend following Ray on IG. Ray Wiens Taxidermy https://rwtaxide...
May 06, 2022•49 min•Ep. 81
I’ve recently re-prioritized what I want to do with the podcast and what type of content I want to create. One of the things that I have always loved and drove the creation of the podcast in the first place was nerding out on gear. With that in mind here’s my gear list for my 2022 solo Stone’s Sheep hunt. You can download it at the link below. https://www.dropbox.com/s/elijr79tko7krcx/2022%20Sheep%20Hunt_Upload.xlsx?dl=0 Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https...
Apr 29, 2022•54 min•Ep. 80
I had the boys behind Filter Studios over to discuss the release of a very important documentary titled Transmission. There is a pandemic happening amongst wild sheep. The infectious bacteria known as mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (movi) is a deadly bacteria that is passed from domestic sheep to wild sheep. Enter Dr. Helen Schwantje, the lead wildlife veterinarian for the Government of BC and a sheep farmer. Helen is at the forefront of the battle against Movi. Working with a handful of other passion...
Apr 15, 2022•48 min•Ep. 79
Simon and I shoot the shit and answer some questions on this week’s live stream. Simon Friesen https://www.instagram.com/backcountrybloodline/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 78
I was lucky enough to drive down to The Bow Rack this week to buy myself a new bow and before I headed down, I hit up Kellen from @inside_out_precision to see if he’d be down for a podcast. We talked about his background in hunting, his history in competitive and scholastic archery and then we nerded out on archery in general. This is a great podcast for anyone looking to dive a little deeper into this sport we love. Kellen https://www.instagram.com/inside_out_precision/ https://www.youtube.com/...
Apr 08, 2022•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 77
Greg and I shoot the shit and answer some questions on this week’s live stream. Greg Johnston https://www.instagram.com/johnston_outdoors/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast...
Apr 05, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 76
Cody Rich started one of the original hunting podcasts @therichoutdoors 7 years ago. Since then, the podcast has grown and evolved, and he also started up a second outdoors-based business – @backcountryfuelbox I wanted to talk with Cody to see what his original motivations were with entrepreneurship and how he was able to craft a lifestyle that let him hunt as much as possible. The conversation did not disappoint. Cody has now started a new project – The Rich Ideas Lab, to help other outdoors en...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 75
I spend some time sharing how I use various applications to plan backcountry routes when there are no trails available. This episode is best viewed on YouTube https://youtu.be/sxmKrW5LGW0 Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcas...
Mar 29, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 74
This week I had the opportunity to sit down with Greg Rensmaag. Greg is a true BC hunter in the best way possible. He grew up hunting with his dad and now spends most of his time in the outdoors raising his kids the same way. In the age of social media and technology, it was refreshing to talk with a man whose primary motivations when hunting are stronger connections with his family. Greg Rensmaag https://www.instagram.com/grensmaag/?hl=en Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindfulhunt...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 73
