I just got back from 10 days of archery hunting mule deer in the desert of southern New Mexico. I did not kill a deer but I learned a ton. In this podcast, I go over what worked, and what didn't, and I answer listeners' questions. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 162
Well after several months of testing I am finally able to share the results of my bino harness battle where I pit the Catamount and Kuiu harnesses head to head. As usual I dove into a ton of detail and did my best to give you an unbiased appraisal of the highlights and lowlights of each product. Catamount discount code Mindful10 0:00 – Intro 0:26 – Win These Bino Harnesses 2:53 – Context 6:03 – Catamount Discount Code 7:11 – Scoring System 7:34 – Pricing 8:04 – Weight 8:18 – Colours 8:34 – Sizin...
Jan 12, 2024•42 min•Ep. 161
I have had a ton of requests to review the Zeiss SFL 10x40 binoculars as they sit in a very interesting place in the market. Price-wise they sit right in-between most company’s alpha and mid-range options. That made me very curious to see how they stacked up regarding performance. As usual, I tried to offer a good blend of technical data and my unbiased subjective perspective. I hope this review is helpful. 0:00 – Intro 2:12 – Mindful Reviews 4:26 – Context 5:56 – Price 6:51 – Weight 7:34 – Leng...
Jan 05, 2024•30 min•Ep. 160
Well folks it’s time to swing for the fences. After building Mindful Hunter and Mindful Reviews off the side of my desk for over 7 years it’s time to give it all my attention. In this podcast I dive into all the details about what it took to get to this point and what my plans are moving forward. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www....
Dec 29, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 159
Ryan Lampers is a hunter that you just can’t help but look up to. His success in killing mature examples across a variety of species speaks for itself but more impressive than that is the quiet demeanour with which he holds himself. I think there is a lot more to learn from Ryan than just how to kill big animals. Ryan Lampers https://www.instagram.com/sthealthyhunter/ https://westernhuntingsummit.com/ https://www.treelineacademy.net/western-bear-tour-page https://sthealthyhunter.com/podcast/ Jay...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 158
Ever since I stumbled across Adam on Instagram, I’ve wanted to have a conversation with him. He is truly a fascinating guy. Bush pilot, father to a schwack of kids, hilarious and an absolute killer in the mountains. This was a great conversation, and I am already looking forward to round 2. Adam Grenda https://www.instagram.com/grenda89/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Newsletter https://www...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 157
EP 147 – Hunting and Outfitting with Cliff Gray Cliff is a very well-known outfitter who made a name for himself in The Flat Tops of Colorado and has now transitioned into a content creator with a thriving YouTube channel. Cliff is one of those guys with a very analytical mind and it was a pleasure to get into the details of his outfitting background and get some of his insights on the challenges of hunting. Cliff Gray https://www.youtube.com/@CliffGray https://www.instagram.com/cliffgry/ https:...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 156
Alright folks, I had the pleasure of hunting whitetails in Saskatchewan with my bow, and as usual, it was an eventful experience. I seem to be incapable of having a regular old boring hunt. I go over my thoughts on guided hunts, how my bow blew up in a ground blind, blood trailing a deer for almost a mile, the new raffle that just went live where you can win the bow of your dreams, and much more! Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Mer...
Dec 01, 2023•50 min•Ep. 155
After many requests, I figured it was time for a trekking pole head-to-head review. In this video, I compared the Argali Guide X against the Black Diamond Alpine Ero Cork. Both of these poles have some great features but they also have some stark differences worth discussing. Let me know in the comments section below which poles you’d like to see next. 0:00 – Intro 4:23 – Pricing 4:58 – Weight 5:10 – Materials 11:00 – Grips 16:00 – Adjustability 17:13 – Vibration 18:58 – Weight Capacity 21:28 – ...
Nov 25, 2023•35 min•Ep. 154
Both the Sitka Ascent Pants and the Stone Glacier De Havilland Lite pants are great products that provide an excellent option for early-season pants. However, while they both do a good job they do so in different ways. During this field-tested review, I do my best to highlight what those differences are and share what circumstances I think each of these pieces would thrive in. Part 1 – Core Lightweight vs Avro Synthetic https://youtu.be/VRmLGj4WR9Y Part 2 – Cirque Lite vs. Ambient Hoody https://...
Nov 17, 2023•27 min•Ep. 153
During my drive home from Colorado, I told the story of my successful hunt and also answered a bunch of questions off of IG. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/ Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Ep. 152
Both the Sitka Ascent Pants and the Stone Glacier De Havilland Lite pants are great products that provide an excellent option for early-season pants. However, while they both do a good job they do so in different ways. During this field-tested review, I do my best to highlight what those differences are and share what circumstances I think each of these pieces would thrive in. Part 1 – Core Lightweight vs Avro Synthetic https://youtu.be/VRmLGj4WR9Y Part 2 – Cirque Lite vs. Ambient Hoody https://...
Oct 31, 2023•26 min•Ep. 151
After multiple requests, I decided it was time for a 65mm spotting scope review. 65mm spotting scopes are arguably the most versatile size of spotter available. They are big enough to reach out a fair distance while still being light enough for most people's backcountry kit. In this review, I looked at the Maven CS.1A, Swarovski ATS, Leica Televid, Kowa Prominar, and Tract Toric. I analyzed all 5 spotting scopes across 25 different categories to do my best to derive a quantifiable winner based o...
Oct 27, 2023•57 min•Ep. 150
This review marks the second of four videos in my Sitka vs. Stone Glacier apparel series. Both the Sitka Ambient Hoody and the Stone Glacier Cirque Lite Jacket are great products that provide excellent dynamic insulation. However, while they both do a good job they do so in different ways. During this field-tested review, I do my best to highlight what those differences are and share what circumstances I think each of these pieces would thrive in. Part 1 – Core Lightweight vs Avro Synthetic http...
Oct 17, 2023•31 min•Ep. 148
Robby Denning is an absolute legend in the hunting world for his tenacity and focus when it comes to hunting big, mature, mule deer bucks. On top of that, Robby is probably one of the nicest guys you are ever going to meet. His values are grounded in his faith and his family, and it shows in his character. We had a great conversation and he was extremely generous with his knowledge and wisdom. Robby Denning https://www.instagram.com/robbydenning/ https://www.rokslide.com/ Join The Mule Deer Foun...
Oct 13, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 147
This review kicks off the first of four videos in my Sitka vs. Stone Glacier apparel series. Both the Sitka Core Lightweight Hoody and the Stone Glacier Avro Hoody are great products that try to solve the issues your next-to-skin top base layer needs to solve. However, while they both do a good job delivering solutions to those problems they do so in different ways. During this field-tested review, I do my best to highlight what those differences are and share what circumstances I think each of ...
Oct 10, 2023•40 min•Ep. 146
Alright folks, I threw up a Q&A on IG during the drive home and got a ton of great questions about my successful archery elk hunt. I finally had some time to sit down and answer them all. I hope you enjoy! Apparel Raffle Details https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ UNBROKEN - Becoming A Consistent Archery Elk Hunter (2023 archery elk hunting film) https://youtu.be/r_Vokkil748 Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfu...
Oct 06, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 136
When I first started hunting all I wanted was to be able to kill a decent animal occasionally. Now that I have been doing it for a while the real goal is consistent and reliable success. Cody has done a ton of work looking into how to transition from a 101 hunter into a 201 hunter. Another way to say this is he’s looked at how to develop systems so that you can reliably kill stuff year after year and stop relying on luck alone. This may be one of my favourite conversations I’ve had on the podcas...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 145
I figured it was time to upload a video sharing the updates I have made to my backcountry meal prep system for 2023. Nutrition and prep for the backcountry does not have to be complicated and I give example meal plans and share some simple hacks to increase the caloric density of your meals without unduly increasing the weight in your pack. 0:00 – Intro 0:24 – Mindful Reviews raffle updates 2:23 – Macro math 6:56 – 2023 Meal Plan 9:58 – Breakfast 12:12 – Lunch 13:05 – Dinner 16:01 – Snack 1 18:4...
Sep 22, 2023•29 min•Ep. 144
Most of my gear lists are focused on backcountry hunts so this one was a change of pace. This year for elk I am staying as mobile as possible and will be sleeping in the back of my truck most nights. I also had to bring bivy gear just in case. This results in two mini gear lists. This is exactly the style of hunting I bought my truck and quad for. Let me know if you have any questions. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://...
Sep 15, 2023•54 min•Ep. 143
Typically I have John on to do deep dives on gear setup and discuss backcountry mission planning. This week, however, we went in hard on the elk talk. John is a very blue-collar elk hunter and sometimes I think those are the best guys to learn from. Tons of useful info in this week’s episode. John Barklow https://knowledgefromstorms.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jbarklow/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhu...
Sep 08, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 142
Joel has been a good friend ever since I took his Shot IQ controlled process online program 4-5 years ago. I have always been intrigued by Joel’s somewhat unconventional approach to elk calling and finally sat down with him to pick his brain about it. As a previous world champion caller and absolute killer in the elk woods, Jeol brought a ton of experience and unique opinions on strategy to this conversation. Joel Turner https://www.shotiq.com/home https://www.instagram.com/joelturner_shotiq/ Ja...
Sep 01, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 141
This week I got the chance to sit down with a guy I have admired for many years. Dirk Durham aka The Bigler has made a name for himself not only as a competitive elk caller but also as one hell of an elk hunter. We got into his upbringing as a hunter and then spent a lot of time on various tactics and specifically covered some useful techniques for the thick brush and low elk densities found in the Pacific Northwest Dirk Durham https://www.instagram.com/thebugler/ https://www.youtube.com/@THEBUG...
Aug 25, 2023•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 140
This week I go back over my gear list from my recent sheep hunt and get into all the details about what worked and didn’t work for me. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.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...
Aug 18, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 139
When I posted my headlamp battle 3 months ago and ended up recommending the Peax Backcountry Duo I was immediately flooded with DM’s that there was some controversy indication the Peax was really just a rebranded cheap overseas headlamp. I felt obligated to buy the other headlamp immediately and find a way to see if there was a significant difference between the two. Here are my results. Original Headlamp video - https://youtu.be/xYAa2icqCvY The spreadsheet showing all my data and testing result...
Jul 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 138
This week’s podcast is a Q&A with questions from the Mindful Reviews platform and Instagram. I answer questions such as: Why don’t hunters use heavier, more accurate rifles? Best way to dry out a water bladder, my preferred broadhead, and many more. Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.co...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 137
With sheep season quickly approaching I thought it would be a great time to go over what is in my first aid kit for solo hunts. Please jump in the comments section below if you’ve got any tips to add! Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.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...
Jul 14, 2023•17 min•Ep. 136
In this updated binocular review for 2023 I compare 6 different 10x42 binoculars; Swarovski NL Pure, Leica Noctivid, Leica Trinovid, Zeiss Conquest, Tract Toric and Athlon Cronus G2. I analyzed and tested 21 different categories across 5 classes: Descriptive, Construction, Optics, Performance & Operation. At the conclusion of the review, I give 3 recommendations for binoculars within premium, mid-range and low-range budget constraints. I am raffling off the winning pair of binoculars. Please...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 135
This week’s podcast is a deep dive into a mapping application called Top Notch Navigator with founder Mason. More than that though it is a super thorough discussion on how to better utilize mapping apps to help us plan and execute more successful hunts. As a thank you to the audience Mason gave us the code MINDFULHUNTER for 20% off which is good until July 31st, 2023. To be clear I get no kickback from this Mason just wanted to show his appreciation. Top Notch Navigator https://www.topnotchnav.c...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 134
This week’s guest needs no introduction. You have seen his photos and videos for years. I sat down with Steven Drake, and we discussed his early exposure to hunting, a pivotal moment that changed the way he saw hunting, his approach to content creation and much more. Steven Drake https://www.youtube.com/user/stevendrakemt https://www.instagram.com/stevendrakephoto Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/...
Jun 23, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 133
