I have looked up to James for quite some time. I heard him talk about a dual broadhead setup he was running years ago on another podcast and the depth of analysis and preparation he displayed really resonated with me. In addition to that James is one of the most legit killers out there today when it comes to bid mature mule deer.   James Yates https://www.instagram.com/yates_in_the_backcountry/     Jay...

Jill is a dedicated BC hunter who grew up in a hunting family and has come back to finding her peace in the mountains. I think she is a great example for all hunters and especially young women coming up in the discipline. She has integrity, hunts for the right reasons and loves to push herself in the mountains. We dove into her background growing up hunting in BC and then she told the story of how she took her best deer yet which she also did while...

Mark has been hunting in the backcountry a long time and originally made a name for himself with his obsessive approach towards escouting. Mark has also long been a proponent of making your own meals for the backcountry. First with a dehydrator and now with a freeze drier. We had a great chat about out application strategies this year given all the changes that the western states have gone through and some healthy strategies for nutrition in the backcountry.   Mark...

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...

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 – Intro0:26 – Win These Bino Harnesses2:53 – Context6:03 – Catamount Discount Code7:11 – Scoring System7:34 – Pricing8:04 – Weight8:18 – Colours8:34 –...

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 – Intro2:12 – Mindful Reviews4:26 – Context5:56 – Price6:51 – Weight7:34 –...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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/VRmLGj4WR9YPart 2 – Cirque Lite vs. Ambient Hoody...

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 [email protected] 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

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...

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...

EP 141 – Hot Ones Wild Game Edition with Danny From Backcountry Carnivores   I love the YouTube show Hot Ones. There is just something magical about watching people destroy themselves with progressively hotter hot wings. For years I have wanted to do a wild game version for the podcast. My buddy Danny came on the podcast and told his sheep-hunting story from this year while we ate Elk covered in all 10 official hot sauces. Danny...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 – Intro0:24 – Mindful Reviews raffle updates2:23 – Macro math6:56 – 2023 Meal Plan9:58 – Breakfast12:12 – Lunch13:05 – Dinner16:01 – Snack 118:48 –...

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...

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...