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-year-old toothless boar to packing out triple-digit loads in the dark. But the most important takeaway from the season is a harsh reality check on hunter marksmanship. They discuss why a 50% hit rate is probably the industry average, the importance of practicing off-hand and uncomfortable shots, and the controversial fact that every single miss in camp this year came from a hunter using a chassis rifle. The bottom line? Stop worrying about upgrading your gear and start putting in the reps.
🎁 THE GIVEAWAY: Only three weeks left! Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry earns you one entry to win a fully custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting — BC Black Bear or Mule Deer, Alberta Archery Mule Deer, or Rifle Coues Deer in Mexico.
🏕️ OUTFITTING: Mindful Hunter Outfitting South is now live — fully guided rifle Coues deer hunts on private ranches in Old Mexico during the rut. Just get yourself to Tucson and we handle everything else. Email jay@mindfulhunter.com for details.
🏕️ 2026 BC OPENINGS: Jay just opened four new spots — Archery Mule Deer, Early Season Alpine Mule Deer, Alpine Black Bear, and a late September Float Bear hunt. Email j@mindfulhunter.com to book.
0:00:00 Intro, Mexico Coues Hunts & Giveaway Updates
0:01:23 Meet Dimitri: From Fish Guiding to Bear Camp
0:03:29 Growing Up Hunting the Traditional BC Way
0:12:00 The Transition to Hunting Guide & The Client Experience
0:44:51 The Reality of Wounded Bears & Missed Shots
0:47:12 Spiking Out & Daryl's Monster Cutblock Bear
0:52:32 Tom's Bear & The Brutal Midnight Pack-Out
1:01:35 Week 5: Freezing Rain, Slide Alder & Peter's Heart Shot
1:07:31 Quinlan's Close Calls & The 115-Yard Miss
1:12:47 Week 6: Why Unprepared Hunters Miss Easy Shots
1:15:49 Week 7: Bo's 20-Year-Old Toothless Bear
1:20:24 Scott's First Bear & Why Trophy Size Doesn't Matter
1:23:37 The Final Stats: 11 Dead, 9 Missed or Wounded
1:25:14 Why Every Single Miss Came From a Chassis Rifle
1:28:13 The Mental Grind of Guiding 7 Weeks Straight
1:32:24 Stop Buying New Gear & Learn to Shoot
1:34:08 Outro & Final Hunt Openings
Jay Nichol
jay@mindfulhunter.com
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Forged Ultimate Guided Hunt Sweepstakes
No purchase required. Contest begins on May 17, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. PST and ends on July 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST. There is a total of 1 prize available to be won consisting of: (i) A custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting including travel and tip (APR) $$10,000.00 CAD); Skill testing question required. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, The District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Kingdom, New Zealand, Finland, France and Switzerland. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received before contest closes. No limit on entries. For full rules and entry details visit: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/blogs/resources/the-ultimate-custom-guided-hunt-giveaway-open-until-july-17-2026
