EP 323 – The Brutal Reality of Hunter Marksmanship These Days: Bear Guiding Season Wrap-Up with Jay & Dimitri

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 Updates0:01:23 Meet Dimitri: From Fish Guiding to Bear Camp0:03:29 Growing Up Hunting the Traditional BC Way0:12:00 The Transition to Hunting Guide & The Client Experience0:44:51 The Reality of Wounded Bears & Missed Shots0:47:12 Spiking Out & Daryl's Monster Cutblock Bear0:52:32 Tom's Bear & The Brutal Midnight Pack-Out1:01:35 Week 5: Freezing Rain, Slide Alder & Peter's Heart Shot1:07:31 Quinlan's Close Calls & The 115-Yard Miss1:12:47 Week 6: Why Unprepared Hunters Miss Easy Shots1:15:49 Week 7: Bo's 20-Year-Old Toothless Bear1:20:24 Scott's First Bear & Why Trophy Size Doesn't Matter1:23:37 The Final Stats: 11 Dead, 9 Missed or Wounded1:25:14 Why Every Single Miss Came From a Chassis Rifle1:28:13 The Mental Grind of Guiding 7 Weeks Straight1:32:24 Stop Buying New Gear & Learn to Shoot1:34:08 Outro & Final Hunt OpeningsJay Ni