EP 260 – The Full Circle Story: My Hunting Partner Bailed, and I Got Charged By A Grizzly

In this episode of the Mindful Hunter Podcast, I break down the full story behind “Full Circle” — my year-long mountain goat saga filmed over six separate hunts in British Columbia. I share the raw behind-the-scenes truth of the final hunt: when my hunting partner bailed mid-trip and a grizzly charged me as I tried to recover my goat. From the emotional highs of the Full Circle premiere to the reality of solo backcountry hunting, this is one of the most intense stories I have ever told. 🎥 Watch the film: https://youtu.be/WoDa9wpmQgc 👕 Limited Edition Shirt Drop + Poster Giveaway: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/products/full-circle-limited-edition-heavyweight-tee 🕒 Chapter Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & “Full Circle” film premiere 02:00 – Limited edition t-shirt, posters & 10% off code 05:00 – The five-year mountain goat saga begins 08:00 – Six hunts in 13 months across British Columbia 09:30 – Partner bails early on the first hunt 13:00 – Lessons in partnership, quitting, and persistence 20:00 – Back to the mountains – scouting, planning, and preparation 25:00 – Opening day: the massive Billy and a perfect shot 27:00 – Partner bails again — Jay goes solo 34:00 – Fog, grizzlies, and a stolen goat carcass 41:00 – The grizzly charge 48:00 – Calling the CO & realizing the hunt is over 52:00 – What the whole Full Circle journey meant 56:00 – Lessons learned, gratitude, and next year’s goal Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Forged In The Backcountry https://forgedinthebackcountry.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