EP 329 – Why Kifaru’s Meat Shelf Sucks & I Don’t Shoot ELDM Anymore: Q&A

🎁 WIN A KOWA 88 SPOTTING SCOPE: Mindful Munitions is officially open. Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry or Mindful Munitions earns one entry to win a Kowa 88 spotting scope. The giveaway ends October 30 at midnight Pacific Time.   👉 Forged in the Backcountry: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/ 👉 Mindful Munitions: https://mindfulmunitions.com/   Jay is back to finish the unanswered questions from the last Mindful Hunter Q&A, and this one gets blunt. From Kifaru’s overly complicated meat shelf system to the hard truth about showing up six weeks before a sheep hunt looking for a miracle training plan, this episode is about separating what actually matters from the stuff hunters tell themselves matters. Jay covers late-season muzzleloader mule deer tactics in old burns, calling black bears back after a miss, his favorite hunting-gear organization setup, and when Mindful Munitions will begin offering gunsmithing, Cerakote, Tikka pre-fit barrels, and Raven-action builds. He also covers early-season sleep systems, wide-foot hunting boots, the Aziak Vantage pan head, 6.5 Creedmoor Peak Alloy cartridges, the future of Forged Base Socks, tripod binoculars, and his first impressions of the Kifaru Arc. The second half gets into ELD-X versus ELD-M hunting bullets, why switching gear does not mean the old product failed, real prep for a Yukon Dall sheep hunt, hot-weather hunting pants, peptides and mountain performance, boot fitting, and the one thing that actually makes hunters consistently successful in a given area: spending consistent time there. Chapters 0:00:00 Intro, Kowa 88 Giveaway & Mindful Munitions Update 0:02:07 Late-September Muzzleloader Mule Deer: Stalking an Old Burn 0:05:21 Using a Predator Call to Stop or Bring Back a Spring Bear 0:07:42 The Best Hunting Gear Storage System for Home and Travel 0:10:32 When Will Mindful Munitions Offer Gunsmithing, Cerakote & Raven Builds? 0:15:23 My Go-To Early-Season Sleep System for Deer and Elk 0:16:30 The Best Morning Routine for Productivity and Deep Work 0:25:00 The Best Hunting Boots for Wide Feet 0:27:55 Aziak Vantage Pan Head & 6.5 Creedmoor Peak Alloy Cartridge Thoughts 0:30:53 Are Forged Base Socks Lightweight or Midweight? Future Sock Plans 0:36:58 14x52 NL Pure Binos vs. Maven B.5 15x56s for Tripod Glassing 0:37:54 Kifaru Arc First Impressions: Great Suspension, Bad Bags & Meat Shelf 0:40:36 ELD-X vs. ELD-M: Which Bullet Am I Hunting With? 0:46:37 Why I Keep Changing Rifle Stocks 0:48:31 Long vs. Regular Quilts for a 6'1" Hunter 0:49:26 Last-Minute Yukon Dall Sheep Hunt Prep: The Brutal Truth 0:55:37 Rough Ridge Stove Review Update 0:56:02 The Only Two Hot-Weather Hunting Pants I Recommend 0:56:20 Why I Am Not Elk Hunting This Season 0:56:56 Zeiss Conquest Gavia 65, Manners Stocks & MOA Rifles 0:57:23 Do Peptides Help Mountain Endurance? 0:58:41 The Key to Consistently Killing Bears in the Same Area 0:59:44 How to Research and Fit Hunting Boots Before Buying 1:01:50 Building a Budget Backcountry Hunting Gear System That Doesn’t Suck 1:02:13 Outro & Kowa 88 Giveaway Reminder   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 Free Training Guide For Mountain Hunting https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools   Kowa TSN-88A Sweepstakes No purchase required.  Contest begins on August 18, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. PST and ends on October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.  There is a total of 1 prize available to be won consisting of: (i) A previously owned Kowa TSN-88A Spotting Scope Body with Eyepiece (APR) $5,500.00 CAD; Skill testing question required.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, The District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Ki