EP 321 – Is Private Equity Ruining Hunting Brands? Plus: The Truth About Long-Range Hunting with Zack Boughton

EP 321 – Is Private Equity Ruining Hunting Brands? Plus: The Truth About Long-Range Hunting with Zack Boughton

From The Mindful Hunter Podcast by Jay Nichol

June 25, 2026 · 1h 24m · Episode 328

About this episode

Jay Nichol discusses the impact of private equity on hunting brands and the realities of long-range hunting with guest Zach Boughton.

Welcome back to the Mindful Hunter Podcast! In this episode, Jay sits down with Zach from Montana Wild — a guy who has been a fixture in hunting media for over a decade and played a massive role in the early creative direction of Stone Glacier.In the first half, Jay and Zach dive deep into the history of hunting media, from the early days of YouTube to the "golden era" of founder-led, design-centric companies like Stone Glacier, First Lite, and Sitka. They have a candid conversation about what happens when Private Equity buys out these beloved brands, why the culture always changes, and why companies like Exo Mountain Gear are some of the last ones doing it right.In the second half, the conversation shifts to rifles, marksmanship, and the current state of long-range hunting. They pull no punches on the marketing BS behind "1,000-yard out-of-the-box" rifles, why ultralight rifles are a terrible choice for most hunters, and why the biggest reason hunters miss isn't their gear — it's their ego. Jay also shares the brutal statistics from his recent bear guiding season: a 50% effective lethality rate on shot opportunities, and what he's doing to fix it next year. 🎁 GIVEAWAY — 3 WEEKS…

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