In this episode, Matty sits down with Glen Thurston, the founder of MentalHunts, for a conversation that goes well beyond hunting.

Glen shares his journey through mental health struggles that started early in life, including an attempted suicide at 18, years of self-medicating through alcohol, and eventually hitting rock bottom while running a growing business. From the outside, things looked like they were working, but behind the scenes, it was a different story.

What followed was a complete shift.

Glen opens up about getting sober, starting medication, and rebuilding his life from the ground up… Including time spent working on a high country farm, reconnecting with purpose, and finding stability again.

But the turning point that led to Mental Hunts came later… when Glen made the decision to be proactive about his mental health and was punished for it.

After seeking help, he had his firearms license revoked. That experience exposed a much bigger issue, one that affects hunters across Australia and New Zealand, where people are now hesitant to seek help out of fear of losing their livelihood, identity, and connection to the outdoors.

From there, Glen set out to create change.

This conversation covers the realities of mental health within the farming and hunting communities, the importance of being proactive, and why time in the bush can act as a powerful reset — not just physically, but mentally.

It’s an honest, raw conversation about what’s really going on beneath the surface — and why more people need to speak up.

What We Cover:

Glen’s early struggles with mental health and suicide attempt at 18
The culture of alcohol as a coping mechanism in trade environments
Building a successful business… and burning out in the process
Getting sober and the role medication played in stabilising his life
Moving rural and finding purpose through physical work and hunting
The moment everything changed. Firearms license revocation after seeking help
Why fear is stopping people from going to the doctor
The lack of consistency in legislation around mental health and firearms
The real difference between “mental health” and violent intent
Why being proactive about your mental health matters
The role of hunting as a form of meditation and mental reset
Building Mental Hunts and advocating for change at a legislative level
Why storytelling is more powerful than telling people what to do
How to actually have conversations around mental health with mates
The importance of listening and not trying to “fix” someone
Physical tools: exercise, cold exposure, nutrition, time in the bush
Why what you put into your body (food, alcohol, media) matters

Key Takeaway

Hunting isn’t just about the outcome… It’s one of the few places where everything else switches off.

For a lot of people, it’s where clarity comes back, where conversations happen, and where you can actually process what’s going on in your life.

But if people are scared to seek help… that becomes a bigger problem than anything else.

Find Our Guest

Glen Thurston

Instagram: @glen_thurston

Mental Hunts: @mentalhunts

Follow Becoming a Bowhunter

Instagram: @becomingabowhunter.podcast

Hosted by: @mattyafter

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#21 – The Kiwi Bushman with Joshua James

Becoming a Bowhunter