Archery Evolved with Tyler Stallings' Stealth Rig

Nyitray : 0:21

Welcome back to the Garden State Outdoorsmen podcast presented by Boondocks Hunting. I'm your host, mike nyitray, and today we have tyler stallings from stealth rig. Well, welcome to the show hey, how are you?

Tyler Stallings: 0:33

I'm good how are you doing well, doing well? I I really appreciate you having me on and you know, thank you for coming on.

Nyitray : 0:40

It's a. You know, it's the minute I I saw your, your page, and you know, just saw the rig. You know, the stealth rig, and it just it blew my mind, and not because, like you, you see things all the time, but to make it so like, look so simple to use, but it's also. It just like my brain just started turning and it's like, okay, well, how well, how can I use this thing? Is it how? This seems like it's going to make it easier for me to get up into my, my stand or my saddle or or whatever the case is. But you know, so hell of a hell of a a product that you came out with and you know, for anyone out there who's listening, or any of our listeners who do not know, would you give us a quick background and everything like that on that?

Tyler Stallings: 1:29

Yeah. So yeah, I'm Tyler Stallings, I am the creator of Stealth Rig and the owner of Stealth Rig LLC, and we won first place for products released at the ATA in 2024 in St Louis. And, yeah, I made a magnetic based harness to carry your bow. Essentially and you know, first and foremost, you know, I just wanted to essentially have a kill kit. I wanted everything that I needed to go out and to get the job done and the bow. You know, early on, I was, you know, I was like how can I make this an all-in-one system, that where this bow is no longer really in my way and, if we're honest with ourselves, the bow is not really meant to be carried, it's really just designed to be shot, and in that, I'm like, if we can make our bows obsolete.

Tyler Stallings: 2:31

When it comes to the weight, if it can be, I'm not concerned about my the ounces of my weight when the bow is on my back. I have to check if it's still there. So, yeah, my idea was, first and foremost, I want to be able to get my bow to my back, but I want to check if it's still there. So, uh, yeah, my idea was, uh, first and foremost, I want to be able to get my bow to my back, but I want to be able to get it. Uh, be able to get it, and just because I can put it on my back doesn't mean that's necessarily better. Uh, you know, I can strap this thing to me if I wanted to, but if I can't get to it, that's not very valuable. Me if I wanted to, but if I can't get to it, that's not very valuable. And and so, yeah, that you know several years ago started working on it and it took years and years and years and there's a thousand ways to do this.

Tyler Stallings: 3:18

And you know I've had all different types of magnets in my house and all different types of steel, and you know, you know, I mean there's just been so many different things that have come up. You know COVID was a huge deal with the supply chain and in rare earth minerals, neodymium is the magnet, that or is the material for the magnet, and those numbers skyrocket and so that led to just some incredibly high end machining to make all the system work. It's a ton of forces going on, because the initial thought is man a magnet, how is that going to hold my bow? And it's like well, they make some strong-ass magnets and you can absolutely do it.

Tyler Stallings: 4:13

So I made one for myself and before I knew it, my buddies started wanting them and I started making them for buddies and eventually I was encouraged you've gotta go get a patent and make this thing happen, because this isn't just helping me anymore, this is helping everyone around me and I just think it's a really, really unlocked my ability as a hunter and I want to share that with others my ability as a hunter and I want to share that with others.

Nyitray : 4:48

Yeah, and it's. It's something that I hear a lot being talked about when, when I talk to people like, oh well, you know, I created, you know for myself, and then I created for my buddies, or you know, I started small, just like, kind of like more innocent, and then it just starts to take off into this whole new avenue where it's like, all right, what can I do to make everyone's life easier? And what can I do to, you know, make hunting, you know, a little more, maybe accessible for for others or you know, not as complicated and just like kind of like, simplify it the best where you know you're you're no longer having this complicated situation. It's something that I ran into this year and you know how I've done. It is I have the saddle and I, you know you're always pulling up your bow, right Unfortunately, sometimes where, if it's windy out, the bow gets knocked around and it hits your steps you know the, the line or the court or whatever you're bringing up up, it gets all wrapped around and tangled and everything and that, honestly, right there, just drives me crazy. And it's also like if you're putting on a stock on a deer.

Nyitray : 5:53

To me sometimes it's just so much easier to it would just clip it right there on your back where the magnetic is holding it down. So it's your hands free. And you know you could to me you could be a little more stealthy. You can use your hands, you can crawl on your on your belly and not really have to worry about your bow. Um, so it really this. The system really simplifies just just so much and every type of hunting style and also 3d style too. I I can see why a lot of people would use this for, you know, going to the tax shoots and everything like that. You know, boom, you just throw it on your, your back. It's, you know, it's in, it's good, you can walk, you can eat, you can drink, you can range it. It just makes life just so much simpler.

Tyler Stallings: 6:37

You know, like you said, right, you know, and first and foremost, this was a a a. First and foremost, this was a stalking tool. I was in the Marine Corps and I was stationed at Marine Corps Base, hawaii. This is kind of where, when you get taken from something that you love, it just amplifies that love in a way that you never knew. I was, for for a year, not able to bow hunt at all during training and that following year I was just dying to bow hunt and you know, I had things that kind of settled down for me a little bit. And this was in, you know, 2016. And this is when it was like kind of the bow hunter influencers started to begin and so you started to see all these kind of big names go to Lanai, and Lanai is an island really close to the island I was stationed on on Oahu. Know, john Dudley, cameron Haynes, remy Warren, adam Greentree were all headed over to Lanai, which was about five minute flight for me. I could, you know, on a clear day, I could see, you know, I could just about see it from the beach, and so we got over to Lanai and Lanai is just covered up with axis deer there's, you know, I think, 3000 axis deer and 300 people. The island is almost entirely privately owned. But when we went over there, you know, it was kind of my first experience of a true spot in stock.

Tyler Stallings: 8:23

Take your bow, go try to shoot a deer. And uh, so I going through there and when I am noticing man, this is the driest island I've ever been on and there's not a tree taller than my waist. And uh, so I'm putting the bow, I'm getting down, I'm putting it in front of me and it's crunching and and and everything. I put my bow, I lean on it's, it's a snap, and uh, and I'm just having no luck. So I'm like, okay, I'll put the bow on my back as I'm kind of trying to crawl through all this micro terrain, trying to get in on these axes, and and, man, the bows falling on my head, it's, it's just not working out too well. And so I'm, I'm realizing, like gosh, one of the biggest things that's getting in my way is my gear. Uh, my gear is, is, and so if I could get it to my back, but then able to get it back, that would change.

Tyler Stallings: 9:15

And so it started with, uh, with me, you know, with magnets in my garage, uh, bolting and just absolutely abusing my Matthews Tri-X. This magnet's not strong enough. This magnet, yeah, and man, it definitely was one of those situations when you get it on and you have that security that you can run, you can jump, you can, you know, go, hike up and check a ridge line super fast, it makes a switch in your brain of what now can I do that I couldn't do otherwise. And that's kind of the big distinction for me is that, uh, I really don't have a competitor in this field. Uh, because of what I do, it's how the bow is able to fit on your back, and it can only be done with a magnet because the rigidity of the system allows the bow to legitimately float on your back and not touch or bob or hit you. And this is huge, for whenever I mean, you put, you know, 100 miles in on an elk hunt in a week and you're going to remember that you know. So, the comfortability of this being on you, on your back, it can't be an afterthought, it has to be better than, uh, you know, and, and I think we've absolutely achieved that with the stealth rig, uh, the way the system works has has allowed me to hunt effortlessly, using less energy, less calories, uh, to move through the field and then just the enjoyment of it, uh is kind of a.

Tyler Stallings: 11:06

You know, you talk about the attack going on, the beast boat, archery, challenges, some of these different 3d events, your whole. I mean you may do a six mile, seven mile hike on some of those events and and, yeah, I've had stealth rigs, prototypes the last couple of years going to tax and man, that's that's where a lot of my early customers were were guys I shot with. You know, attack Bieber band or tax San Antonio, and guys were like, man, you got to make me one of those. That's so cool. So, uh, yeah, we, we've been working on it all last year and we just started selling in november and uh, yeah, we're just.

Tyler Stallings: 11:50

I mean, I was up till three in the morning putting them together last night and uh, I, uh, I absolutely love it. My, you know I've got kids. Uh, you know, in the time of of coming home, you know I I've got a full time job as well and you know you come home and I got to be a father now and in prioritizing, that has been an incredible challenge and something that I prioritize above all else is my family and my kids and so work still through. It kind of opens around nine o'clock at night and can run pretty late, but it's also yeah, I got some early mornings too, but it's just been.

Tyler Stallings: 12:34

I mean, you know, the archery gives you so much. It's such a life-giving thing. The people in it, though, are really what make archery continue, and the hunts I've been on and the things I've done don't compare to the memories I have with the people in it, and getting to make archery better, to add to it and with something that you made and with something that you made, is a part of life that I have. I mean, it's such a fulfilling thing to have people go adopt your system and say, dude, this thing changed the way I go hunting. This thing is, I mean, I'm going to New Zealand, you know, and I can't wait to put a stock on a red stag. You know, thanks for the help.

Tyler Stallings: 13:26

Here's a success picture of me on this spring black bear hunt. You know just a couple of these. It really is a service of love with some of these, with every one of my customers and people that have bought stealth rigs. You know, I feel like you know, every single person has a story, and bow hunters, especially uh, cause I mean you've, you've been through something, you've done and we have that shared bond of man. I've been in the trenches, you know, five days, six days in and no bugles. You know I've been in the trenches, you know bugles, you know, I've been in the trenches, you know, and uh, and I've seen success and uh, you know, but but ultimately, uh, yeah, this whole company, uh has been a net. It has given me so much, uh, you know, aside from uh, you know people purchasing, but just by getting to know people, yeah, no, I it, it's that.

Nyitray : 14:26

Yes, it's of course you're building something or something like that. But you know we talk about a lot. It's like you meet so many new people, so many interesting people, so many. You know friends and everything like that through this industry and you know it's something that, like, even looking back at it, like starting the podcast, like I, I wanted to get information out there. You know I wanted to to break it down. I want to tell the story of you know what it's like hunting and you know new jersey fishing and everything that we have to offer, and then it's just grown into so much more where now, like I, have these connections with just people that you know that I've had on and everything like that, where we're talking about friendships, four, five, six, some some of these people are coming to, like personal family events and and and everything like that.

Nyitray : 15:11

But it's it's truly amazing to see where, where everything goes. But, um, you know to to start first, how many. So how many magnets are there? Like what are your different types? So, in the beginning, like what were some of the magnets that you were looking at in the beginning? And how I imagine, like weight and everything, just in the power or whatever it's used to, to actually work as a suction Like how much of that did you have to go through it and the you know, try on air through that period in the beginning.

Tyler Stallings: 15:42

Yeah, I mean this, this goes back, you know, to 2019. And some of those first ones were just ceramic magnets, ceramic magnets being the ones you put on your refrigerator and you're, yeah, no, I don't know if I can make this strong enough. And so, you know, I remember buying this ceramic magnet that was about the size of a VHS tape and this thing weighed, you know, I mean it weighed 10 pounds. And so, I mean, I went to the ends of so many different things. I ended up getting a neodymium magnet that was rated at 510 pounds and is a legitimate source of danger in my house to this day. I don't know what to do with it, but I finally kind of found this happy medium, and for a good portion, it was a magnet to magnet system, and so that was a neat system.

Tyler Stallings: 16:50

But the problem was, is you're trying to? Of course, the whole issue is, I've got to. This has to be a silent connect and a perfectly silent disconnect, magnet to magnet. There was real no way to be able to do that, because you were gonna constantly get such a loud noise when connecting. I then wrapped it in leather and so I sewed it, sewed it with letter leather and had, you know one inch webbing that would go around, kind of similar to what the stealth rig light looks like today, and I ran that for a really long time and that system worked really well. It just wasn't a sustainable thing. And that's another interesting thing about just making a product is, you know, you may be able to make something, but just because you can make it doesn't mean that it can be made, because it's got to be made.

Tyler Stallings: 17:47

A, you know, uh, you know three, five thousand times and uh, you know me painstakingly with a needle trying to go around a super strong magnet. Uh, you know, it took takes me about an hour. It took me about an hour. Each I was was like this is just not the way to go about this. But yeah, there's so many different iterations but ultimately I had to have a system that it has to be strong but it can't be too strong strong. And uh, you know, uh, this uh is strong enough that I mean we're uh, we're uh doing a collaboration with rungu.

Tyler Stallings: 18:35

Uh, electric bikes, uh, they're, they've got a dual track, uh, two spokes in the front, they're kind of a three-wheeler kind of system, and next week we'll be doing a turkey hunt, pairing up with them and just showing, like, how in the world are you going to ride an e-bike, how are you going to ride a horse, how are you going to get in with your bow and in the stealth rig, is a perfect system for those kind of uh situations where you're needing to get in like that, those kind of situations where you're needing to get in like that. So, yeah, I mean those are. I mean there's just a number of different ways that we went about it, but finding a way to make it sustainable, magnet to steel, you know, with the cover, I mean these systems are going to last for a long, long time.

Nyitray : 19:23

And that's another important thing you know the longevity in the product. You know and that's another problem on itself too so you have to. You have to figure out all the other steps first, and then you got to make sure everything holds up, especially like when we're talking about in the outdoors, like it's got to hold up to every type of weather condition, every type of. You know your thorns, bush, everything. You're going to be on the ground, you're going to be rolled and you know you're going to be crawling, you're going to be walking through thickets or whatever the case is. So you have to make something that is going to last, because it could be the perfect product, but if it's going to break up and rip apart or come destroyed like, then it's like all right. We need to start kind of the process all over again, because we need to make sure this is going to last.

Tyler Stallings: 20:10

Well, you know the thing was I spared no expense on making this thing bulletproof Infused titanium. Inside the core of the magnet is a mag rod. That's a CNC machined titanium part this kind of machining. It might have seemed over-engineered and people look at this thing like gosh. This thing looks pretty pricey, but what you're buying is as equivalent to a arrow rest or a bow sight, a piece of hardware that is used to be able to control a crazy amount of torque and tension that's going on on that bow when it's hanging on your back is tremendous. So there's been a ton of work to make sure that this thing because not only can it not break, it can't come loose. If it comes loose, then this is a failed opportunity for somebody and absolutely not something I'm going to put my name on. So there had to be a ton of explanation as well as this is how you put and attach the magnet onto the bow and how it can be rock solid. It's not like putting on a wrist sling where you just kind of tighten it on there and get it and forget about it. This needs to be done with intentionality, to be done correctly. And when it's on there correct, then it's, it's a rock and when, when you have that assuredness in your mind that this isn't going to come off, this isn't going to unscrew, I, it's now a third hand in between my shoulder blades that I can rely on, and that's ultimately what you want it to be. Is this, this? Uh, because so many of the, so much of the time with the stealth rig that people find is that they're just literally just like, can you just hold my bow for a second? These are the situations with stealth rig that happen all the time. And uh, uh, you know, you're, you know, needing to go, go to the bathroom on a, on a hunt. I mean, I'm going to go pull arrows, you know, all the time this happens and so, yeah, it ends up. If it can be that reliable of a system for you, then that's where the value is.

Tyler Stallings: 22:42

And if you know, some people might say, say, you know, hey, why don't you just man up and carry your bow? You know, why don't you just like, you know, instead of going in spanish, why are you trying to do that? It's like, well, it's. It's kind of the same as being like let's go on a run but let's not wear shoes, and it's like, well, you could do that, but we could become, we could be, we could run further if we had the tools to do it. And, uh and I'm ultimately not trying to to make people take the easy way out I'm wanting them to have a tool to make them better hunters. That, uh, that ultimately isn't a.

Tyler Stallings: 23:24

You know, this is my, you know this is my creature. Comfort is this is my secret, secret weapon. I mean, this is what I use to get the job done and for me has been the the difference maker for me, getting the the job done or not, on countless different times. You know, we're here in Texas. We do a lot of spot and stock on pigs and it's just a totally different game whenever you're able to get into position and then worry about your shot rather than let me try to conceal this 32 inch of long shaped piece of carbon and string as I get into position. Now I come to shoot when it's completely out of the way and then it just appears where you need it.

Nyitray : 24:16

Uh, that's the value I want to give to hunters yeah, no, and that's a, it is a great value and it's, you know, while while you're talking to, it's like I'm running just different scenarios in my head of like for me, like, if I can't get out for a hunt, like, and I'm going just to move a camera, do this or do that, like there's sometimes where it's like, oh, you know, I'm not going to carry my boat, because I just don't want to have to carry on one hand and I'm carrying other stuff or whatever the case. But in the back of my mind it's like well, what if I do come across a deer, like what you know? And it's happened to me, it's happened where I decided to leave the bow back, just because you know what. I wanted to be a little more versatile and be able to get in and do something a little quicker, and bringing the bow might just handicap me a little bit. Now it's like all right, you can just clip it on magnet to the back and then, boom, I got my hands, I can carry some stuff in if I do see a deer. Now it's, it's just a easy. Like, all right, let, this is what we can do.

Nyitray : 25:13

Now it turns into a hunt. You know, you, you were going in only to maybe, you know, move a camera or something like that, or. But now you're during the season, you want to take every advantage as you can while you can. You know while you can Because, like you said, you know you work full time job, people have kids that you know they can't spend all the time in the woods. So you know, if they can go move a camera, check a camera, whatever they have to do, they can bring the bow, put it to the back and hey, if a deer does come out, which you never know what could happen at least now you also have the the option to pursue that, that animal, instead of saying, damn, I wish I brought my bow. And that's a lot of times where I'll say it's like, damn it, like I should have brought my bow, like, well, why didn't I? Now it's just like an easy system to just boom, throw it on and there you go.

Tyler Stallings: 26:02

Yes, absolutely. You know, and in something that I've always kind of lived by, is as soon as you are out of the truck, you're hunting and you may have a way point seven miles and 1500 feet away from you, 1500 feet of elevation, to get there, but you're hunting from there till you get to the camp. And the Stealth Rig Light is the perfect embodiment of those real opportunities that happen every year when people are going into their spot. Man, we were headed in and then, man, we spooked a group Wasn't our spot, so we just kept going. It's like, well, why'd you keep going? You leave out to go find out, you know, and with the stealth rig, those opportunities, uh, your, your bow isn't, uh, inaccessible, that you're not able to go and capitalize on this. You're able to get to that bow and silently get it. With the prying of the magnet off of the plate, using the torque or the leverage from the magnet to the riser is what allows that magnet to peel off the plate. You're able to get to it and capitalize on those opportunities.

Tyler Stallings: 27:22

And yeah, absolutely, people are missing those situations and they're not going in after them either, because it's like, well, let's just keep going on.

Tyler Stallings: 27:31

It's like we have zero effort for us to go check this out, for us to go down in slow, maybe a few calf calls, you know, maybe we can start raking a little bit and see if we can get something to say something, but it's no harm to us and is just continuing to give that, that margin of that time, of that, those, that short window that you will have for to be part of the 10. If you can be a part of more opportunities where there, where you're in the vicinity of elk, then yeah, you're, you're just going to have, uh, going to maximize the, your odds and uh, and and that's, you know, being a, you know, not the best bow hunter in the world. I just want to be in as many situations as I can, uh, you know to, to give me the best chance, because I'm going to screw up most of them, uh, so I might as well have as many as I can.

Nyitray : 28:27

Yeah, no, uh, perfectly said. Um, you know, and, and you mentioned the self rig light, you, you guys have a couple of options. You know, you have the stealth rig light, you have the light with the magnet release and then you have the self rig with with magnet quick release and and just like a regular stealth rig, um, you know what, just what are the the options for for the listeners out there? And you know, maybe a little bit into the detail, what, what they have to offer?

Tyler Stallings: 28:51

sure. So the stealth rig is a bino harness, uh that we spent a year, uh, you know, having figured out the magnet, how it's going to connect to the bow, how it's, you know, all that system. It was a year of just making a final harness and I took, you know, all the input from social media and had different types of lids and different types of zippers and took really input kind of from the community of people doing, watching and following Stealth Rig of what kind of final, the community of people doing, watching and following stealth rig, of what kind of final harness we wanted to make. And, uh, man it it was, you know. Obviously, forward opening lid was a must, uh, magnetic closing, perfectly silent, uh, you know, but with a ton of room to fit every hunter's needs. And so there's MOLLE in all different types, all parts of the bino harness, on both sides of the bino harness you'll find MOLLE that can attach accessory pouches. We're coming out with a gun holster, a bear spray holster and a hydration pouch, you know, for tack. That's going to be fantastic having that will be able to pair with the stealth rig and the stealth rig light. The stealth ring light is a just the yoke of the stealth rig vinyl harness and this allows you to incorporate it into another bino harness with the same specs and that is compatible with a bunch of different popular brands that I won't name. And the Stealth Rig Lite is probably the most universal thing I make because it really is the original design of this can go on a pack, it can go on my back, it can go on a truck seat.

Tyler Stallings: 30:50

It's a big, you know, advantage of not needing to bring a bow case, and I know that every hunter is different in what we're all doing.

Tyler Stallings: 31:01

Uh, but for a lot of us, uh, you know, we're not traveling too far, uh, going to, uh, get in a stand and uh, you know, hunt the evening, be back by, you know, uh, not too late tonight and, uh, I don't need my bow case and and my tools and my 12 arrows and all you know.

Tyler Stallings: 31:21

I need my bow and my quiver and I need my, my release. And so the stealth rig light can wrap around the headrest of your truck and you can just put your bow on the back of your headrest and this just allows you to minimize the amount of crap you have in your truck when you're just trying to get in there, get out of there, uh, which is the use case for me all the time. And so and I end up having my bow with me always because it's just a easy way, I don't you know, and, uh, I'm, I'm constantly, you know people it's like, oh yeah, I've got it right here, like I'll just go grab it real quick. And so having a stealth rig light is one of those just you know, creature comfort things that end up allowing you to just kind of maximize what you have going on in your car and I like how.

Nyitray : 32:14

So you know for everyone out there, if you do get the light, you could still rig it up where you know you have the accessory pouches and everything like that.

Tyler Stallings: 32:21

And then, like you said, if you know another brand that that we want any of those brands that we won't mention, as long as they are compatible, you know, to the specs you would be able to still use, use this as well, with just the the light yeah, so we use one inch buckles and those are uh, those are compatible with just about everybody for you being able to just unclip the shoulder straps off of your vinyl harness and then you would incorporate the stealth reg light would clip right in and then you would need to weave the bottom part into their new buckle and unweave theirs out. Part into their their new buckle and unweave theirs out. It is something that absolutely encourage people to do, but just legally I am not able to talk specifically. Go buy my products, that you know, or their product. It will work with mine, uh. So, yeah, I just leave that up to to people.

Nyitray : 33:26

Uh, on their own yeah, no, definitely, um, and man, I, it's pretty cool and, just like you said, very versatile, like, uh, you know, I'm looking at the pictures, the videos, uh, that you guys have it it's it's a real unique and I love how it also can go on like a backpacker or something like that too.

Nyitray : 33:44

So anyone wearing like yes, you can carry your backpack and still throw this on and it's still gonna work up the same way, whether your saddle hunting tree stand. You know it's not only for you, know those guys on the Midwest or Texas, you can use this anywhere that you know that you'd regularly hunt and you know I like it being on the back too, where it's using your profile, so when you're going through thick stuff as well, you're not getting caught up on every little nick and cranny in the woods and you're making more noise than that. Like, yeah, I like it just right on the back and it's just a perfect cover and concealment to the bow as well yeah, because you know people wonder you know, is a tree, is a branch going to grab it and have it knock off?

Tyler Stallings: 34:27

and it's like, well, you know, uh, what's great is, the bow is directly behind you and it's just not going to grab on to a bunch of stuff and even if it does, uh, it's using the strongest portion of the magnet. Trying to just take the magnet directly off this way is using the 270 pounds of force that it would take. And it's one of those things where it's like, you know, I'm going to be all over this year. I'll be at the, you know, tacac, pennsylvania, tac, san Antonio, I'll be at the mobile hunting expo in Georgia and Pennsylvania and I'll be at every beast mode archery challenge and people, when you know, will ask this question.

Tyler Stallings: 35:16

I'll say, just take this off my back and I'll turn around and have them. You know, grab it. And I'm just just and have them. You know, grab it, and I'm just just pull it off, and you know they'll, they'll pull me to the ground before they'll pull the bow off and they just say, okay, I get it, it's not going to fall off. Uh, you know, uh, from a branch, you know, and and so that. That, uh, you know I I'm excited to for a lot of people, just to you know, for the people that would like you just need to get it in their hands and try it for themselves and I welcome, you know, all people to come to, to any of those events will be, like I say, all over this year that's, yeah, that's.

Nyitray : 35:53

That's pretty cool and unique, you know. So a little about bit about you and your backstory. Before we, you know, we talked more with the product, so how did you get into the outdoors? Was it something that you grew up in? You know? What was your lifestyle like with hunting?

Tyler Stallings: 36:11

well. So you know, I started bow hunting when I was 12. My, my family really wasn't a hunting family, uh, but all of my friends were were getting into hunting in and around that time and uh, and you know, I was trying to do catch up. You know a lot of these uh guys, dads were, uh, you know, kind of doing that stuff with them and that just wasn't the case for me and uh, so throughout, uh, you know, junior, high and high school, uh, I'm getting on these, these uh hunting trips any chance I can. Uh, we're relieving basketball practice and going straight uh to the tree. You know, driving 100 miles an hour down the highway trying to get there in time and uh, oh my gosh, the best memories ever, uh, just shooting, you know, 120 pound does out of a 10 foot tripod out of a juniper tree. Uh, you know, it's just uh, the like I say it's. It's. It's always been about the people for me, uh, but the the challenge of bow hunting captured me really early and it really was a where.

Tyler Stallings: 37:31

Well, and one thing I would like to mention is so my first bow was a Hoyt Laser Tech and it was at 52 pounds and that thing killed more than a lot of people's bows. I mean, that thing is, it was, it was awesome, and I got into high school and got into college and I'm still shooting this thing and I start working for this shop. And this shop in San Angelo where I was going to school, you know, in the bow corner, really allowed me to know how much I didn't understand about being a bow tech, about archery, about bow hunting, and it was a really humbling but learning experience for me. And, you know, you kind of think you know a lot until you go around people that really know a lot and then you're just like gosh, I don't know anything. I got it and it was a huge shift for me at the time as well, because I went from that Hoyt Laser Tech to a bare motive and the bare motive was just a rocket and just shot, you know, 352 IBO, just a super speed bow, and you felt it when you shot it and what that did was absolutely cripple me into what I had no idea what it was.

Tyler Stallings: 39:02

But target panic in a way that you know, back then I mean, this is 2011,. Like, target panic was not a household name, like it is today, and I had no idea what it was. All I know is that I had a panic attack every time I pulled my bow back and I couldn't kill anymore. I couldn't put the bow the pin on the target and there wasn't a lot of ways to know how to get through it unless you had access to a great coach. And you know, I live in Texas and we're in the desert here in Texas and we're kind of in an archery desert as well. There's not a shop in my hometown, archery desert as well. There's not a shop in my hometown. And uh, around that time, uh, knock on was going and I I found a video called uh, how to destroy target panic with john dudley punching through a target pace, and I probably watched it a hundred thousand times and it was because I loved bow hunting so much.

Tyler Stallings: 40:02

If I lost my ability to this, it would. It would tear something out of me. But I I cared about the, the, the things I was shooting at so much. I wasn't going to be wounding animals. I wasn't going to. I wanted to do my job. When I released that arrow, I wanted to know that I did everything I could to make a perfect kill as best I could. Super important to me and probably you know when I'm judging what I, you know this is a trophy or not. It really has to do with how that shot was for me, and I have some you know does and spikes that I'm super proud of. Just, you know tough shots and you know shots that I couldn't have dreamed of taking.

Tyler Stallings: 40:55

But it took years of really devoting myself to some of these systems because, you know, with archeries you're either going up or down and uh, and for me it was okay, I, I can shoot a little bit. Now I need to start getting into tournaments and so I start joining the in hawaii there was some, uh, some tournaments going on and I start joining these tournaments and I start doing pretty good in the tournaments and uh, now I'm like, okay, now I need to move on and try to do some, some big scale hunts. And because my big, my goal was to be able to be in the biggest moment imaginable in being able to execute the shot and uh, time I've had, I've had three, uh, pretty huge moments in my life where all of those shots led to kind of these three shots and uh, to be able to, you know, pull through those shots and execute a controlled arrow. Uh, in those moments it's just kind of hitting a buzzer beater it's, it's a uh. It seems like all the work I had done getting through it, uh, early on was all leading to these moments and uh, so, uh, like I say, archery gives you so much and what you put in is what you're going to get out. Uh, and and, during that time, and being able to kind of reap the rewards of that, it just it makes archery fun.

Tyler Stallings: 42:26

Today, and I've been, you know, doing this since I was a kid and I shoot all the time and it's just, I never get it, you know, I'm never going to, you're never going to be a hundred percent, you're never going to hit, you know.

Tyler Stallings: 42:38

And so I love the challenge and I've just continued, and I think stealth rig is kind of a kind of the next step of that and pushing archery and even further, the you know, from target panic to well, what can I now give to archery? And in pushing myself as a man is what? What are, what are you capable of? Ok, now you've, you've, you've killed some, a few things, you've, you've made some good shots. You know what? How can you become better? You know, husband, how can you become a better man. That's that's trying to pursue, you know, a life that that has purpose, that has meaning, and we're in an absolute crisis when it comes to men and their direction and their identity and what they're striving for. And stealth for me has been that path of how I'm going to try to live out an excellent life and give good back into the world.

Nyitray : 43:42

Yeah, it's remarkable. Remarkable, you know, especially just listening to that. You know where it's. It's your, your trade, your, your craft and everything like it's. We owe it not only to ourselves but to the animals to to master everything. And you know you're talking about, uh, target panic.

Nyitray : 44:01

I think everyone would be lying out there if they didn't experience target panning at one point or another, especially as as an Archer. You know it's, it's a game of inches and you know, and back then, like you said, like it wasn't widely talked about, like it is now, you know, john Dudley was just getting, you know, getting into it. And now there's like you can go from John Dudley to Levi Morgan to like all these phenomenal bow hunters, and they will, they will, they will tell you because they've also experienced themselves as well. You know, and I think, shooting competitively and also doing those tax shoots and everything like that, that that helps so much to as well, because, like it's, it's more realistic to me and it's something I want to get into because of how realistic it is, like I heard, I can't remember like more in the Midwest or like Texas or whatever, when they do their tax shoots, like the angles of these shots are just like absolutely just insane, like it's just so unpredictable.

Nyitray : 45:06

Yeah, of course you get those a hundred yard shots, but then you get shots that are just like straight down. So you have to use your third axis. You know you're you're, you're doing stuff that's more realistic in that's going to relate to when we're actually going out and hunting. So instead of you're just hunting for you know we'll use Jersey, for example, like I think our season's like six months long. So we're, you know we're hunting for at least half the year, maybe a little less than half the year, but during that downtime it's like you can not shoot and not be in these situations. That's going to make your target panic even worse, you know. So if you can do these shoots every once in a while or you can go and watch a video on on whoever you want and focus on on how to really just get your mind back to where it needs to be, I think it goes a long way and every, every archer should be like that absolutely, and you know, I I think there's just a ton of great things going, ton of experience.

Tyler Stallings: 46:05

You know, just being able to do that with Dan Stanton and Joel Turner and Iron Will Belf or Iron Will Outfitters, and I mean you have some really great minds in there and just I think staying humble in the outdoor space is probably one of the best ways to improve. And the problem is, so many of us really think we have it figured out and, man, if we did, then we wouldn't be on YouTube looking up tips, we wouldn't be on youtube looking up tips, we wouldn't be trying to, we wouldn't be practicing. And uh, man, there's, uh, those kind of opportunities, uh, I think are are in in going through some of these. You know, scouting courses and and learning how to e-scout, uh, you know are are all part of the equation of, uh, you know, putting down a clean kill and is required and I think from I mean, obviously, you know we could take a gun out and we could go be successful a little bit easier. But there's a reason we're doing this and it's probably different for everyone, you know.

Tyler Stallings: 47:43

But to the detail of sharpening your broadhead, you know how many of us are, are are honing that edge. You know, uh, it's been in the quiver for six months. You know, maybe shot it once or twice, I bet it's fine. Uh, man, those sharp broadheads make a big difference and you know, it's a can be the difference. And, geez, these are things that we can. Of all things we can control, that's one of the biggest, easiest ones that we have no excuse not to do. And yeah, knowing your gear, it's not about, you know, making or having the most expensive thing. And you know, when making the Stealth Rig, a lot of what I took, I didn't even look at what this thing was going to cost. I was like, let's just make it 100% work, bulletproof, never break, and we'll work from there, because when it's a great product, people will pay for great things.

Tyler Stallings: 48:46

And people have paid, you know, have demonstrated that the value that they're getting back from this is equally a higher value in in the money they're putting in. You know, we, a carbon bow is is a thousand dollars more than an aluminum bow, but is a carbon bow is $1,000 more than an aluminum bow, but is a carbon bow faster? No, is it more forgiving? No. Is it more accurate? No, it's actually worse in every single metric. But people spend an extra $1,000 to get a half pound out of their bow. Why? So it is a little bit more manageable and if you've got a carbon bow, all the power to you.

Tyler Stallings: 49:25

I love carbon bows, they feel great. But man, if I can shoot a bow, that is, I'm at full draw and I'm thinking, man, I really wish this was lighter. I never have ever thought at full draw. I wish my bow was lighter. It changes the way we think about shooting. It's okay, now I can bring my sniper rifle out to the when I'm not concerned about carrying this thing because it's it's the weight is not an issue. Yeah, that might change what I shoot entirely. It might save me some money, uh, but it definitely is going to be better than just trying to make your bow manageable. Just have it out of the way completely and get it out of your way so that you can go hunt, and that's kind of the idea with that.

Nyitray : 50:15

Right, yeah, no, it is true, listen, I use carbon fiber, don't get me wrong. But I always tell people every, everyone's different, you know, and I mean, look at matthews like that. I don't, I believe they don't. They don't have one single carbon series at all and you're easy looking at, if not one, the number two give or take, going back and forth with being who's the best. You know bow company and everything like that, like it's, a lot of these companies don't have a carbon fiber. You know catalog or or, or you know stock Hoyt is the one that does um, you know, and it's, yet again, it's.

Nyitray : 50:58

People have their reasons for it. It's something that you know when I tell people for me, yeah, it's a little lighter, but I also like my bow. I like to have a light bow, but I overpay. I use two stabilizers because I like that fall forward motion, you know. So, yeah, does it? Is it light? Yes, but it's also still pretty heavy because I'm running two stabilizers on there. You know it's also still pretty heavy because I'm running two stabilizers on there. You know it's, but that's, that's in my mind. What for me, that's what like, I like, and that's I'm a nature of habit. You know I like doing the same thing over and over again.

Nyitray : 51:35

That was that came down to, came down to getting between the RX five that I have, or, you know, one of the Matthews bows, and it just came down to hey, you know, this is what I shoot, this is what I'm comfortable, this is what I know. So I'm gonna stick with with, with what I know, because I've been shooting white now for the last like I don't know 10 years, you know, and it's just one of those things. But for people say, oh, you know, it's this, this and that it's faster, it's that's. That's not necessarily true. There's some really really fast bows on here. There's a little, you know, there's. There's some bows out here that better for for certain situations. I also like the carbon fiber for winter, because I just I hunt a lot more in in cold temperature, you know, and every time I touch something that that's not and don't get me wrong.

Nyitray : 52:22

carbon, carbon, it's still cold, it is 100% still cold. Someone who tells you it's not, it's still cold, but it's just not nearly as cold where, if you don't have gloves, it makes it maybe a little more manageable. If you drop your gloves which I've done a whole lot of times, where I'll drop my gloves out the tree or something, it just makes grabbing my bow and holding it in my hand just a tiny bit more manageable, so I can last a little longer in that hunt, you know. So I can actually maybe get a shot off or stay out and hunt longer than I actually need to be right.

Tyler Stallings: 52:58

Well, the uh, the psc, uh, the mock, the Mach 1, their carbon bows are a ton of fun to work with the stealth rig and while the carbon bows, it allows the hunter to put the weight where they want it and, uh, and I think there's a huge advantage with them. My whole point with it is just to say that there is a a reason for uh that, that the problem with people carrying their bow is real and people are willing to spend money on it and people are willing to try to find a solution and really the Stealth Rig is a ton of products in one, but using a carbon bow with it, it really is a joy. I've been shooting a Matthews, a Phase 4, but having made this, you've got to make these things universal, so we'll test them out on different bows and man using it with a carbon bow is a joy, like it really is.

Nyitray : 54:09

I'm very excited to get one and, you know, use it because once it's about to be that time of year I'm about to be out shooting constantly. I got to get new strings, but once that's done, it's like I'm at the range as often as I can. I want to shoot as much as I can. You know, it's just getting into that habit of getting ready to season. You know, it's once summer really hits, it's like all right. Now I'm starting to climb trees again with the saddle and practicing out the saddle and it's just like I'm.

Nyitray : 54:38

I'm looking forward to this because, like I said multiple times now on just the show alone, like it's just so much better.

Nyitray : 54:47

I can just be hands-free and just, you know, walk like I naturally would walk into the woods and not have to hold my bow or I put it on my neck sometimes.

Nyitray : 54:56

But you know that's how I walk. A lot of times I'll put it on my neck and I'll just balance it on my neck. But that only works if I can walk, if I got a clear lane, like you know, and and then you have to get it back and you have to hold it and and I imagine hunting at night, I try to I'll strap it to my backpack, um, you know, with my platform and everything like that, and I will, because in the night I don't want to pull it up. I feel like I just make too much noise pulling it up at night, or I mean in the early morning when it's dark out. So being able to just have that all and just take it off is going to make a lot different I think also in a morning hunt as well, you know and make me more comfortable and confident sneaking into, you know, a bedding area or something like that on top of it as well absolutely.

Tyler Stallings: 55:47

yeah, I uh you know you make something first for us, for yourself, and uh, you know I uh so much of our hunts are here in texas.

Tyler Stallings: 55:58

Uh, you know you're getting in, you know climbing into you know a 10, 12 foot tripod, and just a lot of times these platforms are tiny and I can remember like as a kid, you know you've got it kind of like pinched between your armpit, your arm, just trying to sit down without it not pushing you out of the tree, and so there's just these little things where I end up finding great use cases. You know we we have I-beams that are holding up the patio to our house and so I just end up connecting it to those all the time, you know, when I'm shooting outside. Or you know you need to go get a drink and you go put it on the refrigerator, open up, grab your drink. You know there's these like little times where you're like that was kind of fun, you know that was kind of cool, and that are just a you know just little of things that end up helping you out.

Nyitray : 57:05

Definitely. What was the process like for you know the ATA show Like you winning you know best upcoming product or new product for 2024. What does that look like? Like what's the process behind that? Like how are there? How many judges are there? What goes on with that?

Tyler Stallings: 57:40

So yeah, the ATA show was something I wanted to come in with the strongest product I could and so going into, you know, joining the ATA and putting in your product. There was a lot of kind of drama to do with that, a little bit just with the timing of it all. When I won that award I literally didn't have another Stealth Rig light. That was the prototype Stealth Rig light. That was it. That was all I had. If someone stole that out of the featured showcase I would have been screwed. I had no, and that thing came in literally two weeks before the show. We took pictures. We're getting this thing ready in time was the most frantic time I'd had in my life. I mean, we, right before we were headed to go to the show, we still didn't have our magnets in, and so I'm, I had had sent out and sold some, but we I had none for myself. Those literally came in days before the show and we, we kind of stumbled into the show, uh, me and a buddy, and uh, you know, have a tiny 10 by 10 booth, and but we were say, ok, I'm, you be in our booth, I'm going to be at the featured table, and let's just do our best to explain the value that we've tried to bring and, and so there were 16 judges, to my knowledge. We were unanimous number one for the first place featured product at the ATA show.

Tyler Stallings: 59:40

And you know, I think what it was is that archery has stagnated in innovation for, you know, a better part of 10 years and there's just not been, uh, a new thing. There's just been a slightly different thing. And uh, and and people want to put you in, okay, well, you're in the bino harness, uh, business or like you're in, you're kind of like the bow spider, you're like the bow hitch, and it's's like we really did something new and we really are a uh, a company about innovating and we're about making products that work and we're about making products that actually matter and uh, all that together, uh, comes up to a product that makes you a better bow hunter and uh, so, going into, uh, uh, the ata and with mind, that's what we're trying to communicate to these judges. And so they end up after the first day coming to me and these girls at ATA and saying, stealth Rig, you're in trouble. And I'm like, how could we be in trouble? We literally have the worst booth here, like we are the most unassuming company.

Tyler Stallings: 1:00:46

And uh, they're like well, you've been nominated for an award, but we can't tell you what. And uh, you know, mike, I really can't tell you what that felt like, um other than, uh, I couldn't really even hear, because I've put so much of my personal money into this, I've put so much work over years and years and years Winning this award. My whole company was dependent on it, and more than I really realized is I came in to win that award and had we not gotten that traction which has led to so many other things since, we'd be in a totally different place and I'd probably be pretty depressed. But all I, all I could say is when you know she's talking to me, you've been nominated, but I can't tell you what.

Tyler Stallings: 1:01:37

And it was just, I just put my head in my hands, I just started bawling. I mean, I couldn't handle it and I really didn't know that was coming, you know, and I wasn't like, I was feeling like that, but it was years of work and someone telling you we are acknowledging that work as valuable was enough. I didn't need first place, I mean, and winning first place, uh, was one of the best things that I've ever done in my life, uh, and uh was definitely uh just fulfilling in a way I can't explain what is it?

Nyitray : 1:02:18

I can only imagine, but is it? Is it like the same type of feeling or adrenaline rush Like, or, you know, do your legs get weak and like y'all jittery and you know you're you're getting emotional? Is it anywhere like shooting a big deer or a big elk, or or is that the closest like that that you could probably put to it?

Tyler Stallings: 1:02:36

Okay, yeah, so when I shot my first bull with my uh, I I killed a bull with my dad and my, my brother and they're not hunters, as I kind of mentioned and uh, you know that that was a. That was an overwhelming feeling too, of accomplishment because I had been bow hunting, you know, over the counter bulls, for you know years and uh, having some encounters I'd killed a cow but hadn't had a ton of success. That I knew, when that bull went down, that I had done something great, that this was great. And when they said we were, you know, they said third, didn't say stealth rig, and they said second, and they didn't say stealth rig, and they said we were number one. Know, they said third, didn't say stealth rig, they said second, and they didn't say stealth rig, they said we were number one.

Tyler Stallings: 1:03:25

I knew that we did something great and it was, I think, very on par as far as a. I mean, you know, I mean you've been in it, where it's you may have had this deer that you've been tracking for years and years and years and you got the sheds and you got the pictures and you get that experience and it's you see him in real life and it's holy smokes. What a feeling to release that arrow and see him tip over. Holy smokes, uh, yeah, I mean it, an adrenaline rush, uh. But like where real life comes from, like where real, where life actually means something.

Tyler Stallings: 1:04:04

That matters are in those kinds of moments. They're not in the moments where you know, hey, we got off work early, you know, or hey, like we, you know, we got to. It's like the real life enjoyment is doing something and not knowing if you'll ever succeed, and continuing to grind after it and grind after it until something valuable comes out of it. And when that happens, oh my gosh. Those are the pillars of success that we, as men, we can look back on as further reasons as to why we can continue on because of this and that and and whatever else, and, uh, those. That was a huge pillar for me and a huge pillar for the company that what we're doing is valuable, it is, it is, uh, it is viewed as the very best, and uh, and we, uh, we're going to do our best to win another one and innovate and make something entirely new. So we're pretty fired up for the year after that.

Nyitray : 1:05:16

Yeah, no, it's amazing because you look at something like that and it's like it could have gone so many ways and, like you said, like you don't you know, you don't know where you'd be right now, like this was a huge and it's like man, like I'm so happy you know one, we get to sit here and talk to you, but this is such an amazing product. Like it's so versatile. There it's not just categories, and and and and one thing, like you said, it's not just a bino harness, it's not, you know, just something to carry your boat. It has multiple purposes and it also can unlock many more avenues, like I imagine going, like you said you're going to be, guys are going to be doing the bear spray and everything with it and everything, but it could still go into different pieces and and even further along the line, that's going to where you're going to be able to get everything in one and one place and have something you know where you're not carrying as much product. So, like that, right there, it's like that is a great thing. This is a product that you know that works and it's it's something that, especially for new hunters I, you know, I look at new hunters and we, we want to experience with new hunters as much, because we need to grow the outdoors. It's like, hey, you know what, yeah, you know, maybe it's a, it's a little more money than, but it's, if you look at it, instead of you buying this and then this and then this, you can buy all this in one and, honestly, you're it's, you're looking at the same price, you know, and you have everything just in one and it's going to make what you do so much easier.

Nyitray : 1:06:45

When I look back at it, as when I first started hunting, I wish I had something like this. You know you're struggling, you're doing new things yes, it's that trial and error part but you're also sometimes spending money that you don't have to spend and you're buying stuff that you, you know, maybe you you can't afford. Like when I was, I couldn't afford a lot of these things about. You know, back then it's like, okay, if I had an all-in-one boom, that would have been so much easier for me instead of running around and and trying to find this product and this product and okay, does this product? You know it's like, all right, right now it's all in one. So we're, you know, very, very happy, happy with that and very, you know, very happy for you and and everything like that.

Nyitray : 1:07:26

Um, what were so when they, when they do this and they do the best, is it like everything? Is it, you know, um, new stuff for guns and you know, and things like that, or is is it a what? What's the category like? Is it is, did you see a lot more archery stuff in there this year? Is it where guns a big, big favorite, maybe trail cameras, stuff like that? What was like the big main, like products in this, in this area?

Tyler Stallings: 1:07:55

So, yes, at the ATA is strictly archery. And so you, you had all different types of really unique products one annihilator broadheads they made a a two blade broadhead that that ended up getting second. And and then the hyper light sticks trophy, trophy Line, I think, made those, yeah, these type of metal, that is, I held them in my hands and it just doesn't make sense. The material just seems out of this world and incredible rigidity, but it felt like it was as light as styrofoam and man, those were incredible. You know there was some pretty unique, like the half rack system.

Nyitray : 1:08:54

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've seen that, yeah.

Tyler Stallings: 1:08:56

Yeah, those look super. I feel like those are a great product. And yeah, there were some pretty unique ideas out there. And yeah, the different ways to track your data on your shot sequence kind of a shot IQ.

Nyitray : 1:09:21

That's a new app, right? Yes, yeah, okay, I think I just downloaded that the other day because I saw it on Instagram and I was like, wow, that's pretty cool, like I like to shoot at, so I buy paper targets that will have the vitals of a deer and everything like that, and that's what I've used. Okay, you know, but it's like, okay, I believe if you take a picture or whatever the case is, it will show your your entrance and exit. Um, I haven't used it yet this year, but it is something that I'm definitely looking into getting into. And then I don't know if this was at the show, but, um, I saw another app. It's, I think it's called deer view or deer eyes or whatever, and you know, you can kind of see what camo works best and everything for the eyes of a deer turkey. I think they had coyote or something like that, so I'm not sure if that was there or not. That was another like app that I that I recently just just saw as well.

Tyler Stallings: 1:10:17

Yeah, they're coming up with just really cool ways to incorporate AI. Of course, acubo is doing such a great job just posting our scores up to you know a portal or some kind of system where it's like oh man, mike's, you know he was shooting nines. Oh man, only tens today, like you know, he's shooting better than me. I got to. You know, we're going to be doing this kind of stuff without a doubt. I mean, we've just kind of barely gotten into it and I do feel like the outdoor space is just constantly behind everything else.

Tyler Stallings: 1:11:11

Uh, before we kind of figure things out, but, yeah, there's, there's all kinds of technology that, uh, that was at the show and and, uh, that's coming out, that, uh, I think you know definitely serve a purpose and uh, you know, but but ultimately it's, it's got to add value and uh, we, it can be fun. You know, these, some of these kind of more gimmicky things, uh, are going to have short lives and uh, I, uh, you know there's big markets and small markets. If you're going to have short lives and there's big markets and small markets, if you're going to go to a small market like archery, you better have something that's going to last. And I mean, I'm just off the top of my head, but I just feel that some of these companies just have short runways. If you're going to get into this I'm at least approaching it with I want to put something that you keep with you for the next 20 years, that you use for countless hunts. I just don't think that the fads are going to last.

Nyitray : 1:12:23

Agreed, agreed, agreed with that. Um, I got a few more, uh quick questions for you and then I'll let you go. It's been an absolute pleasure, uh, sitting here and talking to you. Um, yeah, what, what is your dream hunt? If you had two weeks to hunt anywhere, any state, any country, what animal would it be and where would it be?

Tyler Stallings: 1:12:46

I'd love to shoot a moose. I'd love to shoot a moose in Alaska. I want it to be, you know, you know, 14th day, you know, and I want it just to be, you know, a terrible hunt. And, uh, I want for us to think it's not going to happen, and I, I want it to be a high pressure shot that, uh, you only get one and, uh, you know, with the bow, of course, yeah, uh, I'd love to do that. Uh, I think, uh, you know, I've never killed a bear. Uh, I'd love to.

Nyitray : 1:13:26

I'd love to kill a bear, so uh, bear hunting is amazing.

Tyler Stallings: 1:13:30

Have you killed a lot of bears?

Nyitray : 1:13:31

So I've killed one, uh, this one right here.

Nyitray : 1:13:34

Um, I did it two years ago now. We had so Jersey, and, to give you a quick rundown, they use as a management hunt. So it's not an actual game species which allows our government to basically dictate when we can hunt and when we can't hunt. So they do these management hunts. It was banned when I first started getting into it. I had bow hunted them once, um, and it was an absolute thrill. I mean one of my favorite times bow hunting that season. And then the next year it was completely banned. No bow hunting, no gun hunting, yeah, yeah, a lot of it's for, for, for votes and everything like that.

Nyitray : 1:14:17

We're, we're a democratic state, of course, um, and we, yet again, we have the most, one of the most densely bear populated States, and the bear numbers just skyrocketed. Um, in the years past, prior to this, they had already banned it on state land too, so you can only hunt. When my first bow hunting, I started bow hunting them, it was private only, so that cuts how many people out that can no longer hunt bears. So, on state land, the population was already growing a lot and you could see the difference Moving forward, that next year that it was banned on everything, and then the year after that there was no hunt, no hunt, no hunt. October came, no bow hunt. And then I think they started to realize the governor was like oh one, I think voting, was coming back in to play and I, from what I heard, he might not have won and you know he maybe wanted to get some votes or whatever, or you know he didn't want a death to be on his hands. That's my opinion because it was starting to get very like. We were starting to have people get attacked and animals get dogs get attacked and and stuff like that. And they opened it.

Nyitray : 1:15:37

Everyone was really excited for a week of gun season. Everyone was preparing. You know I, we were going out and baiting and everything was great. We were having bears on cameras and then, like a week before the anti-hunters were actually able to get it paused and stopped for some court order. They, they had to get some court order and they timed it kind of perfectly. It was like when it was announced it was on the weekend, so we had to wait a couple days before the announcement. So season started up. No bear hunt that monday. So that monday, no bear hunt. And everyone I was with gun hunting that day we went out for six day firearms. I think almost every one of us would have killed a bear that morning I saw like it was all the spots had bears the next day pouring rain, just absolutely the worst weather you can possibly imagine.

Nyitray : 1:16:29

And we're heading out for three o'clock just for you know, like whatever, let's just head out. And when we're heading out, we're driving out, we got the announcement. They even make it like a just big announcement, like we just were randomly like, I think, on instagram or something said oh, officially starting now the bear hunts back on. That threw everyone off because you had people that originally took days off to hunt actually took their vacation days back because they're like, okay, well, if there's gonna be no bear hunt, we're just gonna go know, go back to work. We had people that were baiting. They stopped baiting, they stopped like paying attention to it because everyone thought the bear hunt wasn't going to be on. And it was a rough, rough week. I mean it was rough. And the final day we had some bears moving in and the first one that came into just range. I just I just let I wasn't passing on anything. We had, I think, like six or seven bears on that property. So this was not the biggest bear by far any means, but it was a legal bear. It was my first bear. I was extremely happy and proud for it, but like the meat, amazing, like it. I love eating bear meat. It has become one of my favorites. Shout out to american mike, one of my my buddies. Shout out to American Mike, one of my buddies. He introduced me into this whole bear hunting thing and how good the meat is and everything like that. And ever since then we've been obsessed.

Nyitray : 1:17:49

One of the guys this year killed a 300 and something pound black bear. The skull length, I think, was 19 and a half Um. The skull length was, I think was 19 and a half Um. It was a young and and Pope, and just underneath um Boone and Crockett. Wow, um, for for that, for the entry into that. And I mean this bear was huge.

Nyitray : 1:18:11

We have some big. So if you ever want to travel out to Jersey and and and hunt some bears over here, listen, you're you, you got the invite. We, we do have some big, big bears. We have a lot of bears. And as long as no one in the government decides to do what they did again, it's, it should be open, it should be. You know we should be good.

Nyitray : 1:18:32

So we'll be this October we'll have a week and then December we'll have another week and that's as far as we can get right now. You know I'll take what we can get, so I'm not complaining, but I'm telling you it is the one of the most exhilarating experiences and animals hunting for of. From just hunting it alone, your adrenaline's on rush. And then tracking it. That's another thing, that they're just remarkable creatures. I love seeing bears as much as I love hunting them. I just I love bears and just in general, but this hide right here. I mean it's just so soft and like it's. I sit here literally not during podcast episodes and I just kind of think constantly because it's so soft and it's like.

Nyitray : 1:19:20

I'm so proud of it, I'm so happy to have the meat and the fat for cooking and you can just do so many things with it. It's a remarkable animal 100 percent. So I highly recommend bear hunting. I highly recommend it.

Tyler Stallings: 1:19:34

Man well, it's definitely on my list and that's what it's all about. I mean that that's uh, that's just so cool. Uh, you know, when you, when you've got, uh, you know, you know, I've had mounts where you kind of are like, uh, that wasn't the best or whatever, but there's certain mounts that you can look at and be proud every time that you just know.

Tyler Stallings: 1:19:58

you did it right, you know or I don't know what it is, but I mean, there are certain mounts, or I'm just like that. That was a special experience, you know. And uh, man, bear hunting seems like, uh, I mean just so, you know, it almost reminds me of pig hunting in a way, but just like, way, that's something I want to do.

Nyitray : 1:20:20

Yeah, that's something I want to do too. I want to go to. I have family out in texas and that is a huge plan of mine to eventually go to texas and do some hog. I've always like I'm a huge person to watch the night ones, with the night vision and the thermal, and then the helicopter. I know the helicopter ones are out of my, my price range but like hog hunting, I would like to do it with dogs, really, because I heard it it was, it was the.

Nyitray : 1:20:42

The fuel is just expensive, but I it is something that I'm. I'm going to definitely try that and I would love to hunt them with a dog and a knife, like um, take it as primal as as as you can and do something like that too. So, um, that that's on. That's on my list. My biggest is moose hunt. Um, but that's on the list. And I'm such a big bear hunter now that before my fiance and I get married, we're going to be doing a bear camp, like the week before, and me and like nine people, we can have as many people at the at the lodge. If we get nine hunters, we have the whole place to ourselves. So so that's the. That's the game plan. Up in maine, we'll be uh, bear hunting up in maine. That's that's my next goal when it comes to bears to shoot one in new jersey with the bow and then shoot another one up in uh, up in maine oh man, so is your wife.

Tyler Stallings: 1:21:33

Is she also a bow hunter?

Nyitray : 1:21:35

yes, um, yes, she, she is. She's new to it so she didn't pick it up until we started dating. But because of her work and it's not like me, like I'm I'm obsessed, but it is something that she's slowly getting into on her own pace. I'm teaching her. She's interested actually in the whole butchering, taxidermy part and cooking. She became an excellent cook when we first got together. She was not a good cook and I will 100, but now whole for our, our wild game dinner.

Nyitray : 1:22:10

This gave her proper directions exactly and she looked it up on herself like that's her motivation she loves, like that's what she's. She requests certain things from me for animals. She's like, okay, I, I want you to shoot this and I need this cut. Or like I need this and hey, this is what I'm gonna make. And like she gets really excited about that whole part of so that's her thing and I can't wait for her to to kill her first dealer deer and see, see the whole process for for herself as well yeah, sounds.

Tyler Stallings: 1:22:40

How about your wife? Sounds like you really found a good one. Yeah, no, my, my wife, uh, you know, early on, uh, she kind of grew up, you know, on a farm and so all this was she was accustomed to, but not so much a hunter.

Tyler Stallings: 1:22:54

We've been eating primarily venison or elk for the last, I mean, since we've been today's actually our anniversary but the last eight years and so, no, I mean she, I got her into bow hunting right away because I knew if, if I, if she's not into it, then then I'm not gonna be into it either, because it's gonna be over. So we got her a bow and and she's been shooting with me since, uh, since we were in hawaii, and uh, and she's, you know, it's amazing. You know women I don't know their minds, uh are, I don't know if they're calmer than men's or what, but she shoots so well and she a silverback and she just laces it.

Nyitray : 1:23:40

She laced. It Must be a thing, because I, honestly, once she learns how to shoot farther out of range, but she's so much better than me and more accurate than than me when I was at that that step like now. Listen, I know what I'm. I'm still a little. I'm still further in the game. I can shoot 60, 70, 80. She can. I'm still a little. I'm still further in the game. I can shoot 60, 70, 80. She can't yet. But when we do our little competitions and she's shooting, like I don't really have to worry about her, like I sight in the bow for and like I help her as much as I can, but man, she's money, like when she shoots at the target. She's always in that heart. She loves, like she just yeah she's.

Nyitray : 1:24:18

I think she just doesn't overthink, or she's just calmer. I don't know what it is, but you're right, it's like there must be a thing with ladies, because a lot of them are really really good shots, like they are money when it comes to shooting.

Tyler Stallings: 1:24:31

Yes, yes, and and I've had times like my wife, her group start to spread out. I'm like, what's going on and on? And she's just like, oh, you want me to shoot in the middle. And then she'll just put three in the middle and it's like she just she's so disconnected from where the arrow lands that it's just a process that she's doing. And she's like, oh, you want me to put in the middle, we'll do that, you know, okay, and uh and I think that is part of the key is disassociating ourselves with where that arrow lands. It's like we can't control where it goes. We can just control where the process before it goes off and when it goes off like it could hit a twig, a big tree or a gust of wind. But all I can do is focus on that process, and so with girls, I feel like they're so good at that definitely definitely great.

Nyitray : 1:25:24

Um. What is your favorite hunting snack? Are you a big snacker in the woods?

Tyler Stallings: 1:25:28

very much. Uh, I always end up hating my food, though I end up like, oh, I'm gonna eat that, I end up hating it.

Tyler Stallings: 1:25:37

Uh, takis chips really, that's an interesting one it, for whatever reason, is like, uh, maybe just that like outrageous flavor. And is it the blue one? The blue ones are crazy hot, uh, but I will do the blue one sometimes. Uh, but there's like the fuego um kind of less medium hot. That are I mean they're? I mean that are I mean they're? I mean you need to be on downtime. They're loud as hell but like yeah, I don't know, it's like there's most unnatural thing in the world, but it's a cool one?

Nyitray : 1:26:13

I'm not. It's so because it must be. You know there must be big in Texas and more of the South Like we. We have them here, but they're not. They just started popping up a lot more. But I work in Elizabeth, so, um, elizabeth is like our inner city, you know. It's um, it's much different, but we have a big Spanish population there and that's where, like, I started to first hear talkies like my patients, the kids. They would always be like hey, you know, you don't like takis, you don't like, oh, can we have takis? Can you bring in takis? Like? I'm like, what the hell is takis? I'm like I have no idea what the hell this is, but once I saw it, I do like them, but I've never, because they're so loud and it's like you have to kind of be on like a, a downtime or something like that to have them, because, like they are, they are just very loud yes, yeah, I mean I the the uh honey, honey stingers, those, yeah, I, I can definitely get down on those for a more quiet snack.

Tyler Stallings: 1:27:15

Um, you know, but a lot of times it's sweets for me too, so, uh, like a sour gummy worm or something, oh man, uh, that I could eat those forever I'm a huge snacker, too, in the woods.

Nyitray : 1:27:29

I like make sure my snacks are always like and I do it like. Sometimes I'm in I'll get um, like a trail mix, but sometimes I just want candy and like a sour worm, sour patch kids, something like that. I am a huge, huge snacker in the woods. Like, if I could bring a full meal, a full five course meal, with me, like I would, 100 percent like I would love to eat full on meals in the woods, for sure, non-typical or typical.

Tyler Stallings: 1:28:00

Typical, typical, typical.

Nyitray : 1:28:04

If you could own property in any hunting in any state, where would it be?

Tyler Stallings: 1:28:11

Oh man, that is a great question. I would say, Well, part of me just wants to say Alaska. But really it's just the thing with Alaska is I'm really just saying I want to be a resident, so I'm going to exclude Alaska, and I think I'm just going to say Colorado. And I think I'm just going to say Colorado. I think, with elk populations and just what that state is, we spend a fair amount of time in Colorado. I think you could argue it's arguably one of the most beautiful parts of the world. I mean, I think you could make an argument for a bunch of different places, but Colorado and the Rocky Mountains are world class and I love being in that state. You've got great populations.

Tyler Stallings: 1:29:16

You know, as long as they figure out this wolf situation they may not like this investment in 10 years, but I feel like I would feel great about it. Sorry, that was probably too long of an answer, but I feel like that. No, it's perfect Colorado would probably. If I were to be perfectly honest, it would be Colorado. Gotcha, that's a good one, can't go wrong with Colorado.

Nyitray : 1:29:38

Plus there's a lot of Can't go wrong with Colorado, Plus there's a lot of species to hunt over there as well. Um, if you, if, if your company could work with, get sponsored by one company, what would it be?

Tyler Stallings: 1:29:52

Um, I'd like to incorporate my uh, uh, my technology into marsupial gear and uh, I'd like to incorporate my stuff into Sitka packs and uh, I, I think, uh, uh, I would like to incorporate my technology into, uh, a wide audience of of companies, marsupial gear, uh, because of how much I respect their systems. Uh, would be a fantastic system to uh to go with. People love their marsupials, fantastic. But let's incorporate the stealth rig and and make and have the best of both worlds definitely definitely and and last and last one here.

Nyitray : 1:30:37

If you could hunt with one person so famous, your family, whether they're dead or alive, like back in olden days, who would it be? Who would you want to sit down and go on a hunt with?

Tyler Stallings: 1:30:53

Oh man, oh, I would say Teddy Roosevelt, but I feel like then you would be getting, you might have bad news. You're like the guy actually wasn't that great of a hunter or something. So I'm not going to say Teddy Roosevelt. You know what I will say Ted Nugent. I'd love to hunt with Ted Nugent.

Nyitray : 1:31:16

That is back-to-back recordings that we did with someone that they said Ted Nugent.

Tyler Stallings: 1:31:28

That's a good one, ted. Ted nugent is a good love that guy as a person and uh, just I mean I think he's one of the most incredibly talented and entertaining people. Uh, and just as a musician stronghold, I mean, he's just he shreds. I mean I I think it would be the most entertaining hunt ever definitely, definitely.

Nyitray : 1:31:45

and I do like how you said about teddy roosevelt, like you kind of don't want it to ruin, like what if he turns out to be a really bad hunter? Or like now I imagine our ethics nowadays are completely different to what it was back then and everything like that, like yeah, what if? Yeah, what if he was like an absolute douche or something like that and he just really sucked at hunting? Um, so that's actually a pretty good, because I I thought about that too, like mine, where would be like teddy roosevelt, like maybe a fred, fred bear, um, or like a couple famous, like nhl or nfl players or something like that. But those two, the ones I said would be my man, that might ruin my, that would that would definitely ruin it for me, you're right, that would definitely suck.

Tyler Stallings: 1:32:27

Yeah.

Nyitray : 1:32:30

But, man, I want to thank you so much for for coming on. I hope we could definitely get you on another time, you know, and get you back further down the line. You know this was amazing. Anyone you know listening, go check out the Stealth Rig. We're going to have the link in the description below. That's going to be their Instagram page. That's going to be their website as well, and go give them a check out. Any last words no, I mean just thanks for having me on this fall.

Tyler Stallings: 1:32:59

Definitely reach out to me, um, and go give them a check out. Uh, any last words? Uh, no, I mean just thanks for having me on, uh, this fall. Definitely reach out to me. You want to get on some pigs? Let me know in Texas, and we'll make that happen. So, uh, no, that's it for me, man.

Nyitray : 1:33:11

Definitely, definitely, and everyone listening, thank you.