Speaker 1: 0:00

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Speaker 1: 0:59

Welcome back to the garden. State outdoors of podcast presented by boondocks hunting. I'm your host, mike nitring. Let's get ready to dive into today's episode and always remember to chase the unknown. And today we have Neil Harp, aka he goes on Instagram the outdoor artist. Welcome to the show. Hey guys, what's up Now? I found you.

Speaker 1: 1:23

Honestly, one of the things that that made me follow your page was, first of all, I love tattoos. I wish I want to have more tattoos. You know I work child psych, so, um, I haven't really completely done the arms yet like I have, uh, this one for my, for my best friend that passed away and everything like that, and I got a few here and there. But I get cut up a lot and if I'm going to spend the time and the money on my sleeves and everything like that, the last thing I want is my patients digging their nails into my skin and everything like that, which does happen. So I've played the slow game.

Speaker 1: 1:55

But I saw your um, it was your one of the cups and the uh, the flask that you had, and I think that was like one of the first pictures that I saw and I was like, wow, like that, that's really amazing. Like that, that's, that's pretty cool. And I dove into the page and I mean just absolutely the, the artwork, everything like that, you know, is just astounding. So how did you like, how did you get into this? Like, give us the quick backstory of how this all came about so I got into hunting late.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Um, I mean, I started when I was like 12 the legal age to hunt here in pa I'm not sure where it is, everywhere else but uh, I didn't grow up in the hunting family. I kind of learned myself and the only reason I got into it a little bit was because my mom married into a family. So, but anyway, um 19 comes around, I picked up my first bell, killed my first deer. I hunted every year up until then. Never shot a deer before I shot a deer. But, um, yeah, I picked up a bell at 19. Uh, killed my first deer um 30 yards, uh, straight through the heart. I practiced a lot and whatnot, but anyway, uh, I, just, I was hooked ever since. So I was just a bow hunter through and through. Um, and then fast forward till probably, uh, I would say 30. Um, october 1st would be four years of tattooing. I'm 35 now, um, but anyway, so fast forward.

Speaker 2: 3:23

I started tattooing, but before I started tattooing I was an airbrush artist for 14 years and I had a friend that got me into this airbrushing. He was well, well known in the airbrush industry and he just started telling me about, like, just, he's like my life coach and my life mentor and he just started telling me all these things and kind of like how to retrain your mind to become successful, when he's like asking me these questions on like what would you be doing if you had all the time and all the money in the world? And it really just makes you think. You know, you hear about these people going to college but never doing anything with it. You know, because they think they want to go do something but then they find out they don't. So they waste all that time, all the effort, all that money to do that. So so right away I started thinking and I said I want to be known. I love merging my loves together, so art, my bow hunting and stuff the outdoors. So I said I want to be known as the outdoor industry's tattoo artist. I want to travel the country. I want to tattoo all these big name events. I want to tattoo all the big name celebrities. I just want to be known as that guy. So, like for the celebrities, my goal is like to all the big name celebrities, I just want to be known as that guy. So, like for the celebrities, my goal is, like, they don't need to get tattooed by me. But I just want them to know I exist. I have a mobile studio. I can come straight to your house. You know those deals Because a lot of these guys they get tattooed but they just like go to a shop because they don't know.

Speaker 2: 4:40

You know what I mean. So I just want them to's old school. He don't, he don't train no one unless you see something special with you, you know I mean. So getting tattooed over the years by him, you know, just making that friendship and then following me with my airbrush work, seeing my artwork. He actually asked me. He said, hey, would you ever consider tattooing? I said yes, I would, and I actually I told him my idea and I was, I actually planned on maybe asking you here in the near future.

Speaker 2: 5:08

So I, you know I did everything by the books and a lot of people don't do this and in the tattoo industry you don't get much respect if you don't do everything by the books, because it's like sacred ground almost with the tattoo industry. So if you come across a big name tattoo artist and the very first thing they're going to ask you is like who do you get a principal? If you say I'm self-taught, they'll probably look down on you, you know, it's just a respect thing. So I paid five thousand dollars cash. I did not have the money, I was living paycheck to paycheck, dead-end job. I just knew it was that important and it wasn't like just started my whole new career. So I did two years, apprenticeship completed. It paid the money.

Speaker 2: 5:43

Um, I opened up my own shop. I have a shop here in pa. It's called primal arts tattoo studio, um, and then I just started, uh, dabbling in the industry. I knew it was super important to get into the ata show, um, these other big name shows. Every time I come across someone that's a little more important in the outdoor industry, I told him. I said, hey, this is me, this is what I do, is what I'm trying to do. And it's just been a blast ever since and it's just been like there hasn't really been any. There's been more ups than downs. You know what I mean. So it's been a great, great experience. And now it's to the point to where for the past two years I've been dabbling in it, doing a bunch of shows. I did. I've been to Georgia, iowa, um, I did. I've been to georgia, iowa, illinois, um, uh, st louis, I've been kentucky I mean all over the place and next year my plan is just a full board. Just go crazy and out nerd all the time.

Speaker 2: 6:34

Um, I'm in with the lone wolf guys. I tattooed levi morgan already. I'm actually gonna be tattooing him again. Um, actually there's a bill right above my head. That's his old competition bow he gave me. So that was a pretty crazy experience. I'm going to be actually doing a hunt in Illinois this year with this bow and I'm going to film it all and do a little segment on that.

Speaker 2: 6:54

So I told him I'm 100% a traditional bow hunter. So I said I'm going to kill a nice buck with this and I'm just going to put it away. So he signed it. It's pretty cool. I like it. It's all purple, purple's my life.

Speaker 2: 7:07

It was funny because I walked into his home and where his trophy room is, I can pretty much fit my house inside his trophy room. It's pretty wild. But off to the side he has an archery shop and it's just lined down the walls with bows and I'm like, levi, what do you do with all these bows? He's like, ah, get them to friends, do charities, whatever. He had one purple bell was all purple. Everything was just black and gray and camo, whatever I said, that's a pretty cool bell and he knows me about purple, you know. So, um, so I tattooed him and whatnot.

Speaker 2: 7:39

Um, we want to shop, though I actually had him shoot my tribe, though it was funny because he didn't want to, but he was just, he's just a natural, you know what I mean. He was just slaying it, but I went to go. I finished up and I went to go pull out his driveway. I was like hey, this is yours, by the way. I was like are you serious? I was like the hell with, and I'm about to come out, come out with some products for the industry that has never been seen before. I'm super, super excited. I figured I'd take advantage of me being on the road and pushing a product, you know.

Speaker 1: 8:13

So, yeah, that's a short story that I mean a lot to cover in that and I really, before we really get into the hunting, you know I want to the airbrushing. So where did, did the? Has this always been something you've just been gifted artistically since a young kid, like so kind of paint that picture of like. How did you get into the airbrushing? What was it like for you growing up? As you know, were you one of those artists, or is that something you just picked up as as you got older as well?

Speaker 2: 8:41

yeah. So I like I love. One thing I love about what I do is I love that. Well, first, I love to tell people my background story. My childhood is like I came from absolutely nothing, like I lived in some rough spots, um missed Christmases, I mean. Just like my, my family there was like no name, like no one. You know, I was the first one to graduate high school. I'm my grandpap, mom, dad, my two older brothers, I'm the first one to do anything really. So like that alone just drives me to push harder and harder and whatnot. So basically I I'm trying to think where to start. Everything I could do in my life or I got into as a pretty wild crazy story, everything I could do in my life or I got into as a pretty wild crazy story. But one of my goals is I I try to tell people like, seriously, if I can do this and have a dream and make it happen, you can definitely do it. It's just, you know, ask yourself the right questions and think about things and just look at life differently.

Speaker 2: 9:39

And my life mentor that got me in the airbrush and he um, told me about this book and I don't read because I've had adhd and I'm um, what's that one dyslexic and whatnot. So, yeah, but I read this book and it literally, it just rewires your brain. And that's how I came up with this whole idea. Actually, because when he, when I met him, he was doing his thing and he with airbrushing, um, he had this giant trailer. It was a mobile workshop, um classroom. He was traveling to different tech schools and teaching kids and I'm like, how did you come up with this idea? This is crazy, um, and he told me about this book and I read it. It's called mentored by a millionaire. I'm always going to preach this book because it literally helped me. You know, I mean come up with everything.

Speaker 2: 10:21

So but but yeah, I knew it was very, very important to keep in touch with this guy. This was in high school. He came to my vo tech and he showed airbrushing and stuff and it was very, very important. I knew I wanted to do something with art, but I don't like computers, I'm not a tech person and whatnot. But he was out traveling, he was meeting new people, doing car shows, bike shows, just like living, you know, just living, almost you know, doing what he loves to do.

Speaker 2: 10:49

I'm like man, I got to do something like this. I'm not a fan of making a different company rich and an easier life for them because we're doing the work. I'd rather do that for myself. You know, put all that time and money and effort into my own business, my own self, my own life. So just those things, you know, added up to everything, everything so, but yeah, I, um I stuck out with that dude and it's what's wild, because I'm now where he's like one of my best friends. He lives up in connecticut. Um, I go up there a lot and hang out and whatnot, and we just like help each other through. You know everything. So, um, one thing I will say on these podcasts so you have to keep me on track because of my no, no, listen so like I love that, don't worry I'll take the first little section of your answer, your question, and I'll start answering, but I'll start veering off.

Speaker 1: 11:32

Then you bring me back every, every once in a while, people will. I'm like no, I actually like, I actually like sitting back and just listening. You know, it makes me feel like I'm not really the host, like I'm actually like right, just a regular, regular listener, and I and I believe you know from the feedback that I've gotten, like our, our listeners, they, they like that too as well, like that's why we're not scripted, because, like, wherever the, the talk is going, that's where it's going and you know, I, I love it. So I'm gonna, I let my guests ramble, because they just hit on all different things and it's yeah, you know, I, I enjoy it. So don't, don't worry, feel, just keep going.

Speaker 2: 12:10

I actually, I absolutely love that. I'm glad it's like that because it's just. It's just you know everything. Everything comes more natural from you when you answer questions. If you're not like put on the spot, you have to answer stuff certain ways, almost you know, I mean yeah, so, so yeah, basically like that's one of the things I love doing. What I do is I tell people my backstory and I just like try to inspire them like you can, you know, do what you love. You know. So, just like I said, ask yourself the right questions. So yeah, that's so. I'm out here just doing this. Um, people get a hold of me and be like hey, I started this journey up and, uh, you know, because of you and, um, you kind of inspired me. So it's always, it's always a good feeling. You know, I mean so, but yeah, I, I'm not sure if I answered anything.

Speaker 1: 12:53

You just asked, but no, no, I mean it it was, it was great and you know it gives you like, it gives you more of a background of, of just understanding, which, which that's a big part of what we want to do. Like we're getting to know you, um, you know, with, with the, the airbrushing and everything like that. You know how does one get into airbrushing. So my mom does it. My mom does it as, um, she's a makeup and hair artist and stuff like that. So I know I remember as a kid she would have all these things and she's done airbrushing and now she's licensed to do, um, I think, tattooing, but not in what you do.

Speaker 1: 13:31

Like you know, women like to have the, the tattooed eyebrows and and stuff like that and like the eyelashes or whatever. So I know, um, she's legally allowed to do that and like, there's certain stuff with, like micro needling. She tells me and all these different things, right, but I never know, like how you, how do you initially get into airbrushing? You know, um, where, where was that? Like, what was the first time you actually like? You know, this is exactly what I want to start. This is how I'm going to start right.

Speaker 2: 14:00

So that's called pmu. By the way, a permanent makeup uh, okay, I'm not sure what the? U is. I have a lot of friends that are in it and they're going to hate me for not knowing, but anyway. So, like I said, I knew it was very, very important to keep up with this guy that introduced me to airbrushing, so he went his separate ways after I met him.

Speaker 2: 14:18

And I started thinking like I said, just a dead-end job, but I was making pretty good money. So I started thinking like how can I get started in airbrushing? So, for whatever reason, the very first thing that came to mind was I can paint cakes, because I know they airbrush from cakes at bakeries. And I was like if I can just do something dumb, that gets me just into it. You know what I mean. So I called a local grocery store that has a bakery. They said, no, we don't blow all this. And I was like all right. Then I was like, oh crap, you know what they do at amusement parks, like we have hershey park here in hershey pa. Um, I was like man, I can do that. So got a hold of them and I was already kind of messing around with airbrush guns so I had some stuff to show them. Um, and right away they were like yeah, they. I think they hired me literally like a couple of days afterwards. So I worked at Hershey Park, uh, airbrushing t-shirts and hats.

Speaker 2: 15:09

Um, for like five years I quit my day job to go make minimum wage, which I took a big loss, but I knew it was to get me somewhere. You know where I wanted to be my end goal, you know, and that's I try to tell people that too, like you have to kind of give up some things to get to where you want to be. I gave up. I had so many hobbies, so many things I was passionate about. I literally just gave up because I wanted to focus on this. Ever since I started, uh, tattooing, I went from hunting all the time bow hunting, tagging out early season every year. It's been four years and I uh have yet to tag out since I started, because I've been out maybe six times a year. But starting this year I wanted I'm far enough along in my career to where I can, like, actually take some time off. So starting this year, I'll be out in illinois hunting some public land, um, like the week before and the week after halloween. So I'm gonna just focus on that, that I'll be in Ohio public land as well. So, but yeah, I went from the Hershey Park deal and then I I said to myself you know what? I can paint this tiger on his t-shirt for 60 bucks, but I can paint that same exact tiger on a car hood for $600. I was like, yeah, I'm painting some automobiles and some motorcycles. So I started transferring into that and I you know that took me to a whole new journey car shows and, like um Rich Markham, who got me in, who's the guy that got me into all this? He was doing shows. I actually ended up doing some shows with him. It was so cool. We would go to these shows. We'd be one of the main acts, we would have these giant car hoods, we would blast music. We have one hour to paint whatever we wanted to on these car hoods and at the end of the show we would auction them off for charity. People were we have a huge crowd around us. He was on top of his trailer doing his thing. I was down below. It was pretty freaking wild, you know. So I did. I did the whole carnival and fairs and street fairs and with T-shirts my own thing, you know. So, yeah, 14 years of that.

Speaker 2: 17:10

I painted thousands and thousands of things. I painted toilet seats, I painted prosthetic legs, just a little bit of everything. It's actually funny. The toilet seat I painted my friends. We have this thing to where I think everyone, all your hunting buddies, should do this. Right, you get a toilet seat and they had me paint a picture of a deer in the woods with a bullseye on its ass and it says master, ass blaster. Because it seems like every year someone shoots a deer in the ass. So if you're the person that shoots a deer in the ass, you have to hang that total seat on your living room wall all year long, until the following year.

Speaker 1: 17:49

That's a good one, that's a good one, that's a good hunting. Uh, stipulation for sure let it be.

Speaker 1: 17:55

Let it be known that I have never hung it on my living room wall yet, so oh, man, I'm scrolling all the way down on, you know, and I'm seeing some of the the motorcycles that you you've worked on and you know the helmets and the car hoods and everything like that, and it's, you know, I love seeing this and I used to go to car shows all the time and, like you'd always wonder like how the hell do people actually do this?

Speaker 1: 18:20

Like you know, I remember when Fast and the Furious furious came out like everyone was obsessed with with cars and having all these, these cars looking, you know, customized and everything like that, and I think, um, then mtv had also the the pimp, my ride, and you see the guy airbrushing and everything like that. And it's like, yeah, you went from you know t-shirts and now you're, you're doing this and it's a huge step in in the next um, it's in the correct path and everything like that. But that's exactly how life is you. You have to go through these steps. You can't just skip all these steps and just get to to where you're going. You know, that's something I like to teach my patients is there's building blocks, you know, when you're just going to keep going and going and going percent, hundred percent.

Speaker 2: 19:04

People just want to see the end result right away and they want to see the money right away. That's one of the very first things you don't think about. It's one of the first mistakes people think about is the money. Money will come, no matter what. If you just think the world is a huge place, right, we have all the social media If you can just be different, be creative, think outside the box and don't think about money right away.

Speaker 2: 19:27

Just think about what you want to do, ask yourself those questions. You know, if you had all the time, all the money rolled, you had no issues. What would you be doing? You know, I mean. But just be creative, think outside the box, be different. You will always be successful, no matter what. You know I mean, I'm telling you that's like I cannot preach this stuff enough. You know, I mean so. Like, for instance, the product, the products I'm bringing out in the industry, never been seen before, right, I know for a fact I don't get into anything else has multiple wow factors and this just has so many wow factors, has so much meaning behind it, never been seen. You know, I know it can't be, it can't be a fail. You know I mean. So I'm going to hit this thing at full, full bore and I plan on having it out in the new year.

Speaker 1: 20:08

So I'm looking forward to it, definitely looking forward to that I that I had.

Speaker 2: 20:13

You know, I have facebook, tiktok, instagram, but I keep up with my instagram more than anything. So if there's one thing people want to follow me on the outdoor artist, it's instagram, because I'll you know where I'm going to be next, who I'm, the celebrity I'm tattooing, um, I guess I'm going to be guest spotting on uh, hunting tv shows and the products, and it's just. There's so many things, you know. I mean, um, I actually want to start a food truck too. Um, everything is it has to do with the outdoors. You know, I mean, it's going to be, it'll be pretty well, and I hate that. Hey, I hate to say certain things out loud because anyone can be like oh man, that's freaking awesome, let's do that.

Speaker 1: 20:48

I'm like you know a lot of people are. And how do I say, you know, this is the era of a lot of the copycats. You know where people yeah, yeah, you know that's something that I always. I always talk on this podcast, like you know it's, I'm always trying to come up with something that no one else has thought of or like maybe one or two people have thought of, like I I'm very proud to say like this podcast started four years ago. Now you look at all the other podcasts that have like everyone is looking to do podcasting nowadays and everything like that, because once one person does it and it just gains traction and it's like, yeah, you have an idea, guess what? Someone could easily just go steal, steal that idea or or something like that. But you know, people don't want to work as as hard anymore as as like they used to, and that's that's one of the big things like um.

Speaker 2: 21:43

This is all hard work everything I do in my life, I I challenge myself. So if I'm fishing, I'm fly fishing. If I'm rifle hunting which I don't do, I I'm using a flintlock, you know. And if I'm hunting, I'm a trad. Or if I'm a bow hunting, I'm a trad bow guy. I don't do the compound thing. And I'll be honest with you, um, and tell you why I hunted. I started off with compound hunted probably like I don't know, from 19 to 30, 29, 30 I think, um, with a compound, my very last buck that I killed. And I tagged out every year. Um, my very last buck I killed.

Speaker 2: 22:19

I'm a big spot and stalker. The way I kind of hunt is very aggressive, right, um, I'm in the stand maybe two hours, you know, after daylight and then two hours before dark, but if it's the right conditions, I'm spotting, stalking. Now I had private land. I knew the land like the back of my hand and stuff, so I was able to do this. I wouldn't recommend it, you know it's going tromping around in the public land because you don't know. Especially, you know there's a lot of crazies out there, you know so, um. So I'm gonna be honest with this story. You know a lot of people don't agree. But, um, I was so confident so I spot and stalk.

Speaker 2: 22:55

I seen these three deer bedded. Uh, I was on the very top of a ridge looking down over there was like an old logging road all grown up and I knew these deer bedded on that logging road. And I started walking a couple yards and look down and repeat myself and I've seen these three deer bedded and there was one buck that I knew was in there. I never got a good look at him, I just knew he had a something going on crazy with his rack, because here in pa you're doing the spotlighting at nighttime and like two weeks before season I seen what I thought was a funky rack deer with like four other bucks bachelor it up. So I was kind of on, look for this guy and there's. So there's three deer down over there, about 82 yards away, and I had my compound, I had a single pin and the deer in the center was completely I didn't know what he was. He was completely passed out with his snout back in his belly just completely snoozing, and the other deer on either side of him was awake. Their heads were up but they were still bedded. It was crazy because there were two small little guys right and one was looking this way, one was looking that way and the deer in the middle was sleeping. So it's like he had these own bodyguards, almost. It was kind of wild.

Speaker 2: 24:07

So I crept down to like I crept down to 70 yards and now he has his head up and I looked through my binos and it was this crazy rack it had. He wasn't big, you know, it was a mainframe, I think like seven and maybe 100. Well, I know what he is because I killed him, but he was like 126 inch or something like that. Um, I'm stuck in the 120s, cutting pa all my life, you know. I mean I have this 120 curse. But he turned and I've seen he had a whole extra beam coming out of the side of his head with a drop time. Now I'm fired up because I love those goofy guys, you know I mean so anyway, um, he stands up and one thing I kind of know about deer from just watched it in the woods is when a deer gets out of a bed from snoozing, he'll stand there for like 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes, just standing there and trying to get his bearings together and figuring things out before he'll mosey off right. Absolutely no wind, no, nothing, nothing. 70 yards.

Speaker 2: 25:05

I was like, all right, well, here we go. So I shot, I watched him go 40 yards and died. I just plowed on my 70 yards and from that second I said to myself when I watched him die, I said I need something different, I need a challenge. So the very next year I picked up a trad bow and it was just game over, like I was tried through and through. Now I will say, the following year I had 140 inch uh buck on camera which I never had a big, a bigger buck on camera.

Speaker 2: 25:36

Um, so I was pumped and I had my compound and I started thinking I was like what if he's standing like 40 yards away and I have my trad bow and this? And I was like, nope, I can't do it. So I sold the bow the very next day, maybe two days after that, and I just took my trad bow out and a young kid actually ended up getting that buck for his very first archery buck. Um, oh wow, you can't really be mad, but at the same time you can yeah, yeah, no, I I get that.

Speaker 2: 26:00

But yeah, I ended up killing. Uh, I have the picture. I think the picture's on Instagram. I have just, you know, just a little, I don't know 118 inch, nice eight point. I killed from the ground with my trad bow that year and I killed a doe as well. So, but yeah, it's just been a crazy journey since with the trad bow.

Speaker 1: 26:17

So but yeah, that's, that's the next step.

Speaker 1: 26:26

I think for a lot of hunters, you know, once you like start mastering like whatever with with a compound bow, the next level is always that, that trad style, and that you know, I hear from a lot of people once you go there, it's like your bow hunting is already phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 26:36

Right, you know, and I love bow hunting, it's what I love to do, killing animals with guns. It doesn't give me the same like wow or adrenaline effect as as with a um, as with the bow, and you know, eventually, like the trad, that's that's the next step for me. You know, I got I still got some time to go because I still think there's some challenges that I still need to to get over the hump and everything like that um. But I know, like from greg and and all those guys like they, that's what they do, they all use the trad and they never hunt. I don't think anything else but with trad and you know right to take a deer with that, it's like it's just a whole nother step. It's the biggest, one of the biggest accomplishments you can.

Speaker 2: 27:21

You can have, I think, in archery yeah they say, uh, anything with any kill with the trad bow is a trophy, you know I mean. So, yeah, it's. I mean I I started with a gun, um, never killed a deer. You know, I picked up a compound, killed my first year and then I eventually worked into a trad bow. I still have yet to kill a buck with a gun. I have no desire.

Speaker 2: 27:44

You know, even like right before I got into tattooing, maybe like five years ago, I bet you I passed up 25 different buck with a compound. You know, I mean I just I just sat back and I enjoyed just nature and, um, you know, nothing crazy came by. So but now, like even shooting a doe, that just it gets my blood going and my adrenaline pumping. It's just, it's just a whole different adrenaline. I always say it's like you have that adrenaline rush for killing a deer, but if you have a trad bow and you like, it's just a whole different adrenaline rush. Almost it's hard to explain unless you experience it. You know I mean, but trad just makes you like think a lot crazier because you have to get them into 20 or less. You know I mean like it just makes you work that much harder to be a hunter and stuff like that. It's just, you know, I don't know.

Speaker 2: 28:33

I like preaching trad because it's just fun to shoot and it's, you know, it's just a great time it's. It's you're carrying a stick and string, so, like, my bow is next to nothing, you know I have. Yeah, I mean, I know some people are listening and can't watch this, but my hunting room here is a crazy mess but I have probably 15 tribe bows here. I got bow fishing bows and all kinds of stuff just hanging around but it's.

Speaker 1: 28:56

It's a thing where I think, as a bow hunter too, like with the compound, like I could shoot to 60, 80, you know, I really try not to go 40 and out, but honestly, I would say every single deer that I've killed in my life has all been within 20 yards and in. And I, you know, I shot, you know, uh, one of my sixes I think that was a chip, I think maybe maybe 10 yards, right. And people always ask like why don't you take shots at it? Because, as a bow hunter, for me the closer the better. I know I can reach. But you know what. You did everything right.

Speaker 1: 29:35

If you could basically jump on the back of that deer, if you could spit on that deer, like you know, yeah, that's great, I could shoot to 40 or 50 yards, but you know what. But like man, there's great, I can shoot to 40 or 50 yards, but you know what. But like man, there's so much that can go wrong at those distances where it's like to me, 20, 20 yards and in, that's the perfect way to go and the least likely. You know something is going to go wrong with, with your shot. And I know, once you get into that trad, it's like now. It's even more important that you know nothing goes wrong at all with it, with with the trad bow.

Speaker 2: 30:09

Right, yeah, I want, like, if I can kill I don't know, I don't know if I like saying kill or harvest, I don't know what people refer but um, if I can, uh, kill a, an animal, a big game animal, from the ground with my trad bow, I'm gonna try, because it is a whole different rush. Um, last year I was in a hurry but I wanted to hunt for a couple hours. I went to my spot, no, stand, no, nothing, just my trad bow and stuff. I sat on the ground at this tree, nothing around me, just sat on the base of this, you know, this base of the street, and this like super, super nice, uh, I think it was like a seven point or eight point, I can't remember, but uh, I bet you it was at least 125 or 130, you know, super nice for pa.

Speaker 2: 30:56

Um, this thing came walking. I had the video somewhere. It came walking straight up to me, to my, on my left side, and I stopped it, probably about seven yards from me, and when you're on the ground and you're looking face to face with a big game animal at that distance, it's just like this crazy, crazy feeling, the experience. Right, you know, easy shot, um, but I didn't realize the dead tree laying between us and had one limb sticking up off the ground and you just had to light it, knock and stuff, and you just see my arrow smack that limb and just you know errors to Jesus, pretty much so, but that that was. It was just, yeah, a crazy, crazy experience. That was one of my more memorable hunts.

Speaker 1: 31:41

So now you know and I love that too, cause, like some of my most memorable hunts are hun, you know and I love that too, because, like some of my most memorable hunts are hunts that I wasn't successful. Well, not successful, I think I did a lot of things right, so I was successful, but I did. I didn't, you know, kill anything. You know where something you know may have just went wrong, or you know, I my probably most memorable hunt was everything was perfect. During the rut, deer shot at him and my drop away rest never went down, which fletch completely just stripped my arrow and the arrow just flopped, like right in front of the deer, right. And you know it was tough.

Speaker 1: 32:22

It was like I was, I was hurting pretty bad at that point, but you know what then I was like why, like you know what, right, everything went correct, like this was something out of your, out of your control. You know what you got within bow range on a nice mature buck, right, you know the wind, everything went correct. And that's how I started taking things into into like effect. And you know just learning, just hey, everything is a learning goal. Hunting is you could take every little thing and you have to turn it positive. And that's everyday life too. Like you can't look at everything as negative, you have to look at the positive, even if it's the most negative thing. You find that little tiny positive and that's what you work with.

Speaker 2: 33:05

Correct. That's one thing I preach all the time is there's a positive in every situation and if you can just focus on that positive, you can get through any situation. Because trust me when I say I'd probably be in a different state of mind, a different place, if it wasn't for that, with all the things that I had to go through in my lifetime and stuff. So you are completely right with that. But yes, also, you couldn't set it better um, more the um hunts. That I wasn't successful was more the memorable ones. Like I can probably tell you more stories about not being successful and whatnot, but it was so much fun. My very first year of going flintlock hunting, I bet you I shot and missed 12 times and it was like the best day ever. It was just a blast, like literally a blast so so real quick, because I've only talked.

Speaker 1: 33:49

I think I talked to one other person. He's a PA hunter and you know he he hunts with the flintlock. Like what is that? It's so like old school, like it's such a cool weapon to to hunt a deer with. But like what is that? What is the whole hunting with a flintlock?

Speaker 2: 34:07

like actually. Well, I can tell you one thing you can't go flintlock hunting unless you have a guy, unless you have two guys. One needs to be banging on a drum, another one needs to be carrying a flag. No, I'm just kidding, no, it's very so. The fun of it comes right if you break it down. The fun of it comes when you shoot and you miss, and that deer a lot of times just stand there right and then you have to hurry up. You're trying to be still, but at the same time you have to hurry up and try to reload this dang gun. Um, while the deer is doing its thing and you're freaking out and stuff. It's just, yeah, it's.

Speaker 2: 34:44

It's like a frustrating fun moment, you know, I mean, and you can't be mad because you're just like, like I'm laughing the whole time like I, I. That's why one of the reasons why I started filming all my hunts is because I'm such an idiot, like I'm always just like talking to the deer and cracking jokes, and if a buddy's with me, it's even worse. So, yeah, I plan on revamping my YouTube channel and just to kind of show how fun hunting should be. It shouldn't be like I mean, here's the thing, right, everyone hunts for a certain reason. Therefore, you should never judge anyone on the way they hunt or why. You know I mean you hunt for a reason, I hunt for a reason, like certain angles with hunting. Right, some people are just out to hang out with friends and have a good time making memories. Some people want to hunt for meat. Some people want to just kill giants and that's, that's fine. You know, I mean I'll snort them, whatever. So you should never, never judge.

Speaker 2: 35:42

Like I listen to podcasts and I'll listen to all the people with the hate and say no stuff, but at the same time, you don't, you don't really know, like, the reasons for hunting and stuff. You know I mean so you can't really do that. The only thing, like I can sit here and tell you when I talk, I say my thoughts, um, the way I hunt, the way I do it, but that's okay if you disagree. At the same time, you know I mean so, uh, but yeah, certain things like that I love to just touch on and you know, preach and whatnot. Use your crossbow, use your whatever you want to use, you know, as long as you're not being an idiot in the woods and harming you know others, or being destructive or whatever.

Speaker 1: 36:17

Yeah, do you boo now, you know and that's that's a great thing, because we talk about that a lot too as well first of all, there's so many different. That's why, like one of the reasons like talking to so many guys, like, if you're someone who's not experienced, or even an experienced hunter and you're sitting down listening to our podcast, right, you get so many different hunting strategies and methods because everyone has their own style of hunting and their own beliefs. Where you know it's exactly what I said, my belief, my style, the way I do it right, you know, know when it's that's how we do, I, my style might not be perfect for you, but it it works for me and that's how I've adjusted to to hunting gear. Where you know where I hunt in new jersey and you know, sometimes a different deer need, need a different you know style or or whatever the case is. And now I I've sat back and I go through my podcast or I listened to other people like, okay, you know what he brought up, a good point. Now, maybe I'm I'm going to try this and I'm going to see how this works.

Speaker 1: 37:20

You know, I was talking to Alex Buck down on on his podcast the other day and he he talks about a light rattling during the early season And've heard that before. But I've never like, oh like, I don't really want to carry my, my antlers with me. But he goes, listen, it does work, because you know, if you watch bucks, they do a very light, not even really sparring, but they do hit their antlers together a little bit, especially fresh after velvet coming off or something like that. They want to know what they, what they have. They can't see their antlers, they're just very curious of what they have. Um, so I was like, wow, you know what that's. That's a pretty smart idea. Like you know what I might, I might try that. I'm going to delaware on on the first and you know what I might bring maybe some rattling antlers. I don't know if deer are going to be in velvet yet. It's a whole new game plan for me.

Speaker 1: 38:18

Now. I got to come up with a whole new hunting strategy for hunting that early in the year, you know. So mixing it up and trying new things sometimes for for what other people recommend, you can't really hate on it until you, until you try it too as well. Like it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you, right? And then you're going to use your opinion Like hey, you know what this didn't work for me, but you know what it worked for this guy. I noticed Midwest deer a lot more vocal and they respond to a lot more rattling and grunting than you know. My experience in New Jersey, where that doesn't really work nearly, nearly, nearly as much no, yeah, people have to understand, like deer, just curious creatures, you know I mean.

Speaker 2: 38:55

So, even if you just do a real light, they're curious, they're gonna come by maybe, um, if they're interested. But same deal. You know, I did rattle that first trad kill. I was on the ground, I did a rattling, grunt, right sequence, raking leaves and all that um, and I brought that deer in, I think only one other time. But I will tell you I hunt illinois um a good bit and it is completely insane. You can't hit those antlers hard enough. I bet you every hour and a half I would hit them, a whole new buck will come in, like it's just completely wild out there, right? So, uh, yeah, I mean you just kind of like know, know your area and whatnot. When it comes to that, you know I don't like talking too much on that stuff is just because you have so many people like no, it's not true, you know so. But again, from my experience I can tell you it is true, you know, I mean yeah, there there's that.

Speaker 1: 39:53

Um, and this will be the last before we we move on to the next topic. Um, you know, I tried it for the first time this year, um, and you know I do a lot of saddle hunting and everything like that, but I want to make things as realistic as possible. You know, and I I picked that up from kind of you know, the hunting public and everything like that watching their stuff, and I will actually get down and it is very risky. I will get down and I will actually get my rattles on on the ground and I will make as much noise like bucks are actually fighting and I'm kicking the leaves and doing everything like that. And then, the minute I'm done, I'm real quick getting as quickly and stealthy as possible, getting back up and you know it, it has worked.

Speaker 1: 40:34

Now, sometimes it may not work. You know, I don't know if a deer is actually right there and watching me and I just don't see it, but I think that's something that I plan on recording it, um, for this upcoming year and I that's, I guarantee you that's something I'm gonna get a lot of hate on and people are gonna call me stupid and everything like that, but but you know what? You never know until you try, and that's the whole thing. You got to fail to be successful. So I'd rather go out there and have fun and try and you know. If it fails and doesn't work, then you know what Cool. But if it does work, I mean great. I just found maybe another tactic that may work. Only 5% of the time may only work, you know, 1% of the time, or it could be something that's a 50, 50, you just never know. Right, it's all about the trial of failure and you know, to really know what's going to work.

Speaker 2: 41:24

Yeah, I'm uh, that, I'm not gonna lie. Um, I'd be doing the same shit, but it's very, very risky because if you have a deer close by, I mean, there's been times I've rattled and as I'm rattling they run in, or like, literally not even a minute later they run it. You know, I mean, but then it takes 30, 40 minutes to an hour. They'll eventually come in, you know I mean. So you just never know. But hey, if that's what you want to do, hell yeah, I'll be down there doing snow angels in the leaves listen.

Speaker 1: 41:54

It's a's a risk factor, but I think it. I think it is worth it at some point because it's something that the deer, you know, I think animals get so used to, what humans do. And if you really don't make it realistic, right here you're, you're getting your rattles up in the air. Where, where is the fighting? Where's the actual fighting noise when you actually hear deer going at it? I mean, it is, it is allowed, it's. You're hearing brush break and everything like that. So it has to be as realistic as possible and you know what. They still are going to get curious if you do it, because I've done it up in the tree where they still, they're still coming in. You know what I mean. But I think to maybe help fool for however long that really mature buck, I think that could be the the step that some people may need to take. So we'll, we'll see how that goes.

Speaker 2: 42:46

Um, yeah, you know so yeah, I, I um real quick. I I'm I kind of screw myself a lot when it comes to the grunting and rattling. I feel like I do it too much, or like, or something you know I mean. But um, I will say, though, with that that you just said about, maybe think about put your bow on the stringer, lower it down, get down, do it, you know, and just just in case, and then throw your bow and stringer in it, cause if you're already down there, you're going to spend that time getting down there and getting back up. You might as well just take the boat with. You know what I mean, cause you never know, you could tuck behind that tree. You hear something running, tuck behind that tree and you can possibly get a shot off. That's a really good point that you had. Right there. All you have is your finger guns to go off with now I got one more just off of that.

Speaker 1: 43:58

You know the calling. Have you noticed? Does snort wheezing work for you? You know, I know that's a big thing and I'm a big believer of it. It doesn't always work, I think sometimes I scare a lot of deer off, but it I do get deer that are very curious, that do come in and that's a part of my, my sequence it's, it's how you enter that snort wheeze into what you're doing.

Speaker 2: 44:18

I believe you know, like there's times like, like I said, I'm still kind of learning myself and what's not working, whatnot, um, there'll be times that, um, I'll randomly just do it, but I feel like so when I'm out in illinois, right, I bet you, I'm telling you right now, I rattled in um like probably nine or ten different bucks one day and my little sequence was I would hit the grunt. You know, so I I think of the realistic situation, right, so a deer sees another deer, a buck sees another buck, and I'll hit the grunt, um, I'll do a couple soft grunts, whatever, um, because every time I do something. Now, if I'm blind, that's a different story. But if I see a deer and I'm trying to get him to come in, I'll do one thing I'll watch him. If I need him to react differently, I'll do another thing.

Speaker 2: 45:02

Right, so I'll hit the grunt and then I'll hit it even harder and then I'll wait a little bit and then I'll do the snort wheeze and then I'll rattle, you know, I mean, so I'm just trying to imagine, like, two deer seeing each other. They let they they're vocally, let them know that they're there, um, and then they let them know that they're pissed, snort, wheeze, and then now they're battling. You know, I mean so and then maybe when they're done.

Speaker 2: 45:43

Yeah, so I think that's like maybe the go-to, but, um, then maybe when they're done rat, like when you're done fighting, when you're done rattling, I'll just hit like a couple, like one or two more little grunts to kind of finish it off. But um, it seemed to work out there pretty dang good. So but I, I do, I do think it's like how you use it and when you use it, which goes along with everything, obviously, but um, but yeah yeah, I, I would agree, I definitely would.

Speaker 1: 46:09

Um. So for you, you know a little more on on hunting. You know what. What is, uh, your first year. So you know you, you go into your first year of hunting. What was your first like memory at 12 years old? What is like one of the first memories you have of you know, maybe getting your license or whatever the case is like what's that first memory that really sticks out to you?

Speaker 2: 46:33

I'll tell you exactly what my first memory is. Uh, like I said, everything I'm in I get into. I have a crazy story about it. Um, my dad's like. I told my dad I was like, because, like I said, I didn't come from a hunting family. Like he, his friends invited him out once or twice and then, like he, I tagged along. But I sat in this like I remember sitting in like giant hut in the middle of the field at the Amish build or something, and it was like a living room in there and we seen one though that 10 people shot. I was just and I was like, what the hell is all this? So I got hit 12 years old.

Speaker 2: 47:07

My mom married into a different family and they were hunters. And I was like, hey, I want to try hunting stuff. And my dad's like, well, all I have is this old 303 military war british rifle like holds a bayonet and this I can barely lift a damn thing. He's like, and it's open sights, no scope. And he's like, let's shoot her in. So the only thing he had in the yard to shoot at was his old boat. So we ended up picking a spot on the boat, shooting a bunch of holes in it. He's like, yep, good to go, and he just hands it to me and so I went out. I had a herd of deer come in um and I just started firing away at these deer and not hitting the damn thing, but it was fun, you know best memories.

Speaker 1: 47:53

Definitely those are the best memories. And I think it's like a rite of passage, as you're like when you, especially when you're that young, your first hunt is to miss all your deer. You know you hear the stories of the quiver, like you have no more arrows in your quiver, everything like that. Like I think it's people gotta realize, like you know you gotta have fun too, um at well, and you know hunting it can be tough and challenging, but man, you gotta sometimes go out there and just just have fun and remember to relax a little bit and enjoy nature and just make memories. And you know there's a bunch of hunts, or even still now, like I'm the goofiest person where I I trip up a lot, like I'm going through thick stuff and I get all tangled and I will go flying all the time and it's like you gotta laugh about it. You know it's just fun 100.

Speaker 2: 48:43

And I'll tell you what. That first year of hunting with that big ass gun, um, I had those herd of deer come by my first shot. I remember this, actually it just sparked my memory. I shot that, those deer and then they split off. Well, one of them came and literally almost I was just sitting at the base of a tree, almost brushed up against me and then, like it's for me, I'm adrenaline junkie, right. That's where my drug of choice was, so like I was a dirt bike racer and I was I just did all these things like jumping off cliffs and whatnot. But that's why I fell in love so much with hunting, because I felt that adrenaline rush, right. But it was those scary moments in the woods that you question yourself, that you should probably give it up, that I was like all for you know I mean so I, 12 years old, I deer came almost like running full bore right by me.

Speaker 1: 49:31

I'm like oh shit you know, I I believe in that so much like I the adrenaline I've done a lot of things and like the adrenaline of hunting is like kind of unmatched to anything that I've ever done um, you know, but that's why I think I've more and more wanted to hunt Africa and I had never, never, wanted to hunt Africa.

Speaker 1: 49:57

I'm like, and you know, it's still something that might not happen, because my goal is to be out in Alaska to hunt moose and bear and everything like that. But, man, you look at Alaska and everything is dangerous, you know, and it's that like, oh my god, should I really be doing this? And that adrenaline and your heart rates picking up. And then there's such big creatures that it's like now I'm kind of getting more like I want to kind of do that, like I want to experience and an african hunt at least once, I think, definitely at least once and to chase some big game, like you know, water buffalo we had him on mike hex and you know we're we're part of the um, the hex team, and everything like that, um, and yeah, I mean we, we, we got into this.

Speaker 2: 50:45

I'm not trying to get off I'm not trying to get off topic or anything, but I tell people like I say about, like I give them my like I have special sorry, I'm getting like going crazy right now because you just said this my like I have special sorry, I'm getting like going crazy right now because you just said this um, but I have special shoes for spot and stock and like. So I tell people, like if you have the extra money and it's not gonna like, it's not a burden or anything like, just grab it and try it. You know I mean, but I tell you right now I layer up with my base layer and then, um, my merino wool base layer and then my hex suit and then, uh, I just I'm a traditional guy so I just wear, like you know, flannels and whatnot, but, um, but I had bobcats come underneath my stand. Not even look at me. I, on the ground, I had I got super close to things, like I'm not saying, like it might be this hex suit or whatever.

Speaker 2: 51:29

But I'm telling you, I don't know what it is, but it could be.

Speaker 1: 51:33

And like I'm a believer, I'll just say that you know, I mean everyone that I've talked to that uses it. That's like they're, they're a believer. I mean I use it for the first time, you know, this year for turkey season, and I mean the amount of birds that we're around with, like constantly. I had a deer almost walk up on me, like at the end of the season, like I think it may not and and this is what he even said too like this isn't going to make you the best hunter, right, but it's a tool to to help you. You still have to do other things correct, but it may help you get away with maybe that that extra movement that you weren't going to get away with before.

Speaker 1: 52:08

Um, it's like have you ever been in the tree and you're, everything is right, but that deer is still able to to ping you at it out of that tree. He goes that's a good reason Like why you would use it. You know it just cuts down on that. He's like I have birds flying on me and everything like that. So you know I I'm really, from from the testing that we've done from Turkey season, really excited and now we're really you really, you know gonna get a full launch of using it for for deer season, but everyone I know they're like I don't leave the wood or I don't go to the woods to hunt without my hex right.

Speaker 2: 52:43

Yeah, I'm glad you brought it up, because I've been wanting to order a new one. I don't know, um, if, like, I don't know how to maintain it and stuff, or if there's certain things you gotta do, like I just I just got it couple of years ago and I've been using ever since, so I was going to buy a new, fresh one just to have one. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 52:58

But yeah, so you, you, you can wash it, Um, I recommend, um, air drying it, um, you know. And then I know there is a thing with the ozonics or that you have to be careful with with something with the ozonics. So if anyone out there has hex and they have like ozonics or whatever, you have to be very careful with that. And they even do say it like if you use ozonics on on our product, like there is no, like you're now you're taking, like it's at, it's your fault, he goes, everything else you can do, it's going to work out. But something with the ozonics cause something in the tear or or something like that. Um, but you can do, it's going to work out. But something with the ozonics cause something in the tear or or something like that. Um, but you can wash it, um, you can put it in the dryer, but, like, then of course there's going to be more wear and tear on it as well. So that's why I recommend uh, putting it out outside to to dry and everything like that.

Speaker 2: 53:50

Um, but yeah, I mean you should. You should do with all your clothes anyway, if you. Yeah, I know people are in a rush and they forget the. They wanted to wash it, so they'll do whatever. But I'm glad you said that though, because I've been throwing all my stuff in my um, my bag that has the cleaner or the the. I don't know how you pronounce it, you know. I mean so yeah. Well, yeah, it probably probably be bad for me to get a new one, you know, so yeah yeah, definitely, you know, I I love them.

Speaker 1: 54:16

I mean, I still gotta, I want to pick up more stuff, because it's actually like I do like and that was another thing like when we were talking to me he was like listen, you don't, you can, you can use it as a base layer. You can use, you can hunt with it. Just hunt with it, or you can still put all your other camel that you have on and on top of it and it's all going to be good. Because I remember like damn, you know, I just bought a whole bunch of new like sicker for Christmas, like my fiance, and stuff like that, and I don't want to waste you know all that money and everything like that. But then he was like no, like just wear it on underneath, he goes, that's what it's for. Like, as long as it's on you, it works, you know. And yeah, no, I love it.

Speaker 1: 54:54

I'm glad that you know you're another person who loves it and uses it as well.

Speaker 2: 54:59

You want to know something funny is I hunt like Maryland early season stuff I'm actually about to gear up to go down and it was just so bad the one day and I literally wore just my boxers and the hex suit and you can see kind of through that. Yeah, and I hunted just like that, I didn't give a shit, you know, and I end up killing a doe down there pretty much butt naked, if you mind you. You know I wore my crocs. I mean it was just, it was yeah, it was pretty fun time.

Speaker 1: 55:28

super breezy did not get hot exactly and I I actually I wear. I wear that right now. So, like when I'm doing a bunch of like you know, any work out there because it's been so hot, like that's what I'm wearing, you know, because it is so breezy and I love it, it's comfortable, everything like that. And that's my game plan, depending on the weather, like we're gonna be down in delaware and closer to to the water and everything like that. So if it's super hot and everything like that, listen, I'm wearing boxers and I'm wearing my, my heck suit and that's really about it. I mean, you know, and the plan is to definitely kill something down there, you know, and everything like that.

Speaker 1: 56:03

But great product, anyone out there, you know who's who's interested? We have a link in our description, everywhere that we have. We'll even post it up, you know, click the link, go check them out, like, and, like you said, if you have the money, it is, it is 100 worth it. I know you're gonna look people look at the price, like, oh, like that's expensive. But you know what, if you have it, it's worth it and you know you definitely should, should, go for it right.

Speaker 2: 56:30

There's definitely been some times um hunting down there in maryland early season september that I got down my stand, jumped in the bay and then got back in my stand yeah, definitely so.

Speaker 1: 56:42

Oh, man, I mean, so far, this is. I'm loving this. Uh, you know. So let's get a little bit back into. You know, the tattooing and everything like that. What's your what has? Is there been a piece that has really stuck out to you that that's been your favorite so far, or?

Speaker 2: 56:58

is each one different I will say you're breaking up a little bit so I'm trying to piece together what you're saying, but something about tattooing that sticks out is what you're saying. Yes, yes, um, I would say it's just, for me it's, it's like coming up with the journey, like living the journey and then experiencing everything. But um, and it's like, and like the one of my drives are is, um, you know, it's always what I do, always opens up new doors and it's's just. You never know.

Speaker 2: 57:34

You know, I'm big on taking chances, like I know for a fact I won't be where I am today if I didn't take chances. You know that one chance, that first chance I took was, you know, giving up a pretty good job to go work Hershey Park for minimum wage, you know. So you got to take those chances. But I mean, that question can be answered so many different ways. When it comes to just a certain tattoo or a person, or you know I have. We can be here for hours talking about some crazy stories and whatnot, you know, with all the crazy requests and whatnot.

Speaker 1: 58:09

So yeah, I'm not exactly sure how you want me to answer that. It no, it's um with with all the crazy requests. Uh, crazy requests what? What is one that? Is there, one that really sticks out like what has been like the craziest one that you've got, or you know the hardest tattoo, that that you've ever done? You know what kind of take us through through that?

Speaker 2: 58:28

well, I'll say, I'll say this um, people ask what's something you won't do, right and the only thing. I really say that because I can do pretty much anything. I'm not scared of tattooing anything. You can show me a crazy, crazy image and I'll still hammer it out, you know, I mean because it comes. What it comes down to is it's all just lines, shadows, highlights. You know, I mean it's like don't ever look at anything as a whole picture. Break it down to something simpler and then get through it. You know, take that as a life lesson. Don't look at a bad situation or a situation as a whole, but break it down, start at the very, you know, bottom, work your way up and then, by the time you're done with it, you're done. You know what I mean. So I won't take on any hate. You know, obviously, like certain symbols and whatnot. I won't do anything in that realm and whatnot. Um, I'm not a big fan of floral. You know, all these crazy floral sleeves and whatnot. Um, that's trending, but I'll still do them. But so those are the things that I kind of like. I, you know more, not dislike. You know what I mean. But, um, but let's see, I, yeah. Where can I start with this?

Speaker 2: 59:38

I did some pretty, pretty cool ones. I did like you know, you get your friends that want you know stuff on their ass, cheeks and I, you know I get girls that want you know more personal places you know and I'm super, super respectful you know. And places you know and I'm super, super respectful you know and keep your, you know, keep them covered up. And you know, because I'm in, I'm in my shop and there's other four other artists in there and clients walking in and out, you know I mean. So yeah, um, I did. I had this big gnarly biker dude come in the one time. He's like hey, I want armpit tattoos. I'm like that's disgusting. I was like, but I'll do them. He's like no, I just washed them, you're good to go. I'm like okay, cool, but yeah, I did like spiderwebs, that's got to hurt.

Speaker 2: 1:00:21

That's got to hurt. He just sat there. I'm like you are crazy. So I did the bottom of a foot, I mean, it's just pretty much anything you think of. I probably did already. So now I never tattooed a guy's you know business, what I I don't know. I'm pretty crazy so it don't really bother me. But no, nothing like crazy. I did head tattoos and in the ears and just pretty much. You know, I probably don't experience it.

Speaker 1: 1:00:57

Someone comes into your shop and everything like that, you know, what do you? They give you an idea and do you? You run with it Like, say like, hey, listen, this is, and this is how I usually do it, like I give people like just ideas and I want the artists to just run with it. And you know, know, usually they'll create me something like that and usually I've never had a problem with with what an artist has kind of kind of done. Uh, you know, but you know, depending on the time and everything like that breakdown, like a session that say I was to come in, you know, I gave you a bunch of ideas, you, what does it look like? The breakdown of doing a, doing a tattoo for you, on on like a daily basis?

Speaker 2: 1:01:35

um, uh, yeah, so you just get a hold of me, um, you give me your ideas, um, basically, I need to know just your idea where you want it. Uh, I'll tell you my day rate or whatever, like the time to take. Uh, we set a date and a couple days prior to some nights sometimes the night before, I'll get to, you know, drawing it up or if it's something that doesn't need pre-drawn, you know, I mean, uh, I usually start at 12 o'clock, um, and I tattoo. I'm usually done by like six. It just depends on, you know, I'll do, you know, three hour tattoos, I'll do eight hour tattoos. So it just, you know, just depends, you know, but it's not, it's not hard, you know.

Speaker 2: 1:02:15

I I will say it's, it's kind of tough getting in with me. I, um, I deal with hundreds and hundreds of people on a daily basis. That's not even a joke, you know. So I gotta kind of figure out more. Like I'm so far along in my career that I need to figure out what, like how I want to approach these things more, you know. So I can, because I can go off on different ways right now.

Speaker 2: 1:02:38

Um, but one thing I want to say and I preach another thing I preach all the time and I sound like a broken record is people have to understand that there's a difference between a tattooer and a tattoo artist. The majority of people out there, especially in pa, are tattooers. Right, because there's no rules. It's crazy. I wish they would make it so hard to become a tattoo artist. Because it's permanent. Right, you're dealing with open wounds and you got people just buying cheap equipment open up a shop and there's no rules, there's nothing, right. So and then? But your average person doesn't know this. They just say, hey, look, this person's in a shop, he must be good, and then I have to fix it, I have to cover it. You know, I mean all this stuff. But a tattooer, they just learn how to use the machine. They're not an artist. They can't design shit. You know. You give them a picture from, you know, google or pinterest. They don't care if it's backwards, upside down, anything. They don't care, you know, if it's crooked. They just see they can make some money, a good bit of money, tattooing, right. So a tattoo artist, they don't care about money. There are artists through and through. You can just say, for instance, hey, full leg sleeve, mermaid, and they will design a whole entire leg sleeve for you just by the word mermaid, you know, I mean, I had so many people come to me like I can't find what I want on the internet.

Speaker 2: 1:03:56

I'm like that's my job. Just tell me what you want. I don't need no images, no, nothing. The only time I ever use reference images is if it's like a realistic face or a realistic animal. Everything else I won't have anything. You know, I'll pull references to design it, but as I'm tattooing, you'll never see me look at a ipad or any, any image or anything, you know I mean, unless it's like a realistic animal or or if it's a logo, because logos have to be, you know, obviously spot on. Yeah, um, but yeah, um, I don't know where I was going with your question, but I just really wanted to touch on that tattoo and tattoo artists, because my thing is like, if the more people know about that, the more they can do the research and the less shittier tattoos are out there, more or less, you know I mean so well, I I will say I kind of forgot what my question was too, because I was listening.

Speaker 1: 1:04:47

Um, so no matter anymore. Um, I know you did say um, how do you prepare for an eight out, like so? I've always been curious, like my friend. He got once like a 12 hour on the ribs and everything like that, where I mean it was broken down to two sessions and everything like that. But you know, say you're, you know, tomorrow, you know you're gonna have like an eight hour session, a pretty big session. You know what is your preparation going into. You know a very big session and things like that oh, I don't, I don't, I don't do anything.

Speaker 2: 1:05:20

Like like I literally I have the design ready, but like mentally and stuff, I just, I just wake up, you just do it. Yeah, I just do it. I don't think about anything, like I don't let anything stress me out, like I live such a better life now, um, in every aspect, because I literally do not let anything stress me out. I look at everything so differently now and I wish everyone would do this because I hear like, oh, life's so tough? No, it's not, it's you right. You're the only person that can change yourself. You're the only person that can guide your life in a certain direction. If anything comes your way, it's how you respond, how you take it. You know what I mean. So, and think about the positives and every bad situation I mean just stuff like that. So like someone wants a crazy design and I'm like I'm not going to get all worked up and like you know anything like that, I'm just going to do it. You know what I mean. All I need is that that stencil and I need to get it on.

Speaker 2: 1:06:21

I always tell people the preparation is the hardest. Tattooing is easy. For me, you know. I mean it's getting the stencil laid out and perfect, because I don't care how good of a tattoo artist you are, if your stencil is shit, your design shit, and you place it on backwards or whatever it's off, I don't care how good you tattoo, it's going to be a shit tattoo, you know, I mean so I take my preparation very, very seriously, you know, I mean so. That usually takes the longest. Like I said, the tattooing is easy. That's the easy part, so gotcha.

Speaker 2: 1:06:49

But yeah, I don't, like I said, I don't really prepare anything, because I don't. I don't get stressed or worried about anything. I, you know. I mean, I just know what, who, I have what time, what does I have to do, what I have to do, and that's basically it, you know. Now for the other people, I will say um, before, especially for a full day, you just want to make sure you're well rested, you want to. Actually people don't realize this, but if you do, there's a real quick workout to get your blood flowing and everything. That's a bonus for both of us. And if you just lotion your skin like a week prior, every day, that's a plus too. You know, there's like I actually want to come out with a book about tattoo myths, like breaking tattoo myths, um preparation that the tattooers versus tattoo artists. Let's touch on all that stuff because I feel like, if I can at least make this stuff well known, the in the future there's going to be more and more people with more and more better tattoos and tattoo experiences. Tattoo experiences should be like a day at a spa. It should not be stressful.

Speaker 2: 1:07:45

I cannot stand when someone comes to me and is like I won't go to this shop anymore because the tattoo artist is a dick. It's so quiet, it's dark, it's horror, it's like death metal, it's just like it's not a cool experience. You know what I mean. So I'm complete opposite. Anyone that does my shop, everyone in there, is just full of life, joy, um, bright, sunshine, happy, like I'm singing like a crazy person and I always tell people entertainment's free. Um, it's just like abundance of random music playing You'll be lit. My, my uh music list is like my brain. You know you'll be listening to Michael Jackson. You know you'll be listening to Michael Jackson. Then you'll be listening to Garth Brooks and then the Backstreet Boys.

Speaker 1: 1:08:25

You know, I mean, that is, that is such a, that is pretty cool, like I like that, that that's a, that's a mood for it for sure. Um, no, I got a few more for you. Um, you know, you talk about having to to fix, you know, tattoos. You know, and I know that's such a big thing with cover-ups, you know, has there been one that stuck out to you like, do you first of all, do you turn? Do you turn away? Like I know certain people, they, they will. So you, you won't turn away, anything like that. Um, so what, what are some of the ones that stick out to you that like, oh, this is this going to be a challenge? Or like, holy shit, this was, this was horribly done. Like?

Speaker 2: 1:09:08

I bet there are some so I will say, um, there's one that's my most memorable one and I just finished it and whatnot. And before I say that, I want to tell you I had so many people come in from different uh places like we tried this shop, this shop, they all said, no, I can't do it here. Here's my theory, right, this is why I won't turn one down is because if, first of all, if man made it, man can fix it, and all another thing is it's not about if it can't be done, it's how creative are you to get it done right. And I like to think I'm super creative, so normally I'm always figuring out a way, right. And there's also techniques and stuff you can do to make a cover up. Go away as well. But I just finished a sleeve. It's on my Instagram. It's Thor, right.

Speaker 1: 1:09:53

OK, yes, yes yeah.

Speaker 2: 1:09:54

Right, and that was a cover up I actually got. I usually carry this trophy and stuff I got's. I got second place for best cover-up at a tattoo convention. Um, so the guy had the word like back when he was, like, you know, in his 20s in the military. He had big black letters, usmc. The only problem is the dude did uscm, so he had he had that for years spelled wrong. It was just it was like a tribal, uh, armband and whatnot. But yeah, that thing is completely gone. Um, and the reason that's the most memorable one is because that is actually one that I was like I don't know man. Um, it was like well, what he wanted me to tattoo wasn't something I do all the time. Um, and it's a cover up on top of that. He's like no, you got it. So he literally just said he just made me like, just do it, and it just turned out like one of my best pieces, I think, today, you know I mean it's phenomenal, it is absolutely phenomenal.

Speaker 1: 1:10:51

I mean, I'm looking at it right now and I I love it. Um, that's one of the ones that definitely stuck out to me too as well, and I would never have known that it was a cover-up if we didn't talk yeah, yep for sure.

Speaker 2: 1:11:03

Well, yeah, he, just like I said, you can't be. So. I will say, like in this book. There's certain things in this book that I said about that. Well, I'll never like you know, it'll never leave my head.

Speaker 2: 1:11:15

So one thing it says um, what is the most wealthiest place in the world? And it's the graveyard. Because the graveyard is where all the hopes, the dreams and vengeance go to die, because people are too scared to get them out, they're too scared to make that leap, to make that change in life. So they can do this, to sacrifice this, so they can do it, like so many people with so many good ideas and like skills, and they just don't know how to properly go about it or they're too afraid to. And that's why they say the graveyard is the most wealthiest place in the world. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 1:11:43

So that just hits home with me and that's why I'm not scared. I'll take chances every day. I'm so spontaneous with trips because I feel like no matter, like you never know who you're going to run into, what they know, who. They know connections, what doors may open. You know what I mean. Know connections, what doors may open. You know I mean, and like I said, I just that's how I've been for years now, and it's just been one door opening after another.

Speaker 1: 1:12:04

So now I I got a few more questions. As for, these are the standard ones that we ask every new guest, and then I'll let you go here um your dream hunt. If you could hunt anywhere for two weeks, money's not an option when would you hunt and what animal would you hunt?

Speaker 2: 1:12:23

All right. So I have a dream animal and I have a dream hunt. So two different things, right? My dream animal was a red stag.

Speaker 2: 1:12:30

Um, I want to do everything the right way. I don't want to like, do like you know, go to a farm and in the States and stuff. I want to go to New Zealand, all that. But anyway, my dream hunt like I'm a trad hunter, I'm a big spot and stalker. I want in the worst way to go out and I want to spot and stalk in those giant open plains, uh, a giant muley with my trad bow.

Speaker 2: 1:12:55

Like I said, I watch guys do it all the time. I think it's the coolest thing ever. Like, I love the white tail adrenaline dudes. They actually hunt. The same style I hunt. It's just I do it in pa. It's a little tougher. Um, but yeah, just spot and stalking with my trad bill for a giant muley, um, that's like my dream hunt. And then my dreams aren't like oh, I want to live in a 30 million dollar piece of land, house, manage, like it's not. Like my dreams are always like, reachable, more or less. You know, yeah, like I make you know, so I can easily go do it. I just I haven't yet. I don't really have the knowledge or who you know, where, what, how you know all that stuff.

Speaker 2: 1:13:30

So but eventually I do want to do that gotcha typical or non-typical whitetail um, I want to say non-typical, because I just love goofy, goofy stuff are you a?

Speaker 1: 1:13:47

are you a snack guy in the woods snack? Yeah, do you eat snacks.

Speaker 2: 1:13:53

You're a big foodie in the woods I want to say yes, but I don't have to be. My thing is I'll take snacks with me and then I'll realize at the end of the hunt I didn't even touch half of them because I'm so focusing on shit and whatnot. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 1:14:09

So what's your go-to snack if you're going out into the woods? What is something that's got to be in your pack?

Speaker 2: 1:14:15

Oh, it has to be the old peanut butter jelly. What are they called? The be the old? Uh, peanut butter jelly, uh, what are they called? The crustables, uncrustables, the the? Okay, uncrustable. But I will say, take those things out of that bag and put them in a little ziploc or something you know. I mean yeah, yeah definitely.

Speaker 1: 1:14:32

Um, now this one. I, we, we do it in two different ways, so I'm gonna do it. Who? If you could hunt with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? And then who? I'll let you go oh sorry, uh, tim wells hand down oh, I was thinking it was gonna be, uh, fred bear, but tim wells okay now tim wells hand down.

Speaker 2: 1:14:56

He's actually one of my biggest inspirations. I actually have his phone number in my phone but, um, I kind of let him do his thing. I don't really I don't try to bug people. So, yeah, um, someone I would love, like love, just to hunt, because, yeah, I may actually hear talk about tim wells all day long but, um, you know doing uh ata show and stuff. I hung out with him and his daughter and his wife and I told him the story about um, uh, I was in my yard shooting my this is my back shooting compound and I was trying to be cool and shot at 80 yards at a target like a balloon and I end up shooting a hole in my boat, like it's funny, because I told you the story about the boat with my dad and my rifle but I end up throwing my boat with, um, my bow, he's, he's like, he's like you're funny as hell, you should be on one of my shows.

Speaker 1: 1:15:40

I'm like, bro, you have no idea if I got one of your shows um, but yeah, if you could, if you could tattoo, who would you like if you could work on? One person, like right now, like anyone you know in the hunting industry, who do you really that you haven't done yet? Who's? Who's your guy, that you or girl that you want to get a tattoo?

Speaker 2: 1:16:01

for. So it's a mix up between joe rogan and bent or brentley gilbert, um, and for two different reasons. I have, um, the connections to get with joe um, and, like I said, I I tattooed levi morgan and he's good friends with joe and he thought he said about maybe putting a good word in for me and whatnot. But there's so many things I'd like to pick Joe's brain about and, you know, doing a couple of hours session tattoo on them would be, you know, perfect time. But, uh, I want to say also Brentley Gilbert, because, uh, with my new product coming out, I would love to tell him about it and have him be like the the face of it, almost, um, because I'm looking for certain things and he fits the bill and, um, I just know if he met me and what I'm about.

Speaker 2: 1:16:47

Like I'm a big, um acoustic guitar player, I sing and all that stuff. So there's just, uh, you know we both ride motorcycle and stuff like that. Um, there's just so many different things. But, yeah, one of those guys for sure, um, now they're not really known for like crazy hunting, like just hunting alone, you know, I mean obviously, but but yeah, is there.

Speaker 1: 1:17:08

Is there anyone specific that you would want to do a tattoo? That isn't you know who, isn't a hunter, that is just like maybe a celebrity or something like that you'd be like, oh, like I would just I would love to do do one of their tattoos, or, oh, definitely post malone.

Speaker 2: 1:17:20

That dude is so cool and such a genuine like, oh, like I would, just I would love to do do one of their tattoos or, oh, definitely post malone. That dude is so cool and such a genuine like you know, I mean genuine and yeah, he would be. He'd be so cool just to chill with for a couple hours and just shoot the shit you know yeah, no, he's a riot, he's an absolute riot.

Speaker 1: 1:17:36

Um, yeah, neil, I want I want to say thank you so much for coming on. I mean it was a pleasure. I mean I love talking about hunting and love tattoos and everything like that and love all the work that you're doing and pretty excited for you, know what's in store for you and everything like that. You got any last words for us?

Speaker 2: 1:17:54

I just want to say just keep being different, like, just think outside that box and just don't be scared to take those leaps. Um, that's the biggest thing I can really push and you, you, you will be successful. You know I mean so, but yeah, there's so much to talk about in such a little time, but I think we did pretty good, yeah yeah, definitely, if you, you know, would love to get you on at some point again and, you know, maybe do something in person.

Speaker 1: 1:18:19

Uh, are you going to be at the harrisburg show?

Speaker 2: 1:18:22

I will be there. I've been trying to get into it there. I I run with the hunt lift eat guys, and they said about getting me in with their booth and I don't. I just don't know how that place fills with tattoos because uh, yeah, I don't really have this exact course. So I'm trying to look for a room with a mobile phone or a road show, middle road show and I was I'm a thought private or head there and then way back.

Speaker 1: 1:19:07

I'm gonna stop again okay, cool, cool, now I'm that that would be pretty cool. I mean I'm, I'm up there, we're up there for for a good couple days, days and everything like that, like for three or four days. Uh, definitely would like to meet you at some point, definitely. I mean, if you, you know, one day get get a tattoo done and everything like that. I mean I love tattoos and always looking for people to to give me ink. Actually, every single tattoo I have on me I've, I think, four or five. They've all been done by different artists. I haven't gone to the to the same artist, not because I just I just like going to different people, but also they have to be correct, like you know I gotta I do my research.

Speaker 1: 1:19:53

I think only one has been like, eh, I could have probably gone with somebody better, but I mean everyone else I've done a pretty good job with with my research and everything like that. But, um, definitely, you know, looking forward to the day of meeting you and stuff like that, and you know I'm up there constantly, all the time and everything like that. You know we do hold some, some events down here too, so I mean I'd be, I would love to, to get you down here, uh, anytime down in Jersey. And you know, um, I, we do a game dinner and we do a, a meet and greet and a bow shoot and everything like that. And you know, I, I mean, I, I think it would be great and everything like that. Um, so, and we're looking to do more things like that and more events and and everything like that as we go, and it's something that we love to do and everything. So, definitely, definitely would would definitely love to get you down here.

Speaker 2: 1:20:42

Yeah, with all my travel and all the events I do. I guarantee you're going to meet up soon. But I will say I'm actually I go to New Jersey a good bit. One of the reasons because my boy, mike, mike, he, he lives out there East coast. I can't remember where he goes by, but he's yeah, yeah, I know he's all tattooed up, you know, yeah, but yeah, he's out there, so I go out and visit him once in a while too, but yeah definitely.

Speaker 1: 1:21:06

Yeah, definitely man. You know everyone. Make sure you go check him out. All the links are going to be in the description below. I hope you guys enjoyed this episode and we'll see you guys next time. See you guys.