Cold Open And Welcome

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Every heart has a moment in the windows and realize you're not chasing where we go beyond the fire stories that fill the fire for the window over the road for the five stories for the five stories. This is more than a podcast. This is a story of something real. Let's chase it. What's up, everyone? And we are back for another episode of the Chase the Unknown podcast. I'm your host, Mike Nitray, and I'm here with Zach. Zach, what's up, brother? Not much, man. How you doing? Can't complain.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Like tired. It's almost bedtime. Yeah. So well, hey guys, for this uh podcast, we have a special guest with us. So the owner and founder of Bullpath Gears with us. So, Drew, welcome to the podcast, man. We are so glad to have you.

SPEAKER_03 1:41

Absolutely. I got a question. Are we live right now? Like, is this rolling? Okay. Why was there I had like a glitch. I didn't know what was going on.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Oh, I I have no idea. Uh, sometimes I mean how StreamYard works or any streaming, like when you're when you're recording, it all goes on your internet and everything like that. And yeah, though we may get a glitch on our end, and that you're not gonna see, and kind of vice versa. Like, but um, yeah, we're we're live recording what we're recording the podcast. We are not live like on Instagram or or anything like that. We are just in our streaming streaming studio. Yep video. That's what I was just I was just making sure. No, no, no, no worries at all. I don't I don't know. Like, I I I can't I mean I've been a guest, but I guess I've never really like paid attention to everything like that on StreamYard. Like on my end, and I don't know, um I imagine on Zach's end, like in the in the left corner, it says recording red and it has the time. I don't I don't know if you see that or or not, but that's usually it, you know. That'll yeah, yeah, yeah. So um, but

Why Bullpath Stays American Made

SPEAKER_01 2:45

yeah, well welcome to the show, man. Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me. No, yeah, we're we're we're really excited. Zach, I'll I'll I'll let you take the take it away today.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Yeah. So ladies and gentlemen, we have Drew here from Ohio, and he has started this brand that is all American made because he was on this path with this gear that he was using that he assumed was American made, because it says American made, but in the reality of things, it is not American made. And Bullpath is 100% American made. So, Drew, let's let's hear about your journey, man. What got you set up with you wanting to go down this path and get everything set up for your success, and then you wanting to push out this product to other hunters?

From Landscaping To Sewing 16 Hours

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Yeah, so I'll tell you like the beginning. Uh, so I work landscaping, I run a landscaping business, and there was a year, years ago, I think three years, no, four years, I was making a lot of money, and I wanted to get back into hunting. And I remember just stumbling across uh a hunting page on YouTube called the hunting public, and those guys were were using saddles, and I'd never seen anything like that. And I was so like flabbergasted and blown away to see these dudes hunt out of a tree that didn't involve like a big tree stand or anything. I didn't know that even existed. So I got super excited. I went out and uh I blew a ton of money on like saddle gear and everything. And uh I got everything put together. And I remember just analyzing everything when I first brought it back to my house. I opened up the saddle, and the first thing instantly in my head, I was like, holy shit, I can make this. I don't know why I thought that, but that was the first thing that happened to me. I just picked it up and I'm like, holy shit, I can build this. You know, it's just made out of thread and webbing. So that was my first thing that happened. And then later on, I remember inspecting uh the pouches and everything, and I saw the tag made in China, and I got so pissed, you wouldn't believe it. I blew over like a thousand dollars. I thought this was an American-made company. I was super happy that everything was American-made, saw the tag, and I'm like, fuck it. I'm gonna, I'm gonna do this. So I uh I hunted that year with the stuff, and then uh the following year, I just bought a sewing machine and just started sewing every single day, 16 hours a day, nonstop. Uh my girlfriend thought I had a major issue because I was just sitting in the kitchen all day, every day, from sunrise to sunset, just sewing away. And I was determined to get my first saddle done. And I was able to come out with my first saddle, and that was basically it. I just hit the ground running, and it's been a very long and slow grind with like growth and everything. And uh yeah, and over time I've just gotten, you know, like you get good with whatever you do for you put on you put in the hours, you know, you get better at it over time, and I just started branching off, building different products.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Dude, that's awesome. Yeah, and yeah, well, a lot of time does go into those things. A lot of people don't like they don't realize that. And it's when you built your first saddle, when you held it up, what was like your immediate thought? Were you like this is this is it? Like, this is where I want to go. And I know like you were saying before, you don't want to just be known as a saddle company, you want to be known as a mobile hunter company, right?

SPEAKER_03 6:35

Yeah, yeah. Well, I'll tell I'll tell you this. Well, when I first when I first held up the first saddle, it wasn't like you know, it was dilapidated, it was shitty. I had to build like 20 to 30 different variations just to get uh a saddle to where I can actually sit in it. But when I built the first saddle where I could sit in the tree with it, I actually like was I was just blown away. I was kind of like not wanting to cry, but kind of to that point, like holy shit, I actually did it. So that's what it felt like.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Yeah, dude, that's awesome. Yeah, good for you, man. Like I can't imagine like you opening that first pack and then just seeing like made in China, and you're just like, oh, and then you're just like, you know what? Yeah, I'm doing this. This is gonna be me. I'm gonna be I'm gonna create something that is American made, put together, where everyone can come to and just be like, Yep, I bought this in America, and it is made in America. Like, that's that's what I love to hear, man.

SPEAKER_03 7:36

Yeah, I don't know what it was. I I don't know. Sometimes I feel like God, you know, puts us on a path. Because now that I look back on it, there's just been a ton of different little things where if something else would have happened in a specific moment, there would be no way I'd be doing this. So I kind of feel like God just had has guided me to this path, and uh, I took it and here we are.

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Dude, yeah, and seriously, like God has done so much for so many people. It He puts these opportunities in front of us. It takes us a minute to realize it, like He's doing this for you, He's putting this opportunity in front of you, and it's up to you to take it. And you sat there and you realized what was happening, like God's putting this in front of me. I am going to take this, and you took it and ran with it, man. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 8:28

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it was uh it was pretty crazy, you know. To be honest, before there was like a point before I started sewing, before I got my first sewing machine and everything, I thought in the back of my head, I'm like, do I really want to do this? Like, oh, there's no other doubt. Yeah, I was like, do I want to do this? It's kind of it's kind of dumb. I don't know, but I'm the kind of guy that like when you make me mad, I'm gonna do everything in my power to prove you wrong. And I don't know, I guess it was just a battle between me and this company that doesn't know I existed, doesn't know I exist, or didn't know I exist.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

So yeah, dude, I feel you on that. There's I can't tell you how many times, like where I sit there and people tell me, like, ah, you're not gonna be able to do that. And you're just like, okay, cool, try me. And I just went out and I said, I'm gonna do this. And next thing you know, like a week or two later, they're like, Yep, you did it, you're right. You can do it. I'm like, mm-hmm. And then you just blow that off, and I just go off to the next thing. But like, for you to continue grinding, man, like I can't imagine. Are you just a one-man show or do you have a team? Like, how does the whole backstory work with this?

SPEAKER_03 9:39

So I'm technically am a one one-man show, uh, but I have my girlfriend, my dad, they help me when stuff gets busy. They I've taught them how to sew and everything. And they they, you know, they seen me for years now do all this stuff. So they know the process. So when I have a ton of orders and everything, they they help me out with sewing or cutting, that kind of stuff. But when it comes to designing, when it comes to branding, when it comes to videos, all that stuff, it's all me.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

So now now, real real quick, like you know, the the real like interesting thing, and I imagine for you as a you know, business over owner and producing again, America made yourself

Running A One-Man Shop

SPEAKER_01 10:26

right now. What is that like? How do you prep? Because I know obviously it's not busy season yet, but busy season probably is right around the corner. I would say I mean for us June, you know, I mean we're gonna start dialing up, you know, for for whitetail prep and everything like that. But I imagine probably end of July, early August, like probably people start really placing their orders and starting to to look gear and everything like that. So I imagine yes, it's a 24-7 grind, 365. But like, are you just trying your your best right now to get as much product made and everything like that for the rush of the of the season?

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Yeah, yeah. I I don't want to go too in depth with it just because I don't want any of my competitors knowing what I do and giving them any tips on what to do, but right now is downtime, obviously. So I focus on just you know, sewing up an inventory, and then yeah, right around like July, August, that's when things start to heat up. And then believe it or not, September. Uh okay, that scared me. My bad. That was definitely Zach. No, you're good. But no, September, you know, when it starts hitting the hunting season, there's a lot of people that place place orders. So that's how it goes.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Gotcha, gotcha. Well, tools. That's uh hey, it's a grind. You know, it's a it's every and are you are you hunting like has your I know I've I've talked to other guys and stuff like that when they're especially when they're building and designing, like has your hunting gone down, you know, at all? You know what I mean? Yeah, right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:02

Oh dude, it doesn't exist anymore. There is no hunting for me. That's completely yeah, that's just it's gone. It's gonna be gone for probably the next 10 years or so. Uh last year I got to hunt by myself two times. That was it. Two times. I I held a deer camp. I held a deer camp. I got to go out there for three days with me and my boys. That was it. And then after that, I got to hunt two times by myself and it was done. That's it.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

See, that's what that's what blows my mind is how we forget. I I wouldn't say forget, but like we don't realize how much time and effort you're putting into something that you are so passionate about. And you, your company is something that you're extremely passionate about. You have to put on hold something that you love and that's so close and near and dear to your heart in order to not just benefit yourself, but benefit the hunting world and benefit other hunters for a product that is so sincerely made, and you are literally putting everything that you love with hunting on the back burner for the next five, 10, maybe even 15 years to push something out that you were so passionate about, man. Yeah, that's that's insane. Like kudos, dude. Like, I would be like miserable if I couldn't be hunting.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

Yeah, yeah. It's uh and you also gotta remember, I'm a normal dude, you know. I I didn't come from a family that has lots of money. I actually grew up really fucking poor. Uh I don't have investors, I don't have loans, I don't have so it's like I also work a normal job during the wintertime, and I have to work uh on the side to be able to fund. So it's like all this stuff, whatever you guys see, imagine well, I wouldn't say imagine what I'm going through, but I'm just a normal dude, you know, that works a blue-collar job and also running bull paths.

SPEAKER_00 14:01

Yeah, and that's that's absolutely incredible, man. I can only imagine, like, is it stressful going from like one job to the and to this and making sure like you have everything going right over here while you're also maintaining another job?

SPEAKER_03 14:16

Uh I wouldn't say stressful. It had I mean just like everything you get uh I guess you can say battle hardened, it was definitely very, very stressful the first year, two years. But I'm so used to it now that it's it can be stressful, but I'm sure if you placed uh a normal person into the situation that I'm in, they'd probably go insane. So you know what I mean? So it's like it's very challenging. I'll tell you this, you can't manage it, you can't manage two houses at once without help. So it's like I'm trying to do landscaping, make as much money as I can during the off season when nothing's going, you know, crazy during honey season, and then during honey season, this is 100%. That's what I that's what I do. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

No, I I I love that. I I yeah, I I really do. And and that's you know, and that's what makes it even better. I feel like you know, when you think of yet again, you think of American made, you know what I mean? You think of you know, these you working, you know what I mean? You're you're nine to five, you grinding family man, do this, do that, you know what I mean. And really as a as a as a as a man, like you you really never have have the time on and the rest, and that is the identity that's you, and that's your the identity of your company. And that's like you know, instead of yeah, you know, you could have easily just said, you know, I'm gonna create this and you know, I'm gonna source everything out from China or Mexico or India or wherever the hell for for cheap, you know what I mean? Don't you know what I mean? And have somebody else do it, but you're like, no, like, you know, American-made, like, you know, really bringing that integrity to um ballpath.

SPEAKER_03 16:05

Yeah, for sure. And man, dude, you know, I actually

The Ethics Of Offshore Manufacturing

SPEAKER_03 16:08

if you ever you guys should try to like seek out uh like offshore manufacturing because it's sick. I remember I had one Pakistani dude, he runs a manufacturing plant. And it's not a plant. I mean, it's kind of like a plant, but it is so ran down, and there's they're slaves, literal slaves. They're Christians, and there is uh it's sick, dude. He's showing me he showed me videos, it kind of brings like a makes yeah. He showed me videos of people, old people hunching over from exhaustion, uh terrorists holding guns up to them. It's like, dude. So it's like it's so sick, bro. Yeah, I mean, and people talk about how bad it is here.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Like sorry, and that's that's the the hard thing for people to realize. Like, they don't realize how good it is here, and we just it's unreal. Like, I I just I'm not gonna get into that, but yeah, man. Like hunting is is a way of life here, and it is just one thing that we all share together, and it it's something that hopefully just continues to grow in this industry, especially with Bullpath, man. Like, I love y'all's product.

SPEAKER_03 17:28

I appreciate it. Yeah, so I mean, when you see that kind of stuff, it it makes me mad seeing just other companies doing that type of stuff, you know, working with those people.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

It's like, yeah, I don't know, it's just feels wrong, sick, and you have a moral obligation to make an American made and not having to force people to do it for you.

SPEAKER_03 17:54

Hell yeah. And I want to I want to basically die. Yeah, seriously. Yeah, yeah. I want to build a team, I want to be able to provide for other people, you know. I want to be able to uh give people the opportunity to build something great, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Absolutely, man.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

100% so now I I I know so you look at Bull Path, you you you started with the saddle, correct? Like that was the first thing that you you started with, correct? Correct, yeah. Right? But you don't want to just be a saddle company, it's about mobile, the mobile game. Yeah, you got inspiration from you know the hunting public or you you watched the hunting public, got into the saddles and everything like that. Listen, you want to talk about you know, mobile, that that is the probably biggest mobile hunting team out there, you know what I mean? Uh especially on social media. Um, and then you you take it to the next step. What you know that was it the bag that what came next after that was really uh puts your identity for mobile onto onto the map.

SPEAKER_03 19:01

Um well the next thing that came after that was what we have is called the Sam pouch. It's like a little it's a dump pouch. Yep, yep. So I made that. That was a challenge. I never built a pouch before, so that was the next thing that I wanted to conquer. Built that, turned out like shit. And I realized it. I realized how how like so many little things where I messed up, and but I've prep I I wouldn't say I perfected, I wouldn't say I perfected anything because everything's always evolving, you know what I mean? Yeah. So but I I made it to the standard that I wanted it to be. And then next came the bull pack, which is a square, the squared zippered pouch. Um but nothing really took off until I like, well,

The Products That Finally Took Off

SPEAKER_03 19:52

I didn't I never saw really any crazy sales for any products until I I took the bull pack, which was which was just a normal zippered pouch. And I sat there and was like, okay, this piece of shit isn't selling. What do I have to do to get it to sell? So I sat there for like a month, two months. I prototyped everything, and I'm like, man, I've never seen anybody use stretch fabric on a pouch like this, so let's do it like this. So then I I threw it up out there in the market, and then people started buying it, and people kept buying it, and I'm like, what the fuck is going on? People keep buying it. I was like, what is going on? And then I would message somebody, I'm like, hey, why did you buy this pouch? Or like, oh, I'm using it for my tree stand. And then I would message another person, hey, why'd you buy this? Oh, I'm using it for my tree stand to put it underneath the the seat. So then I'm like, oh, okay. So now I can dabble into the tree stand market, you know what I mean? By making pouch, making a pouch for people to use underneath their seat. So that's kind of I would say that's the first product that really kind of like blew up. It just kept people just keep buying it even to this day.

SPEAKER_00 21:05

Dude, that's great. Yeah, yeah, it's always it's surprising when something like that, and you're just like it starts taking off. You're like, what did I? I just I added this, and the it's just the littlest thing that sets it apart from everything else, which is great.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

So so what what is this product mainly for that's underneath the seat? Is it just for extra additional storage? Like what like what is it mainly used for?

SPEAKER_03 21:28

Okay, so number one, honestly, every product that I built, it's for me. Like I build it because I want to use it, you know what I mean? Like I literally use every single thing that you know we sell. It was for the saddle, it was for like some a zippered pouch for my hunting saddle. So I never intended it, you know, for tree stand hunters, but that's just kind of how it evolved. Um but yeah, that's I forget the question. What did you what did you ask?

SPEAKER_00 21:59

So you you made

SPEAKER_03 22:00

this this pouch and you had like some you said like elastic material on it like yep and then people started buying it so like what is it what was like the intended purpose for this and then what like why is everyone using it for underneath the tree stand or underneath your seat well the intended purpose was I was annoyed with zippered pouches that had cordura with a front pocket cordura because when you put stuff in there there's too much resistance in my opinion like you can't really cram stuff in there it's hard to get stuff in and out so I'm like okay let me use some stretch fabric so it has more give that was the whole purpose and it was intended for you know obviously like I said my hunting saddle and then people I guess just they saw it they saw the design that you know it's that coyote brown front of the pouch and people just started buying it and uh dudes just started putting it on the bottom of their on their tree stand for you know for extra storage you know cam straps or whatever else now that makes sense monocles whatever have you like that's what I that's what I liked about your your chest rig.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

It's it's not meant for like binos and stuff and you're not like bulky and like for someone who's short and stocky like me like when I when I draw back I feel sometimes my strings catch my my bino harness and it drives me nuts. And then like your flat chest rig is perfect. Like I just need a monocle I don't I don't need a full set of binos for what I'm doing and it's like I just put that in there and then I could just pull back and I have nothing in the way of my string and it's just amazing like that's why I appreciate it for the chest ring like that thing is money.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

I appreciate it. Yeah man but yeah like I said the everything that I've built it's uh selfishly for me you know I go out in the woods and I'm like okay I want this so let's build it and it's pretty cool to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Yeah well that's well that's the beauty of it right you're like you're working on something that you think is more beneficial for yourself and then you push out the product and then you get feedback like hey have you thought about doing this you're like oh I haven't thought about that's a great idea you just you do it and then next thing you know it's part of the product it's like that's what I think is cool with like someone that such as your company you could take in what the customer is asking or saying because like a lot of big companies already re-established like they're not really taking ideas they're trying to develop on their own I feel like they're not really listening.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Yeah and I tell you what it's super vital I I wish people gave me more feedback not just like even on the the grand scheme of things I'm talking like the little the little nuances I remember there was this there's this guy named Trevor from Canada Trevor Boyd we put out the bull pack uh I think he won it in a giveaway and he's like hey man the spacing between the Molly on the back side it's like a half an inch you need to you need to space it out to a full inch and I'm like why and he's like well because I want to attach it this way onto a hunting pack and I'm like oh shit okay that makes sense yeah so I'm like I'm like oh my god okay so then I I did it and it worked flawlessly and I was like dude thank you so much for you know telling me that stuff because without that I wouldn't I wouldn't have known have done that yeah man and that's that's what I appreciate about a lot of people when they just give you that little bit of feedback and you as a company take it to heart and you actually do it.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Because I know like I was saying earlier a lot of companies are already like really established like you can look at I don't know we'll say I don't want to really say a company but like it they have the product out and like yeah you can review it. Sometimes I just feel like those reviews just sit there. Someone such as yourself I can actually like wholeheartedly

Customer Feedback That Changed Designs

SPEAKER_00 26:00

see you actually taking it into consideration and running it and seeing how it works and then just immediately pushing that product out like that's just how I view your company someone who's wholeheartedly into their customer service and helping everyone there.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

For sure yeah but there's also sometimes there's some people that will uh they'll give you I feel like sometimes they give you some weird feedback to where they almost want to make it the way they want to make it right so sometimes I have to sift out the weird little stuff.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

No that makes sense yeah absolutely yeah yeah so I mean I've had some weird requests and I'm like oh can you make this duffel bag big enough to fit a body in it yeah yeah yeah man so when you when you designed your your stuff do you like how long does it take you to go through I don't want to you to give away your process but like how long does this take from start to finish to get a prototype done for you just by yourself or does your team help you process the the idea or are you just doing it on your own?

SPEAKER_03 27:12

It's all me I uh I just sit down I shut everything out in my entire life and in the world no music no nothing just sit down start drawing I'll think of an idea you know for designing and prototyping it can it can range from a couple weeks could take a week it could take a month it can take six months it can take a year you know um yeah it just completely depends on what it is yeah I can only imagine man it's gotta take some time especially just like making sure that everything's right before you even get the prototype out because you don't want to make like a prototype where it's like you're going and all of a sudden it's falling apart and you're actually wanting to make this prototype like the final product so you're not wasting any more time. Yeah yeah I can do that. It takes time but like I said it it just completely depends. I know a lot of people they sit there and they say like not people but companies they say um well this took us three years to build and it's a textiled product like uh a Dolphur backpack or something I can see a backpack but nothing's ever taken me that long I don't know what it is. What I do is I focus on one thing I abuse it I completely abuse it as much as I can oh yeah I've seen what you did with your duffel bags.

SPEAKER_00 28:45

Yeah yeah like it's the the

Prototyping Focus And Stress Testing

SPEAKER_00 28:49

stuff that you put your product through is insane. Like well you had like 300 something pounds inside the duffel bag and you picked up with the handles without it tearing or ripping yeah yeah I mean dude I tried getting that thing to rip but that's just that's on camera.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

You know you the stuff off the camera I mean I do some really stupid stuff like we've lifted a uh a jeep up with the saddle I got that on video oh my god we took we took our tractor hooked the saddle one end of the saddle up we hooked the other end to a jeep and we lifted a jeep off the ground with the saddle but uh off camera we were jolting that thing trying to snap the saddle in half and we just couldn't get it to budge. Well it's it's safe yeah yeah so that kind of stuff yeah so I mean we I do all kinds of crazy stuff I try to break my stuff and if it doesn't break I I put it out on market and try to get as much feedback as I can.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Well that's dude the the fact that you're doing lifting up jeeps with a saddle like that tells me that anyone can use those saddles yeah that's awesome man like for sure and and I and and also with with the thing too what I what I also love too right and not a lot of companies do this you know I can only really think of like one or two is uh you know your your lifetime warranty as well yeah oh you can do that you know that that makes people feel very you know comfortable and confident one into the product but if gosh for me yet again things happen you know what I mean and you know just regular wear and tear it could be years and years you know what I mean like and you know that lifetime warranty makes a big big difference um you know so you're a hundred percent American made you got the lifetime warranty and everything like that you know and and something that just puts trust in the buyer's mind yes and I want I want people to know this so it never gets mixed up which it obviously might but non-load bearing products that is for like a hundred years load bearing products like your saddle and ropes five years so within the five years of you owning that saddle and rope if something happens we'll replace it after five years you need to retire it and throw that shit away yep yep that is for safety and you don't you know you don't want to mess around with your life yeah there I've seen countless times guys go I've had this for like 10 years and I'll it's a safety harness and I'm like and then next thing you know I'm getting a phone call hey can you come help me I fell on my sand what happened oh I don't know like my my harness snapped or something I was like weird you had it for like 10 years you said it's just yeah thank god they're all right but it was just like I was even telling them I was like you should not wear that big dog I'll be I know what I'm doing and it's like is your life worth three hundred dollars is your life worth five hundred dollars or what about a thousand you know what I mean so it's like just spend the 300 bucks 200 bucks whatever it is to to get a new saddle or harness or whatever you know what I mean yeah absolutely I mean and that's some like just great information that you just said anyways because I feel like a lot of people forget about safety they put that on the back burners like oh it's not gonna happen to me it never will and the next thing you know you're out of the tree stand down on the ground like it happened to a couple of buddies this year like one happened down here in Virginia and then one happened actually on one of the uh pages I've been following and he was like yeah I fell and I broke my leg like he broke his femur he broke his kneecap and I was like oh geez I can't even imagine but he was also just in a deer stand but still you still need with the bar and everything no matter what you need something to yourself to the tree because you just never know what's gonna happen. Yeah I've I've almost learned the hard way a couple times almost lost my nuts this year um oh yeah yeah climb climbing up into it was the first stick so like the stick was on it was just a very awkward tree you know yet again I think I've taught told this on the podcast but you know if anyone knows how how I hunt and everything like that like very mobile so I'm constantly moving getting into different trees and everything and I like really awkward trees like that's kind of what I do because that's that's the best for concealment concealment and and everything like that so how I was getting I had to angle the the stick like kind of like sideways you know I mean so kind of like this and I went to go jump up and I'm in thickness and everything like that and I don't I just slipped and my pants actually caught on my top stick but I had a huge gash from like my my base of stick like up and like I my pants ripped

Warranty Rules And Tree Safety

SPEAKER_01 33:40

like three layer yeah three layers of like my pants ripped and everything like that and that that was like I was very close to like having an injury one yeah I would have lost my lost everything there but also bleeding out um yeah that would have been and then and then two years ago I well never I was probably like 15 20 feet up I wanted to get out quickly I actually unhooked my you know my uh my straps and everything like that and put my hand on a dead branch that I didn't know was was dead and I was going to undo my set my uh platform and it broke. Thank god I was able to grab it with the one hand and swing myself with both hands onto and then pull myself up ripped up both my hands were just a bloody ripped up mess and everything like that. Um yeah you you kind of take it for granted you know what I mean of like oh yeah it's not gonna happen to me and and things happen quick especially out in the woods. Well here's another sales pitch for you mike uh bullpath makes some really good pouches you could like make like a med kit out of a pouch from them so that we can you know band-aids and stuff yeah a little trauma kit yeah a little trauma kit I actually have one of those in my in my bag from here on out like I have like a turnout tourniquet just like little nuances stuff just like you just never know yeah I I usually I usually carry a med kit or something like that or or especially like big big like big hunts like if I know I'm gonna be like out deep or something like that then I make sure usually to to bring one especially with no cell service and and everything like that you know you you definitely gotta make sure yeah I oh I can't imagine just being hurt somewhere random and you're just like I have no means for communication yeah now but man I I I definitely for for you Drew like and yet again without giving away too much and everything like that of your your process but is it ever like are you one of those guys where you'll just be like sitting in bed or you're like about to fall asleep and just an idea pops into you into your head do you have to like immediately get it down on paper or pen like write it down or put it on the brush or something like that or are are you confident enough that you will remember like the next day uh yeah I'm confident that I'll remember the next day.

SPEAKER_03 36:05

I keep a lot in my head and I'll tell you this have you have you guys have you guys ever heard Elon Musk where he he was talking about how like in his head it's never ending explosions. Did you guys ever hear that clip?

SPEAKER_00 36:19

I heard it yeah I heard that clip. Yeah he's like he he said to the reporter or something like you wouldn't want to be me to have this never yeah that's like me with it when it comes to this every day every waking second I have dreams about it I've dreamed of products I've it's every day it doesn't stop and it hasn't that's how it is with writing for me when I'm writing and like I even like when I write something I even dream about that what I just wrote and it's it blows my mind how stuff like that happens.

SPEAKER_03 36:51

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Yeah so it's like exactly what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_03 36:54

Yeah so my process is is I have it all in my head and then I start in my head I just start to like play it out throughout the day or weeks or month and then once I have an idea in my head that's when I start drawing it coming up with like you know the dimensions and the different ideas that I want to you know that's where the magic happens is when I start to design it all.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Yeah with with um you know when you're when you're talking about like dimensions and sizing and like yet again I don't know like I'm not no don't know the backstory of just what it does to creating and everything like that. But like you know are you like for the sizing and and everything like that like do you get requests where it's like oh well you know maybe it's some you know big guy or like a kid or something like that. Like how does that play into effect on you know making you know your your saddles so I've had requests I have done those uh I never made one for a kid and I honestly don't want to make one for a kid um feel that I get to because it's like I don't know I don't I it's a maturity thing for me.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

Yeah it's like I don't want a kid being up in a tree and I'm liable if any God forbid anything were to happen.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

Yeah I can only imagine how you feel if you found out like something in yours failed and a kid got hurt or something.

SPEAKER_03 38:28

Yeah so yeah I stay away from that stuff. I stay away from the custom stuff. I uh yeah and plus when you do custom stuff like uh what what is that one company custom custom gear modifications is that company you gotta like have a system dialed down to be able to do that kind of stuff. Okay. And the requests, you know, it's not streamlined. So everything that you make is going to be it's gonna be custom so every time it's gonna be different. If it's not streamlined to like a large and an XL or something along those lines uh time is a huge factor when it comes to custom like custom stuff.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

Yeah that makes sense I never really thought of that yeah we don't we we don't build anything like that.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Yeah which is all right I mean yeah yeah yeah because that I can see it that customer wants that product as soon as possible obviously and and I can only imagine like especially if you mess something up if you don't have like if you're not I don't want to say capable of but if you don't have like the means to do something like that you just one little off thing it is gonna piss the customer off and you either hey lose the customer forever or you're just gonna have to deal with more time money and resources being wasted. Exactly so yeah I can see that I can see that a lot yeah now if I'm really close to you and I know you and everything I have built like some custom stuff off to the side you know yeah yeah

Why Saddle Hunting Changed Everything

SPEAKER_00 40:06

but when it comes to the just the general public no yeah that makes sense yeah I can see that when um when you're usually out so obviously I'm assuming you are mainly just a bow hunter right is that what really drove this path for you just because you're a a mobile bow hunter and you just needed certain gear yeah for sure um I was never I was never able to kill a deer until I started using a saddle I hunted for year I hunted for years with a Walmart stand that weighed 20 30 pounds and I could never be mobile with that thing on public land.

SPEAKER_03 40:53

I had no I had no knowledge yeah I had no knowledge on how to hunt uh because growing up like I said I was poor I never had the internet I never had like up until I was like 16 years old no seven probably like 17 or so I didn't even have the internet so I couldn't just google how to hunt you know so I'd go out into the woods I'd sit up in a random tree I would never see anything I don't want to move this stand because it takes me three hours to just set it up so it's like that was never successful.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

I can see you trying to move that thing trying to be a mobile hunter that the deer's like who's this bozo well the that was you know the the typical setup like mobile and yet again yes there there's there's always been mobile you know I mean and some guys do lug out like that 30 pounds climb in it yeah it's not even a climber like I like I've seen guys like be mobile with freaking those Walmart tree stands and and sticks and everything like that where it's like oh my god I I couldn't yeah yeah it of course it works like you can't sit here and say oh that didn't work like I've killed deer out of that that way and everything like that you know I mean but but the time and energy spent oh yeah and you know what if you really look at it you look at apex predators right in just in in the world alone they do everything they can to spend less energy while they're actually hunting you know what I mean and they come up with you know with years and hundreds of years of you know just being able to adapt and everything like that most of the predators out there are just full-fledged killers and have come up with just ways to perfect their their skill and that's exactly what you got you know or you get with mobile hunting you know what I mean and you know just like next year like next year for me next year for for you guys and anybody listening you're going to be a more adept mobile hunter next year right than you were in the in the years past you know what I mean you know when Drew comes you know Drew every year takes his his gear and he comes out with new things and maybe tweaks things here and there yet again the elevation of now all right we're in the next next realm like this equipment is becoming better and better each each year you know I mean so that's kind of like the key of like yeah like you could do it but damn like who wants to really now thug uh run around with 30 pounds of yeah just stands and sticks and we're not even talking about the rest of the equipment and and you're stuck there for the entire season to that one location where you can literally tap have your saddle and go you know what I'm not seeing deer over here I'm gonna go move it over I'm gonna move over there tomorrow or shoot I'm getting down now I'm gonna go check this area out and I'm gonna climb a tree. Yeah instantly that's why instantly instant instantly I mean that's how my first saddle that's how my first saddle kill was got Up in a tree, didn't like the tree, got down, moved like 25 yards over to a better tree, and killed a deer like an hour later. Um, you know, that happened to me this past year, too.

SPEAKER_00 44:09

Same way. Like, I was I looked over 30 yards, and I was like, that is a better avenue that deer are gonna take. I'm gonna move over there, and it just getting over there was just so much easier. The tree was perfect, and then 10 minutes later, here comes this deer, and I was like, Oh damn, all right, cool.

SPEAKER_03 44:27

And here's here's the other crazy thing. I I forgot to uh say this, but um, so I had a Walmart stand and I didn't want to move it, had no idea to hunt. I was super excited to go hunt before deer season one year. I walked out there, it was gone. Someone stole my fucking stand. So I'm broke, I got no money, they took away my hunting season. Dude, and I I was so pissed. I sat there and was like, I will never allow anybody to steal from me again. I didn't know about saddle hunting, but then the following year, that's or I forget the timeline, but that's when shortly after I I got to discover saddle hunting.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

So yeah. So what what year roughly, when did you roughly start hunting?

SPEAKER_03 45:13

What year would you say? When I started hunting. Yeah. As soon as I turned 16.

SPEAKER_01 45:19

16, okay. So 16, and then okay, so all right, that that's that's a pretty good, that's a good age.

SPEAKER_03 45:26

Yeah. I think six sixteen, yeah, because that's when I my my dad took me to hunter education uh safety course where you had to actually go in person. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The good old days, dude. That was awesome. I loved it.

SPEAKER_00 45:41

And you learn you learn so much more that way.

SPEAKER_03 45:44

So much more.

SPEAKER_00 45:45

I understand the convenience of the internet, but that kills me because it's just like hunting is dying. Let's be real here. Like it's not growing, it's kind of staying stable, but you can see the slow decrease in the amount of hunters there are these days. But I honestly wholeheartedly

Hunting Culture Screens And Raising Kids

SPEAKER_00 46:03

believe it's because of the internet. We lose touch of actually having conversations with each other. We're losing interest in the woods because people are stuck inside on these stupid screens. Uh, and like it just blows my mind. It's like just go outside, discover the the wilderness, and learn how to be that like what our ancestors did. It's just like, God, it drives me nuts, man. Yes, the internet's fun, it never fails. Funny stuff comes on there. I love funny stuff, but like I just I want the world to see what the world is supposed to be, not behind the screen. They they need to be outside, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:42

And it's going downhill pretty quick.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

Bro, you're telling me, yeah. And it's but the the one thing I do appreciate is being able to take my kids out and hunt with them. I mean, they're younger, so they're they're learning. They haven't gotten one of them, no, neither of them have gotten any of their first kill yet. Like, and I'm excited because this year my goal is to have my oldest take his first year. And if it does, if it happens, amazing. It's gonna be so much fun, such a milestone. But if it doesn't, you know, it's just one more year that I got to take my son out into the woods and teach him how to do stuff, how to be more mobile, because that is my goal with him this year. Yeah, we sat in a blind last year, but this year I kind of want to be like, hey, we're gonna, we're gonna do a little bit of something different, and we're gonna go post up on some trees. We're not gonna climb, but we're gonna stay on the ground level and just watch and see what happens. I am gonna have him with a crossbow. Don't make fun of me, but uh he's a kid, so it's allowed, right? Um, but it's I'm gonna have a lot of fun with him, and I think it's gonna be a great adventure for him and my other son that is starting to become of age to go out there. So I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_03 47:53

Yeah, for sure. That sounds like fun, man. I feel like uh the reason why hunting is dying because a lot of men have low testosterone. I think so. There's no way you can't sit here and tell me you're a man and you don't like to hunt. I mean, I get it if you're an animal person, like you love animals and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 48:12

I love animals, but it still doesn't like so okay. So funny, I don't know if this is true or not, right? But I saw a post on the internet, Twitter, or X, now known as X, one of the whole best social media sites ever. You never know what you're gonna get on there. Um, but it said that fuck, what the hell is that bitch's name? My fiance loves her. Billy Eilish said that you can't you can't love animals and eat meat at the same time. And it's like you can't like people tell me all that like you can't love animals and hunt at the same time. And I'm like, first of all, I love animals, I have so many damn pets, I want more pets. There's times like I'm a huge yet again, everyone knows this huge bear hunter. Like love bear hunting. There's almost every single time I see a bear, I want to jump out of the tree and just give it a giant hug or to take it home with me as a pet, right? That that is my my dream. If I ever become stupid rich, there are gonna be a lot of signs, but you'll know I'll probably have a bear, a bobcat, I'll have my own zoo, right? You know what I mean? Um, but like, yeah, like it still shouldn't play effect, like, yeah, there is a sadness on when it comes to killing animals. A hundred percent. You just took a life, doesn't matter if it's an animal, you whatever, there you are gonna feel some type of way. But I always tell people after you feel sad, there is nothing but pure joy, the sweat, blood, tears, the anxiety, the thinking about deer, like it's an obsession, and you just completed a goal, no matter, no matter a big giant goal, something that you prepared your whole entire seats 365. We spend right, doesn't matter if it's a doe, buck, spike buck, turkey, goose, bear, whatever it is. Like, it is uh yeah, like how can you not love it? You know, I I I had on, you know, a a guy the other day on on the garden state, and you know, he's a he's a fighter, he fights, and he wants to go to the UFC and everything like that. And he's like, he's like, there's nothing else but hunting and fighting is just like pure man shit. Right, there is not this is this is but this is how we were intended to be. And listen, I I don't mind fighting, I don't mind all this shit, yeah. Obviously, like a fucking butt society doesn't find it acceptable anymore. That's like they don't find hunting acceptable.

SPEAKER_03 50:49

They don't got a bunch of supplicated gay men. That's why.

SPEAKER_01 50:54

Well, I'm not gonna disagree with that.

SPEAKER_03 50:59

I've come to the conclusion that if a dude doesn't like hunting, he's either gay or he loves animals. That's it. There is no in-between. So if we get my theory is is if we can get men to get higher testosterone, hunting will be hunting will be back on the rise. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:20

It's like that, uh it's like the movie, and uh it's like when you watch this movie, it's nothing but testosterone, and it's the freaking predator movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and all those guys, and and the guy did the plain freaking packet of a freaking huge lip of red man and everything like that. I think he he he asks him for something, and the guy says no. He goes, What are you, a fucking faggot?

SPEAKER_00 51:40

Or something like you guys are a bunch of loose jaw faggots.

SPEAKER_01 51:44

Like, yeah, it's like yo, like that was peak era. Uh he said all that.

SPEAKER_03 51:51

He said it made him a sexual tyrannosaurus. Yes, yes, yes. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 51:57

I fucking I love that scene. I could watch that scene over and over and over again.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

Back when you could actually say what you want to say and not get in trouble for it in the uh Hollywood world. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:11

I don't know, dude. I feel like I don't know. In my opinion, I feel like the the sole reason why hunting is down is because men are low losing their testosterone, and there's just so many little things that you

Meat Reality And Why Hunters Get Hate

SPEAKER_03 52:24

see that's going on right now that just you literally in my head, I see it as uh the powers that be don't want people hunting, they don't want eating, they don't want people eating fresh meat, they don't want so it's like why do you think Bill Gates is fucking starting to fake meat companies and then all of a sudden there's this uh these ticks that are you know all over the woods here lately, and I don't know, something smells a little weird.

SPEAKER_00 52:56

That's for a tinfall hot Tuesday, yeah. For sure. It what blows my mind is that hunters do get a bad rap, and that's from people playing with dead animals after they've been hunting, and they're like, I'm not gonna say, like, there's a video that was recently released. Um, and it's just like that right there is why people do not like hunters. And if people could truly see where store-bought meat comes from, they would not want to touch that meat, they would vomit, they would feel disgusted with themselves because those animals are purely tortured up until the day they die. Where if you come out into the woods, the animal, you are the first person to touch that animal.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

So every everyone, like a lot of people, majority of people I talk to, like they have they're like, Oh, I just can't do it. You know what I mean? Like, they can't hunt, they understand why I hunt, but they don't want to see the process. They also don't want to see the process of where their grocery, you know what I mean. And it's just like this revolving door, but to to completely just hate on what we do is that's what I what I have a really big issue of, you know what I mean? Of listen, it yeah, it doesn't have to be for everyone. And yeah, I 100% do believe that every man should hunt, or even if you don't hunt, should do something in the outdoors. Like, I I generally can't tell you, like, just go out for a freaking hike in the woods. You feel so much manlier just going outside anyway and being with nature, you know what I mean? And yeah, you know what I mean? Like, and then you if you want to take it further there, then yeah, you could freak it and you can throw in a freaking out there. Well, yeah, that that too, you know what I mean? We can't even talk about shooting guns and how how masculine that is, too. You know what I mean? Without uh people the that's the thing, like people who don't like anything that we do, like knives, guns, bows, hunting, fighting, fighting, sex, sex with women. Let's let's let's you know I mean like you know, you know, at the end of the night you have some whiskey or bourbon or or whatever it is at night, you sit by fire with your cigar. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 55:16

Like, I don't know, like that's you gotta realize we live, we live in a complete, in my opinion, we live in a complete false reality here in America. You have absolutely no idea what other people go through on a day-to-day basis in 90% of the world. Yeah, in Iraq and Afghanistan, the way they get their food is they they get goats, they keep them alive, and then when they're hungry, I've seen videos where they just take a big machete and slit their necks, and the little kids are running around in the blood, and you know what I mean? Like they know where they get their food.

SPEAKER_00 55:52

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 55:55

Yeah, that's how it is. Yeah, it's it's that's how it is.

SPEAKER_03 55:59

Like, you know, but here you go into a store and everything's perfectly manicured and it's in a package and it's beef. Where did it come from? You know, it's just beef. You didn't see the cow get butchered or you didn't see the cow or get killed, you know. That's the reality of things, and a lot of people uh don't seem to to know that.

SPEAKER_01 56:18

Yeah. Now uh to get back real quick before before we wrap up and everything like that. Um,

Cease And Desist Fuel And Five-Year Vision

SPEAKER_01 56:25

you know, for for you, and yet again, not without giving away too much, where do you where where do you see your yourself and bull path in the next five years? Or where do you want to be in the next five years?

SPEAKER_03 56:42

Well, um I can't tell you guys. I can tell I can tell you guys, but I firmly believe we're we're gonna be taking over. You know, there's been there's two companies that have done me dirty, and they're big. You guys know them. They're they're big. I've gotten a cease and desist letter, and the other fuckers took one of my product names, and they know who they are. And I'm telling you, if they're listening, I am going to I'm going to beat you guys. I don't give a fuck about your funding. I don't care about your investors. I don't care about how many people you got on your team. Uh I'm coming for you. And that's it. That's it. That's all I want to say.

SPEAKER_00 57:33

That's the mentality I love to hear, man.

SPEAKER_01 57:35

Now on on that too, like, is that like with your experience and yet again being being the smaller company and everything like that, do you feel like the bigger companies just try to throw their weight around and do cease and desist and and just try to screw over the smaller companies?

SPEAKER_03 57:53

1000%. And if you don't, if you have never faced any serious repercussions in life, like physical or by the law or anything, you can see you could be scared shitless. Because when I got my first season to Sis Letter, I was I was kind of scared, but then I got real excited because I realized all these fuckers know who I am.

SPEAKER_00 58:18

Yeah, oh yeah. Absolutely, dude. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:23

Yeah. I actually have it um I have it uh framed. Dude, it's it's a thick, it's a thick uh pamphlet by this company and the attorneys. But yeah, it was kind of scary, but then you you uh you overcome and you put that in your brain. I'll never forget that. So when the day comes where uh I'm on their level and they're in trouble with like some funding or money, and if they ever come to me, I'm putting my fucking boot on their neck and I'm ending it. That's how that's how I am. So you fuck with me, I'm gonna one day I'm gonna bring it back.

SPEAKER_01 59:01

So I love it. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely love it. Um, yeah, that's yeah, it's it's great. I mean, shit. Um the the arrow company that we're that we're with, they had their own issues too. Um, I think what two years ago. Um something like that 23. Yeah, so yeah, it it's it's crazy to to think. I mean, that that's the one thing that you don't think about, you know what I mean? Especially if you want to get big or you want to make it and everything like that. Like is it a it's a pain in the ass, but it also means you're doing something right too. For sure. I mean, and and you're on the right track, and yeah, like you said, like perfectly said, like they know who the fuck I am. Like, I'm I'm doing something right, and it's also could be yeah, they they know good competition when they see it, and they're trying to to eliminate the competition early and quick. Yeah, yeah. So I love it. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 59:58

Yeah, I can see it being very frustrating at the same time because you're just like that. And now you just hit a speed bump, and now you have to overcome that speed bump. And it's just like, and like you said, by the time you get there, you're neck and neck with them, and then they're gonna be the ones sweating bullets because you're the one that's already like, I'm already, I'm already, yeah, you've been established. Well, guess what? You're not gonna be established for much longer.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:22

Yeah, so yep, for sure. And you know what? I don't give a shit how long it takes. As long as I win at the end, dude, that's all that matters to me.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:30

And you know what? I'm I'm gonna commend you for not giving up and stopping when you got that season desist. Usually people will see that they're like, I'm this, I'm in over my head, I'm just gonna stop doing this, and they give up. And you're just like absolutely not like, like you said, you're very persistent, and when you want something, you're gonna go after it, and you're never gonna be told no. And that's what I love, man. And that's what that's what drives me to Bullpath. And like, honestly, like it's just that first off, it's great gear, it's American made, and the person running it is a go-getter, someone who just doesn't take no for an answer. And that's the type of person I want to be able to go to in a company, be like, hey man, I have this going on. Can we make this happen? And you're gonna be like, come hell or high water. Yeah, yeah, we'll happen. That's what I love.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:19

Well, I appreciate it, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:21

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we're we're really we're we're real excited. I mean, let me tell you, I I you know, I know we've talked a little bit in Zach's Pryphylogy, but like I am a die, like I am I am so excited because I sit anywhere between let's low ball 70 sits to like I'm trying to get to a hundred sits this year. You know what I mean? Like I travel like I start early. I start September 1st. I'll be down in Delaware. I mean in the saddle, but like as soon as June starts, like that's our I'm starting to be in the woods scouting and everything like that, getting getting ready. But like I hunt like a madman, and I am so excited to to use this gear and you know to be a part of something that you know we all truly truly believe in, and you know, can't um you know can't can't wait to uh yeah, can't wait for the journey. And uh yeah, we're gonna take this shit to the moon. And you know, we're we're we're pumped. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:29

I'm so excited.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:30

Yeah, me too. Me too, man. And uh it's gonna be cool because uh man, oh man. I'm telling you guys, it's gonna be fucking insane. And I would say the biggest motivator for me is those two companies and the uh the two companies and

Where To Find Bullpath And Outro

SPEAKER_03 1:02:56

uh basically the way our society is, I want to be the complete opposite. So like nothing's gonna stop me unless I'm dead. And it's just gonna keep on going, things are gonna keep getting better, and we're gonna keep getting bigger, and it's gonna be fucking dope.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:12

Oh yeah, dude. Oh yeah. Well, there ain't there ain't no better way to to to end it with that. That was that was perfectly said. Um, you know, uh Drew, any I mean, you're I don't know if we should, I shouldn't say any last words because that was just perfect. Maybe we should just, yeah, we'll just zach. Any last words from you? Nah, man, that was money. Absolutely money. Um, everyone, first of all, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Second of all, if you are not, make sure you head to Boldpath's Instagram right below. Check them out, head to their website. I am telling you, if you are looking for a new saddle or interested in getting into the mobile game or already in the mobile game, make sure you head to bullpathgear.com. Go check them out. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate. Hit up Drew, hit up Zach, hit up me. We'll we'll do anything that we can to answer any single question that you guys have. And you know, we're thank you, thank you for listening and thank you supporting, and you know, we'll see you guys next time.