Episode 1 - Origins of Limb Junkies

In the very first episode of Out on the Limb with the Limb Junkies, Bobby and Ian sit down to tell the story of how it all started — from Bobby's spontaneous trademark filing in January 2022 to the early hunts that cemented their friendship and mission. They talk about the healing power of the outdoors, how hunting pulled Ian through a painful divorce, and how chasing whitetails on small properties and quota hunts turned into something much bigger than t-shirts and likes. This is the origin story of Limb Junkies: what it is, what it isn't, and where it's going.

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Transcript

Speaker 2 0:02

Welcome to Out on the Limb with the Limb Junkies, recovery, resilience, and the outdoors. We believe in the natural world as a therapy like no other, and we're here to prove it. Whether you're tethered in a hunting saddle, pitching lures into deep cover or set up on a roosted gobbler, you're in the right place. This is a space for anyone who's found healing in the woods, forging fishing, hunting, and all of those wild things in between. We're building something here and we want you with us, so let's gear up and get into it.

Ian 0:34

[Mic bleed]

Bobby 0:38

we even get into where we are with Limb junkies today, let's go back and talk about what we remember about how this all started in the first place. So when is the first time you remember us talking about limb

Ian 0:55

Well, I remember probably a couple years even before you came to me and were like, guess what? We're starting a company. You would, you would kind of joke and fantasize about. Us being called Limb Junkies and doing some sort of podcast or show or something like that. And then I remember January of 2022, you called me up one random day, no sort of foreshadowing or, or prompt or anything, and said, guess what? I just got the copyright. We're now officially Limb junkies.

Bobby 1:25

Yeah. I, it was ridiculous how fast it moved because once it got stuck in my head, I couldn't get it out. So like. That whole week leading up to when I called you, I was like jumping online and filling out the paperwork and going nuts. I talked to my wife about it and told her this is what I wanted to do, and she said, go for it. And I went up on this legal Zoom website and I immediately got the paperwork together to do a trademark. And started immediately thought we were gonna go straight into t-shirts and be super famous right away. And that we were just going be millionaires and buy our own hunting properties and never have to work again.

Ian 2:03

I remember you telling me you were like the guy who, uh, who started the whole Salt Life brand. He ended up selling it for millions of dollars and that's gonna be us.

Bobby 2:11

ah, man. I felt, I felt like it, I felt like that that was gonna be us, but I guess, you know, one of, one of the downsides was that I rushed into it so quickly. And you know it from the beginning, I always had a vision of you in mind as like the core of limb junkies because just how dedicated you were even back then. And, you know, I always kind of thought to myself, you know, this was gonna be like, Ian was gonna be almost like the, the poster boy for you know? But then I started looking at like t-shirts, and merchandise and I started thinking to myself, well man, we, sell some t-shirts. And then that's when I did that design contest with 99 Designs. So I'd not only gone trademark Limb junkies, but I went out and started a design contest on 99 designs.com to put together some designs for, for the T-shirts. And before I knew it, man, we were sitting and doing shows and carrying around buckets of T-shirts and stuff like that. But it got started so fast that I just, I kind of lost the point there for a few minutes, you know what I mean?

Ian 3:12

Well, another thing too that I think is key is I was going through a divorce at the time, so I separated from my ex-wife, the. Previous spring. So spring of 2021 and I leaned on you heavy. I leaned on a bunch of my buddies, pretty heavy. Um, and then fall came around and we hunted like crazy, you know, and just like the outdoors does to a lot of people, it helps heal. And I think that was also a catalyst for maybe why you thought this is gonna be the time. This is gonna be Ian's thing., This is the perfect outlet. Um. Because I, I was empty. I had a big hollow spot in my life at that point, I remember you calling me and telling me about it, and I was just like, what? What is it? What are we doing? And I remember just being so like, surprised by the idea, but at the same time being like, yep, I'm all in. as

Bobby 4:07

said, what are we doing? I just, I knew right then that you would be on board for all of it and you know, my friendship with you was genuine right away, and I think that, you know, it was a little bit of an imposter syndrome for me, especially because I hadn't hunted hardly at all. I had only been back into it for a few years before I even met you. And, you know, I was trying to do public land stuff out at CF Phelps here and just kind of just trying to hustle myself and, you know, I wasn't having a lot of success, but I was enjoying it. But when I, I hooked up with you and we started doing a couple of those hunts, um, that one at Ross's Place. Whereas it was freezing cold and I had that crossbow and I climbed up in the tree stand, man, and I saw that 25 doll rolling for the back and I was, I told

Ian 4:53

too. They're gonna come in in a single file line.

Bobby 4:56

That was it. That was it for me and the going through the process of like going with you to some of these smaller properties and seeing how that works. And it just really changed my perspective on things. 'cause I was searching for some outlet for the anxiety and I was searching for some way to reconnect and being more mindful. And when we started hunting more together, I, that's where I found it. I found it in the tree stand,

Ian 5:20

Well, I also think too, that a lot of guys probably have the same experience as you, and they're subjected to their local public land. And let's be honest, public land can be difficult and can be a bummer. You know, you got a sea of orange and a lot of pressure and a lot of times public land isn't close to home, so you dedicate a whole lot of time and energy to get to said public land only to be run out of there by a bunch of guys hunting or sit all day and not see a single deer. So I think too, it was refreshing for you, for me to be like, Hey man, I got this 10 acre lot I can take you to. There's gonna be 10 plus deer that walked through here the last hour of daylight. Whereas that probably never would happen at CF Phelps. And sure enough, if you're sitting there and they let go,

Bobby 6:12

Blew my mind. Blew my mind. And I think that we had, we'd done the lottery or I had done the, Virginia's quota lottery or quota hunts. And that's what we pulled Adam Daniels for the first time. And you know, driving down there and setting up, going in there and doing the scouting. 'cause I remember we drove down there super early. We even talked a little bit about limb junkies on the way down for that very first hunt. But then we scouted that morning and set up that afternoon. You know, it'd been the first time that I was actually in the A tree stand with my climber with a bow, and right at sunrise about 7:00 AM a big six pointer, rolls in right standing right in front of me. Because I'd been doing what you taught me, I'd grunted a little bit and rattled some. And, but I couldn't even draw the, I couldn't even get up and draw the ball. I was shaking so hard. I couldn't even, and then finally, by the time I got up and drew and, and shot at him, I just literally hit the dirt right beneath his feet. And he just kind of looked at me like rolled his eyes and walked off. Like it was no big deal. But the feeling that I got at, being in the tree and having executed the scouting and picked a tree and made some lanes, and it became a lot more than just, you know, shooting a deer. It became about the process and the toil that led up to it. And, uh, that was one of the most special hunts that really kind of certified for me that I was gonna be a limb junkie and, and stop being a poser. And eventually that I would, I would hunt as many deer as he does.

Ian 7:37

Well, I think that's the thing too, is it's not, it's not all about the harvest, you know? It is the prep, at least for me. You know, and I think this is why Bob's like, oh, Ian's the perfect stereotypical limb junkie because it, it consumes my mind, right now we're talking, today's the 24th of January. Our season is out, at least our open season. Right now my mind is rolling a million miles an hour. Thinking about next fall, you know, what sort of adjustments do I need to make to my hunting properties, to put me in better position? And what went wrong this year? Did I hunt too much? Did I pressure deer? Did I not pay attention to the wind? I was unfortunately not able to even see a mature buck while on the stand this year, which is a bummer, but it's not always about that. But my mind is constantly thinking of why, what happened? What mistake did I make? Did one of these nice mature bucks that I had on camera, did he come into that property outta sight and win me, and then disappear and never come back? I don't know. But my mind thinks if that happened, I need to make some sort of adjustment so it doesn't happen next time. So there's, for me and for most hunters out there, I think it, it's, it's not just about the moment where you draw back on a deer. Yeah. It's everything that goes up to it. It's all the prep in the off season. It's the scouting that's involved. It's the positioning of stands in the correct place. It's knowing what you're up against and trying to find a game plan to execute it. And more times than not, I'm just happy to be out in the woods in a tree, you know, during the fall. And it's not always about shooting a deer, but even the Adams Daniel that, that first time, 'cause we've been a couple times. Yeah. Uh, even that first time we went, and again, I'm used to hunting small properties, so Bob draws this, this lottery hunt at this 200 acre farm that we have. To ourselves for three days. Uh, I mean, I've never hunted anywhere like that. You know,

Bobby 9:36

Me neither, man. That was a

Ian 9:37

So we go and we left empty handed. We were there for 24 hours though. We drove down, hunted for the day and drove back that night. And it was a blast.

Bobby 9:45

Yeah, it was a great time. Yeah.

Ian 9:47

So, but yeah, there, there's a lot that goes into it. And the way that. I hunt. The way that I view hunting is not so much about that moment of harvest. It's everything else. It's being consumed by the outdoors, being consumed by that moment, being consumed by the idea that I am trying to integrate myself into a natural world that is completely outta my control. Mm-hmm., It's up to me to try to put myself in a best position for a harvest, but ultimately I'm along for a ride that I have no control over, and I love that.

Bobby 10:21

Yeah. Yeah. The irony for me is, you know, watching you with such precise execution and precise planning, you know, it's inspiring, but in a weird sort of way, I'm the opposite when it comes to what I'm thinking about. Like for me, as soon as I get out there and. You help me get into my stand, or we get set up somewhere and, you know, I put my back against the tree and, and it's that moment where it's not quite dark, but it's not quite light and it's just about to start and the birds will start singing any second. And for me, as opposed to analyzing and planning, I am plugging in to the earth and just literally letting it drain all of my concerns. And I'm trying to empty my mind to the point where I'm literally nothing more than just sit against that tree. And I'm not even thinking about the deer coming. Well, that's not true because as soon as I see any signs, I, I start sweating and, and shaking. But for me it's a way to also just stop and just let myself stop and let my mind stop and then just kind of blend into the background. So,

Ian 11:21

And I think there's a fine line too. There's a fine line between being immersed in the moment and trying to enjoy it for what it is. And also obsessively analyzing the situation to try to have success. But it's a line I walk every time I walk out into the woods. And I don't think it'll ever change, honestly. But so

Bobby 11:42

we've been hunting now together for how long? How long have we been, limb junkies together?

Ian 11:46

We started the company in 2022, me and you have been hunting buddies since. It's been nine years.

Bobby 11:53

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Oh wow. Wow. Time flies. Time flies. While we may have both had good intentions when we first got Limb Junkie started,, between the merchandise and doing the shows and trying to get an outreach and stuff like that, and in the later years, just these last two or three years, you stepped up and went straight at the content and became. An outstanding, guy that self films. And again, you applied that same precision to the filming, but the switch for limb junkies between, trying to go for t-shirts and then we had a little bit of a lull. You know, I kind of lost my faith a little, a little bit, I think. Um, I certainly wasn't hunting as hard as you were in some of those middle years, but then you just kind of stepped up and started putting out some really fantastic content, which brings us to today. Which is where we're kind of, at a crossroads, not just with this podcast episode, but with the apex of your filming over the years, and it's time to figure out maybe what the next few years of Limb Junkies looks like.

Ian 12:52

Yeah, and I think, In the inception of the company, it was thought of as a business, we had a mission. And a goal, which was, we always stood by the idea that we're trying to promote the therapeutic value of the great outdoors. So what that means is, like we've hinted at life sucks sometimes, you know, life on life's terms is not always the best. We go through hardships. We deal with addictions and we deal with anxieties and the outdoors is the perfect. Medication for said things. I mean, there's, there's no better place to immerse yourself in and kind of let go of the troubles of the world or the troubles in your mind than to get outdoors. So that has always been our mission and our goal. So when we started the company, I think the idea was this is our mission. This is our goal. In order to connect, let's make a product, let's make a product and said product will then connect us with other guys that are like us, that, that utilize this therapeutic thing that we have in the outdoors

Bobby 13:54

that's well put.

Ian 13:55

And I think that our mission and our goal was achieved and continues to be achieved. I just think the business aspect wasn't the right way to go, or maybe it just wasn't approached correctly. So I think, you and I have kind of discussed this over the last year or two, and I think that the goal for us going forward, or at least for the company, is just to be. A connection a means, you know, we are still limb junkies. We are still utilizing the therapeutic value of the outdoors to get through life and connecting with other guys that, share this kind of insight. But we're not gonna be selling a product.

Bobby 14:32

No. And I don't think we need to. I think the product is the connection, like the other hunters that we've met over the last few years and the bonds that we've formed with some of those guys, especially those Yankees from the north. You know, those are a lot more meaningful than, hustling t-shirts out of a show. And, you showed me that with your content. And even though, we haven't pressed the pedal on trying to go for subscribers and things like that, all those people that have, subscribed and all those people that we talk to and that we hunt with, we've all met. Largely because of you and because of Lynn Junkies. Yep. So in my mind, that's a little bit of a success even if we haven't, even if I still got tubs of t-shirts sitting back home. Yep. We do. Upstairs in the office.

Ian 15:12

We do. Yep.

Bobby 15:13

It's uh, it's worth it, dude.

Ian 15:14

So our idea was. From this point forward, we're just going to generate content. So I'm gonna continue to do the video stuff, and I'm not the best editor. I don't always get the shot as far as,, get the right angle or remember to press record or my camera dies on me, or whatever the case may be. But the idea behind it is. It is just another aspect of hunting that I can sink my teeth into. I love setting up the cameras. I love editing the footage. I love everything about it. It just adds another aspect that I can really Pay attention to and dissect and analyze, and really sink my mind into. But also the podcast. 'cause we had talked about this and for anybody who's followed us on social media or whatever, we kind of teased this a couple years ago and it just kind of fizzled out. But the idea is this audio format, I think would be a huge way for us to bridge our mission to a ton of other people. And, we still have the same plan that we had with it years ago, which is get a bunch of guests on here to talk about, how they use the outdoors to heal. I think that between the video content and the podcast content, our mission could be greater than it ever was in the beginning.

Bobby 16:33

I agree. I agree. I think that the podcast fills the gap, the things that you don't see in the videos because, they're not two hours long and you don't hear us talking with each other and, you don't see a lot of what comes after, the camaraderie around, breaking down your deer and packaging it up and, the busting chops, that kind of thing that. You don't see a lot of that. So, and we also don't really have an opportunity to talk, at length about why we do what we do and what it means to us and bringing on other people that feel the same way. So I think you're right. I think the next logical evolution of this whole thing for us is to just keep doing, especially keep doing what you're doing with the content and the video, which is outstanding.

Ian 17:11

Yeah. I don't plan

Bobby 17:12

stop but start adding some other elements that help, place more emphasis on the mental health aspect of things and. Try to take advantage of some of those relationships that we're making by getting those guys on here to tell us what it means to them too.

Ian 17:25

Oh yeah. Especially, the last couple years, our buddy Chad up in Vermont, we've become real tight with him and, during the spring we go up there and spend time with them and they come down here in the spring and the fall. I just think it would be great to incorporate them when we visit or when they visit, to have them on because, it's just, it's great how hunting brings people together and it's not just, oh, we're out here harvesting animals. It's the shared camaraderie and the shared experiences of life and raising kids and marriage and hardships and sickness and all the things that everybody goes through. But it's a way to connect with those people via the outdoors, via hunting and fishing and all the things that we love to do.

Bobby 18:08

And at the end of the day, it's really about, meeting people that help you carry the weight of life and carry the load. And we use the woods and we use the wild places to help spread that load out and make it less heavy.

Ian 18:20

I mean, I know for me, through the struggles I've had in life that I was always a loner, you know, and, it's always been hard for me to ask for help to lean on other people and, this is just another situation where we can bridge that gap of you can't go through life alone. You can't go through hardships alone. We like going out in the woods and sitting there and being peaceful and quiet and. Feeling like you're in the middle of nowhere, all by yourself. But at the same time, there's comradery in hunting and there's people that you can rely on when times get tough. And I feel like that's also, a mission of ours is to build relationships with people that we can lean on and they can lean on us, yeah. To be that person that they can ask for help when they need it. know

Bobby 19:04

that I can be on a solo hunt at some of my properties and it's not the same as when you're around, like when you're in the stand down the property or something. And I know that if one of us wax one that we'll be able to pull it out together, but it's one of those things where even when I'm finished from a solo hunt. I want to call my boys and tell 'em about it and walk through it and talk about it and celebrate it. And so even the solo hunts, when they're done, you still seek out those partners of yours and those hunting buddies of yours Yep. To share that stuff with. And I think that's really meaningful. I think it's really helped me, not only become a better communicator, but I think it's also put me better in touch with my feelings on a day-to-day basis. But, this next season we're looking forward to putting out some more content. Ian's mentioned he's got a lot of plans. We've got some Turkey content from last year that'll drop, around March. And then, I think we're both gonna pursue this podcast and I'm gonna probably start joining Ian in some more of the videos, because we really want to continue doing this. We really want to continue showing out and showing up.

Ian 20:02

I don't think, there's definitely been some frustration and some, I'm trying to think of the right word. There's been some frustration and maybe some disappointment. In the company the last two years. Yeah. But I don't think it was a discouragement. I think it was just, we didn't know where to go. We didn't know exactly what to do what the face of the company was gonna be. But regardless, neither one of us were done. We enjoyed this so much that it was kind of like. We just need to get moving in some direction.

Bobby 20:39

You just said it right there. We had the desire, but we lacked the direction. Yeah. So the focus from this point forward is direction. I think that, we'll be able to put out a lot more meaningful content and meet a lot more people and as long as we keep showing up to where people do real shit, like the boat ramp or that secret, parking spot in the national Forest or that 10 acre lot that you have access to shoot some turkeys. As long as we keep showing up to those places, we'll keep meeting people that are legit, that are doing the same things. Yep.

Ian 21:11

Yeah. I'm excited. I'm excited to see where it's gonna go, but I think from this point forward, I don't know that really there's, there's some sort of bar of success when it comes to this limb junkies thing. I don't think that we're trying to achieve X amount of followers or x amount of subscribers or monetize this in any sort of way. I think it's just this is what we love doing and if we can connect with people, which I think we can, you know, I think there's a lot of guys out there just like us. I think that is a success for us, continuing to do this, continuing to have the desire to keep this moving, continuing to do what we do because we love doing it, not because of this or that, or whatever the feedback is. I think that. We just want to keep doing it in whatever way we can.

Bobby 22:00

I'm glad you said that. And it's important to realize for me, especially that this really isn't about, being the top content provider and having the most likes. This isn't about a major push to get subscribers and do gimmicky things and stuff like that. This is simply a desire to continue sharing what we love and just making it a little more meaningful with a little more direction. So. I'm a hundred percent on board, buddy.

Ian 22:24

Yep. Well it's all up hill from here, bud.

Bobby 22:27

Yeah, it is. And you're gonna be dragging my deer all uphill.

Ian 22:29

Yeah, I'll do it.

Speaker 22:31

Thanks for going out on a limb with us. If this episode hit home, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Find us on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook, and follow along for more. Until next time, keep your powder dry. I.