BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northerner staff
Brothers Landin and Lance McFarlane were growing apart in their 20s. They didn’t speak a lot and didn’t have the best relationship. The brothers were on a path to the unknown and it wasn’t good for either of them.
Four years ago, Landin came up with an idea for a lozenge while the brothers were hunting moose.
It was an idea that not only became a market reality for them, but, more importantly, brought the brothers back together and changed their lives.
“This idea brought us back to where we should be in life,” Lance said. “Yes, I get emotional about it. We have connected. We are there for each other no matter what now in life, business and hunting.”
The McFarlane boys were raised in Thunder Bay, splitting their time on a country home and a camp. Their parents, George and (MOM), raised the boys to love the outdoors and hunting.
Landin, 33, is a grain handler. Lance, 31, is an emergency nurse. They are both avid moose hunters, taking after their father and his big game pursuits. When asked about their passion for hunting, both brothers essentially stated they think about hunting non-stop, year-round and it is a true and pure lifestyle for them.
The idea to start a business together was the bridge to build back the brother’s relationship. It worked. The brothers spent a lot of time in the first year developing and researching their product. The time they spent together brought them closer and closer back to something of importance and meaning – the bond of a loving family member. This bond can be tested. This bond can be broken. This bond can be repaired. This bond can always be made strong again.
The McFarlane brothers proved this to themselves.
“Considering where we were years ago, this
business has brought us super close,” Landin said. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without him. In our 20s, we were not exactly best friends. Now, he is like a best friend for sure. We encourage each other and build each other up. I am lucky and grateful to have a brother to chase a dream with. It is cool because we both know it will happen.”
Lance fondly remembers a time when Landin wanted to make his own deer chow to attract the animals to stands. Lance didn’t believe Landin until one day his brother showed up at his house with about a 1,000-pounds of corn ready to mix up. This is key to it all because it provided inspiration and motivation. It all lead to the brothers’ experiencing serious change in their lives.
“That moment made me realize we can do things outside of our daily work and what society tells us to do,” Lance said. “It gave me a vision. Along comes this Grunts idea by Landin and it sounded awesome. I wanted to be with him to do it because it is exciting. It has made us better people. We have grown into more positive, loving and caring people throughout this journey and that is the real thing I’m grateful for. It is changing our lives and who we are for the better. My brother and I didn’t really talk in our 20s. We were not close. We were polar opposites. Sometimes, brothers don’t get along. He has changed. I have changed. We have just connected. We are there for each other, if one of us is having a bad day, no matter what in life, business and hunting. We bounce each other back up. It is nice to have.”
Four years ago, Landin and Lance were on the same moose hunting trip, but were not together in the same area. Landin was interacting with a mature bull moose. The ungulate was roughly 80-yards away. Landin was battling a sickness at the time and it proved costly.
“I put out a cow call,” he said. “I had a cold and I screwed up the call. The bull caught wind of it and he took off and was gone. In that moment I wondered if there was something out there for hunters to help them when they are sick.”
The brothers started an exhaustive search. They came across a fact about balsam fir having health benefits for sickness and also being a good way to naturally cover the scent of humans.
“It was like wow,” Landin said. “It was meant to be and we were suppose to do this.”
The brothers found a lozenge manufacturer in Canada and got the lozenge made and put their branding on to create Grunts. The brothers have had Grunts on the market for two years. They sell mostly in stores in and around Thunder Bay. Grunts is also sold in Alberta through hunting distributors. The brothers are working on a deal to get their product sold across Canada in a national retailer.
Grunts are made of balsam fir, eucalyptus, menthol and echinacea. The balsam fir works to mask scent and improve overall stealth. The lozenge is an expectorant to help clear the throat and improve calling techniques. It also acts as a natural insect repellant. The lozenge also helps relieve symptoms of cough, cold, and nasal congestion, while temporarily soothing sore throats. Grunts also help strengthen immunity and shortens duration of upper respiratory tract infections.
“There are multiple benefits to use Grunts,” Landin said.
The brothers split duties to make the company run in-between their careers. They work shifts, so when one brother has free time, he will do what has to be done from selling, marketing, updating social media, sending out orders, contacting people and anything else.
“It has been a crazy ride,” Lance said. “I never envisioned us as businessmen. We are a team with everything. We have a big dream. We make good money with our other jobs. My purpose is not to be a nurse for the rest of my life and retire at 65. Life is too short for that and my brother agrees. We want to grow a sustainable and ethical hunting brand and show we value these things.”
Grunts are sold in packs of four ($15.99), eight ($31.99) and 12 ($47.99). Each pack contains 12 lozenges per pack.
Grunts builds and grows relationship