EATONTOWN, N.J. (AP) — You might have seen the bumper stickers. Maybe you were approached about it by two women in the middle of the intersection at Sunset Avenue and Route 35 in Ocean Township.

The plastic placards and awkwardly situated introduction are a one-two punch used to get the word out about a new business in town that allows you to get primal while drinking a cold one.

"We were at a light going on Route 35 and the guy next to us was yelling at someone, so I jumped out— he had a beard, he looked like our type of client —I said, 'I have something for you,' gave him a sticker, and said, 'have you ever thrown a hatchet?'" Kelly Josberger, co-owner of Stumpy's Hatchet House, told the Asbury Park Press (http://on.app.com/1TbFc0z).

The idea for the first indoor hatchet throwing venue in the United States, which opened earlier this month, was homegrown by two couples, Kelly and Stuart Josberger, of Toms River, and Trish and Mark Oliphant, of Lakehurst.

"One of the things that we all liked about it was, it was something a little primitive, a little organic, kind of primal to pick up an ax to throw it at a target," Stuart Josberger said.

Jackeline Mejias-Fuertes, director of the Small Business Development Center at Brookdale, said people today want to let loose in new ways.

"Now we have more expendable income, people are not having families as early, and they're going out and trying different things," she said. "I saw another business about taking out your frustration. It's about shattering plates and anything that you want to shatter . so people can just smash them and get aggression out."

The back of one Stumpy's T-shirts says "Let it go."

"We just felt there was a kind of need for this type of a business," said Trish Oliphant.

It took the two 50-something couples about a year to find a suitable space with high enough ceilings and to complete the build-out.

"We talked to a lot of landlords, and they were like, 'yeah, no thank you,'" Mark Oliphant said.

But when the owners saw the blue and chartreuse boxing gym at 22 Meridian Rd. in Eatontown they knew it could be a BYOB hatchet-throwing haven for people over 21.

"A lot of people say, 'hatchets and beer, that sounds really dangerous,'" Kelly Josberger said. "First of all, we take safety really seriously, and we also reserve the right to remove people who are drinking too much and not following the rules."

This time last year the couples weren't thinking about a rule book.

"We were hanging out in the backyard by the chiminea, chopping up firewood, and then we start throwing (a hatchet) at a dead tree," said Mark Oliphant. "The next thing you know we were trying to see who could do it the best, and then next weekend there were six of us out there throwing."

Oliphant, who is a retired union carpenter, built a target and set it up in the backyard to make a game.

While hatchet throwing happened naturally, the name for their new venture needed some thought.

"We went for all these different names with axes and hatchets and stuff like that, but then we decided to name it after a person," Kelly Josberger said.

Stumpy's is named after one of the owner's alter-ego, Kelly Josberger said.

The owners, who met sailing about five years ago, attended a sailing party where Stuart was the MC. His name for the night was "Stumpy."

Stumpy's just stuck, especially because of its connection to "tree stumps and trees," Kelly Josberger said.

Last weekend, three groups took over picnic tables— made by Mark Oliphant —and couches and set up shop with their beer and snacks. Decorative string lights crisscrossed above the throwing pits pounding with hatchet thuds.

The visitors went through training where they signed waivers and learned the rules.

Each group received two solid steel 14-inch Estwing hatchets. The respected brand has been making the camper's tool for over 90 years. From there, they learned the different games they could play at the pits.

Hatchet-throwing is easy to get the hang of, for the most part. After you hit the taunting red bull's-eye for the first time, you can brag by ringing a bell.

"I got a bull's-eye on the first try today so, I love it," said Danielle Monia, of Freehold, who heard about Stumpy's through a craft beer group. "This is definitely weird and different and like, up-and-coming."