Two absolute bow hunting legends, post about an upcoming AZ hunt.... 80 posts.
An Alabaman who never elk hunted before, struggles at times with English and Grammar, and espouses some "controversial" hunting methodologies posts 2 threads about upcoming his upcoming elk hunt - 128 posts....
Another member posts about same Alabaman's "odds" and goes 276 posts (and growing)
Another member posts a question about the Alabaman's elk hunt -94 posts....
So that's 496 posts allocated toward man from Alabama to 80 for two P&Y legends!
(oh and congratulations Steve Grace - your stock has risen indeed!)
What does this say - from a sociological standpoint?
Make it 497 Jack.
The Bowsite of today is far more of an ENTERTAINMENT medium than an EDUCATIONAL medium. Not to say there is not learning and teaching on the site, there is a lot, but on the continum of education vs entertainment it is skewing increasingly more to the entertainment side.
On one hand it is good because there are far too many people who take this whole thing way to seriously and need to lighted up a lot. we are sharing perspectives around a sport......... not a cure for adolescent cancer. On the other hand it is unfortunate in that finding the nuggests of wisdom and benefit can be more difficult than it used to be.
I don't think I have ever heard the two guys heading for Arizona even say "I am the best" or "My way is the best" or "my accomplishments are the toughest"....
That is a pretty stark contrast right there..
Not to sound like sour grapes (I truly don't care), but I recently posted a DIY, public land bear hunt - from the ground (spot and stalk) - no baiting and no dogs - one of the most difficult hunts to pull off anywhere, and I think maybe 10-12 guys posted responses. No biggie, the hunt was more than enough validation and congratulations were never needed, or asked for..….but it is interesting nonetheless.
I wish him we'll on his hunt and wish he would go away.
Its sad when someone with basically no accomplishment ,that runs his mouth, gets more posts than someone that doesn't talk about all the accomplishments they actually have. I think if TBM had the humility of Danny and Bob he might acquire notoriety for something other than being a clown.
We'll probably hear from Dan and Bob when they kill something. Notice I said when, and not "if". Until then they are probably not going to be as engaging on Bowsite as Steve has been.
Post a funny pic of a cat and get 1+ million likes.
Post a story about a war vet get 10,000.
Honestly, the TBM threads are great content and comedy. If the other threads were better written with pics they would get a lot of comments as well.
I've seen great response to threads about hunts but they are filled with pictures and well written.
BTW just because someone is a legend doesn't make them a great writer or story teller.
Highjacking threads is a different subject. Some guys are genuinely trying to solve some of the puzzle and when it goes astray that person's efforts go to hell. As a responsible member of BS those instances should be pointed out followed by re-railing the derailed thread instead of adding to the tangent.
It's easy to deal w/ annoyances esp on the interweb. Just do what your kindergarten teacher told you and ignore it. In the meantime if his presence is that much of a problem open a new website with exclusive membership.
Whereas, on a TBM thread, it's ever evolving. Most of the time it ends with something completely unrelated to the original topic of the thread. We all have something that we can contribute to a TBM post. In addition, at least half of the posts are made by TBM himself.
TBM has added a modicum of entertainment value to the site on occassion, but not much, if any, education to it.
for those who believe no publicity is bad publicity they have never actually had to deal with a media crisis!
But post count and visits is what makes a website tick (be profitable)...and there you have the reason they are allowed/permitted.
I worry about this trend in society; It used to be about integrity....now its about popularity
A person could do a study... but they aren't going to dig up anything new about mankind that hasn't been there for thousands of years. Not anything new with this site, the internet or anywhere in the world.
There are those who know what they are doing, those who THINK they know what they are doing and those who want everyone ELSE to think they know what they are doing.
Easy to sift though it all when you get a glimpse of the tonnage of nearly all (and some cases here...all) NA big game animals put on the ground and the world class adventures shared here.
I read many threads and do not respond. I read the Bear on the ground without bait thread, i just didnt respond.
Some threads are easier to post something on.
What do most of us have to say to Bigdan or BTB on their hunt other than, "have a good time," or "good luck," We're certainly not giving advice. No one's telling them not to cut the green wire.
Most of the TBM threads are filled with a mixture of trash talk, encouragement, advice, and a lot of whimsical one-liners and chit-chat. That's why the threads end up with high post counts. Several of these threads, you'll see people posting multiple times. You'd look kinda dumb if you said "good luck" three times.
There's the occasional thread that has a great topic that sparks a discussion that gets dozens of posts per day, but many of the larger threads are just easy to post to.
One of the highest post-count threads of all time on Bowsite is still when Bigdan's son Cody died, so I think that still says something about the community here in contrast to the state-of-the-union comments above.
Sureshot gets the second chicken dinner of the day.
Mike
It's "ROLL TIDE"
All kidding aside the squeeeeeeky wheel always get lube.
The time would be short if other bowsiters took the appropriate steps: Hunt turkeys with archery gear.on public ground in the deep south...
Try huge cut diameter broadheads...just once.
Open your eyes on tracking jobs and see the ants and spiders etc along the trails.
Test Vortex broadheads on hide likeness material and see they DO suck into the material if animal instead if kick out.
Shoot under one of our jumpy deer at 25 yards.
The list goes on and on. After my elk hunt I will add several more.
Soon he will have his own reality TV program.
I for one say that I enjoy the entertainment value and congratulate him on his success controlling the forums. As far as responding....no one has to unless they want. And its obvious most do. Well done TBM. Well done.
Don't forget blood sloosh arrows. :)
There are people here who annoy me, at times. There are people here who I annoy, at times. There are people here I truly respect. There are a couple I don't think much of.
TBM is who he is. Some days, he's entertaining. I read his stuff on those days. Some times he's a pain in the ass. I ignore his posts when he rubs me that way.
For those of you who TBM annoys to the point of wanting to smash your computer... why are you letting him get so far into your head?
There are some great hunters on this site that TBM would not even be worthy of toting their backpack or holding their bow while they glassed. Many of which he has insulted and demeaned. I know that for a fact- I have meet them at conventions and have been fortunate enough to hunt with a few of them.
There is a world of difference between serious hunters & wanabees/BS artists. Great hunters do not demand attention. They don't have to because there is nothing for them to have to prove. On the other hand, wanabees/BS artists have to have attention and use humor in attempt to cover themselves because there is nothing they can prove. They are doing nothing more than playing charades and only fooling themselves. Serious hunters can easily see exactly what they are and what they are not.
When I first got on Bowsite most of the thread contributors offered a wealth of knowledge and information in their posts that really helped other bowhunters grow in their archery and bowhunting skills. Today, contributions are more proned to "alleged entertainment" than anything else. I see the true seasoned hunters contributing less and less. Perhaps consideration should be given to a "Humor" icon to handle the irrelevant nonsense and leave the other icons for serious subject items.
I would truly love to see Bowsite return to what it once was and what I believe the original the intent was in the minds of the founders- for bowhunters to learn and share information about bowhunting.
It is a big hunting world out there- much larger than an Alabama turkey or whitetail. If one does not believe it, look in a P&Y, Boone & Crockett, ROE or SCI Record books- there are a lot of animal species listed in them.
LOL.. Why are you so proud of AL turkey hunting or make it seem so difficult? Turkey hunting aint any harder in AL so remove that from your respect list. Every vid I see of your hunts (I have only seen a few) you get to take your pick of 3-6 toms in a flock of birds. LMAO.... Here in MI around the area I hunt you get to chose from 1 tom or none many times.
Come on up here around where I hunt and see how well you do. We can make a bet and the looser would sponsor a wounded warrior hunt. You should win easy since you have 25+ years of turkey hunting and 217 kills to my 3 years of turkey hunting and 1 kill.
What a bold challenge for a good cause. 1 kill against 217 and the looser pays for a wounded warrior hog hunt?
Also, why would I go guided when I can hunt everything here in Alaska DIY on public ground? Granted, Coues deer in Arizona, mountain goats, Sitka Blacktail deer and the various different species of bear I hunt are not turkey, but Dan and I may get there someday. I believe I recall Dan recently telling me that, if he was going to kill a turkey, it would be with a golf club in his back yard.
I can see that in my minds eye right now....
"Only God and Bigdan can hit a 1 iron...."
He stated here within the year on a thread about guided hunts that he doesn't use guides.
IdyllwildArcher's Link
Greatness may be judged based on number of post and content of post not prowess as a bowhunter.
Some young guys are very good bowhunters especially since the age of technology supported their growth. Man if I had only had Bowsite when I was ten years old.
The greatness of the NA 29 is not the harvesting of the 29 but the education that goes along with obtaining it.
Just because you have read about hunting a certain animal makes you knowledgeable but does not equate toward greatness.
I have been successful on most out of state hunting trips but I have learned the most on the unsuccessful trips. Much of that was from retrospect and introspection.
There are some great bowhunters on Bowsite.
Threads can be great for many reasons.
This is a great thread
TBM - Sometimes you are brighter than people give you credit for. Alot of people never truly understand that earning respect is as much about how you carry yourself as it is your accomplishments.
X2 Buffalo1 great post.
One thing I can say with a certainty is that I have read the comment (several times) "...you wouldn't even be worthy of carrying (his) backpack, blah blah blah". Really? Then how are you or they any better than your notions of the "unworthy". I dislike eliteist notions, its a big turn-off. I think the vast majority on here are NOT eliteist and its refreshing especially considering alot of other hunting forums I've been on basically exude it. Another reason I like this site.
One thing is also certain, TBM has a tendancy to bring out the true colors of the members of this website, which is good for a small-time, newby like me. I know where most of us all stand I guess. I wondered aloud before on another thread if anyone else picked-up on that and I think some have. Life's too short! Read JLS' Muley hunt in the Rubies to get a good dose of that idea, his hunt was the epitome of the reasons why many of us do what we do with a bow in hand. Disconnect from the nonsense and reconnect with the real things that live deep inside us. This website is a great outlet and a great community to share our love of bowhunting. Outlet for stories, tips, knowledge, photos, experiences AND entertainment. Its OK to be entertained and learn along the way and its OK to let someone think and say that their way is the best way. It is entertaining! Im heading out for the weekend to guide my sons to some moster bluegills and maybe shoot some doves on Monday. And hopefully drop little hints to them about connecting with the things that are important to us not only about hunting but about life. I can't wait!
TBM, the biggest problem guys have with you is that you can't see the lines out there that most know shouldn't be crossed. I find some of your schtick humorous, some of it actually makes sense, and a bunch of it is obnoxious, self-aggrandizing BS. Stick with the first two and skip the third. Do that and guys on here will sing your praises if you do good (even the guys that don't care for you), you don't have to do it for them or anyone else. At the end of the day the only thing that needs to be proven is what you need to prove to yourself.
The problem I have, is that nearly every thread I open these days I see people making TBM related comments even if it is not a TBM thread. Due to that, I have been away from BS for quite some time. I've dropped in and peaked every few weeks just to see if its gone away but the more he frustrates some people the more it seems that he is mentioned and the more he feeds off of it. Unfortunately he is just smart enough to not go the Rancid Crabtree route and get himself kicked out of here.
This past week I was so glad to see JLS's thread. It's a great post, well written by a guy just sharing his experiences without insults or self promotion. Ridge Wraith's elk hunt post is just as good - I'm glad I found it late and got to read the whole thing start to finish rather than waiting in agony for the conclusion as so many did. Knowing there is a BigDan elk hunting thread - now I'm going to go look for it because I rarely pass up info that he shares because whether he means to or not I usually learn something from it. I look forward to Blacktail Bobs posts because someday I want to rent one of his cabins and try for my first blacktail, I haven't caught a BB photo thread about antelope yet this fall, I hope I haven't missed it. I'll never take pictures like that but I sure like to look. Jaquomo didn't do his fall muley hunt thread last year and I for one really missed it.
As for the sociological statement made, drama queens tend to find each other and flock together so they can feed off of each others attention. I see it at my office on a daily basis too. Hopefully the people I mentioned plus so many others here who I respect will continue to share their time and give so freely to us what they have for years and ignore the chatter in the background because those guys are the reason at least for me, that its been worth visiting this site for 15+ years. If they are lost to this mindless chatter I'd see little reason to stay!
People can't help but look at train wrecks
Truth be known he killed his first turkey at age 1 with a slingshot and guessing he killed a hog with a Swiss Army pocket knife when he was 3.
I miss my Rancid friend. I wish he could be placed on a week trial period and behave himself. He was a pretty interesting person all though a bit grumpy at times.
Any way I like to look at pictures in the off season, and try to learn a thing or two......
I like threads on hunting tips, and info and exotic hunts......
The chest thumpers, and there are too many, who cares.......
I like honest hunters, who hunt fair chase, and have some respect for others.......
good luck to all this season
