20 Yr Bowsite Article - Classic Reminder
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: Bou'bound
08-Apr-24
Bou'bound's Link
This was written by Pat on the 20th anniversary of this site. A great article, lots of history, perspective, and content that would be a great read again, or for the first time if you never got to it the first time around 8 years ago.
From: fuzzy
08-Apr-24
Thanks for bringing this up!
From: Pat Lefemine
08-Apr-24
Thanks Boubound. In the article I mentioned my first competitor was Bowhunting.net which was started by Robert Hogue. Sadly, Rob passed away last month. He was a good person and while he competed with us, he did so with class and dignity. My prayers go out to his friends and family.
From: Ricky The Cabel Guy
08-Apr-24
interesting read.
looks like political activism is part of the bowsite dna.
thanks for posting.
From: Who Cares
08-Apr-24
Very good and interesting article. I've never seen it before.
From: Buffalo1
08-Apr-24
Great article that capsules the history of a great bowhunting website. Many bowhunters have grown because of Pat’s interest in bowhunting and its future.
From: Paul@thefort
08-Apr-24
' I hope we can continue to earn your trust and respect for the next 20 years.'
Pat you have mine and I am sure from others, 20 years and beyond. I found bowsite.com somewhere in the late 1990s; may have been 1999 and here we are 25 years later and still on board. Glad to have contributed once in a while. By best, Paul
From: scentman
08-Apr-24
What Paul said! scentman
From: Jaquomo
08-Apr-24
+1 Paul
From: Pete In Fairbanks
08-Apr-24
I can now die a happy man! Pat graciously mentioned me in his article. (And not in the "head-case" category!)
Thank you sir. I am honored.
Pete
From: Coyote 65
08-Apr-24
First started reading and posting in 1998 after being transferred to Dallas from AZ by Big Blue. On AOL with a dial up modem, the 56K model. Next a transfer to Midland TX and dsl with 128 K, then a move to Houston and 1 meg cable internet. Now back to AZ, living at the northern end of the Tonto National Forest using Starlink at 50 to 150 meg.
Technology has come a long way, and so has the Bowsite, and I have to thank Pat for the thousands of hours I have spent reading and discussing over the years.
Terry
From: Curt Wells
08-Apr-24
Rarely does a day go by when I don't drop into Bowsite to see what's up. It's sort of like taking the pulse of the bowhunting community and there is always something to learn, no matter how experienced one might be. Though we (Bowhunter Magazine/TV) might technically have been competitors in some ways, I personally have never felt that way. Instead, I have the greatest respect for you, Pat, and the integrity that you've carried like a shield. Thanks so much for your contributions to Bowhunter Magazine and for creating this gem we call Bowsite!
From: Teeton
08-Apr-24
That was a good read. Bringing back a lot of those stories from deep in my memory banks. Pat, Big Dan keeps coming to me in my dreams saying, tell Pat to bring back the bowsite chat. Spent many on evenings chatting with Dan and others on that chat. That for me was dial up internet.
From: Rgiesey
08-Apr-24
Lots of friends on this site. Met most of them in the real world so I already had great respect for posters on here. Great job Pat!
From: Will
08-Apr-24
I've been on since 05, it's fun to read through this. Very cool!
From: Bowfreak
08-Apr-24
I love this place, warts and all. This is still the best bowhunting site on the planet or anywhere else. :)
From: Shug
08-Apr-24
Good stuff thanks
From: Beav
08-Apr-24
Great to read it again!
From: Charlie Rehor
08-Apr-24
Thanks for bringing this up again. I hope many will be reading it for their first time too. There’s history here but mostly really good bow hunters who are fine folks as well. Carry on.
From: Boatman71
08-Apr-24
@Pat Lefemine Do you remember a couple other guys that ran a website about bowfishing in the 2000's named Dave Standing and Curt roberts?
From: Treeline
08-Apr-24
Great article. Enjoyed reminiscing about some of the greats that have been on the Bowsite over the years. Lots of good memories!
Thank you for sharing!
From: fastflight
08-Apr-24
I really enjoyed that for the second time. Been here since the late 90s but pry hav3 less posts than some guys get in a week.
From: Swampbuck
08-Apr-24
Funny to look back at the early years, glad I was there for it!
From: Pat Lefemine
08-Apr-24
Boatman, I don’t remember the guys but I remember the site! If it’s the one I’m thinking of they got most of the bowfishing traffic. I can’t remember the site name, it was so long ago!
From: Old School
08-Apr-24
I hadn’t read that before - interesting history for sure. Thanks for posting it up for us. Bowsite is my go-to bowhunting forum. Just wish Pat would figure out a way to make the Big Game forum actually about big game and get the other stuff separated off - have to trust there is a good reason why it’s not happened yet.
From: Nomad
09-Apr-24
Bowsite is what got me on the computer / internet in '96 or '97. I saw the ad in Bowhunter magazine & asked my girlfriend (now wife), who had bought a computer so her daughter could use it for school, to show me how to log on & find it. The article made me chuckle because I had forgot about Ask Jeeves which I used to get to Bowsite. A lot of changes have happened, a lot of information has passed through, a lot of people have come & gone, a lot of entertainment & fun times!
Thanks Pat!
From: Boatman71
09-Apr-24
Boatman, I don’t remember the guys but I remember the site! If it’s the one I’m thinking of they got most of the bowfishing traffic. I can’t remember the site name, it was so long ago!
@PatLefemine Yes sir! I was involved with it quite heavily. It sure has been a long time. Started out as MudShark Archery then rebranded to Bowfish USA. I visited this site way back then as well.
From: Panhandle Bob
09-Apr-24
Paul +2
From: Pat Lefemine
09-Apr-24
Bowfish USA. That’s it! Great site and a serious amount of bowfishing traffic. I was always envious of that sites bowfishing traffic. The other great site was the QDMA food plot forums. Nobody could touch that traffic until they abruptly closed their forums. We tried to buy their forums but they wouldn’t sell to anyone.
From: Boatman71
09-Apr-24
The good ole days of years past!
From: Nomad
09-Apr-24
Hopefully Pat saved all the old Community Forum content & can make it accessible sometime. I understand why he took it down but maybe time will allow it to be seen again. Just the old climate change discussions alone would be worth the price of admission as they say.
From: drycreek
09-Apr-24
Thanks for bringing this back up Bou. I’ve read it before, but it bears reading annually at least so we don’t forget Pat’s efforts and the results of those efforts. Bowsite was the first forum I ever joined, I think about 2012, so some of you guys have been here a lot longer, but nobody has enjoyed it more. From the live hunts of great bow hunters, to TBM and wrestling elk, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.
Pat, you might not have had a vision, but you turned the need for pocket change into the greatest hunting forum ever, and I’m sure I speak for every member when I say we appreciate what you have accomplished.
From: Lewis
09-Apr-24
I haven’t read it yet but I will BigDan turned me on to this site and I don’t remember the year but I’m sure glad he did.Pat y’all have done a justice for bow hunters and I really appreciate what you’ve accomplished.Keep on keeping on.Good luck all Lewis
From: bigeasygator
09-Apr-24
Have met some of my best friends through this site and shared campfires and an adult beverage or two with many, many others since I joined about 10 years ago. Thanks Pat and thanks Bowsite!
From: Lewis
09-Apr-24
Wow I read most of it and I apologize as I got a few tears in my eyes and that picture of Dan sitting on that bull which he had sent me just closed the deal thanks Pat and Charlie Lewis
From: VAMtns
10-Apr-24
Great recap , Been visiting here a long time and have been in awe of the people here ! I have a good imagination and really put myself in the places and hunts posted on here . Thanks Pat
