Down hill direction for sure
General Topic
Where will Bowsite be in the near future? Just another social media site or the bow hunting site is was meant to be? The first 6 posts this morning. Will the real Joe Biden1627-Jul-24
Shots Fired at Trump Rally94627-Jul-24
Who's voting for Kamala?7727-Jul-24
Drag Queen parody of last supper?327-Jul-24
What a coincidence - (trans content)3527-Jul-24
July Funnies July-24
Such angst.Read the titles and don't click.Or give Pat an ultimatum.
Wouldn't worry about it, it's just a community forum without having a community forum...
Just until hunting season
"Or give Pat an ultimatum. "
LMAO! That's better that the July Funnies ;-)
Hang in there Paul. As soon as Pat is able to develop a few more AI Bots, they will be able to keep the hunting threads at the top of the board.
I wonder what Pat would sell this domain for.
It could use a serious infusion of investment and upgrades.
It's the same handful of douchenozzles on every one of those worthless threads. Buncha non-hunters with zero friends, sittin'round thumbin' their sacks with nobody to talk to but the other cro-magnon's.
Why heck....just turn on CNN,MSNBC, Or one of the other alphabet networks and listen to their nonsense
"Where will Bowsite be in the near future? Just another social media site or the bow hunting site is was meant to be? The first 6 posts this morning."
funny...here are the first 6 as i look now (10:31 am eastern)
Inreach minie
3-D or not
Olympic Archery
Down hill direction for sure
Kuiu HD Mud Boot
Which pop-up blind
five of the six are hunting/archery related...and the only one that isnt... and the only one youve actually posted on...is the non-hunting/archery related thread you started.
so whats your point?
Sorry Sito wrong on all accounts but last time I checked it was July and not hunting season.
Liberals are largely against hunting. They are supported by every anti hunting organization known to mankind. The future of hunting is very political, just ask California where Kamala Harris came from.
Ricky, You know exactly what my point is as do 99,9999 % of the other bowsiters.
I’m going to shoot a high fence super buck, over a corn pile that I’m getting hourly pics of on my cell cams, with a scoped cross bow, shooting mechanical tipped, super light “arrows” from two hundred yards. My two main concerns are;
If I order my new boots from Amazon today will I have time to break them in by tomorrow?
And why won’t the elitist snobs at P&Y accept my hunted buck into their record book. I mean, it’s all about the animal, right.
Now it’s a hunting thread.
Don't forget the Stock Market Proponents thread...
HDE stocks have a lot to do with hunting as they have afforded people hunts and have made people retire to be able to hunt. But in all honesty if this site was 100% bows and hunting there would be like 5 threads a day. Why don’t you all just petition Pat to bring back the community forum with rules and be done with it? I only post political threads because this country is in serious trouble in every single aspect.
Bowsite, as a hunting forum has one foot in the grave it seems. Sad, as it used to be terrific place to gather with bowhunters.
Traffic has dropped precipitously and I have chosen a different outlet to share my hunting stories. No loss to anyone here but I am bummed to have determined value of sharing on bowsite is so diminished the last few years. It seems a fair number of other previously active participants I enjoyed interacting with have also largely or mostly stopped participating here.
agree, this place sucks at this point
Paul you are right. This is a good site. The problem is it used to be a great site.
In the absolute for guys that are newer to the experience it’s fine. In the relative to guys who know what this used to be it’s an unfortunate decline.
Occasionally an old thread will pop up and remind us of what was. For whatever reason or motivation the evolution has been enabled and accepted. You have to trust that since very smart people are involved that those reasons and motivations are wise even if not understood by the masses.
It used to be a treasure trove of information and entertainment. Now one hopes For the occasional nugget of value. They are still there To be found but there is a lot of sifting through rubble to get the nuggets
Some days I check threads quite a bit, other days I just don't feel like looking at the "sos"... if I find a thread, any subject that interests me I contribute... others I just shake my head. scentman
It is what it is. Lots of other hunting forums out there that have zero political threads. Pretty easy to find exactly what you want out there.
You're right on the mark Paul! And when you comment on the degradation of the platform it's the same 10 or so whinny bitches who post all the crap start the "just skip it if you don't like it" garbage. Come to think of it, Bowsite has become a true reflection of society with a bowhunting thread thrown in every now and then. Shame.
Has Pat ever commented on this? I know over 6 months ago he said something along the lines of "big changes are coming", which never happened. It seems like 60% of thread activity (but only 5 or 6 posters) is political, 30% of the thread activity is people complaining about it being political, and 10% is actual hunting topics. It's a tragedy that so many of the people who did come here for hunting-related topics have already left, so threads that would have been great hunting discussion a few years ago now get swept away almost immediately because no one boosts them and is active on them compared to the relatively small group of total no-life losers who fight for days straight on the nonstop political forums.
Regardless of the exact makeup, it is obvious and ironic that bowsite is not a bowhunting-centered forum anymore. Very sad, since nearly all of us have near and dear memories of phenomenal discussions and write-ups that seemingly took us right alongside the writers. Most of us even have good friends or even hunting buddies that we met on here in the glory days. Even more sad is the fact that the leaders are seemingly asleep at the wheel regarding such a hot topic that's been complained about for years now. Understandably he has admitted that the founding purpose of this site was only to make money, and political activity on here makes just as much money as hunting activity I guess. Sad that the ship is sinking and none of the creators/admin care, but it is what it is. I don't understand how people can grow something for 20 years and then not intervene whatsoever as a large number of popular and active users leave, and those that remain only do so begrudgingly while constantly complaining about such an obvious flaw. Leatherwall is still running a tight ship and I spend much more time browsing there than I do here. I only check this to see what absurdities people are talking about, and usually post once per thread and never check it again.
Funnies threads are fun, for those that don't like the funnies you must be grouchy crusty old farts...
Heading to Colorado in less than a month. Hope to shoot a Mule Deer and Black Bear. Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.
I’ve been here long enough to know that this is nothing new. Between religion and politics, Bowsite has been to the heart of both topics.
Maybe if it’s a problem for you, you’re the one that needs to make a change. It’s a free site. Quit crying about having to turn the page once in a while.
I agree with Paul and you all should give him every bit of respect. He has earned it.
That’s the point. A lot of people have made a change. Therein lies the misfortune associated with the shift
"Maybe if it’s a problem for you, you’re the one that needs to make a change. It’s a free site. Quit crying about having to turn the page once in a while"
Well said... I still can't believe there are those that just can't skip over threads that doesn't interest them... It you are so stupid to open them, you deserve your punishment...
I think alot of the DIY types have left. The site is more outfitter orientated, and has lost its appeal, to alot of hard-core hunters. Lots of crowds now due to social media, hunters are less willing to share info, except in smaller circles. Nothing stays the same.
Traffic has dropped? Is that true. Where can I go and look at site traffic?
Only differences that I see is that the community forum is gone and those comments get put here now. Lots of old timers don’t post anymore but lots of them don’t hunt as much anymore. Some newer guys don’t post for made up reasons.
Of the 100 topics on the first page 28 deal with non hunting related subjects. Majority by a large margin are still hunting related.
Post hunting content and it gets hunting responses. Look at the pop up blind and goat hunt gear threads. They are getting great responses.
I bet the numbers of visitors to this site are up. Across the board bowsite is still the best archery site out there.
If Pat didn’t want political and other non-hunting related threads I’m sure he or another moderator could simply delete them within a short period of time and the guys starting and participating in those threads would quickly get the message.
As far as the forum itself, it could definitely use major updates to bring its functionality into this decade or even the 2010’s. Those updates were promised months ago but seem to have been put on the back burner.
Anyone who does not think politics has an impact on hunting is crazy.
Healthy feet have an impact on hunting too but we don’t have 35% of the posts focused on podiatry
Can't believe those that bad mouth this site, if you don't like it leave, go start your own site...
A "like" button would be cool.
Subscription to threads with a notification of recent posts would be cool.
Moderators? I see people post absolutely hateful things not get reprimanded, and know people who got banned without even knowing what they did wrong. Seems inconsistent.
A political forum. Clean up the hunting forums.
What's all on your guy's list of upgrades?
That's the point, we liked it as a hunting site. Go start your own political BS site.
Then skip over the politics, it's that freakn EASY!!!
What part of “FREE” doesn’t resonate with certain folks?
Maybe if you offer Pat some money, he’ll run his site according to your personal preferences…?
Paul you are right. This is a good site. The problem is it used to be a great site.
In the absolute for guys that are newer to the experience it’s fine. In the relative to guys who know what this used to be it’s an unfortunate decline.
Occasionally an old thread will pop up and remind us of what was. For whatever reason or motivation the evolution has been enabled and accepted. You have to trust that since very smart people are involved that those reasons and motivations are wise even if not understood by the masses.
It used to be a treasure trove of information and entertainment. No one hopes For the occasional nugget of value. They are still there To be found but there is a lot of sifting through rubble to get the nuggets
As forums innovate the originals stagnate without adaptation.Us older guys age out and younger people expect better features.It is what it is maybe Pat is ok with the long goodbye.
Remember, Kamala is a political figure from California. No hunter would vote for the direction hunting has gone in California, or would they ?
I’m actually just noticing people posting on the political threads that I’ve never seen on Bowsite before so that could potentially be a good thing. I have also noticed some Bowsiters who only post threads on their kills but have not offered anything to contribute besides a potential bragging.
I'm 100% with Paul and others who have supported his statement. The people on here that keep writing that it's easy to ignore the political threads are the same people that that comment on every single political thread. The worst thing about the political threads is that the same people take the same side on every issue. There is no real discussion or interest in what someone with a different point of view has to say, just like it is on the networks. I used to enjoy the funnies, but even that has gotten to the point that it's about 50% political jokes, and they are all the same joke over and over again.
paul if you don't think politics are a big part of hunting guess again look at the shit show you have in your home state don't open the post if you don;t like it. pretty simple
The site has been co-opted by the Bowsite squad who have turned it into something entirely different from what it was for the majority of its 25+ year history. It used to be the first website I would check to start my day, but it 7th now bases on my browser search ordering. Sad.
Sito - nailed it with this "It's the same handful of douchenozzles on every one of those worthless threads. Buncha non-hunters with zero friends, sittin'round thumbin' their sacks with nobody to talk to but the other cro-magnon's."
spike78...no they don't...
Of course politics has something to do with hunting. Unfortunately most of the “ political “ threads have zero discussion about hunting related politics.
For the few that are here, enjoying the political threads, they may not understand the real value that Bowsite has had in the past.
If the powers that be allow the continued format, I see no reason whatsoever for anyone seeking help, tips, or valuable hunting information to stay here.
Paul is a well respected hunter and has always treated everyone with respect. There is zero reason to disrespect him or his opinion.
Also, in regards to the "free" comment and that we should pay Pat if we want a quality forum that we agree with, we MOST DEFINITELY pay Pat for this site. If we weren't users of this site there would be no ad revenue. If you quantified how much each of the popular and consistent users have generated for Pat in ad revenue over the course of their years/decades browsing this site it would likely be quite shocking to you. So no, it's not free and we do pay for it with our time browsing which quite literally = money in Pat's pocket. Regardless if it's from advertisers or users, he gets money from each one of us using this forum.
That is my whole argument, maybe he gets more money from the same 5 loonies arguing on political threads who post 500 times a day than he does from 200 quality posts on hunting topics so he just doesnt care. If that's true, and I really hope it isn't, then it's absolutely disheartening that he has allowed greed for an extra dollar to ruin the quality of this former-hunting site for the folks who have been here since the beginning.
Hey, I have respect for Paul, but now gonna have to add him, sitO, and JohnMC to my lefty list...8^)
“I’ve been here long enough to know that this is nothing new”
If you believe that then you have not been here long enough because what we have today is “new”. Maybe not measured in months but if you consider it even a 2-3 year change that is new given the quarter century history of this site.
Today ain’t the norm for the sites history but I am pretty sure it will become that as time Marches on …………since there appears to be no adult watching the children play.
Zbone - sito comment definitely applies to you
He's got tiny thumbs John
Political threads are not the norm since I’ve been on here, which would be ten years or so. I know how some of you guys feel, but politics is way more important now than it was ten years ago. You can argue that it doesn’t belong here, but it’s a part of our lives. Our lives are going downhill, our freedoms are at stake, so people are going to vent.
And sit0, you forgot to mention corn piles. You’re slipping old man……..;-))
Drycreek I’ve been on here since 1996 and always remember the political threads but we had a community forum then.
Drycreek - not that you are wrong. But 1) nothing going to be solved on bowsite and 2) plenty of places to get your fill of politics.
I think many of us could live with one monthly thread of all things politics similar to the monthly funnies thread. No one gets tried of Pete Drummond unfunny post there but if they were 70% of the threads like politics have become they'd get old fast. The same few clowns starting one political thread after another has ruined a once great forum. To the people say there would be few new threads, that because these clowns have ran off many that come for the original intended topic.
Three things:
1) Paul isn't wrong but the cure is at everyone's finger tips. Yes, since the CF ended a lot more political stuff is on the main forums. The fix is post more new hunting threads and participate in more hunting threads.
2) I just skip threads that don't interest me. Its the easiest part of my day. Being a trad shooter, there are tons of threads that I pass by.
3) As for paying Pat, this site is powered by posters. It works the other way. Am I the only one getting a check? ;^)
Yeah you two left wing whackos resort to personal attacks (now ya have me doing it) when posts doesn't fit your F'ked up political parties progressive views, even though the democrats have an agenda to outlaw hunting and guns... It youenz are truly hunters youenz are hypocrites... Very, very sad indeed...
You are probably right John but I kind of think of the guard is changing rather than being run off. And of course the new guard does not like all topics being presented together. I can understand that. Who of the past heavy hitters are still going on hunts but not bothering to post them
Well, y’all are correct about the community forum, but I never went there. Big Game forum and food plots are all I ever looked at. I admit I get sucked into these political threads because I despise what the progressives are dojng to our country. Abstinence is a virtue I have a hard time with.
There was always political threads on the community forum along with current events, its gone and that's life, we have to live with it... If you don't like those threads, again just skip over them, nobody forces you to open them, you'll feel much better the rest of the day...8^)
I'm in Paul's camp too. More fat than actual meat these days. Sad for those of us who remember what it actually was...
In 10 years we may not be able to own a bow so it won’t matter.
I vote Republican however, I do NOT like all their talk about selling off federal land. That happens, every state will be like Texas, it just won’t be worth it.
Z you put the bone in bonehead, and probably lots of other fellas...buncha pipe smokers
A sad life some of you all live if you have nothing better in it than to talk politics to strangers on the Internet constantly. Yeah a lot sucks right now. But if you have got nothing better in life to do than to spend most of your day and night on bowsite complaining about things out of your control your life is pathetic.
Also you're dumber than most if you think just because someone wants to live life and not fret over things they can't control makes them a liberal.
If you really that concerned over it go do something that might make a difference. Not the same circle jerk you all are doing on bowsite. For example volunteer for a political candidate you support. Get involved in an organization that gets people involved in the outdoors. Anything but ponying up to a keyboard say the same crap over and over to the same 6 people that already know what you are going to say. What a waste.
You dam right I'm a high tech, redneck, right wing, whino... I luv wine...8^)))
John, what's it to you what people do with their lives, a lot of people don't have the time to drive around taking photos either... You also seem have time to come here a lot and spout off too... Nobody is trying to tell you what to do...
"In 10 years we may not be able to own a bow so it won’t matter."
So long as people a foolish enough to actually think we should take a knee to government. Government shenanigans are tolerated because people are too afraid to lose the petty tangibles they have - don't rock the boat by fighting city hall...
I’ve been on Bowsite since about 98 or 99. It has definitely changed and I miss a lot of the stories and adventures shared here. Many of which I will never do but I like to read about them and see the pictures. I don’t post much anymore myself unless it has something to do with hunting, equipment, or meat processing/fieldcare. Sometimes click on a political thread but usually skip over it and very rarely post anything political. If I want that then I will seek out a political forum dedicated to that. I’m definitely concerned about this country and politics but I come here for a break from all that but it’s getting harder.
Yes, hunters have gone down hill, big time.
70% of hunters did not vote in the last oresidential election.
Yup, keep burying your head in the sand and it will go away, just like it did in Australia and the UK.
And in California, slowly, but surely. So surprising some hunters support the liberal agenda.
John’s post about volunteering on campaigns or at political events instead of complaining online is hilariously accurate and should be obvious. If they spent 1/4 of the time they spend posting political threads on here actually volunteering for local campaigns/hosting county committee meetings/calling their representatives then they would at a minimum get the bug in their representative’s ear and likely be in the back of their mind as they went to vote on controversial topics. Might not make a difference at the end of the day (I would field 20 calls a day for my rep and most of them were for the same issue, he never cared a bit and would just do whatever McCarthy’s office asked him anyway) but it very well could make a difference if you are a constituent of a rep worth their salt. Even if it’s not your personal rep, if there’s an office doing what you approve of they love to hear that. Thomas Massie isn’t my representative (I wish he was) yet he sat down and talked to me for over an hour about his political approach and specific issues that mattered to both of us as well as farming and hunting (CWD) just because I popped in his office and told his staffers my situation and how their work meant a lot to me.
It costs $0 to call a bunch of your state reps and schedule a day of action at the State Capitol meeting with them and pushing a handful of bills you think are solid. Unfortunately they’d rather “OwN tHe LiBs” or “OwN tHe CoNsErVaTaRdS” online than actually try to be productive politically.
Must be a sad life if you have nothing better to do than post about people posting about politics.
Butt- igieg for VP. How many hunters are for it ?
I'll add one more thing. If you want to see or know how to make a difference look at what Paul who started this thread does. He almost never gets into the politics bowsite pissing contest, but probably done more where it matters than all of you that spend hours a day on bowsite bellyaching put together. Paul has been involved in a lot political issue in this state and probably understands the issues better than almost all. If these issues are really that important to spend as much time as you do, I bet Paul could share a few tips on how to use your time that could potentially be productive. Or just keep wasting your time whining like a little baby.
Delete all political posting and watch this site dry up.Notice Pat hasn't offered an opinion?
I don’t come to this web site for political and social commentary. This forum has been hijacked by people who want to comment on everything other than bowhunting.
i am OK with a few political topics and the banter, like when trump was shot. but, how does someone start threads 'who's voting for kamala', or 'vice president barack'. and then post incessantly and be sure to include how disciplined they are in voting for a party platform, and not a candidate? speaking of platforms, have you read the bowsite code of conduct? my goodness. some of it is just disrespectful to pat and members.
Bring back the CF. Problem solved.
don’t both pat and Phil post on political threads?
The guys here griping about Paul@thefort (of all people) - you guys are absolutely pathetic. Paul has contributed more meaningful information in a year than all of you combined have done in your lifetime. Your ignorance is on full display and it’s shameful.
It’s like a bunch of JV basketball players calling out Michael Jordan.
As I said above, I have respect for Paul, but he started this thread about an non related to hunting subject with a non related to hunting subject thread,,, he should have known the repercussions it would bring... "Don't poke the bear"... Quite honestly I can't believe he would bad mouthed this site...
Zbone- he wasn't bad mouthing this site he was bad mouthing you. You, Ricky, sundowner, Beendare, and Spike78 are the most hated guys in elk camp and oblivious to it. For once just STFU and get a f'ing life.
I took less bad mouthing this site, and more targeted at a few 'bone'heads
As I’ve said before on similar threads, don’t mistake those contributing in Paul’s favor as being disrespectful to this site. In fact I strongly support the argument BECAUSE of my high respect for this site. Those who know how good this site can be are even more frustrated that it’s falling. Calling out shortcomings in hopes that they get improved upon is a respectful thing to do in the long run, not a disrespectful one. If we didn’t have respect for this site we would just simply stop coming here and give up on it entirely, we wouldn’t waste our time complaining if we weren’t doing so in hopes of bringing the glory days back (and hopefully in turn bringing back some of the old favorite posters who have left).
“ don’t both pat and Phil post on political threads?”
I have. But I won’t anymore.
I also don’t edit this forum for topics or content but if I see someone using foul language I will delete it.
Sounds like Ol Phil got in trouble! ;)
I love this bar. Like any place there are better tables than others. Just stay away from the arcade for idiots and stick to the hunting threads. Cheers!
“Zbone- he wasn't bad nothing this site he was bad mouthing you. You, Ricky, sundowner, Beendare, and Spike78 are the most hated guys in elk camp and oblivious to it. For once just STFU and get a f'ing life.”
Yeah, politics is the problem. I’ve never seen so many whiners on a hunting forum. I say we just go back to the tried and true process of banning people we don’t agree with. KS seems to think he has the solution. Hate your fellow outdoorsmen, and shun them for their thoughts. Classic!
"are the most hated guys in elk camp"
Feelings mutual... Dude, if I ever walked into a camp with left wing whacks, I'm immediately turn around and walk way... A firepit or any establishment, I just walk away which you left wingers can't seem to do... Probably most here have conservative views, yet everytime a mention of Trump comes up you guys poke the bear and want to start a pizzing match... Why not just let it go or move to the next thread, but noooo you leftys can't help yourself and wanta start a fight... Ever heard if ya ain't gonna say something nice don't say anything at all...
“ Sounds like Ol Phil got in trouble! ;)”
Why do so many of you always jump to the wrong conclusion? Does it make you feel better if I did get in trouble? How sick is that?
For the record, I stopped editing this forum after it turned into a free for all. Please don’t misunderstand me. This is Pat’s site and I have and will abide by the direction he sets. But I’m pretty much black and white and, since the rules have been relaxed here, I don’t have a yardstick to go by and don’t want to do anything that is in conflict with what Pat wants.
Paul is a national treasure. He’s not wrong, I’ve been neglecting the site for reasons I can’t get into. Rest assured, I’m not selling it, and I’m not shutting it down. But it will change and not everyone will be ok with the changes. I’m ok with that.
It will go live 9/1. It will be different than it was during the community forum but we will finally be able to move non-hunting bullshit away from the big game forums so the guys that are sick of seeing trans topics won’t have them in their face.
This change has been in the works for three years. The delay has been entirely my fault as I went down a different path that ultimately didn’t pan out.
September 1st it goes live. In the meantime, just skip over the off topic stuff and for god’s sake stop complaining about how much the site sucks now!!
;-)
Phil you delete or have deleted plenty of post not because of foul language, but because they call out your bs.
Honestly if the political threads weren’t allowed this site would be just like Wapti Talk a ghost town.
I honestly click on most of them and comment a little. What blows my mind is how guys can claim to love their freedom to hunt and do outdoors stuff and argue about leftist all in the same topic. I’m blown away at the amount of idiots that are hurting. I think she’d to believe most hunters had common sense but boy was it sure wrong. I should have know because I lost what I thought were friends when COVID and FJB came along. I don’t hang around or hunt with liberal idiots. The only thing I’m really afraid of is grizzly bears I try and avoid them as well.
I do agree with Paul though it’s getting tough to find a good topic to discuss.
Shane
Thanks Pat!!!! Looking forward to the new upgrades. Ditch WildBill though......bots suck.
Good to hear that there’s seemingly a light at the end of the tunnel.
Glad to hear the site is getting an upgrade. It will be great to search for old threads. Perhaps others can, but I get errors when I try.
Looking forward to what the changes might be. I won’t see it for a little while though cause I’ll be in elk camp when it happens.
Why are there less hunting topics to discuss? Are the guys who used to start hunting related topics now only posting about politics??
"if I see someone using foul language I will delete it."
Well duck me running...
Thanks for your post Paul. The update provided by Pat is very exciting. Hope you have a terrific Bull Moose hunt this fall.
A house divided can not stand.
I’m really excited about our bow hunting future. I love it when I shoot and they fall in sight.
of all the people complaining about political threads...how many of you have started a new hunting thread lately?
as was stated earlier...the solution to this "problem" is quite simple. flood the general forum with the threads you would like to see...and refuse to post on the threads you dont want to see.
every time you post on a thread about how much it sucks...you bring it back to the top.
if there are truly only a half dozen or so people that are interested in them...they will fade away quickly
this argument kinda reminds me of that old yogi berra quote...
"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
...and the gandhi quote...
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Thanks Pat for finally "coming out" on this topic. Look forward to seeing the new concept.
This is an open member content format. We get the Bowsite we deserve. This is so much more about the degradation of human character and personal aptitude we've seen in 25 years than the degradation of Bowsite. "Back in the day," the same dynamics were in effect but there was a level of maturity present that allowed folks to disagree on one thread and laugh with each other on another. You could follow a dumpster fire of a debate thread and occasionally see an opponent write, "Ok, that's a good point...." I haven't seen that in years.
Unfortunately for Pat, Bowsite, like all social media, is a giant mirror of the participants. His challenge is to curate maturity without domesticating the content to banality. Of course, it would help everyone if we could self-regulate on a higher level.
I pity the folks who are so new they do not get Bou'bound's point.
I like the site, absolutely no issues here.
It’s free…..enjoy!!
Or don’t…..
Our vision for the future... make bowsite informative again, make bowsite interesting again, make bowsite fun again, and most of all, Make Bowsite Great Again! Screw those political threads! scentman
I enjoy all of the hunting threads and especially Paul's.
There are some amazing, accomplished and knowledgeable hunters here like Paul, Charlie, JTreeman and quite a few others. I'm smart enough to pay attention to what they have to say and I hope they will continue to post here.
I agree with Owl - I have been on this site on/off for a long time and like everything in life .— Things change.
I like this site because I get things out of it that I look for that are important to me whether it be shooting or hunting with traditional gear.I have been helped tremendously with advise from others from what they have learned or like me ,what mistakes to be aware of.No one forces me into anything and I try not either— only the trying to help attitudes is what I like.
Politics can be debatable or hostile depending on one’s beliefs that their opinions are the only one’s that matters vs someone just showing a different view.I have learned to just say ok and walk away ,as all I can only really do is vote my conscience at best.Getting caught up in politics and religion can cause serious stress and neither are that important to me to let that happen.Sometimes I may post something to get a rise out of folks but now I realize some get so upset that they may be stressing themselves to death —and that isn’t good on my part.
Maybe they post because they are unhappy and believe — if they scream or criticize others that they can force their hand — for me I just skip by.
Great site keep it up.I will always need help from folks that have been down the road ahead of me.
Perhaps it would be beneficial for folks to reread Pat’s thread of how Bowsite.com began and how it has evolved though the years.
His efforts connected and united a bunch of great people and bowhunters. He did all of this at no cost to the users.
My hat is off to Pat for his past accomplishments and future endeavors. MBGA !!
where do elk bed in pinyons and junipers in drier areas? ive looked on the north slope to nothing sited. tracks are everywhere so i know elk are around.
Wise Owl. How about this, next Bowsite meet/greet I’ll bring a dozen pair of gloves, ranging from 4oz mma to 16oz trainers. You guys can bring your own mouthpieces? Maybe we can get Tom Foss to show up and help ref some matches? I mean we’re all grown men here and I’m sure no one true archery hunter hides behind keyboards?
Just joking guys, unless yall really want it!
of all the people complaining about political threads...how many of you have started a new hunting thread lately? as was stated earlier...the solution to this "problem" is quite simple. flood the general forum with the threads you would like to see...and refuse to post on the threads you dont want to see.
every time you post on a thread about how much it sucks...you bring it back to the top.
if there are truly only a half dozen or so people that are interested in them...they will fade away quickly
this argument kinda reminds me of that old yogi berra quote...
"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."
...and the gandhi quote...
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
X2
Just so you know……I did a little soul searching after this thread Paul started, and I’m changing directions. Y’all, of course, can do what you want, but I’m out of political posts going forward. I sent Paul a pm thanking him for reminding us what this site is about. Have fun ! ;-))
Not much of a Gandhi fan, but luv me some Yogisms...8^)
It’s hard to tell how badly people hate the political threads. They consistently have 1, 2, or 300 + posts. Most hunting threads are lucky to see maybe 100 posts. But I’m sure that isn’t an accurate indicator.
"They consistently have 1, 2, or 300 + posts. Most hunting threads are lucky to see maybe 100 posts"
I tend to agree, if Pat will have a political forum it'll likely keep his traffic high, I just hope he has a "Funnies" forum...8^)
Like Glunt, I'm a traditional shooter and there are plenty of threads i skip over and don't comment on. Looking forward to Pat's changes since ? I like the political threads as well as other non hunting threads for a change. Hopefully the bowsiters that want this change will step up and post more hunting content. I think the biggest problem is the most prolific posters probably are doing their own instagram pages as well as youtube content.
I kind of like the Monster Mulies hunting forums. It's laid out pretty well IMHO. There is a political forum for those that enjoy the dopamine hit of responses. It's a link within one of the listed forums that was getting too political for the owner. He made a link for it and now the campfire forum is a fun site to discuss hunting follies, jokes, or make known some legislation or movement as it relates to hunting and fishing. If something more politcal lands in there, it's moved to the political forum.
Who remembers that epic but civil discourse between Jim Johnson and Gene Jockey and a few of the others? You always walked away a little smarter for watching those tennis matches play out. Over the last few years though, the ad hominem has stepped up. If I have a counter to something said, I always strive to present it like I'm sitting across the campfire from the man. We got some smart guys on here. Wildly successful ones. I always try and learn something, no matter what side of the fence they're on.
Looking forward to Pats upgrade for better or worse. Hoping there is going to be a better search function within the BS as well. That said, I've been here since it's inception. I think the Bowsite has many informative forums and stories and experiences can be shared in any one of them, and it's going to be for a long time, at least I hope so.
Thanks for starting this thread, Paul. We truly have some of the most talented and brightest hunters on this site and I enjoy picking up little tid bits of info here. Unfortunately, a small handful of posters have turned this into a sounding board trying to change the minds of people who don't agree with them. Every morning when I start looking at threads, its the same 2-3 damn people that have made the first post of the day on the political threads. I mean do you guys lay in bed all night wondering how to respond the next morning ? Life is too short to waste time on crap like that. I have been a member since 98. I rarely post anymore but I do read here everyday. Hopefully Pat's planned upgrades will get this great hunting website back to it's prior successful times.
Pizza, I live in Phx and the P&Y is here next year. I belong to 2 gyms. One is a boxing gym where I box/kickbox 2 days a week. We also have a boxing ring. I train with 14oz gloves and 180 wraps (Wish they made bigger). If anyone wants to box, I'm pretty sure I could get access to the ring for non-members for a short period of time. I know of a couple posters here I would looooove to see square off.
Kudos to pat for acknowledging an issue and fixing it. That’s all anyone could ask for. That should put to head the minority held opinion that nothing is wrong, nothing has changed, and all is fine.
I’ll head into elk camp and out of cell service August 31. When I’m back, I’ll post a pic of a big bull on the New Bowsite!!
I've been a member here since Feb. 1998, and had the pleasure of meeting Pat at the PBA banquet that was held in Seattle that year. He impressed me as a man of good character, and as such he's tried to build this website to accommodate "everybody".
There used to be a community forum, and sadly some folks turned it into a bit of a cluster.., and as a result Pat dropped it. Who could blame him?
I'm no techie, and from my perspective the site and it's features work very well. The Bowsite is like a theater with free movies and popcorn..and now some people are bitching about the popcorn.
Have some patience Y'all. Pat said changes are coming Sept. 1, and I have no doubt they will be good ones.
Thank you Pat for posting the update and what you created for bowhunters these past years. As one of the old guys I can say that you have made my life better. Listening to what other bowhunters have to say and do has kept me interested in what we do. My family is now made up of 3 generations of bowhunters in a changed world. With me bowhunting is a family tradition. To be able to share stories of common interest is uplifting and the feelings experienced during the hunt can only be appreciated by those that have been there in similar circumstances. I am appreciative of the intelligence, accomplishments, and wit of many here on Bowsite which gives me hope for its future, Badbull.
I remember bowsite being dominated by" Bigfoot", man that was a riot! Don't sweat the small stuff fellas, sit back take a sip or hit, and relax. scentman
So what happened to the community forum? I mean wasn't it a community forum for a reason. Seemed like it worked pretty well to me
Isn’t this just another non hunting thread about hunting? Sorry Paul had to do it. Like others said, it’s almost hunting season so the topics will change. Don’t forget the closer to hunting season the more angst there will be.
Clicks generate revenue. We’ll see if Pats 3rd time is the charm. We’ve heard this before when things start beginning to make tempers flare. I don’t see much changing in my opinion. Even if you bring up a hunting related topic it soon turns into an opinion war like every other post does. You for sure can’t ask any hunting question or you get scolded for not knowing what your doing or haven’t been hunting for 30 years. Like a said we’ll see the big changes September sounds like. Maybe!!!
Shane
Hang in there Paul, you can't go anywhere you're one of the few with great hunting pictures!
“ Why are there less hunting topics to discuss? Are the guys who used to start hunting related topics now only posting about politics??”
Most of the Bowsite heavy hitters don’t post here anymore - or very little. How many Super Slammers still post here with any regularity? Other than maybe Jake (who I rarely see post but I know still lurks), the same 6-7 guys who can’t help but post political garbage have run off most every accomplished Bowsite member I can think of.
9/1 can’t come soon enough.
“Super Slammers” are not my definition of the great bowhunters who no longer post on BS.
Edit, Not sure what happened to my typing, it never posted here and I'm not typing it over again. :(
I've also been on this site since "about" it's inception. 1996 or '97?
Absolutely the best reads have been hunting encounters, mishaps, blunders, pics .....for me anything hunting is "just plain good stuff!".
Like others, God willing, I'll be in the woods September 1st but I'm looking forward to seeing the changes when I get back.
Paul, although I've never met you, God speed, my friend. May your bow bend quiet, and your arrow fly true. Charlie, that goes for you too.
Smile, it makes people nervous. :) :)
"I've been a member here since Feb. 1998, and had the pleasure of meeting Pat at the PBA banquet that was held in Seattle that year. He impressed me as a man of good character, and as such he's tried to build this website to accommodate "everybody"."
Mike B, I was at that function too. I sat with Jerry Gowins, Ric Anderson and Alan Ransom. Pat and Brian had a bowsite get together in a seperate meeting area. It was so cool meeting other like-minded people. Probably shook your hand. Good times right there.
hopefully the new bowsite has a forum where adults can freely discuss topics and current events that might not be directly related to bowhunting...are certainly of major interest to bowhunters.
topics that range from politics...to stocks...to health (mental and physical)...to finance...to vehicles...to the environment...to crime...to education...to pets...to guns...to prayer requests... to sports...and who knows what else.
First off thanks Pat. Second, Paul is a national treasure as stated. Third, I've been here since 1996 / '97.
"There used to be a community forum, and sadly some folks turned it into a bit of a cluster.., and as a result Pat dropped it. Who could blame him?" The Community Forum was not dropped because it became a cluster. Pat has never shared the reason so I won't get into what I've heard through the grapevine.
Some have stated a lot of old "heavy hitters" have left & they are correct. A lot left immediately after the Community Forum was discontinued to start their own site. That site died on the vine after a while from no one wanting to do the work to maintain it. I've seen a few of them have returned here to very occasionally post. I'm sure they are doing more lurking these days.
Having a new Community Forum type feature would solve a lot of these problems. My guess is the people complaining never really frequented that feature when it was available so were unaware of what went on there. Now that it's in with the regular forums it seems disruptive to them.
You are either a hunting focused site (or a site with dedicated and strictly monitored places for that) or a "campfire site" where everything from coin collecting to crocheting to gender policy is fair game if someone wants to dream up some random personal new topic. Both are fine paths to take and the world is filled with both types. The key is to pick a lane and be done with it and end the insane comingled free-for-all jiberish where you are as likely to see posts on the sex life of lobsters as you are the whitetail rut.
Obviously the community forum was removed in order to save the broader site. Kind of like amputating a gangrenous arm to save a life. It sounds like the new site will be just what the we need in terms of segregation of topics.
THE IMPORTANT POINT IS PAT GETS IT AND IS ENDING TODAYS INCARNATION OF THE SITE. ONE THING IS CERTAIN …….THE CHANGES WILL NOT BE DILUTIVE TO THE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE NOW.
Matt are referring to us fat guys?
I don't know what the changes for Sept 1 are slated to be, but I'm looking forward to finding out.
"Most of the Bowsite heavy hitters don’t post here anymore - or very little." This had nothing to due with political threads but with fellow Bowsiter know it alls pushing them away. Most of them left before the Community Forum was closed.
I know the change coming 9/1 and I hope Pat doesn't mind be spilling the beans. It will be......emojis!
I found Bowsite at least 25 years ago looked forward every morning to get on and see what was happening in the bowhunting world!! Made many friends on here that have lead to some great bowhunting adventures unfortunately many of the ones i was friendly with have passed on and there also many like stated by many dont post on this site anymore for various reasons i do check the site frequently but unfortunately or fortunately dont post much anymore but do enjoy reading some of them!! Even though there are some things can be improved it is still by far the best Bowhunting site out there!!!
in my opinion...this discontent has never really been about topics that are not bow hunting related...as evidenced by the non bow hunting related threads that are posted on by the same people that are complaining.
its really always been about the non bow hunting topics that certain people just dont happen to like seeing discussed.
hopefully whatever the changes are...they will be sufficient to stop this incessant whining.
I've on the LW since '08, would peek over here occasionally and just recently began to post here. Same thing comes up over there every once in awhile. People leave, same old posts over and over. It's no mystery, this place is just another slice of society. Political/social arguments are sometimes filled with hateful comments, name calling and what not, just like every where else. Hard to turn on the TV or any media for that matter where sex is everywhere, here we have soft to moderate porn in the funnies thread. Apparently Pat and the sponsors are OK with what is posted here or they would be leaving and he would be shutting down threads. So I guess the direction here is no different than out your front door, when it needs to be a place to get away from all that crap. Anyway, I had a couple of pennies that weren't doing anything.
John, are you going to be in the opening ceremony? lol! scentman;0)
Sept 15 opening day of CT ! Stand by for some live hunts!! LOL
Hopefully the changes are related to bringing the forum more up to date and on par with most other forums. I never visited here when the community forum was in existence but based on all the complaining I could see it being beneficial to bring it back to keep the non hunting related thread in one area for the complainers. Although that said I've never understood why people can't just skip over threads they aren't interested in, usually the thread titles give it away and if by chance a thread title is misleading usually reading just the 1st few posts clears it up and that takes very little time. To tell you the truth I'm not sure how some folks that post/complain here even go shopping, do they make the store owners remove everything they don't want to buy so they don't have to look at it or walk by it? Takes all kinds I guess.
" It will be......emojis! "
“Sept 15 opening day of CT ! Stand by for some live hunts!! LOL”
Funniest thing I’ve read on this site in a while. ;)
Stay tuned because the next funniest thing will be the actual Connecticut live hunt post
^^ No deer left, runaway bear population is eating them all.
Seriously, how much a you talk about hunting?
It’s obvious this is the community forum now. If you talk politics anywhere else it gets erased. Nothing wrong with that.
That’s what I like about this country. Pat can run this place like he sees fit. Sure it’s about the money. I don’t think anyone would put up with this stuff for nothing. Any investment I ever made was for making money. And as far as Phil. He has to do what Pat says. Nothing wrong with that either. And I wouldn’t want to do what Phil does either. I’m just so glad that I didn’t have to worry about putting up with all of this for money. And I am one that never posted here much before. Seeing how our country is going worries me. I remember when the left and the right could debate things. Not so anymore. I have spent a lot of time over on the leatherwall but it has changed too.. Lots of posers over there that never kill anything trying to tell other guys how to do it. And after this election regardless of how it goes I think there will be trouble. Like North vs South trouble. Anyway that’s my two scents.
Super Slammers and heavy hitters LMAO. How do we know who a heavy hitter is? I don’t know how Pat gets paid but if it is by hits I wouldn’t care what we talked about if it was getting the most hits.
And one last thing. Some of the heavy hitters you guys talk about sometimes only came on here or the leatherwall to sell things.
the problem here is the same problem everywhere in our society
we were once united on many topics, now it seems we are almost completely divided down the middle on almost every topic....with bow hunting/ archery being our exception and this site allowing that unity of bowhunters, regardless of their personal beliefs
over the last 10 yrs or so, and especially the last 5, even that has changed
the community forum was purposely targeted by those who wanted us divided, and they succeeded (here and elsewhere)
hopefully the new version allows things to return to some normalcy, & if the CF returns remember one thing: you have no obligation to click on it (or pay?) just to find things to be offended about and it should never be removed again just because you deem it unnecessary on a 'bow hunting' site
just my .02
I hope Pat can finally install an actual functioning search function. Not sure why he is so apprehensive about it?
Imagine if all the people in this thread actually posted a hunting related post once a week. This place has gone WAY down hill last 4 years. Must be the .................
Thanks Pat! Looking forward to changes.
If Paul complained, you know it's gotten bad...Definitely not what it used to be!
Really there is not much to talk about in hunting that has not been said already. But I enjoy seeing it anyway. I would say that any improvements in the site would cost money. If I owned this place I would not put one dime in it if I was not going to see a return. I remember when I sold my dental practice I wanted to redo the whole thing before the new dentist bought it. My broker said it would not bring me one more penny in the sale. The buyers are only interested in how much money I collected yearly. So I let him do any fix ups he wanted after he bought it. Same thing here. If this site gets paid by hits then its are hits. JMO
I feel like a lot of the closet guys posting political stuff on here have had some "trans content" in their face Pat.
Sorta funny thing hit me scrolling this today. I still get some great hunting related help here. Be that reading through other threads or occasionally via a post. And those posts dont devolve. For example, I asked a boot question a few days ago, and got great feedback. That's appreciated.
Nice to hear some updates are enroute. I'm oldish, so it will take me time to figure it out, I'm sure. Hopefully the state pages stay - that's definitely my favorite aspect of the site.
Still my favorite bar......thanks Pat! Would love to see this become a-political and hunting, fishing, outdoors only......but that is just my wish. Heck...I just saw an elk thread posted bout 4 dead elk left in CA.....and every comment after was primarily about what folks thought of CA politics. Sheesh....I promptly moved to another corner of the bar and read a totally non political post about fishing while scouting.......so MUCH better.
I've been here a while too. Not from the beginning, but 10-12 years. Only an occasional poster, but I've always read almost everything and still at least click on most threads. But Bowsite has become more of a car wreck got to look kind of deal for me. For serious hunting talk, my first stop is elsewhere and that wasn't always the case. I'm not complaining. Pat is free to do whatever he likes and so am I. Although, I don't see how anyone that takes bowhunting seriously could feel the quality of this forum hasn't dropped.
I am not sure why but it seems that the threads that are controversial are the ones with the most hits. Hmmmmm
Because that’s where the entertainment is
That’s where the comedy resides
I don’t think many people have said this site is less entertaining than it was in the past
The point is is it’s far less educational and informational as a relates to what one would think would be the subject of the site given the name of the site………that being bowhunting
I am hopeful that the changes are meaningful for the site.
I have met some great people here over the years, learned a lot and made lasting friendships. I value that more than anything else.
And one last thing. Some of the heavy hitters you guys talk about sometimes only came on here or the leatherwall to sell things.
