*** What Happened? II ***

[Terry Green]

From what I’m seeing the “New” crowd of traditional bowhunters spend most of their time listening to podcasts about saddles and lightweight climbing sticks etc. or high tech water proof pants lol. They are not interested in wood arrows or the history and adventure of the hunt.

Yes, so it seems.  Not many telling stories like before, not many group hunts like before, not many how to posts as before. We have always had those types of posts mentioned above, but we've always have a lot of posts as those that are slim as of late as I mentioned in my 1st sentence.

So the audience is there, but it is up to TradGang to learn to adapt to the modes of communication that appeal to it.

There is only so much we can do as we are a totally different platform than mainstream social media. We are much for functional as a resource for information, and much easier to find said info. Also, much easier to follow existing posts, and much more user friendly.

nobody tells their hunting stories anymore, just look at the highlights page, 24 posts!
 used to be 2 full pages of pics and stories.

Yes, and lots of those that use to do that have 'retired' and aren't asking to have their post copied to the highlights after the thread ran its course. I could search out a few and copy them over and the numbers would rise quite a bit.

Most of those folks (you can fill in the blank of who you think they are for you) haven't been replaced and I think that is a big thing we see... I don't know these men personally and have only shared their adventures through their writings here, but the Giants like Charlie Lamb, Ron LaClair, and countless others can't be replaced.

Yep, they aren't being replaced, along with a lot of other hardcore hunters that shared their stories and info.

I think less traffic on this forum started when the classifieds started charging to list an item for sale.

No, not at all accurate.  We actually shut the classifieds down once as it was so bad, and I'm sure a few people left, but the new members never slowed down.  Instead of closing it a 2nd time we just made it a perk for Contributing Members, up until then they were just Contributing Members.

Here are the new members that have joined since this thread started....

We gained over 1400 members in 2020.

What happened is folks’ attention became split between special interest forums such as TradGang and other feeds like Instagram and Facebook and what not. There are still people here and still people talking online, they are just dividing their attention between more platforms.

Yes, absolutely.  We were here 1st.... 2003.  There was no facebook, instagram, youtube. Attention is being shared with a lot of other outlets.  However, there are still a lot of people coming here daily, but they are not 'living' on Tradgang like they use to.

If there was a "like" button here you would better gauge the amount of interaction that a post generates.

Pay attention to the views numbers, likes will only be reflected by those that actually click the button, but the views a post gets is the true number of activity a thread gets.  Lots of folks that view aren't going to take the time to 'like'.

When I lost access to the classifieds, I no longer had a motivation to go to TG so often.  I'd start with the classifieds, and then end up all over the forum.

The Classifieds are an accessory to Heart of Tradgang, i.e. Traditional Bowhunting. 

More in a bit......

[Terry Green]

 

I understand why TG went to closed/pay-to-play classifieds, and I'm not arguing the point. I think doing so removed a perceived benefit for many and contributed to an eventual loss of momentum there.

Again, it never wavered the 1st time we shut it down and that lasted over a year.  Again, see the Classifieds and History thread I just bumped up. 

One thing that turned me off about the classifieds section, it started at 30 bucks then went right to 35 bucks in a very short time.

1st, if you paid $30 and it went up the next year you renewed, I guess you could say a year is 'went right up in a short time' as time is relevant. But it was $30 for over 3 years. Paypal fees went up as well.  Ever sell at $500 bow on Ebay? How much did they charge you for the one sale? If you ever paid with Paypal they got their fee as well.  Credit card?

I prefer this site, but it is difficult for me to navigate. I haven't lately, but in doing a search, it just doesn't respond as I think it should. No rhyme or reason to the info coming back. The age of the posts in the search seems to be mixed up so I get frustrated.

See the Search thread I just posted up.

I also still have problems posting pictures... I'm sure these problems are related to my techno handicaps, but I can't be the only one.

Change the image size to a lower setting on your camera, and or your phone.  If you don't want to change the size on your phone you can open the pic and take a screen shot and post the screen shot.  That's what I do all the time, so problem.

So many just love to see a wreck that they can't take their eyes off of it.

Yep, and we aint the Jerry Springer show.


All and all, we are still gaining one to 7 members a day and they are viewing but not posting as much as new members use to.  I would like to see more 'mod alerts' if folks are being jumped on for legit questions.  Again, the traffic is here, just not as much participation for various reasons I guess.  One not mentioned as far as hunting post is that the pandemic and economy most definitely effected some peoples ability to go on hunting trips.

Our thread views and replies are a lot like instagam in a sense, lots of views and a small percentage of comments.  Its always been that way here since we started in 2003, much more reading than commenting.

Trying to change while holding onto your original intent is very challenging.  Thanks for bearing with us. 







 

[Terry Green]

169 views and only 2 likes, I guess ya'll hate me!!! 

[Skates 2]

I refrained from posting on the other thread, but I gotta add something.

Most are too old now to remember the adage of 'Never look a gift horse in the mouth', but now people not only look the horse in the mouth, they are pissed that they weren't given a free saddle.  The entitlement mentality has run amuck.  Sounds like some people think they are not only entitled, but that the admins and moderators actually work for them as well.  Doesn't sound like a Traditional Bowhunter to me at all, nor representative of this forum.

 

[Roy from Pa]

There I made it 3 likes:)

[Ronnie Newell]

He## I just remembered that we can " like "....

[Daz]

Why would a young guy from a place like Idaho that cobbled together an ILF bow, took lessons and can consistently hit a paper plate out to 35 yards post here?

He will be censured for shooting too far, for not using a swing draw and for *gasp* using a range finder.

He probably hiked into an alpine basin to chase elk or mule deer utilizing some new tech gear (boots, backpack etc.) but he will also be jumped on for that as well. "He should wear wool. He wouldn't need all that stuff if he had better woodsmanship. etc. etc."

Sorry, but the new generation of hunters using recurves and longbows (especially those in the West) don't see themselves reflected on this site. For the older holdouts that insist that they are the gatekeepers to this way of life they have been bypassed and the world is moving on.

[Terry Green]

He will be censured for shooting too far, for not using a swing draw and for *gasp* using a range finder.

He probably hiked into an alpine basin to chase elk or mule deer utilizing some new tech gear (boots, backpack etc.) but he will also be jumped on for that as well. "He should wear wool. He wouldn't need all that stuff if he had better woodsmanship. etc. etc."

Daz, mind giving examples of who's been censured for such stuff?  And examples of who and where someone has been jumped on?

[Terry Green]

Daz, I just got an email about your post from a long time hardcore bowhunter while replying to your post.....

"The Tradgang this post describes I do not recognize."

[Daz]

He will be censured for shooting too far, for not using a swing draw and for *gasp* using a range finder.

He probably hiked into an alpine basin to chase elk or mule deer utilizing some new tech gear (boots, backpack etc.) but he will also be jumped on for that as well. "He should wear wool. He wouldn't need all that stuff if he had better woodsmanship. etc. etc."

Daz, mind giving examples of who's been censured for such stuff?  And examples of who and where someone has been jumped on?

Terry, the main one i remember is from quite a few years back (probably ten years now) when a young guy came on to share his story of his elk hunt (i think he a a current serving infantry guy at the time). He ten ringed the animal from about sixty yards (while string walking using a range finder) and he was run out on the rails. If i recall correctly (been a long time now) just the fact he referenced using a rangefinder was enough to raise the ire, let alone the shot distance.

Even when there is not open censure, there is a tone of derision that often comes up regarding the new views on single string archery (not my way=wrong).

To be fair, there is a difference between eastern woodlot treestand hunting (the majority of users of this site) and western high country pursuits.

My opinion plus $1.25 will get you a small coffee, so don't attach too much weight to it.
 

[Terry Green]

Thanks Daz, I certainly don't recall that thread from a decade ago.... its like fishing,  even on your best day, you don't catch them all. 

Also, there have been many range finder threads over the years, and one was pulled that is in Admin that did get broadside.  Also lots of different aiming methods are talked about here and I agree there is some 'nit picking' on some of those threads, including instinctive.

[A tag]

Terry, ya caught me looking and not liking this morning. After reading that, it did make me think about about this thread most of the day. One of the biggest problems I see is a generational gap. We got people on here that grew up watching Fred Bear and now people that grew up watching Michael Waddell on the Bone collector.

I do agree with the message Daz posted. I totally understand his meaning and feel the same way most the time. I don’t remember seeing the things mentioned on this site but I have seen it. Seriously, if I hear someone say, you need to learn woodsmanship one more time I’m going to pull my hair out. Stereotyping other hunters for clothing choices, electronics devices, or even type of equipment used for hunting is very common.

I honestly think we are pushing young people away that want to learn about our archery tackle that will not relate to some of our attitudes. We push people away being closed minded about the way people hunt in other parts of the country even though we have never hunted there ourself.  I totally see what Daz was talking.

[Terry Green]

Greg, I think Tradgang is more about woodsmanship as it pertains to hunting  than ozonix machines. 

[A tag]

Terry, I will do a better job of posting on here I promise.

[Roy from Pa]

There isn't a website out there that's perfect. There will always be people who post with a negative opinion. We monitor this site best as we can. If you see something posted that isn't quite what you think should be posted, hit the report to moderator and we will address the situation.

[F. Dobbs]

"The Tradgang this post describes I do not recognize."

I do not recognize Tradgang either described in that post.  If folks want to 'pass us by' via the watering down of skill by gadgetry, let them breeze right on by. 

[Sam Spade]

Sound to me like someone describing the LW like mentioned in the other thread by a Sponsor of Tradgang.  Not sure what some folks want, I've seen people get pissed because they can't talk about ILFs on the Primitive site.  What do they expect?

New bow materials, new arrow materials, new advances in the stuff we really used before compounds is what I see Tradgang was about when it was started and still is what its about.  I too don't think things like ozonix machines belong here, nor in the woods hunting. Its pretty clownish IMO that someone 'must have' a device/gadget to 'make them a better hunter'.

Oh, and don't get me started on the classifieds madness that went on.  I'd charge too if I had to put up with all that garbage admin had to deal with.  Gone slick as a minnows ear ever since. 

[Rob DiStefano]

There isn't a website out there that's perfect. There will always be people who post with a negative opinion. We monitor this site best as we can.

If you see something posted that isn't quite what you think should be posted, hit the report to moderator and we will address the situation.

Roy's post is extremely important.  We can't see all the threads and all the posts, that's just impossible. 

If you see a thread or post that you may think doesn't fit in with the rules, focus, or goals of Trad Gang, please push that "Report to moderator" button and let us know.  It's literally your forum, and will only be as good as you want it to be - we're just here to make sure it remains on a true course.  Thank you!   

[electricstart]

Very Happy to have this site . I may not post a lot but have learned so much on here . No complaints . Thanks for like button and explaining how to navigate . I too will post more.

[Flem]

"Yes, so it seems.  Not many telling stories like before, not many group hunts like before, not many how to posts as before. We have always had those types of posts mentioned above, but we've always have a lot of posts as those that are slim as of late as I mentioned in my 1st sentence."

Kind of hard to post in the "How To" section when only a few select people are allowed access.