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Seems that there are a lot fewer of us logged on;I hope this is not a death knell for a great site.I have made too many friends here (if there is such a thing)to see a site go down;I hope that this is not the case. Never mistake motion for action. | ||
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Still here Norman have a great day. But it is prime hunting time as I am about to head out the door on a duck and goose hunt. | |||
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Time of year plays a role, lack of any Real new topics, people passing on, people getting disgusted/fed up with or just plain tired of all the animosty that has spilled out of the Crater. Every site goes thru slow periods it is just the state of the game. Peoples health and interests change, people get tired of being insulted by basically total strangers over differences of opinion/beliefs. I have stated this many times and sometimes do ask myself why I keep on messing around on this place, but the only time I have a hard time getting alomg with ANYONE is on Internet Forums. I have met quite a few folks from the various forums I have been on over the years and the majority of them are good people and I feel fortunate in knowing them. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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True that + I have found solice in the words of wisdom by Writer/pundist Molly Ivens.The key to happiness in Austin is to NEVER get on I 35,I apply the same theory to the political forum.Life is much better when one does not stew or argue about something that is inconsiquensial + nothing one can do about. I personally have always been more interested in solutions rather than problems. Just Me I guess. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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Good entertainment is rare, I'd miss this... TomP Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right. Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906) | |||
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Well,lets us not send out any wreathes yet.I hope for the best;only curious. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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I think it's pretty obvious the site is dying. As pointed out, the number of people signed in at any one time is a fraction of what it used to be just a couple of years back. And what few topics there are sit on the front page for days or weeks when in the past, the entire front page would turn over numerous times in a single day, at least as far as the primary topic of African Hunting goes. One thing I've noticed is that the jabs have gotten more stiff. Where many used to be in good fun, most are downright nasty these days. Maybe a spillover from the political forum. IDK. I never go there. But the only topics that have any longevity these days, other than RIP's attempt to stretch the dead horse 458 Win thread page count past the all time most informative and influential topic of the entire site, are the ones where Saeed lets his obsession with Mark Sullivan run amok. I left the site for more than a year other than a post here or there. I did so largely because the discussions just weren't fun any longer. I honestly think it's gotten worse since then. Shame because it used to be a great site with a lot of info from some really experienced hunters. | |||
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The doom and gloom and end of AR has been predicted ever since we started it. What amazes me is people like Todd. He has nothing positive to say about AR, but he still comes here. I wonder why? Membership has been steady at about 40-50 a month for years. Page views have been anywhere between 1-4 millions a month. Right now it shows it is 3.6 millions. AR is unique. We do not depend on adverts for our existence, and we do not support deranged organizations that have lost their way when it comes to hunting, like SCI either.  | |||
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I used to love the hunting reports, but not many will post reports any more. . | |||
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Aside from getting me hooked on big bores, AR has been a joyful source of edification and comfort. My ignorance of various subject matter has been relieved uncountable times. I hope it goes on longer than I. NRA Benefactor Member | |||
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Well, the Fat Lady hasn't sang yet. To me, AR is very unique among the various sites I have participated on simply because the ptb's really do not allow themselves to be influenced by [particular group/clique or person. Moderation is not too Draconian, the down side of that however is the way in which the attitude displayed in the Crater, to me has had a negative effect that has spilled over into the rest of the site. Could be wrong on this but the participation of the Non-Americans on here have not seemed to have declined all that much, whereas the participation among Americans has been affected. I enjoy the site for the most part but from my experience on other sites, with the exceptions of political and religious discussions/topics/  , that take place due too they're being the most Emotionally Charged topics humans can discuss, all the rest of the normal topics such as what is the best caliber for white tails can only be hashed out so many times.Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Saeed,words of comfort. This a fantastic site that brings like minded folks together.Even the other ones can sometimes be tolerated. But the point is that they get their say like anyone else.That I find is a fair site.Thank You! Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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On AR everyone stands by his or her word. Everyone has the same treatment. Regardless of nationality. Regardless of color. Regardless of race. Regardless of religion. Regardless of sex. | |||
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Interesting comments by Saeed. And typical I must say. Saeed reminds me of the Global Warmist crowd in which they have decided their opinion is the truth and use only data that supports their beliefs, ignoring actual facts. Case is point is Saeed saying I never have anything positive to say about AR. Hell, in my post above, I stated it used to be a great sight filled with real and highly experienced hunters. Do a search of my posts over the years and you'll see many posts I made talking about how great the site was. You'll also find quite a few hunt reports. But let's be real. It's not what it was just a couple of years back. Remember, I didn't start this thread. Someone else noticed the sharp drop off in participation, based on the number of people signed in at any one time. Something I've noticed recently as well. Ledvm made a post not too long ago on the very same subject and there was a hunt report with CMS recently dug up from years past where the OP stated he wanted to remember the site for the joy it used to bring to people with hunt reports. The fact is, hunt reports are few and far between and the ones that are posted today typically don't involve the depth of experience they used to. Saeed points to the number of views as evidence of participation and health of the site. But what he doesn't comment on is what percentage of that participation is occurring in the Political Forum instead of the African Hunting and Shooting / Guns related forums? And further more, how many different posters are participating vs very active single posters (Edmond anybody?) About a week prior to this thread being started, again, started by someone other than me, I opened AR to find there was only 1 "New Topic" or "New Comment" notification on the entire forum (you know, the bullet to the left of the topic or forum). I know that varies by how often you open the site but still, it was stark. I opened every single forum to see if that was really the case. It was. Guess where that one bullet was found. Yep, you guessed it, the Political Forum. I opened it and it was filled with new comments. For that matter, it was that particular day that caused this thread to peak my interest for a comment in the first place. As I said in my original post on this matter, I don't know what's happened to the hunting / shooting / guns part of the forum. But it sure seems the back and forth jabs are more personal these days. I don't participate in the Political Forum but I must conclude the activity there is spilling over to the main forums on the site. It appears to me that the site is moving in the direction of politics. I came back to this site after a hiatus as mentioned previously, mainly out of boredom. I had been on Facebook for a few years and noticed the same thing happening there. Where interactions used to be fun and light hearted, the politics of the 2016 election cycle seemed to turn things dark and battle lines were drawn between people who had been "friends" for much longer than the meaning of the word existed as defined by Facebook. I left Facebook because of the constant bickering. It was not a fun way to kill a few minutes of down time. I came back here as leaving that site opened up time to kill elsewhere. But I notice many of the highly experienced guys are now gone, or hardly ever post. Where is Jines, BillC, Rob Jolly, Sam Rose, Michael458, Lionhunter, Pagosawingnut (yea, I know he's back under a new name but he hardly ever posts), etc. Where is KPete? A voice of well reasoned and experienced comments if there ever was one. Thank goodness the site still has guys like Larry Shores. A true good guy through and through. I don't know the answer but I think it has to do with simply being the way social media is evolving. Crazyhorse has mentioned it many times in that people tend to be much more vicious to each other when behind the keyboard than they do when face to face. I've been guilty of that myself. Here on this site, instead of enjoying each other's experiences when someone does share, we turn on each other over legalities vs ethics in a futile attempt to appease the anti-hunting crowd that invariably monitors the site. We would all be better off realizing our self imposed ethics do nothing to sway the antis as they don't really care how an animal is killed or that the hunt experience is the driving force behind our passion. To them, we are just killers and how we kill doesn't lessen the fact that we do in fact kill. Of course, some practices are viewed as more egregious than others, but bottom line is we kill. I think we would do ourselves a favor by showing more support for each other. But that's just my opinion. One thing that does stick out to me at present time is that it appears Saeed is doing everything he can to run off one of the remaining highly respected experts on the site. That being Cal Pappas. At least for those of us interested in double rifles, it would be a shame to loose Cal, especially on top of loosing Sam Rose a couple of years back. But if politics are going to be the focus, what's a double rifle expert needed for anyway, right?  | |||
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I have a few pictures but am just enough of a dinosaur that I don't know how to post them, and am a little forgetful about the best locations to hunt... TomP Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right. Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906) | |||
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The shinny has worn off social media. According to Alexa rankings (actual reality and not a biased interpretation thereof), AR is ranked 2,102,567 down -870,416 and 24 Hour Campfire is ranked 194,280 down -26,436. Participation is waning... some sites more than others.  ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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Speaking personally, I think I have changed, perhaps not the site. I used to be very interested in African Hunting and double rifles. My Africa days are over, and I have loved and sold both my SxS doubles. I continue to shoot Skeet, but this has never been a strong skeet site. I continue to shoot Bullseye Pistol. Ditto. It is no longer the high point of my day to visit AR, but I am not sure it is AR's fault! Peter. Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; | |||
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So the truth is finally coming out! Your gripe with AR is the simple fact that I pointed to the fact that Cal's hunt report? Cal went to hunt buffalo on a farm, with an unlicensed, illegally operating, self obsessed idiot whose sole purpose in life has been nothing but self glorification? Mark Sullivan has exposed every single American client to illegal hunting. The funny part is that Mark Sullivan himself, in his youtube video, talks about guiding clients on both dangerous and plains game hunts. Cal and Shawn have stated right here that he is NOT LICENSED to operate as a professional hunter in South Africa! How do you explain an individual guiding paying clients, in a foreign country, without holding the required license? Mark Sullivan and SCI have done more to put a negative face on hunting than anyone I know. I wonder why they even kicked him out? | |||
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I do not post much because I do not have the experience that many members have. I also do not generally look at the political forum because it is seems like it is more personal attacks then well thought out premises for a logical argument. I come here at least once a day to check the classified guns. I enjoy the wealth of knowledge that is available on this site. | |||
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That is the whole point of the Political Forum. You turn your brain off before you click on it, as discussing politics and religion, which one has absolutely no control over, means nothing but grief! Or a comedy show! | |||
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I personally have kind of grown bored of the African part of AR. I have grown bored of African hunting (killing a lot of stuff) but still like and will go to Africa if time permits. AR and it’s members have helped me find the few people I plan to hunt with - save safaris, mokore and tholo. I have little interest in finding new outfitters or places to hunt in Africa. There is also little new info for my limited hunting in Africa going forward that I need to learn. Ar has given me a fair bit of knowledge for my level of hunting. I still will learn a fair bit about optics, guns, knives, cameras and other stuff (a little less with gato gone). Blasers have kind of made other rifles boring too but I still get to learn a lot on ar. The site will ebb and flow with the demographics of its member base. Same as with high dollar hunting. I have little interest in going to any other gun or hunting forum. Mike | |||
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Saeed + all,I'm glad that all is well.I only commented after hearing rumors + then noticing the decreased online members.Must have been a slow couple of days. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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People come and go on AR, and have since I was first introduced to it by one of my African PHs in late 2004. I've been a member since 2005 and have found it highly valuable in so many ways. I've bought hunts, rifles, knives and miscellaneous items on AR Bay, have posted numerous hunt reports, enjoyed the invaluable knowledge and information shared by a host of people from all over the world, have made many life long friends here, and have been able to share my small amount of knowledge and experience with the rest of you. You can choose to be logged in continually or log yourself out for a break, but in any event, there is absolutely no other hunting/shooting/reloading/fishing/etc.etc.etc. website like it on the Internet. One thing that I have found in 45 years of marriage and in my 13 years here on AR is that you have to pick and choose which 'buttons to push' with others, and which battles to fight or just observe. The smartest ones that I find here on AR are 'wise like serpents and harmless as doves'.  We all owe Saeed a huge debt of gratitude.  | |||
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The thing I have noticed over the past 4 years on here is that some folks "Buttons" have gotten larger and easier to push. It is a unique and worthwhile site and it is possible that the present "Odd" state of what is going on is attributable to the general angst that is affecting the world. Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Let me chime in. It does SEEM to me that participation is down. I have no idea if actual statistics support that. There can be a lot of reasons for this if it is true. From what I can see, these include: 1- All new toys lose their shine. 2-A lot of time can be spent on AR. 3- Some have left us literally. 4- The antis are lurking here. I believe it has had a chilling effect to see posts from AR on an anti-hunting website. 5- There are risks to posting hunts reports these days. 6- The animosity can be ridiculous at times. I enjoy AR. Saeed, thank you very much for what you have done for us. I have made some life long friends here. I enjoy the site very much but I wonder if I am on it as much as I was 5 years ago? | |||
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Seventeen years here for me under my current "moniker". A lot of water under the bridge so to speak during that time. I find that I'm not near as prone to read or discuss whether deer should be shot with a 22 caliber centerfire rifle/pistol, which bullet is the best choice for Elk, at 10,000 ft. elevation, or a discussion in regards to kimber roulette. Been there done that. I do enjoy posting in the knives, hogs and political forums. When I'm not afield perforating hoglets, it is a rare day that I do not take a gander at the classified forums as well as several other of the forums just to see what's happening. IMHO, long live Saeed and DRG and long live AR. ya! GWB | |||
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Agreed. One of the great things about the African Hunting forum on AR is the willingness of the participants to police themselves when it comes to ethical hunting. I see little to be ashamed of if 'antis" come to this forum on AR. If things get a bit heated at times, well, that is what happens when strongly held beliefs are challenged. Peter Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; | |||
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Don't know why, but I almost have never participated in that forum. Quien Sabe? GWB | |||
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Did you miss the Call Pappas report concerning hunting with Mark Sullivan that appeared in that section??? Went to 9 pages I believe! Even the rocks don't last forever. | |||
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Yup hunting is a strange personal choice. I though I would move back to Florida and shoot a ton of hogs. I have shot one. I was never into whitetail hunting - now I like hunting whitetails and look forward to hunting free range white tails. Most of the animals I wanted to hunt 8-10 years back - elephant, leopard, crocs, bears ect one would have to pay me to hunt them. I have lost all interest. I would not even shoot a Cape buffalo if it was free. I will be hunting boar in Europe, white tails, axis and mule deer in us. I will be back in Africa - zim moz Botswana. But if shoot an impala I am happy. A bush pig is the only animal I would seriously hunt. Other than ducks in Argentina and pheasants in dakotas I have little interest in hunting birds. I always wanted a double bought one and totally lost interest in them. I bought a single single and now love them. I may take up bow hunting just cause I can shoot a bow in my backyard. All these changes happen in my 40s. Mike | |||
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"...I would not even shoot a Cape buffalo if it was free..." Bloody hell Mike! What is wrong with you? I see from your Instagram page that you like fishing so much. How about you and me make a deal? I will pay for all your fishing, and you pay for all my buffalo hunts? Do we have a deal? | |||
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Now that would be a "Marriage made in Heaven." Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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That would be a fast way to poverty for me Cape buffalo - after my third one was boring. I much rather hunt and stalk them up close and take a picture than kill another one. I like killing impala cause I like eating impala. I am seriously thinking about bow hunting in Africa cause I can sit in a blind by a waterhole and watch a lot of game up close. Probably shoot nothing. I like sitting in a deer stand. I like the solitude of hunting. Africa does not give me that. But I also really like long walks in African bush and there is too much nasty stuff (in the save like elephants rhinos ect) to do that by myself. Mike | |||
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You have to admit though that other than the Kodiak Grizzly,there is not another creature that can bring the fear out of your pores.And that's why we hunt. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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CHC, I skimmed the Cal Pappas thread. I stand by my statement about AR members self policing, but would like to add that sycophants can be found everywhere, even AR, and therefore that can skew the results! Thanks for pointing that out. Peter. Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; | |||
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