Decline of Sportsman Brotherhood

It is a sad day when a sportsman forum has more arguments and chest beating than sportsman getting together to swap hunting and fishing stories. What happened to the days when sportsman shared tips and mentored others? Now days if someone post a tip about a general area, he is either lying to throw everybody off or gets brow beat because he gave a good tip! And yes, if today’s hunter and fisherman were TRUE sportsmen, one could feel better about posting a tip because there would not be some arrogant jerk scanning the forums seeing who he can take advantage of. When you’re out in the field, it is not hard to see how the forums have come to what they are. Common courtesy is getting harder and harder to find. There used to be an unspoken sportsman code of ethics on the water and in the woods! Where is it going? Instead of helping an inexperienced guy at the boat launch, now days cuss him and cut in front. Come on... Slow down a little and enjoy the great outdoors instead of getting your drawers in a wad! Show some common decency in the field and give a guy some room instead of being a jerk because he got to a spot before you did! I have had people set up too close while duck hunting and start shooting when birds are working over my decoys just because I was set up where they came at daylight and wanted. The way I see it, it is most likely the same folks who are going to be the fall of this site! I hate to see what my son will be dealing with when he is a Dad trying to teach his son his Granddad’s ways! My Grandfather could easily point out to me another sportsman as an example to follow. He spent as much time teaching me common sportsman decency as he did hunting skills. It is sad, but the generations of sportsman with integrity are fading away and being replace with spoiled jerks who think if I want it, to heck with anybody else! Move out of the way; I'm coming through!

Perfect comments. I'm praying for the site to improve and become a place as you described. Thanks.

Tony, in my opinion one of the first things that needs to be done is to tame your moderators. I understand this site is about freedom of speech but acting in the manner of the site their personal opinions should not way in on the performance or opinion of LASMAG.

Just my 2cents

Slick, can you cite some examples? I strive to be courteous and objective. If I remove or edit posts, I always send a friendly e-mail explaining why. 9 times out of ten, the poster responds and acknowledges that they were out of hand. Others, well, you just can't please everyone.

I also copy anything that I remove and e-mails I send, just to maintain a record.

Thanks,
Chris

P.S. One thing I think would help is requiring real-name login. No hiding behind screen names. You don't see the whining like you do here on Facebook, etc. Why? Because many folks would never act in public like they do when they think they are anonymous.

One thing about the moderators and other staff, they use their real names and have to be responsible for whatever they say.

Maybe, but most of us moderators are getting burnt out. I know I am. If, we had the mindset of the original post...there would be very little need for moderation. We are going to be changing the reports/forum soon to help us out. I think we should change the architecture of the reports to the forum view. If everyone would, please click on the forum button of the site and let us know what u think. It's the same information as the reports, just in a different format. I think we can then keep kayakers with kayakers, speck fisherman with speck fishermen, bass fishermen with, duck hunters with, controversy with controversy...and so on. Thanks.

I totally agree... I am 23 years old and I can honestly say my generation is mostly at fault for this. My grandfather taught me how to be courtesy and like said above he pointed out to me wht a true sportsman was. You rarely come across these anymore. Even when my friends come fishing with me, some of the things they say about other fisherman or sportsman on the water is insane. I'm quick to set them straight. I guess what I'm saying is people need to really step back and look at they bigger picture. If someone needs to be pulled in, stop and do it. If they need directions or simply want to know why you're fishing with because you're catching and they aren't, just tell them or help them, you never know when you're going to e in their shoes and need help. Everyone has to start somewhen my grandpa said and everyone could use a little help.

There is hope!

Chris there is No one example, and you are not one of who I speak of. This isn't a bad site it Just has a few to many keyboard cowboys. Sorry but I'll be unavailable till Monday but I'll be glad to chime in on Monday morning.

Let's go forward as a brotherhood. I say rehashing old stuff is like asking the water under the bridge to go backwards. Let's focus on the future and let history...be history. Thanks.

Dustin it seems as generations pass on, the sportsmanship passes on with them. I was taught from a very young age, and it sounds like you were too. The biggest tool that was used was example. I never was told I had to stay home because I was “too young”. It makes me sad and mad when I see a child having to stay at home because they might “mess up a hunt”. I believe in large part we have failed your generation by not getting kids in the field and on the water to teach, and more importantly, show them that unspoken code of sportsman ethics I mention in my original post. Too many are now out there showing their butt because they were never shown. My son and I were at Pearl River WMA last year on opening day of big duck season. If a new hunter had been with us, I would have been embarrassed to say I was a duck hunter. It was pathetic! Guys running around like prisoners on a jail break. People shooting WAY before shooting time. I’m talking 30 minutes. As soon as one person did it, it was as though many others were afraid someone was going to kill all the ducks before shooting time so they better get theirs! It is sad when you have to show your son, or daughter, examples of how not to act and what is not a sportsman. I guess I’m on a soap box today. I don’t post a whole lot, but watching a lot of what has been going on the past few months here with all the chest beating just has gotten out of hand. It no longer takes alcohol to make one ten foot tall and bullet proof, just a keyboard and a computer screen.

I have been here on the site for 8 plus years and have seen many come and go because they didn't like the rules and moderation. I have been a part of the LAS team for over 6 years now and am proud to say that. We don't generally pull a post 'just because' we didn't like it or we disagree with it. I am very considerate when I pull a post. Most of the time I will send a warning asking the poster to change it or remove it due to LAS policies. We have policies in place because a post has caused problems such as 'POLITICS'. This site used to be just like huntindog described. We were a huge family then people and times changed. WE see the bashing when someone shoots a deer or catches a fish. YES I REMOVE IT IMMEDIETLY! (as well as the other mods) This is NOT the site for negativity. WE promote a family friendly site. I hear this all the time 'you pulled my post but you didn't pull another one' There is generally a reason for that. I hope to see the site go back to what it used to be, just like sportsman going back to the olden ways where everyone was kind to each other. I have over 80,000 acres of public land where I am from and no matter where I go I find the same issues as huntindog talks about. Lets start a new (old) trend guys and lets start helping each other again. What do we have to loose? Great POST DOG!!

In the 70's and 80's I have had the same issues as we do today. Don't get the feeling that the sky is falling and the whole world is going to the toilet. The web and media just show it more. I was kind and compassionate then, and now. There always were jerks, and there always will be. Don't let it bum you out. Say a little prayer and keep doing what you think is right.

Boots is right, the term slob hunter was coined in the '70's. My experience with youth hunters is they are very concerned with sportsmanship, safety, and management of our resources. And blaming the moderators for doing a thankless job is wrong. Everybody had to learn sometime, instead of criticizing someone, help them to do it the right way.There are plenty of people that love to see us divided as it is.

My baby sitter/ housekkeper/ cook when I was growing up had 2 sayings she preached to us 4 brats. 1. It doesn't cost anything to be nice and courteous 2. soap and water are cheap. Im 61 and those sayings still hold true.

I was on Lake road in Lacombe yesterday fishing while most other were out crabbing. There were two small kids who sat with lines in the water and not getting a bite. Meanwhile, I am reeling in croakers, drum, flounder, etc and noticed there family was crabbing. I told the kids to watch my rod while I rigged them both up with what I had. All day I heard yes sir, no sir, thank you, and politeness from these kids. As I was tying on one of the kids rigs, my pole doubled over and I told the kid to reel it in. He hooked a croaker and smiled from ear to ear. After all was said and done, the kids caught a few but smiled a lot. It was then I realized what it was all about. I had more fun watching these kids reel in fish than I had all day. The best thing about it all was the simple 'Thank you Sir' I got when they left. This came from kids prob 10 yrs old and 5 years old. They shook my hand and I told them maybe we could do it again. Hope to see these youngsters out again.

I enjoy fishing and hunting. Taught by my father to respect the rights of other sportsmen (courtesy). If we would do or try to do as Backlash did and help our younger generation have a pleasant and rememberable expierience, then they may do the same later in their life with kids they encounter. I bet those youngins were full of things to tell their parents when they got home. Hopefully one day they'll have the same opportunity to pass it along, and make the right choice.

The people who act up on this site also act up in their normal life, that is their way. Sad but true. no guidance in life when growing up makes you this way. I own a business and see the sadness of some of the young growing up in todays world. (some, not all. There are still some good ones)

...it all boils down to two parents that's always in contradiction and not working together...it's called disfunctional or a single parent that is overburdened w/tdy woes...there's dozens of more problems w/money and material things...take note of the idolized celebrity trash you might see on some home page computers ???...it helps pull the foundation down...cheers

I haven't been on here in a while, but am excited to see the site perk up for sure.

I like this site better. It obviously has a lot more ol school true conservationists. I see a lot of respect on this site . The younger ones want to learn. The biggest difference I see on this site, as opposed to, well, guess- is people here know and acknowledge that we are not in a perfect world and things are not going to remain nice, perfect, all the time. Stuff happens, and people here acknowledge it. No pretend atmosphere that everything is hunky dory. Everything is not, and LAS users know it. I see very little spin, and very little protection of chosen heros by moderators here. No one person is deemed to be the hunt god here. Credit is shared here on LAS.

Tony,

Thanks for asking us to comment on the website. I have used the Sportsman website since 2005. I use it as a way to meet others, convey information, and to log my fishing/hunting experiences.

In my time behind a computer I have come across much more appealing and better looking websites. When you log onto them they grab your attention, more so than the Sportsman. I really like Salty cajun formatting. All the new posts are right up top. You can also do things like Bold your writing, put emoticons into your thread etc......

I think a lot of the younger guys might like these options and that might be a way to draw more website attention. I think Andy has done a good job in trying to draw website interest, but the Sportsman website still has a ways to go. I think the website needs some sprucing up and some pizazz.

As far as the forums I think a way to draw more interest is to include other forums. I think Andy has helped to do this somewhat as well. Adding sports and technical. Again, the forums section needs to be spruced up.

I do agree with one of the posters the other day about common threads being diluted by the high volume of guide reports. I am not sure how to handle that one though.

As far as the negative commenting/griping. Some good can come of it. For example, exposing someone who deliberately did something they ought to be ashamed of. Cutting off 15 boats to launch theirs; Doing the olympic throw of an anchor 30 foot from anothers boat. Burning someone else's blind at Wax lake...Those things need to be brought to light.

The big question; how do you draw good and an abundance of website members that participate? I simply do not know.

Personally and for now I think the magazine stands on its own well enough that the website probably isn't priority. I think that is going to change with time and generation though. This is an age of electronics we live in.

Food for thought.

This is the comment I posted in a post titled ''Lack of good advice here''. Kinda fits here too, maybe?

Leave it like it is, but.......
I know the problem is that an individuals post gets pushed off the front page by the guides coming in and 'advertising' their wares daily. Well that's how they make a living. This forum is how they get business.
If there were only individuals posting, this would be a very small and lonely forum. I have seen many days where not one individual has made a post. Right now with bow season and teal season coming up it has gotten more active.
Two changes I would like to see.
1: Add 2 help wanted sections. One for fishing and one for hunting. This would be a place where you can ask questions and not have your post bumped off before the end of the day by guide posts.
2: Name, address and phone number to be able to post to this forum. Address and phone number not seen by others but verifiable by LAS if need be. Name, city and state on profile. Must wait 24 hours before posting. This would probably give a lot of relief to moderators who could in seconds call a poster and verify in mere seconds if there is an actual problem with a post or comment. Would stop a lot of guide bashing and bashing of others. As of right now I can only think of one who would have a problem with this.
Being ''incognito'' should not be an option. I am incognito but would not have a problem ''coming out''. Facebook has been my saving grace. It's where I post and read the post of guides I have as friends or follow.
I still come here and read a lot but seldom comment. Being called a ''Hater'' for a comment on a video about the safety of a little boy running in a boat that was under way, then diving on the front casting deck pretty much put an end to me here. It is what it is.

The fact that guides make a lot of contacts here doesn't entitle them to spam-up or to dominate several forums here. If they pay for advertising, they get the ad they paid for. If guides want to be REALLY appreciated, give tips and advice here, where it's supposed to go. And quit writing HERE their long boring reports with every customer's name and how happy, nice and bubbly each customer was.

When captains give some general advice, I, and the majority of fishermen here, always appreciate it. Many tactics and locations I use today, comes from advice I got here. From captains and from recreational fishermen alike.

Like I said in the other post. If a captain purchased ad time on the local newscast. Would that entitle him to also, at-will, walk in front of the camera, during the newscast, calling out the names of the people he took fishing that day? No, he gets the ad he paid for. Well, they shouldn't be allowed to dominate several areas here where their 'Reports' don't belong. I mean, they have the 'reports' section completely taken-over already. How many areas of this site do they need total domination of?

Sportsmanship. My youngest sons are now 30 years old and, my older 2 boys fish with me also. Even now and, especially when they were very young, I would always exaggerate sportsmanship to enforce to them how important it is to me. Of course, I do the same, but to an even greater extent with my gradchildren to exemplify how important it is for sportsmen to cherish the relationship and resources we share with one another.

My grandsons and grand daughters (the young ones mostly) love to tell everyone at the launch what we caught, what we caught em on and if they know, where we caught them. I never discourage them from doing this.

Having 4 boys, I've taken many dozens of young boys to young men on their first fishing trip, duck hunting trip, hog hunting or camping trip. The area where our duck leases are, is now inundated with these same, now-grown men. It's actually driven up the costs for a lease in the area! LOL

It's wonderful to often get phone calls from these young men, inviting me to a fishing trip or, to join them on a duck hunt. You know it can't be all that much fun for them to hang-out with an old f--t all day! But, they still call and offer. Makes me very proud.