Curious… I was felling the same way about my catalogs. I used to spend hours “reading” them in bed. Now I give them a cursory look in the spring and that’s it. Unless I need to buy something.

Same goes for magazines, tv, etc. I don’t bother with the hunting magazines any more as they are just ads bound by fluf (TBM excluded).

It’s not you, Duncan. It’s the media. Here’s my proof: My 11 year old boy got into my stash of magazines (no porn 😯 ) and spent hours reading old field and stream from the ’70’s and deer and deer hunting from the ’80’s.

So I got him a subscription to Field and Stream. When he got the first issue, he ran in his room and closed the door so he could read in peace. Man was he excited!! 10 minutes later he came out. I asked him about the magazine, and he said he had finished it and it wasn’t that great.

What? I asked. I looked the magazine over and sure enough, there wasn’t much there to bother with. He asked me if I had any more of the “other” field and stream. Meaning the old ones…

Sorry Boy, I told him.

Sad but true. I get a catalog a month from the one big box outfitter and it mostly just collects for the recycling bin. Its official we are old farts! 😆

I really liked those older Field and Stream mags as well. They had a different feel to them you know, a different attitude. And they didn’t have 5 whole pages dedicated to erectile dysfunction meds either lol!
But almost all the mags have changed since then. Kinda seems like they lost their “soul”. Too bad. At least we have TBM eh?

Could it be that “we” are just getting old? Nostalgia seems to run rampant as we get into the upper double digits of age.
This, I believe is true for most all things, not just traditional archery. To me, there never has been nor will be another car comparable to my brand new Pontiac GTO. In 1965 the tri-power 389ci with 4 speed tranny and 4.11 positrac rear end was the hottest and best on the road.
I was blessed to have had the foresight to keep all my “old” mags. I too enjoy an occasional trip back to when times were nostalgic. Our stuff was fewer in number, but they were the real deal.

ooops

Like the rest of you I read very few mags or catalogues now.

Once upon a time the mags retold stories of hunts and adventures, now they tell us how to hunt, what to use and where to go. All this is driven by commercial sponsors encouraging us to spend more and more of our hard earned to perpetuate the circle of greed.

My opinion is that traditional archery is a narrow subject but very deep and rich in it’s history and for my money that’s what TBM has captured and thats why I’m here, long may it continue.

Mark.

Jeez, and I thought it was just me. There is no excitement any more upon the arrival of the outdoor catalogues. I still look and try to see how a product might fit into my traditional bowhunter thinking but, more and more these catalogues don’t even develop time to gather dust, ending up instead in our recycling process.
I really don’t think we are dinosaurs but we certainly verge on the “rare endangered species” category.

I don’t know if it that we are dinosaurs but rather, because we choose to enjoy the more traditional way of shooting and hunting, are more content with a simpler way of life. Content to enjoy life without all the modern technology and conveniences that has made so many folks lazy. As far as being a rare and endangered species, I’m not sure that is an accurate description as demonstrated by attending any of the traditional archery events. There are countless amounts of younger and younger people who are also finding enjoyment with traditional styles of living. I think as time goes on people are going to reattach themselves with easier less stressful ways of living. I think that is why so many folks are reverting back to traditional and even primitive styles of archery. My family is one who are content to live with less rather than more and more to keep with the Jones’. Perhaps I am an optimist but regardless I find our life very satisfying.

Dan

WELL, I DONT THINK YOU HAVE TO BE OLD TO FEEL THAT WAY. IM ONLY 30 AND JUST BEEN INTO TRADITIONAL ARCHERY FOR ABOUT 2 YEARS NOW, BUT DERN IM GLAD I STUMBLED INTO IT AND FOUND ALL YOU GUYS. I FEEL LIKE A LOAD HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF AND I NO LONGER HAVE TO FIGHT TO KEEP UP W/ THE SPEED HOOPLA AND ALL THE NEW GEAR TO GO WITH IT. IM LOVING THE PRIDE AND SIMPLICITY OF THINGS THAT GO W/ TRAD ARCHERY. SO IF ITS DINOSAURS WE’RE CALLED BECAUSE WE LIKE GOOD OLD TRADITION THEN SO BE IT….I’LL BE HONORED TO BE ONE

Unfortunately today, to keep magazine sales affordable and feasable you need more sponsors than ever before. That means about 75/25 advertising to writing. And of course, to accomodate that, catalog companies like Cabelas, etc., need to stock all of that crap to sate the masses. As one gets older, the need for stuff tends to abate; well, at least in many of us it does. 8^). The kicker is it’s not just catalogs and magazines, it’s also the mindless drivel they have on cable television regarding hunting shows; twenty minutes out of every thirty are advertisements….usually a bunch of grinning boneheads who “won’t go to the woods without it.” It almost makes you queasy.

People must be buying that garbage because it is still on the shows and in the mags; from K’meer Deer to Rage broadheads, there is someone who will swear on their life that nothing else will work better to make you a better hunter. Of course you can buy success…..you see it everyday…(camera pans into the logo on the back of hunters cap).

Again, this year, I’m hunting with a 1960’s recurve; wood or aluminum arrows and Bear Razorheads. I’m even thinning out the contents of the fanny pack to what I consider necessities. No books, I-Pods, grunt tubes, buck lure, or any other silly store-bought, bring-em-in things.

Yep….I am old, so I can act like a dinosaur. 😆

Oh where oh where did my HERTER’S Go…!!!!!!!!

I don’t even look at them anymore. They come in the mail and I deep six em in the garbage can with no second thoughts.

What gets me is 40 years ago or so these mail order companies that we are all so very famalier with, have over expanded into multiple “superstores” which is fine if all you want to do is meet self proclaimmed celebrites and look at stuffed animals. But these mail order catalogs that used to provide BIG SAVINGS are now asking TOP DOLLAR and then some, to pay for all their overhead. Sorry no thanks! Don’t need tham.

And of course the “Scent Elimination” camo costs twice as much as regular camo.. so you can now get twice as ripped off!!! :P:lol:

Ever since I began hunting I have had little interest in techno gadgets and gimmicks sold by television, sportsman show or catalogue.

I’m not interested in 90% of items in today’s hunting and outdoors stores.

I have never seen but one hunting show on television at someone else’s home. It was a mildly entertaining show with Jim Schockey somewhere in northern B.C.

There’s a huge market for gimmicks and gadgets to match a hunter who is seeking any edge they can get as an advantage on the game animals. It is a fact as someone said – there are those who think that they can purchase success through these sort of products.

This mindset is the problem with a lot of hunters today. I get strange looks for walking around with my surplus Alice Pack as opposed to some 300-400 dollar BadLands pack. I get funny looks for wearing earth toned clothes as opposed to camouflage. Many hunters think it is odd that I don’t have a GPS, rangefinder or the array of odd gimmicks for my bow. To me those people seem to be more connected than me towards technology than the raw experience of hunting in the outdoors. I often think to myself they are somehow similar to people playing video games. I am careful not to express it that way because it will obviously be taken offensively by many.

At some point the successful hunter will have to put down their catalog or turn off their television and go out to do the business of hunting. I guess that means me too. I better sign off and do a hunt this weekend if weather permits.

you know this is an interesting subject to me. I have a nice little collection of old Outdoor life magazines, some from way back in the 40’s 😯 . I love to read through them, but anymore it seems like its all about gear. Sure there were adds back then too, but they did it with more of a “choice” way of going about it. They made it sound like you could choose to buy something, unlike today where they make it seem like you will be unsuccessful without their product.

We obviously don’t care about success as much, and I kinda chuckle when I see adds that try and make us think that we need their product, I am sure that magical clothing is not going to be make or break for me.

Hate to break it to ya guys, but technology is taking over our lifestyle. I love my gadgets, but my gadgets are different. Instead of aiding in my pursuit they hinder my pursuit. But that is why I love them. It is a good feeling to come back to camp and tell dad about this amazing buck I saw, but it is a completely different feeling to tell him about it see the imagination in his eyes and then show him film of that buck 8)

However mounting a range finder on your bow . . . really?? Is that really how lame my peers are these days? Do they really need an arrow moving 350 fps to hit the broad side of a barn? And are they so nieve that they think they can ignore the wind?

I dont know guys, dont like where things are going!

I for one love this subject! I love the mail order catalogs as they make great cat litter box liners! I love the tecno junkies as a couple of places that I hunt don’t allow motorized vechicals, These tecno junkies are so loaded down with all the latest and greatest that they can only make it into the woods 100 yards if that, and the ones that ride mountain bikes with carts hooked on well they are so busy making so much noise they push game out before they settle in for their hunts! It all works good for me!
I like being a dinosaur,it’s a simpler way of life!!

rayborbon wrote: There’s a huge market for gimmicks and gadgets to match a hunter who is seeking any edge they can get as an advantage on the game animals. It is a fact as someone said – there are those who think that they can purchase success through these sort of products.

This mindset is the problem with a lot of hunters today. I get strange looks for walking around with my surplus Alice Pack as opposed to some 300-400 dollar BadLands pack. I get funny looks for wearing earth toned clothes as opposed to camouflage. Many hunters think it is odd that I don’t have a GPS, rangefinder or the array of odd gimmicks for my bow. To me those people seem to be more connected than me towards technology than the raw experience of hunting in the outdoors. I often think to myself they are somehow similar to people playing video games. I am careful not to express it that way because it will obviously be taken offensively by many.

At some point the successful hunter will have to put down their catalog or turn off their television and go out to do the business of hunting. I guess that means me too. I better sign off and do a hunt this weekend if weather permits.

Ah,, Ray… we are of the same mind! Like many here! That’s a good thing!

Good Hunting!
Steve

I dont hunt with gadets much but I do use a little. If Im humting out west I will mark the campsite on the GPS as a precaution, but thats all I use it for. I like the IPOD for the 15 hour drive but it gets left in the car for the hunt. If you want to go deep into the back country and bivey then light weight tents,sleeping bags,back packs,stoves,etc. can be useful.:?:

I was thrilled to win a “dinosaur” catalog on eBay this week. A 1962 Herter’s catalog, the year of my birth ! I remember reading and reading all of my fathers old Herter’s catalogs when I was a kid. Not all tech detracts from our interests some can actually bring back a good memory.

coyote220 wrote: I was thrilled to win a “dinosaur” catalog on eBay this week. A 1962 Herter’s catalog, the year of my birth ! I remember reading and reading all of my fathers old Herter’s catalogs when I was a kid. Not all tech detracts from our interests some can actually bring back a good memory.

Ya got some “Herter’s Hudson Bay Model Perfect” memories too, eh coyote?
S.

I don’t think it’s an age thing, but perhaps a change in our perception of society. I’m only 24 and have already lost interest in 95% of the catalogs and publications that are out there. I barley flip through certain magazines that I spent hours reading when I was growing up.

I lost my interest in compounds when I was 16. I’ve never had any desire for a modern inline muzzeloader – sidelocks for me. When my Sharps get here the bolt-action won’t be seeing the woods again. I’ve even trashed my “super-amazing ultra fantastic” 4-blade razors and now use my grandfathers 1963 Gillette adjustable (only when I’m forced to shave) and much prefer the old double-edge.

Hunting and sportsmanship have been destroyed by big business. It’s all about the cash flow now, and corporations have convinced the modern outdoorsman that he has to have the latest and greatest new product to be successful. Few care about the journey and experience anymore. It’s a shame.

I almost get sick looking at catalogs that used to be great fun to look at for hours. Now there MIGHT be a page of trad equipment, but 10 pages of crossrifles. Sickening!!!:(
Frank

I subscribed to NAHC to keep from going to collections, but I barely read the stuff. It just sits and collects dust. None of that techno-gizmo stuff for me, either. Good bow, solid arrows, fair/cheap optics…good’nuff.

Michael.

Other than 3Rivers,,I don’t read cataloges.

Magazines,,,I read my collection that ranges from the early 60’s though to the mid 80’s,,,,,everything after that just looks like a reprint to me.

An the adds seem to have more flames,lightning bolts,and claims of “this will change the way you hunt” than I can be bothered with.

Actualy,,,I don’t even want to change the way I hunt.

Gott’a feel sorry for younger folks at times,,,must be mind boggling.

John.

Lot of paper wasted at my house on catalogs. If I want, need or want to play “wishbook” I just go to the respective website and get with it. Some attempts at stopping sending me catalogs have worked, some have not. One major company sends me at least one tree’s worth of paper a year.

Every once in a great while anymore there will be one or two items that are invented that actually can help out on a hunt without cheapening the experience. Sadly, those are few and far between anymore.

While at 35 I’m definitely not feeling like a dinosaur, I just like the old stuff and the old ways.

-Brian

Duncan, I feel your pain. After looking through a Cabela’s catalog, I have a headache and sticker shock.

I am humbled when i go back through my old Kitterege, Anderson Archery, and Robin Hood catalogs. The fun is seeking out that old gear on the sites.