I joined in 01...but I believe it was 98ish when I started lurking? I could be wrong on the year, that was a long time ago
Right in there, I should look to be exact but I just keep forgetting. This website started as a love affair with what I think is the most beautiful creature on earth. To be born in a state where you can be driving down a country road and look off into the distance and see "him" standing there in all his majesty. To this day it never gets old, for me I wanted it to stay my hobby and not be a career or a job. I only bow hunt and use my Nikon in the field. I run cameras all year and spend endless hours looking for him. My area in western Iow is high plains that flow down to creeks and rivers and I spend a fair amount of time in the Loess Hills.
Lee Gladfelter of the Iowa DNR is a big reason Iowa has what it has for a healthy deer population. I sat on the NRC in the early 2000's and Director Wilson tales the politicians into letting the biologist do there job and set kill numbers, etc. We also had a ton of CRP in through out the state in the 1980'sthat didn't hurt either.
John Doonan and George Parris teamed up with me and both are very good Bowhunters and added some great input and video along the way. Limb Chicken, Muddy, and so many others were the original members of the website.
We started the Big Buck Context and people like Tony Knight gave us prizes to give away, Larry Zach too.
I started the PMA forum trying to generate some revenue but the Forum is and always has been the place everyone comes! As we get closer to season, closer to the rut, we always forget about what's not working and go to our stands to just get away from all the "shit" society throws at us and we get back to our roots, we hunt!
The smell of autumn and the first killing frost is what we all live for, and all we want is a glance, just to see him once. Then see him again but closer, to walk into range is almost to much but it's what we live for, just one chance, one shot.
Yes, we are all older but wiser and more patient and hers in Iowa we should be, you never ever know what might come out of the bush, nose to the ground in all his glory.
To be able to share, that is what's very hard for me. I have had them poached and shot on the last day of gun season to never see my favorite buck again. Even after that I still come back and share my scouting trips and my hunts.
I guess that's it for me, I have missed a bunch but I am just the guy who had the idea to talk and post about my love and just like me a bunch of other guys had it too.
When I met Chris Lane I was amazed and just how good of hunter he was, the area he hinted didn't hurt but you still have to connect and he did and does every season. I have not talked to him in many moons. He like me has a family and his wife probably screams at him to get off the computer like mine did. My kids are grown up and gone so I guess I have slowly worked my way back home. I hope this helps you.
