HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Equipment Reviews within Game Specific Subforums...
Old 02-11-2013, 06:58 AM
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Nomercy448
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
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Default Equipment Reviews within Game Specific Subforums...

I'd like to see a game specific product/equipment review forum embedded in it's respective game specific forum.

We have gear review/discussion sub-forums for several specialized topics, archery/bowhunting gear, firearms, optics, trailcams, blades, general hunting gear, etc, which are all basically general hunting equipment reviews/discussion, but nothing that focuses in on the nitty gritty of game specific equipment

Because this doesn't exist, before the respective seasons each year, every game specific subforum (whitetail, waterfowl, turkey, small game & Predator, etc) gets flooded with the same post over and over from new hunters/new forum members (or experienced hunters that are switching over to that game species for the first time) regarding what game specific equipment to use.

For example

1) A few years ago was my first run at turkey hunting/calling, so I posted a question about what calls that more experienced guys would recommend, got very little response. Then there were 10 other questions that fall by other guys about what call to use for fall turkey, same question, a dozen or so guys asking it, and none of us got very much response.

2) Pretty much every January, after most deer seasons around the country finish out, the small game, predator, and trapping section gets flooded with "what calls to use?" or "which foxpro to buy?" questions. I usually ignore them since there are so many, but this year I took the time (after being frustrated with the poor response to my turkey call question) to answer as many of these questions as I saw.

3) What deer scent to use? Comes up every fall.

WHAT I'D PROPOSE, to circumvent the flooding of the same question, and better serve new members and see that their questions get answered (or at least give them a resource to research it themselves) would be to add a game specific equipment REVIEW sub-forum for each game specific forum.

The Equipment Review sub-forum could be filled with threads pertaining to individual brands, or individual models, where experienced users could write reviews of each, give an "out of 5 star" rating, give recommendations "BUY" or "Don't BUY", etc. Then when new members ask a question, they could ask it in the specific brand/model thread they're asking about, could be redirected if they ask it in the general forum, or their question might be completely circumvented because they could easily find the answer themselves here at HNI.

This WOULD NOT be the place to discuss/review non-game specific equipment, like bipods, blinds, optics, gloves, boots, etc. It would ONLY be used for game specific items. Decoys, calls, scents, (feeders optional since it's largely a deer item), traps, maybe a select few other items.

These sub-forums could be limited to one thread per model, so searching would be easier. If the volume were high enough, the threads could be grouped by brand, or by type (i.e. calls, scents, traps, decoys, whatever).

Basically, it would add a "customer review" section similar to those attached to products at retailer websites, BUT, ideally, it would circumvent the typical response that consumers post at retail sites: "I give the mojo critter decoy 5 stars because it's quiet and very durable. I just started calling coyotes, and I haven't had a chance to use it in the field, but it looks really great spinning in my living room."

It would also be an HNI resource to let users find the GOOD information that might have been posted at a retailer site HERE, where they'll see our forum sponsors, rather than at a single retailers site.

This could ALSO be an outlet for educational threads for how and when to use certain equipment (sticky's in the top of the review forum). I have answered a LOT of threads the last couple of years about what sounds to use during certain times of year to bring in coyotes. I've also asked several questions about what Turkey call sounds to use during specific times of year, trying to learn the craft of calling turkeys. Standard answers to questions like: When do certain scents work, how to protect my feeder from damage, when to plant certain food plot products, how to transfer call sounds onto a Foxpro caller, etc etc...

It seems like it would be a great opportunity to improve HNI as a resource for new hunter information, which could bring more members to the site, and keep them here. There's a reason why users join and use, or more importantly, DON'T join or use forum sites. One of the big reasons I join and continue to use certain sites is the resource wealth of the site. When I go to a certain site and can instantly tell the wealth of experience isn't there, I don't return, basically the same unfortunate truth I feel about most product reviews on retailers websites. Heck, why does Chuck Hawks page get so much traffic? It sure isn't because of its attractive and eye catching design. He gets users because he's sharing a wealth of information, so right or wrong, he gets traffic (whether he's capitalizing well on that traffic I can't say). Utilizing the experienced members on here to provide sound reviews on products to help new members/new hunters decide what products are marketing hype and which are solid products might offer a distinct edge.
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