Champlain Islander

I too would like to see HNI become the busy place it used to be. The fun when there are hundreds if not thousands of posts every day keeps people coming back. I am a member of another well known sportsman's forum and most posts get an answer in a few minutes if not seconds. At any time there can be several hundred members all reading and posting. HNI has all the right forums to be the same and was actually busier just a few years ago. I know some have said that other forms of social media gets all the traffic but when I see another similar forum to HNI getting so much traffic it makes me wonder why not here. I used to be a Mod on this site and voluntarily gave it up due to the excessive spam that was flooding into the site. It appears that problem has been rectified by some software that admin introduced and for that I am grateful. They have enabled the site to be a fun place and I guess it is up to the members to start posting and bring HNI back to the fun place it used to be. With regard to the issue of chasing away new members I think we all need to be aware of our responsibility to post responsibly. We all have our opinions and the site is certainly a place to express them. I am no longer a moderator but feel that self moderation is actually the best way to keep the site alive and well. We all can do our part as unofficial moderators by posting in a way that generates good will and welcomes new members. I looked at the stats on the bottom of the main page and see there are 695 active members. I don't know how the software traps those numbers but I have to believe they have remained the same. I stepped down from Mod duties several months ago and there were around twice the number of active members at that time. It looks to me that the site is slowly dwindling down to a number that I fear will shut it down. It is up to us to welcome new members and see it grow. That's my opinion and I hope a few of you regulars share that thought and do what you can to get HNI back to the top.

Coastal Mountaineer

Well said! Perhaps we could have a "bilge" section for the political discussions. Make it so you have to specifically agree to enter this area, otherwise no posts appear unless you ask to be included.

The Hull Truth uses this feature and it has made the site much more enjoyable to visit for boaters and fishermen without an agenda.

Yes, I know I don't have to click on the political posts and if I do, what I'll find there. Post a reply with a different opinion than the ones who rule there and the insults and derogatory rhetoric flows.

MudderChuck

Bisquick is an exotic food here, around $10 a pound. But the good Beer and Brats almost makes up for the other shortcomings.

CalHunter

Lamb goes good with beer.

Phil from Maine

While it is no doubt a fawn.. There is a lot of people up here that call them lambs for whatever reason.. So I know where he came up with that idea .. Technically it is still a fawn.. But in different areas of our own country people use different terms for a number of things..

REM_7600

OK a fawn is a fawn as "muley hunter" pointed out. I thought I had conceded, so flip the rest. ...Deleted by CalHunter... I grew up and comm them as lambs' Darn this is getting old!

Let's drop it!

REM7600

CalHunter

Now you're just taking all the fun out of it. If this were in the Off Season, it would go for at least another 50 posts or so. People like to joke around a bit and not take things so seriously. Unfortunately, some people on both sides seem to take this too seriously while most of the members posting take it for what it was meant to be, just some humor on one of the slower days.

Somebody pointed out that each of us has the option of opening a topic or section if we choose. The same goes for posting and responding to a post you don't agree with, feel offended by or even think the member is wrong. Everybody is free to disagree but not to dog pile on a member nor post things trying to get around the rules. If it bothers you that much, file a complaint ticket and let the process work like it's supposed to.

Muley Hunter

I never thought it was that serious. It's my nature to bust chops sometime but it's always in a fun way.

Fawn or lamb? Who cares? As long as you know what a doe and buck are. You're fine.

Game Stalker

OK. In a fun way, lets have a bear fawn. Who needs a cub when you can have a bear fawn? That way we can make them less aggressive, for one thing?

Never mind. Let's just skip it. Bear fawn sounds to tree hugger/anti. Can't have that. Bear cub it is.

Muley Hunter

A fawn bleat makes a good call for bear hunting. I love it when a bear comes in expecting an easy fawn meal and gets a 50 cal muzzleloader instead.

Too bad bear, you're not really at the top of the food chain.