QDMA Organization
- Thread starter Brow_Tine
- Start date
This board was formed due to the QDMA organization shutting the forum down and flushing many years worth of habitat information down the toilet. We begged to get an archive of our own information and it was declined. Many previous members on this board who are members no longer but we are all adults and the choice is yours on whether you need them to sell you the info we give freely...
Brow_Tine
Member
Ahhhh....good to know. I was not aware that they shut down that board. Could be a sensitive subject
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I will remain as calm as I can about the subject, because I still have a burr in my tail about it......but yes, as Okie explained this forum was formed because the QDMA folks decided that they needed to "control the message" and as such pulled the plug on their own forum. They never publicized it to all the QDMA members and many current members have no idea it even happened. The spin they put on it was a new "web-site design".....they forgot to mention to loss of a valuable forum that many only became members because of the forum itself. However, many of us who where very active on that forum felt we had been kicked to the curb in the name of the all mighty dollar. Fact is we essentially demonstrated that NOBODY needed QDMA to practice QDM. We demonstrated that anyone can do it and that it wasn't rocket science. We where our own support group and promoted using what you have and finding better, more cost effective ways to do things and we freely shared that information. It wasn't intentional, but it's true, we essentially became a rebellion against the "Q".....because every other sentence didn't include "QDMA" or some sponsored brand name of a product (that is where "controlling the message" came into play). Another thing the QDMA folks won't tell you is that they have ZERO power to influence the political process or policy. If you think the QDMA is going to contact your state DNR about anything, you are sadly mistaken....they simply are not legally allowed to do so.
Now what the QDMA can do for you is help you make contact with other like minded folks in your region or state. It gets you a glossy magazine that has some good stuff in it, but it too is full of adds. They do support getting kids involved and the like as well.....however none of this is for free. Your membership dollars alone do not carry the QDMA. Chapters are STRONGLY PUSHED to have banquets and fund raisers to go back to the corporate organization. My local chapter actually shut-down because of the relentless push. They where just guys wanting to talk deer hunting and habitat.....they figured out the organization wanted more from them than that. So you have to figure out if that money is worth what QDMA really brings to the table.
Other than the social networking within your immediate area - I think there is NOTHING the QDMA offers you that you can't get here. And we have several members here from WI already and you are more than welcome to stay and visit here......for free!
Now what the QDMA can do for you is help you make contact with other like minded folks in your region or state. It gets you a glossy magazine that has some good stuff in it, but it too is full of adds. They do support getting kids involved and the like as well.....however none of this is for free. Your membership dollars alone do not carry the QDMA. Chapters are STRONGLY PUSHED to have banquets and fund raisers to go back to the corporate organization. My local chapter actually shut-down because of the relentless push. They where just guys wanting to talk deer hunting and habitat.....they figured out the organization wanted more from them than that. So you have to figure out if that money is worth what QDMA really brings to the table.
Other than the social networking within your immediate area - I think there is NOTHING the QDMA offers you that you can't get here. And we have several members here from WI already and you are more than welcome to stay and visit here......for free!
g squared 23
Well-Known Member
The articles in the magazine aren't even that good. Being a member would seem pretty worthless to me.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
DocHolladay
Well-Known Member
I found the forum and liked it so much that I joined the QDMA. You got a nifty little tag under your name saying "QDMA member" or something along those lines. About the time it came to renew my membership, they took down the forum and I didn't renew. Glad some of the members started this place. Its a lot better without all the bicker over silliness(measuring peckers so to speak).
TheMiz54
New Member
Seems to me we could start our own association. All of the knowledge and experience is right here in the forum. I never posted much before on the other site but I have read countless hours of information.
I think if we wanted to we could start our own organization and compete with QDMA and not charge nearly the outragous fees.
I think if we wanted to we could start our own organization and compete with QDMA and not charge nearly the outragous fees.
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Well two things, one I was planning on going to church Sunday anyways, and second I can re edit my post of offensive language before posting.
So in 2010 I was lucky enough to find not so much the QDMA org but the forum that existed within their website. I learned more in a year of reading posters comments than a person could do otherwise. There were threads that covered everything from plotting to hunting to fruit trees to predators. Yes with any group of people there certainly was some posturing that occurred but it made for some humorous midwinter reading. And certainly the Lickcreek thread was/is the most informative info one could possibly read and was shared in a very giving and nonpreaching manner.
The mag was a joke mostly and if you watched, you saw the articles copied the discussions being had on the forum, nothing original but doctored so the unintiated would thing they needed to have a pristine, monoculture food plot planted with BOB seed just to be able to see a mature deer. In addition, the cover( and I complained frequently of it) was always some 220#, big racked, usually midwestern buck that many hunters in this country would seldom have a chance of seeing on their public or limited acreage land. That mag tho was displayed in my office exposing the association and its thots to 400-500 people a week. Not any more.
The org itself only promoted the idea that one must have 30+ ac / hunter, no group hunting with comrades, and only from a fixed stand or 2000$ blind to be able to manipulate the deer herd for trophy/mature bucks. In addition, until very recently their only sermon for does were to shoot them and shoot more of them and then shoot more to achieve an unreachable by many 1-1 ratio. Their support of studies only included those which backed their beliefs. They never entered into discussions of game management in smaller populated states such as mine yet voice opionions easily elsewhere.
Then out of the blue without any announcement preceding, the SOBs closed the forum that harbored nearly 2 decades of info provided by real hunters and managers before anyone could hardly collect their own material much less someone elses. This closure also spread the posters over 3 or more sites, making aquiring knowlege for the newby so much more difficult. So how were they supposedly there to help change the course of deer management in the country for hunters/
Make no mistake, I was pissed, and I am still pissed about the whole action of the group and a few select posers that lead the charade, some of which I have had the displeasure of personnally talking to.
OP asked, so there I said it, and stayed pretty polite. The real loss is the thousands of people, especially newbys that missed the opportunity. I was lucky and thankful. " God bless America, wheres the Tylenol?"
So in 2010 I was lucky enough to find not so much the QDMA org but the forum that existed within their website. I learned more in a year of reading posters comments than a person could do otherwise. There were threads that covered everything from plotting to hunting to fruit trees to predators. Yes with any group of people there certainly was some posturing that occurred but it made for some humorous midwinter reading. And certainly the Lickcreek thread was/is the most informative info one could possibly read and was shared in a very giving and nonpreaching manner.
The mag was a joke mostly and if you watched, you saw the articles copied the discussions being had on the forum, nothing original but doctored so the unintiated would thing they needed to have a pristine, monoculture food plot planted with BOB seed just to be able to see a mature deer. In addition, the cover( and I complained frequently of it) was always some 220#, big racked, usually midwestern buck that many hunters in this country would seldom have a chance of seeing on their public or limited acreage land. That mag tho was displayed in my office exposing the association and its thots to 400-500 people a week. Not any more.
The org itself only promoted the idea that one must have 30+ ac / hunter, no group hunting with comrades, and only from a fixed stand or 2000$ blind to be able to manipulate the deer herd for trophy/mature bucks. In addition, until very recently their only sermon for does were to shoot them and shoot more of them and then shoot more to achieve an unreachable by many 1-1 ratio. Their support of studies only included those which backed their beliefs. They never entered into discussions of game management in smaller populated states such as mine yet voice opionions easily elsewhere.
Then out of the blue without any announcement preceding, the SOBs closed the forum that harbored nearly 2 decades of info provided by real hunters and managers before anyone could hardly collect their own material much less someone elses. This closure also spread the posters over 3 or more sites, making aquiring knowlege for the newby so much more difficult. So how were they supposedly there to help change the course of deer management in the country for hunters/
Make no mistake, I was pissed, and I am still pissed about the whole action of the group and a few select posers that lead the charade, some of which I have had the displeasure of personnally talking to.
OP asked, so there I said it, and stayed pretty polite. The real loss is the thousands of people, especially newbys that missed the opportunity. I was lucky and thankful. " God bless America, wheres the Tylenol?"
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lakngolf
Well-Known Member
Well said, dogghr. I found site thru forum too. Tried to remember recently what Google search got me there. Found wonderful info. Would love to have access to my first post or question. I joined to be supportive but cancelled when they became non. Love your new site and thanks again to cutman and others.
MarkDarvin
Well-Known Member
You'd just be paying salaries of people who not only do nothing for us, but work against hunter interests. They'd have done more good for MN hunters if they'd stayed out completely. All they do is run cover for the corrupt DNR.
letemgrow
Well-Known Member
I sure do miss the QDMA forum. It was a good place, till $$$$......
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Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Former QDMA member who missed their old forum shutdown by several weeks and went through a period of confusion trying to find my stuff. So I consider it an unpaid debt that they still owe me. It was just a bad way to conduct a business if you ask me. Just by lucky chance I stumbled on this forum...
I too got here from their forum. I found the old forum around the time I purchased my property and had a lot of questions of how to make it better. I read a lot of great information but never posted. They really left a sour taste in my mouth about the shoot every doe that you can find to help the herd. We are still feeling the repercussions of that in many parts of the state, some people still haven't learned to look at what the land can handle. I decided to join this forum because of the members and how there isn't the over bearing personalities, everyone is very helpful. If you want to feel inadequate start reading about apple trees. There are some really talented growers and grafters on this sight.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Quote"the idea that one must have 30+ ac / hunter, no group hunting with comrades, and only from a fixed stand or 2000$ blind to be able to manipulate the deer herd for trophy/mature bucks" unquote. This is pretty much the same as high fence hunting by high net worth individuals. Maybe that's what QDMA's all about? Definitely not traditional American sportsmen values
Osceola
Active Member
I was already a QDMA member when I stumbled onto the QDMA forums through their website. I lurked for a few weeks and found the discussions so informative and compelling, I registered and started posting myself. As a new property owner, I was given such a warm welcome with my first post I started to come back daily and contribute regularly. That first year I learned more about setting up my property for hunting than I could have learned in a lifetime of reading Quality Whitetails. Like the others, it left a bad taste in my mouth the way they shut it down.
After they shut it down, I wanted to get involved with a Michigan-based forum so I could discuss deer management more specific to Michigan and perhaps make some local friends. I have been disappointed. The level of discourse and the knowledge base at the Michigan forum is well below what I was used to. After about a year, I went looking for some of the old QDMA forum regulars and found many of them here. Even though I've never met these guys, it was like running into old friends. Great forum.
After they shut it down, I wanted to get involved with a Michigan-based forum so I could discuss deer management more specific to Michigan and perhaps make some local friends. I have been disappointed. The level of discourse and the knowledge base at the Michigan forum is well below what I was used to. After about a year, I went looking for some of the old QDMA forum regulars and found many of them here. Even though I've never met these guys, it was like running into old friends. Great forum.
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Chainsaw
Well-Known Member
I found the same thing with the QDMA forum participants as you did Osceola. So many of them gave 150% to every post sharing their hard earned knowledge with no return expectations. Many of them have set up shop here and I find it to be the place for me as well. And I try to give it my 150% on all topics I have some experience with just as so many others have taught me by their example. We have a great thing going with this forum and with each of us giving it our all, it can only get better.
An awful lot of judgement and questionable comparatives in this post. I have relatively high net worth. I have some high fenced property ( and low fenced) now I find out I may lack American sportsman values? Rough day.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Sorry, didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. I guess I used a rather poor choice of words in the last sentence, I shouldn't have said "values", and just said it's not the average person's way of hunting. Some of us are saving money to be able to hunt something like that, or are envious of those who can. What I meant was that since the average American working-class citizen won't ever be able to attain the large acreage of land and the means required to have his own high fence operation, is QDMA promoting a method of hunting that's not realistic for the majority of hunters? But here in America the average working man does have the opportunity to work his way to the top of the food chain by the sweat of his brow (at least now yet). Congratulations to those of you who have got it made, I'm sure you worked hard for it and did it honestly.
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