Time for us to move on...Thank you for your years of support!

Originally Posted By: DiRTY DOGHas anyone asked out loud about any financial/business relationships between board members & the new tier 1 sponsor?




BOOM

To all here,you know who you are. Tom and I have met and made friends with some amazing people and I've personally learned so much.

Truth be told, you have just lost the most knowledgeable varmint hunter in the world. This includes animal migration, feeding patterns, mating habits, etc.

His seminars were legendary (where I first met Tom) and several of you here have hurt him in a bad way. Tom Austin is the very best this site had to offer and the reason I hired him in the first place he was that good and honest. This was more than just a business hanging hat location as we did not generate many sales here as it was NEVER about that. You threw a knife into his back all led from a pay to play new Director.

You all involved in this sham owe Tom so much what he brought here should be ashamed of yourselves. But as I mentioned, once it's revealed when the dots come together and the money is followed you will see what has transpired.

As Tom said so eloquently, this WAS an amazing place to learn with some amazing members who made this site what it is today.

Since the site (especially one new Director) will never say this... Tom and Korey, you're the best in your field I've ever known and ya don't need a million UTUBE followers to know your knowledge will be missed. Love ya guys and I personally look forward to the future!
 
I didn't make it a day on my self-imposed 90 day hiatus.

When Tom and Korey posted I paid attention! I'll follow them wherever they go.
 
Originally Posted By: Victor_TNVCSince the site (especially one new Director) will never say this... Tom and Korey, you're the best in your field I've ever known and ya don't need a million UTUBE followers to know your knowledge will be missed. Love ya guys and I personally look forward to the future! Thank you Victor and Tom. Many newer members don't realize the impact you have made to Predator Masters and the entire Industry over the years, and that is truly unfortunate.

I have spent 14 years as a member of this site. In that time, many members have become friends, and some have become family. It will be a major change not to frequent PM on a daily basis especially the Night Hunting area. Tom's post did a great job of saying all that needed to be said. However, reading Vic's post made me nostalgic, so I wanted to say Goodbye to my many friends and family of Predator Masters. Many of you have reached out via PM, and I really appreciate it. God Bless!
 
No dog in this (fight) but something stinks.

Why so many apparently joining now (low post counts) being so vocal?
Why were they not there in the good old days and contributing?

I'll miss your awesome videos Korey K.
You n I hunt the same grounds.
 
Follow what just happened and you will see what stinks! If you read my first post I said I am not one to post. Doesn’t mean I don’t follow and haven’t supported PM! How many conventions have you been to where you saw first hand what sponsors stepped up year after year? I am shocked that You aren’t questioning the integrity of the current people running things? 20 years sponsoring, 2 Will Craig awards and the board was aware they wanted to continue being a top tier sponsor? Why wouldn’t the board want to get top tier sponsorships from multiple companies? Why would you only pick just one? Doing so supports the cause and gives us all more options, more perspectives and different products? Why wouldn’t you want that for the members?
 
Originally Posted By: AdamTI’m not much up to snuff on business dealings, but this is the thought I have.

Shouldn’t PM accept all sponsorship opportunities? If there are different levels of sponsorship, I get that. For example, Foxpro or Leupold or Savage or XYZ large company, shouldn’t be at the same rate as a guy making a few hand calls a month out of his basement or garage looking to sale a few calls here or there. But if Foxpro, Icotec, and Lucky Duck all want to be a sponsor, even though they offer the same type of product, that sounds good to me.

Competition drives the market, and if the traffic increases here and this is the place to go for predator hunters, I would think the companies in the industry would benefit from the opportunity to advertise here. PM shouldn’t limit that to one company per specific area of interest, but welcome all opportunities for business partnerships.

Again I’m no high speed business man, and not trying to point the finger one way or the other, just my outsider looking in perspective.

To the membership of PM.

I am posting just one of the responses that we have gotten, this one happens to be from Adam up above. I can't repost all of them but they have come from many of you and they say much the same thing as Adam.

The BoD made the decision of offering a Tier 1 opportunity to 1 sponsor in each segment of our industry based on what resources we have and what we thought we could do for our sponsors.

We will honor ALL agreements that we have made with sponsors and with prospective sponsors that we are in talks with now.

From this point moving forward, we will open the Tier 1 opportunity to ALL prospective sponsors.

The BoD won't get every decision correct. We won't make everyone happy. But we do listen.

Mo
 
Does my opinion matter...probably not. I'm just a peon from PA...

Damage already done.....bridge burned....and a good one at that.


.. and it didn't take a masters in business to figure what the negative outcome would be on the initial decision. And now that sponsor "tier" decision is retracted....

And it seems like that decision, made it easier for me in regards to offering any $$$ on my behalf(back when the post about money needed for PM to move forward in the tech department)
 
Originally Posted By: Tf282Originally Posted By: marine guyWhere’s Skinney???

??????

I'm here, been busy calving and trying to get more videos done.
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: Tf282Originally Posted By: marine guyWhere’s Skinney???

??????

I'm here, been busy calving and trying to get more videos done.

My response was why was marine guy asking that?
 
Skinney has been at the forefront of a lot of questions and controversy in the changes. I was wondering why he hadn’t chimed in on this thread. Now I now (calving).
 
Yes Guys I have been.

Over the past 6 months to a year, I have been continuously messaging the Admin about doing a podcast on my YouTube channel, and I would see that it was read, but would never get a response. My intent was not for my benefit, but to help promote this place. As we have all heard it was not doing good, and was not going in the right direction.

I did make contact with Jeff Mock the last President here, whom I have very high respect for, he has been nothing but a stand up fella in chatting with me over the years, and being my first point of contact when I decided to become a sponsor here years ago. With that said, he gave me the cold hard facts, a ballpark figure on how much it would take to move this forum and to update it. So that all hosting platforms would not have issues with it, as well as making it more mobile friendly and easily more update-able. He told me this place was dying.

Over that period of time I have been what you would call outspoken? Regarding my personal beliefs in keeping this placing going, starting a donation/support thread, with a lot of response and support. Offering to the Admin to allow me to use my personal platform to aid in some advertising here, anything to bring more people, members, contributors etc.

My timeline may be off here a bit, but about 2 months after Jeff and I spoke last on the phone about the options this place had going forward, I was informed that 2 of the 3 Admins resigned, and I was asked if I would come on as an Admin. So I volunteered.

Just so all of you know, I have stated this over the past, that places like this need to be here, I mean we have 60k similar mined individuals, all primarily Coyote Hunters. Everyone tells me Facebook and YouTube are the death of Forums, and that in order to do it the "right" way, it would need to be privately owned, I even asked Jeff if that was a possibility, but since it was a 501-c4? I don't believe that can be done. I had more guys than not tell me, James, start your own thing man, don't get involved here. However, over the past years, with everything said and done, this place has been good to me and for me, I recommend everyone that I can to come here join and contribute.

I believe I was asked to be an Admin because of what I do online. I am nothing special, I just like to film Coyotes, and share it with you all, I like to do my own thing quite honestly. I was tasked to find people to support this place, and with the direction I was told it was going, I did that, I started making contacts with people that I know and yes who I have and do work with.

Korey and Tom, I personally appreciate and respect you guys, I know you guys are killers, amongst the best in the business, and can see from all of your previous posts and support that you are good men. As a matter of fact I was asked to reach out and talk with Tom and we did, I've always heard from Jeff he was the nicest fella you'd ever meet and per our phone conversation I can easily understand that, I hope that you guys stick around, we need fellas like you.

Vic, have you and I had issues in the past, yes. Did I once tell you in a PM here money talks? Absolutely. I don't think that is a bad thing. So everyone understands at that time I was sourcing info and traveling to the State Capital to help pass legislation to allow us to use thermal technology at night, SB58 and HB1219 the next year (at my expense). I had envisioned in my head what I needed to do, with numerous pieces of equipment so that when I testified in front of Senate and House Ag committee I could present them with credential info based on video, and photo's used with such equipment, not to mention actual field time with product, and of course video productions. I was also needing Thermal to use here on our Ranch during calving, once again at the time thermal was a relatively new tech and I wanted to test the waters, not solidify a deal. Long story short, I built a relationship with another Company, many of you may know who they are UNV. I don't regret that decision.

I was asked to volunteer for a reason, I want to see this place succeed. I told the Admin, if a term is what people want to see, I would try to get this place as much support and funding for the next year, and let the next person have my place, gladly.

Edit to add: This is a very busy time for me, calving, I have the night shift and we had a record snowfall this year 80", last time that happened here was back in 34 with 75". I've been very busy on the Ranch and it's not slowing down. Yes I will be here, but if I don't respond right away I'm sure you understand.
 
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I follow you big time Skinny. It's always amazed me how you can pack everything you do into a day.
Like this post you just wrote! Didnt you John and Keith just pull a couple all nighters ? Now I see your pulling the bikes out lol You guys are something ! Keep it up Man !!
 
I gotta say I love that awkward quiet on a forum when a punctual realistic humble response is made and all the pitchfork wielding keyboard experts go silent.
Very well said skinney it always blows my mind how you manage to fit everything in with all you do and it's appreciated that you are using your experience to help better the forum.
 
We are excited to be the new Tier 1 site sponsor, and I want to take this opportunity to clear the air.

I propose keeping TNVC on as a Tier 1 sponsor, and having 2 Tier 1 sponsors in the Night Vision category.

Yes, this would make the sponsorship less benefit for UNV, but for me it is more about supporting and protecting one of the last communities that exists purely to support predator hunting.

We are here to promote Predator Masters and the forum community of predator hunters by offering a sponsorship, while also not censoring anyone who doesn't agree with us.
It is more important to me to promote freedom of thought and speech than to stifle competition through censorship on the forum for short term gain. I know that this will be good for PM members as well.

Tom, Vic, and Kirsch, I have much respect for y'all. I do hope you stick around and keep posting your content and sharing your experiences even if you decide you don't want to be a sponsor any more. That is fine by me.
A rising tide lifts all boats.

Tyler
 
It sounds to me like there is an equal path forward for all concerned parties then. That should mean more resources available to do the upgrades PM badly needs. Moving forward in that regard should be a win for everyone. Glad to hear that.

Welcome aboard to UNV.
 
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I have remained silent this whole time, yet I feel the need to to say my part. Without mentioning any names just know I have nothing negative to say about anyone or product. I have only the utmost respect for the accomplishments and skill set I have seen demonstrated by so many of our members. I personally feel a sense of loss when hearing the concerns, reasoning’s of ill will and resentments of people when announcing they are signing off for good. I see this as YOUR forum, for this house is as only good as its "members" and the content they bring inside. Removing ANY content is the last thing I want to do, it is counter-productive for what this forum needs. I share your point of view and censorship does drive people away.

I have seen things and individuals I do not agree with. I am privy to some backroom information and get one vote in certain decisions. I can assure you that any say or vote I make will be for the betterment of this forum and it will not be biased. I have no money to be made here and everything I do is voluntary, my payment is the knowledge, relationships and joy I have gotten sharing my personal hunts. I don’t see you all as “members” I see you as people. Like already stated this place needs to be here. Its original vision is community and advocating, not product sales, my personal view is that it is unfortunate it takes money to keep the lights on.

I said I would not mention any names but I lied; I vote we take Tyler’s offer and try to fix things with Tom…

 
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