Following up I had a friend and Iowa resident send me a PM adding to my comment above. He tends to not raise a ruckus so I doubt he will post it so I will post it for him as I think it needs to be put out there.
He thinks, and I agree with him, that this site has become more of a "good ole boys" club. He posted a story about his sons first bowkill and got five replies. Now if one of the "good ole boys" would have posted the same thing there would have been three or four pages of replies.
To be recognized here it seems that you either have to be in the good ole boys club or come in with guns a blazing like T250 did.
I will say however that it is better in PMA. Those guys there show respect to everyone that is a PMA member.
After reading various replies, in particular the one above, I have some additional thoughts to share on this subject...
I think it is good that people share their true thoughts, good or bad, but I do not subscribe to the "good ole boy" theory as a reason that things are slower here. Realize that some people are friends outside of IW and/or got to know each other well on a personal level through various
IW events over a period of time. Events like shed gatherings, where I think everyone was invited, or seeing each other at IBA banquets, where I can remember multiple posts inviting people to meet up or share a table, or gathering at the IW booth at the Deer Classic, etc, have allowed various people to become friends too. I guess I am saying that if a clique has formed it has done so in broad daylight with many/all being invited to the same.
In other words, it is natural to me that some people are more popular than others simply because of familiarity, some of which came by means and events that others could also attend but for whatever reason did not.
Speaking for myself, I reply to harvest posts probably 80% of the time and in particular try to congratulate the young hunters, but I don't always reply to people that I do not know. I have nothing against them, whether they are a resident or not, I just don't know them, nor do they likely know me. Ironically, if a given person posted more often I am quite certain that others would get to know them better and be more likely to reply to their posts.
I also
REALLY do not think there is a bias against non-residents, as many of the more popular posters here are Iowa non-residents. But, I do agree that there are feelings present for non-residents that come across in these forums as pushing for changes in Iowa's game laws, particularly whether NR landowners should be guaranteed a buck tag every year. But the differences there are not really res. v. non, they center around the policies governing any-sex tags. I think there is a clear distinction there.
I say tell your friend to post more often and get to know people here more and I am quite certain that when he posts a picture he'll get more replies. If he can get to an event of some sort too, that would also help a lot.
