I agree 100%...  I have every copy of NAW ever printed because I am a deer hunter.  I bought the first issue off the newstand back in 1981, I believe, and have subscribed ever since and have saved every copy.   I hate turkey hunting.....boring as hell, and I hate reading about turkeys.   NAW could do so much more in regards to deer hunting.   For every bigshot hunter out there we read about in magazines, see on tv, etc. there are hundreds of others who are just as successful.....why not do some articles on them?   It's also been ages since NAW has done an update on the hunting opportunies in the individual states and provinces.   It would be very easy to add in 22 bonus pages of deer hunting instead of 22 pages of turkey feahters, but I understand........the "bonus" pages give the magazine a chance to sell advertising for turkey related products.

Bottom line is that if I see any more "bonus" pages on Turkeys or anything else, I'll be cancelling my subscription..   If I wanted to read about Turkeys, I'd buy a turkey magazine.   Is anyone listening?

I agree also and like you said, "If we wanted to read about Turkey Hunting we would buy another magazine". But its all about selling and making money. I would rather they come out with another magazine named North American Turkey Scratches or something like that. Not clutter the NAW magazine with items other than Whitetail Deer. Plus anyone that has been getting the magazine for as long as I have can also see the decline, especially less information and more advertizement. 

  As like you,    I have just about every issue, except maybe the 1st two issues.  (I am in New York State, where are you?)   Also well stated,   as soon as my subscription ends, I am am done.   Bring back people like there used to be: Dick Idol, Gene Wensel   etc..     I will be moving over to the Big Buck Magazine. 

  Sorry to see such a great era end,  but looks like it is here. Too bad some group does not buy up the rights and start printing an old style, better NAW magazine.  

NAW  R.I.P

Hello to all. I am new to this sort of thing (forums). I joined because I have a little inside info that I think all of you on here should know. I, like most of you on here, have been a fan of NAW for many years. I have, to the distaste of my wife, kept every issue since the late 80's in my collection. Recent proceedings at NAW has left a bad taste in my mouth and after you all read this, I am sure you will also. I did not welcome any turkey section in what I have always concidered the "Holy Grail" of trophy deer magazines. Like many others, I will buy a turkey magazine if I want to read about turkeys. If it wasn't bad enough that the corporate folks at Intermedia Outdoors Inc. (owners of NAW, Bowhunter, Game And Fish, In-Fisherman, and many others) have jammed this turkey section down our throats, they have let somthing else happen that far outways the turkey issue. Did anyone notice that Duncan Dobie did not pen the editorial in this issue? That is because he chose to disagree with corporate and the end result is, he is not editor for NAW any longer!!! I know Mr. Dobie, as well as others involved with the magazine and television show. Duncan Dobie is a stand-up guy who believes in what NAW used to stand for. It is becoming very apparent that Duncan Dobie is the only one at NAW who possesses any real backbone. My suggestion for everyone on here is to read an article by a great outdoor writer, Les Davenport, on the state of affairs at NAW. It was found at prairestateoutdoors.com. Mr. Davenport hits many nails on thier heads when he talks about how corporate America is ruining yet another good thing. Don't forget to leave a comment after reading. http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/pso/article/end_of_an_era... Have much more to chat about later. Looking forward to venting with you all. Later.

They just lost a 20 year subscriber to this latest bunch of B.S. !!!!!

We appreciate readers who take the time to contact us with their thoughts on the magazine. The questions/concerns about this bonus turkey content are no exception.

I haven’t even tried to shoot a turkey since the early ‘80s, so I can assure you I have no personal interest in providing turkey coverage. It's not something that interests me as a hunter. That said, our reader surveys indicate that around 90,000 NAW readers do hunt turkeys. The bonus pages were meant to provide these readers with information on the main "off" season species they will be turning their attention to in the coming weeks.

Obviously, any time a magazine experiments with a new type of content or format, the next step is to get feedback on the change from readers. I've worked on the editorial side of NAW for more than 25 years now, so I'm as curious as anyone to see what folks do or don't like about this section — or anything else we publish. Feel free to contact me directly at my office (678-589-2034 or gordon.whittington@imoutdoors.com) if you'd like to discuss this or anything else going on with the magazine or TV show.

Gordon Whittington, Editor in Chief

 End of an Era at North American Whitetail?????A good article by Les Davenport on how thingshave changed over the last 20 years in the deer hunting industry.January 26, 2010 at 08:28 PMBY LES DAVENPORTSadly, things are disturbingly different today in the hunting world; it somehow became tainted, like molding bread. When I first started writing for Bowhunter and North American Whitetail magazines twenty years ago, it made my week to get the latest copy of either magazine. Reading about the successes of fellow hunters spawned anticipation for my next hunt and helped me get through the year inside Corporate America’s belly at Caterpillar Inc. Then Corporate America bought these magazines. M.R. James sold Bowhunter and David Morris sold North American Whitetail and Game&Fish. These and others ended up with a New York-based investment corporation, InterMedia Outdoors. In my opinion, they held one main goal: make bigger profits for investors … regardless of how. Their magazines began taking on more advertising and promoting non-hunting products — sex-enhancing pills, for one. Maybe corporate higher-ups thought hunters could not perform after a hard day in the field. Wrong! Were they not smart enough to figure out that our kids were also reading these magazines. Next, the outdoor channel was born and things got worse quick. Instead of reading about everyday hunters in our magazines, we got stories shoved down our throats with an overload of equipment promotion and accommodating outfitters. Somehow being handed free high-dollar gear and “complimentary” hunts (in slam-dunk situations) does not equate to the real-world hunting that you and I deal with yearly. Many of the “pros” who entered the limelight were arrogant individuals who had a bachelor’s degree in baloney. I hate that many young, naive hunters worship these egotistical garbage-peddlers. Yeah, there are a few television shows that promote good causes and reputable products. However, too many promote trail cameras that are junk and scent-control products that smart hunters do without. What upsets me most is that instead of spending research and development dollars for giving hunters better-quality products, manufacturers pad the pockets of “pros” to sell you and me on television and in magazine ads. I never thought I would see the day when archers spent $100 for a $20 target or $200-$400 for scent-free clothing, especially when a bale of straw is $2 and Carhartts for under $100 do a better job of containing body odor. Have we gone nuts? Why does a near-nude young women entice us into buying a bow?Corporate hunting America has slowly indoctrinated us to believe that we cannot be successful without listening to the pros and using the products they do. The pros have become Corporate America’s link into our pocketbook. It has gotten to the point where I would not believe any pro-staffer even if he said snow was white. I am also beginning to believe that magazines will soon be printed in China so their corporate owners can further boost profits. As a freelance writer, I feel badly for the editors and their staffs who were on board before Corporate America gobbled up our hunting magazines. They either had to bow down to corporate demands… or quit. What most hunters do not realize is that editors are some of the hardest working, most highly educated, most underpaid people in our workforce today. They are usually salaried very low and expected to work 60 – 70 hours per week. A job they once enjoyed generated into one they are now chained to with no end in sight. One of the most elite editors I ever wrote for finally took a stand! North American Whitetail editor Duncan Dobie quit the magazine in late 2009 when he was asked by corporate to put turkey hunting in this longstanding trophy whitetail magazine. He told corporate that this move would ruin the magazine for subscribers. They rebutted his advice, so Duncan got on a white horse and road out. There were other disturbing problems Duncan had with corporate, but the icing on the cake came with the turkey-hunting insertion into Whitetail.The long and short of this move by the owners of Whitetail is this: In my opinion, they brainlessly considered advertising dollars over subscribers. If Whitetail readers wanted a turkey magazine, they would have subscribed to one, bottom line! What made things worse, the now acting editor, Gordon Whittington, tried justifying this corporate screw-up in his editorial in the February 2010 issue. It is too bad Whittington is not as strong in his convictions as Duncan. Duncan, I salute you!My guess is that one of three things will happen with Whitetail: 1) subscribers will write and call in with complaints, many dropping their subscriptions. Whittington will soon after eat his words in another editorial; 2) the magazine will go under, or; 3) the owners will sell off the magazine to another group of corporate investors. If the third option happens, my hopes are that the new owners are smart enough to rehire Duncan and fire the individuals who did not have the guts to take a stand on the turkey thing.I severed all ties with InterMedia Outdoor magazines after the deal with Duncan. It was with heavy heart that I asked for my name to be taken off of Bowhunter’s masthead. Publisher Jeff Waring, Editor Dwight Schuh, and Assistant Editor Brian Fortenbaugh are good people, to say the least. Fortunately, I hooked up again with Deer & Deer Hunting magazine and will write for them regularly. They have very ethical staffers and down-to-earth television hunters. None of this “Give me a minute, folks” stuff or arrogant biologists who shoot three-year-old bucks and call them six or seven to save face. I think it is important for all sportsmen to ban together and take issue with: 1) magazines that carry more advertising than stories,2) television shows that promote high-fence hunters and severely altered film footage that deceives our youth hunters, 3) “pro hunter” advertising campaigns that promote junk products. I hope you agree and speak out. The power of the pen and sharing conversations and ideas on websites like this are invaluable to the future of our outdoors.

We appreciate readers who take the time to contact us with their thoughts on the magazine. The questions/concerns about this bonus turkey content are no exception.

I haven’t even tried to shoot a turkey since the early ‘80s, so I can assure you I have no personal interest in providing turkey coverage. It's not something that interests me as a hunter. That said, our reader surveys indicate that around 90,000 NAW readers do hunt turkeys. The bonus pages were meant to provide these readers with information on the main "off" season species they will be turning their attention to in the coming weeks.

Obviously, any time a magazine experiments with a new type of content or format, the next step is to get feedback on the change from readers. I've worked on the editorial side of NAW for more than 25 years now, so I'm as curious as anyone to see what folks do or don't like about this section — or anything else we publish. Feel free to contact me directly at my office (678-589-2034 or gordon.whittington@imoutdoors.com) if you'd like to discuss this or anything else going on with the magazine or TV show.

Gordon Whittington, Editor in Chief

Gordon,

      Thank you for your reply.   The problem is that I have bought NAW since day one because it is entirely about whitetails.  If I wanted to read about Turkeys (which I do not), I'd buy a turkey magazine or one of hunting/fishing magazines such as Outdoor Life or Field and Stream.   There is no "off season" for me.....I'm guessing I'm not alone on that.   One of the things that has bothered me about NAW over the years is not receiving a magazine during the Spring...  I have a whole lot more time to read in the winter or spring than I do in the fall when I'm in the field every chance I get.   Quite frankly I think Turkeys are extremely boring........if you've seen one, you've seen them all.   Ditto for bears.  I don't watch TV shows on turkey or bear hunting....it's like watching a bunch of reruns.  

    Keep NAW a deer hunting publication.  The "How-To" articles have been beaten into the ground.  I'd personally like to see more hunter success stories, stories on deer camps around the country, and some up-to-date information on deer hunting in the various states and provinces. 

Tim:

Spring would be a great time for deer stories but a horrible time for selling the ads it takes to support our magazine (or anyone else's). That's the only reason you don't see many hunting magazines hit the newsstand between Jan. 1 and June 15. With so few ad pages, it would be nearly impossible to make a profit. Especially since we still charge the same amount for a subscription as we did when we began the magazine over 27 years ago.

Gordon,

    I don't buy it.....   NAW is the only hunting periodical that doesn't come out during the spring months.   Big Buck magazine does, Deer and Deer Hunting does, Buckmasters does, etc.   In regards to 90,000 of the readers also being turkey hunters, my guess is that 90,000 of the readers also watch football, baseball, etc.   Are you going to start running a preseason section on the upcoming baseball season?   I understand the advertising end of it and the need to sell ads....  I don't care for some of the ads that I see in todays hunting/fishing magazines (the male enhancement ads, etc.), but I do understand why they appear.  Ditto for the sections on equipment.....I don't find them particularly interesting or useful, but I understand why they appear. In regards to not increasing the price, I'd gladly pay double the price of the current subscription to see the magazine become what it was at one time.......

Gordon,

Please take a close look at what your subscribers are saying regarding the false premise that the turkey section was a "bonus".  It wasn't a bonus at all but 20% less material on deer as compared to a year ago.  Last years' Dec-Jan edition was 80 pages of all deer hunting as was this years magazine of 80 pages minus the 16 pages of turkey hunting "stuff".

I'm comparing the last issue of the winter (Feb.) to the same issue from 2009. That issue was 64 pages, as was the same issue in '08. The issue prior to this one often is a bit larger, as noted.

Everyone's input on the turkey section (and anything else in any issue of the magazine) is super helpful, as it helps us be sure we're producing what our customers want. Thanks again for the feedback.

I recieved a response to an email I sent to Mr Whittington. It stated there was some positive feedback regarding the TURKEY ISSUE. I can't imagine who responded favorably! Probably someone who enjoys looking at turkey clones, they do all look alike! As I told Mr Whittington in the Spring I hunt sheds and morels. The only thought I give to turkey hunting is whether some moron is going fill me full of shot when I blow my nose with a blue or red handkerchief! We all get it, it was about money..advertising dollars! Wouldn't you all rather have seen those pages dedicated to shed hunting, prepping food plots, or keeping your gun or bow zeroed in during the off season?

Saying that there was positive feedback on the turkey crapolla justifies doing it again so that more advertising dollars can be raked in.  I agree....Turkeys are about as exciting as watching paint dry.....if you've seen one, you've seen them all.   Right or wrong, I've always said that if deer didn't grow antlers, very few people would have any interest in them....   Can you imagine reading NAW if every photo and article was about does?   That's how I see turkeys.

When all of their readers have left them, no one will want to advertise in their magazine any more.

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