I received and email from Primitive Archer Magazine stating "The transition from print to Digital" I guess they got to do what they think is right. They think sales are down now just wait.

Shame.. i love getting any magazine to read archery related. Overhead cost is driving this I'm sure.

That sucks! I hate digital magazines….

"I hate digital magazines…" I won't subscribe to 'em.

I really enjoy the magazine but I don't care for a digital version either. I don't completely understand all the issues they are dealing with. None of the other magazines I subscribe to have had these issues, at least not to the degree they have. I just got my Jan/Feb edition.

I wish them continued prosperity but they won't be doing it with my subscription money. I don't want to be chained to my computer to read it. My smart phone is too small for an extended resding session. I don't have a tablet. I prefer to get cozy in my recliner with a glass of wine and a paper magazine.

That is disappointing! It is real hard to sneak a digital Archery magazine into work! :-)

I'm in the weekly newspaper business and realize what they are going through. Subscriptions help pay for the printing and mailing costs. The important part is advertising revenue, which is being bled off to social media, internet advertising, and the like. Add two years of covid and the massive impact on some businesses it created, and the ad dollars dried up in many areas.

I don't go to digital papers or magazines, either. Hate them. If you like the printed word, do what you can to support it--with your subscription dollars, advertising, and also support those advertising in the publication and tell them it is because of the print product you saw it in.

Realizing the print world is a dinosaur to some, especially the younger generation, I also see a slight movement to turn it around. More and more kids won't have anything to do with Facebook, and the net is getting jammed up with way too much stuff for many people.

I hope Primitive Archery makes it. As well at Traditional Bowhunter Magazine and a few others I enjoy. Good editorial content is important to keep the base. And there still is nothing like a cup of coffee and reading the Sunday paper.

I cancelled my subscription to Privative Archery magazine honestly it just wasn't that good.

Ghost

I am glad I am not the only one they gave some BS about do to COVID , I make a living on my computer 10 hours a day it's nice to pick up a magazine and read it looks like I will be cancelled my subscription as well.

I enjoy reading a magazine or a newspaper but I know I’m in the minority.

I’m honestly bummed. There’s just something about the printed copy.

Especially when you write a article they print and send you 10 copies for your mother.

I noticed they have one of my articles in the newest issue. Anybody know if that one is still going to be in print?

The times they are a changing.

Bjrogg

PS I sure hope it improves the quality with less time spent dealing in other problems.

It is the only magazine that I still subscribe to. I can't stand digital books/magazines. Maybe I'm just old fashioned in that sense. I won't be renewing. 30 years was a good run, but I fear this is the beginning of the end for Primitive Archer. Even their message boards get very little activity compared to previous years.

The online archives for PA are a wealth of experience. I always peruse these before a bow build. Many people have not posted in a while. I think a newer group is coming into their own, with guidance.

I will dump them once the print copies are done.

It will not change my life at all.

Scoop, like you say it may be turning around. Witness the resurgence of vinyl albums for music, my kids and their friends (late 20's early 30's) love them.

Price of some paper has doubled since November 2021.

I understand their cost issues, but I hate to read articles, books, etc. on a computer, tablet, or phone. I like to turn pages. Don' tell me we need to change with the times. These times are too awful for me to change with them. They will lose a lot of subscribers, most likely including myself.

I had always had a print copy of the local paper delivered to my mailbox every morning, it was a morning ritual to go get the paper then read it while ate breakfast. The down side is my delivery folk changed often and some were obviously into Saturday night partying and may or may not deliver my Sunday morning paper. It was disappointing to walk down my long driveway at daylight only to find an empty paper box.

Then I had a hip replacement that went badly, I couldn't walk to the mail box for a long period of time so I went digital. There was an adjustment period but now I sit at my PC and read the paper while I eat breakfast and like it.

I certainly don't miss those hundreds of pounds of news print that I felt compelled to recycle and made a special trip to do so every few months.

I don't KNOW anything about PA's financial health. But all magazines have a finite box of topics and have no choice but to present those topics repeatedly. Consequently, some subscribers lose interest and drop subscriptions.

To stay afloat, publishers have to constantly attract new subscribers and seek new ideas or methods to present.

PA was unique at its birth and still is. But its very low compensation to writers is evidence of its thin finances. I have written several articles for them over the years and got about the same as I got 40 years ago for an article in Fur-Fish-Game.

I'm sure the turn to digital only is totally about trying to stay afloat. Those of you who will cancel your subscriptions will each be poking another hole in a sinking canoe. It's your canoe.

"I'm sure the turn to digital only is totally about trying to stay afloat. Those of you who will cancel your subscriptions will each be poking another hole in a sinking canoe. It's your canoe."

My thoughts exactly. If folks cancel their subscriptions entirely, the magazine will fold. And let's face it, there's not too many magazines covering traditional and primitive archery as it is.

I am inclined to keep subscription based on reasons stated by Jim and Jameson

I let my subscription end when they started to include primitive firearms. I think the old muzzle loaders have there place, just not in an archery mag. I also enjoy the printed word and a book in my hands. Lance

I wish all the outdoor huntin/fishing magazines would form a consortium of sorts, and publish "under one roof." Might save costs?

The North American Hunting Club did the same thing a few years back. For some reason their last two paper issues were the size of a road atlas and then they started touting how good the digital issues were. They completely folded up a year later.

It is my canoe and they are changing my subscription. I only ask what I pay for and nothing more.

Waa an original subscriber to the magazine when Steve Hulsey started it. He also started Wilderness Way at about the same time.

After Steve sold the magazine the quality steadily decreased from point of view However, I kept supporting them.

I finally let my subscription end when to me the magazine became mostly uninteresting, but still bough from the news stand when there was something in it I wanted to read. That won't be happening anymore it doesn't look like.

Like Jon said, it's my canoe. I lived a lot of years before it came along, can't see not being able to survive with out it.

Many years ago I used to read just about all of the gun, archery and hunting magazines. Somewhere along the line I lost interest in them. There are several reasons for that but I guess I'm not helping to keep them in print. That said, digital is no substitute IMO.

Lol

A couple of things. There has never been a "best seller" archery book. Those of us who watch yard sales and used book sellers know used archery books are uncommon. That is because they were never common.

Archery magazines are limited to the same subject matter, and have to find some new angle on it to have anything to print.

These restrictions make publishing hard enough. And in this age, paper copies are falling victim to videos and blogs. Any fool can get a following online and bury the efforts of those who know what they are talking about.

I don't expect many magazines on most subjects to survive. The ones that do might be ones that present recently found ideas or things. Recently uncovered archaeology sites for instance.

I have not subscribed to any magazine for many years. The magazines up to the 1950s were better written and presented lots of things for one to do. Now the huge majority of humanity is made up of consumers who don't want to make anything. Even this forum is mostly followed by people who buy ALL their equipment.

And those who do want to make things only need go to a forum and ask.

This is my elegy for a good magazine.

I have an affinity for hardbound books. I have carefully selected and kept books dealing with firearms, early exploration, African safaris of long ago, and now archery and stick and string hunting. These books are a source of pride and continued enjoyment.

I have subscribed to many magazines through the years. These magazines covered topics from automobiles to hunting, fishing, trapping, and traditional archery/hunting. With the exception of Road and Track, I have discontinued each magazine subscription. When it comes to bowhunting, the subjects/articles are highly repetitive because the subject matter is somewhat limited. Esp. when content is attempting to appeal to "the majority of readers." Me and Joe stories seldom interested me. An exotic hunt in a faraway land was of limited interest to me. And, as each year went by, the advertisements began to outweigh the printed articles. It got to the point that the only redeeming feature of a magazine was its light weight and portability to be read in bed at night or taken on a trip.

I have never found any better format for instruction, enjoyment, or overall satisfaction than YouTube. When the video is well done and fact checked, there is NOTHING that surpasses it. So, the niche that was filled by magazines for many, many years has been expanded and greatly improved by everything a computer screen, modem and speakers can deliver to you at the touch of a few buttons. Anytime, anywhere, better, faster, more complete and immersive. Sights, sounds, quality imagery and exquisite detail. Most of these options are easily applied to written articles for an On Line "magazine"....there is no question that magazines in printed form are as dead as Passenger Pigeons.

Of course, when, not if, the internet implodes or withers with the loss of the grid, those who don't have books will have to hope they already know how to make or grow what they need.

Truth there Jim...and almost no one under 25 even knows how to write cursive, so there that too....

I have signed up for a variety of digital magazines. I just never actually read them. When I was getting into all my sports and hobbies, I would read magazines cover to cover, even marking the index (and I hate marking books, or magazines).

I find in confusing that so many people will dump PA if they go digital because they hate to read articles on line but haunt every traditional archery website to read and follow all the threads closely that are of interest to them. Am I missing something here?

I started out with the first issue of PA that was ever printed, even cataloged every issue in fancy binders that PA sold, I had quite a collection, at least 20 years worth. When all the same topics became available on line through the then new traditional archery sites I sold my collection while it was still worth something and stopped my PA subscription because the articles had become too redundant.

As a wide eyed kid I read all the articles in Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Fur, fish and Game and such with total amazement, It was like I was right beside Jack O Connor when he was facing down a charging buff in the plains of Africa. I stopped all of these subscriptions after I grew up and learned about all there is to know about hunting and fishing. Goodness, how many articles can you stand about "Following scrape lines for big bucks" in one issue that may be titled "For big bucks check out scrape lines" in the next issue, again they have limited topics have to be redundant.

My morning ritual for my entire adult life (I am 74 now) has been to walk to the mailbox, get the morning paper and read it while I eat breakfast. A botched hip replacement made my morning trek down my very long and steep driveway impossible for over a year and I went digital. I didn't like it at first but adapted, I don't have a smart phone and now have a huge curved monitor hooked up to my PC.

Now I set up a TV tray in front of my keyboard with my eggs, bacon and coffee on it and read the paper exactly like I did before but don't have deal with 100s of pounds of newsprint that I always felt compelled to drive downtown to recycle.

I suspect if a cantankerous, set in my ways old geezer like myself can make the switch a lot of others could as well if they really liked the material they could access.

I have to say if I had to read the paper on a small smart phone screen I wouldn't like it either.

My setup

Pretty ironic really. "Traditional" magazine goes digital age.

Too bad.

I have every issue of P. A. magazine. I have no desire to see it digital. I won't re-subscribe.

Even more irony that guys who can't part with a smart phone, railing against digital magazines. I kinda agree with Eric on that aspect, but then I don't own a smartphone, so I don't have to look at a tiny screen like Morocco Mole. :)

I have had a digital subscription to Traditional bowhunter for years, and I love it. I use a 10 inch tablet and all the issues are on there or in the cloud. Great for traveling and not a stack of old magazines around the house. Also less expensive.

Only thing I do digitally is here and sometimes that’s too much. I will not do digital magazines.

Too bad, I have every issue in binders. Yeah, dumb to keep them as I never go back to read old articles, or mostly don't. Not likely to subscribe to digital though.

I'm VERY thankful for the huge group of friends I gained from PA mag and forum. That being said, I quit them several years ago for reasons of my own. I kept the issues I was in and ditched the rest. No reason to store them anymore. Like Bruce said, I never referenced back to them.

Pretty simple in my eyes. I don't want to sit down at a computer to read a MAGAZINE article. I have no intentions of buying a tablet. Reading a few sentences in a post on a smartphone is fine...trying to read a magazine article on a smartphone is a pain in the a$$. At least that's my reason for not doing digital subscriptions.

I love technology. I have a phone, tv, computer, tablet, microwave and much more. I even store music on my stuff. No cluttered rooms full of books and magazines and no CD's or albums to junk up stuff. I have even started using trail cameras and drag deer with a 4 wheeler.

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