Lifetime QDMA Membership?

GloryDaysDesign

5 year old buck +
I am considering a life membership to the QDMA, but I do not see much information regarding the benefits of this Life membership on their site. I realize I would be donating to the organization, but is there anything else beside a pin and a mug that a life member would then benefit? Are their discounts on seminars and classes? Looking for some info! Thanks everyone!
 
Some guys may tell you not to join. They kinda left a sour taste when they closed the forums and booted everyone who participated.

To the question at hand, I'm a life member. The only thing it's gotten me is more junk mail asking for additional donations. I'd give you my membership if there was a way. Useless IMO.
 
Not for me. I was doing a year to year membership until about a year ago at which time QDMA did away with their QDM forum website. Great info, plenty of valuable info passed but they chose to turn it off. I E-mailed all their top brass and was told they couldn't see keeping it and keeping it updated. That and the magazine was what I was paying a membership for so I stopped. I've heard that they are like many of the up and coming organizations, after they got going really well it's all about sponsorship money and pleasing the sponsors, so I'm OUT. My 2 cents!
 
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You will learn a ton more on the forums, then you will from the magazine they may send you.
 
I am considering a life membership to the QDMA, but I do not see much information regarding the benefits of this Life membership on their site. I realize I would be donating to the organization, but is there anything else beside a pin and a mug that a life member would then benefit? Are their discounts on seminars and classes? Looking for some info! Thanks everyone!

I came close to becoming a lifetime member before they shut down the forum. That closure said something to me. It said that the organization was had a higher priority for controlling the message to benefit the organization than they had for promoting QDM. That is not to say they have not done a lot of good work in promoting QDM in the past and will likely continue to do so in the future. The QW magazine which has been the driving benefit of any membership with them was extremely useful to me in the early years when I was first getting into QDM and wildlife management in general. In fact, I bought many of the back issues. I'm far enough along now that I benefit less and less from the magazine, and more from some of the advanced ideas and concepts that are shared on this and a few similar forums. I felt I both benefited from and contributed to the forum they had before they shut it down.

While I have not interest in hurting QDMA and I applaud them for the positive contributions they continue to make to QDM, their priorities and mine are now misaligned to the extent where I no longer provide financial support to the organization in the form of continuing membership or any other form of financial support. I believe their decision to promote the interests of the QDMA organization by closing the forum at the expense of the diversity of QDM information exchanged on the forum will have a lasting negative impact on QDM.

Thanks,

Jack
 
To say I was upset at how they treated it's members when they closed their forum is a bit of an understatement. I canceled my membership and will never go back. The forum was the best tool they had in my opinion and they threw it away because they couldn't make money on it. They called it "controlling the message" - what that translated into was we would say you didn't need fancy seed or equipment to do this stuff and that would adversely affect them gaining sponsors ($$$$$). Many of us where "poster children" for the basic principles of QDM......but proved you didn;t need fancy stuff to do it. Turns out they thought they owned QDM.....and they don't! They want you to believe they are the ONLY place that has such information or that membership gets you into some sort of "cool kids" club. It doesn't.

I like any organization that promotes kids being involved and folks getting together for the better good, BUT they demonstrated to me (and others) that they are only interested in promoting the "Q". Many members here and on other forums are refugees from their forum and how we got to know one another.

The only thing they are truly interested in is pushing their services that they charge you for ($$$$$). This forum and a few others will have far more information....for free....than you will ever get from the "Q". And it's from folks that actually get their hands dirty!

Not only do I see NO value in a lifetime membership....I see no value in any level membership.....that is my opinion based on my experience.
 
I'm also a life member. For close to 10 years. I have a 2 foot tall pile of magazines, most of them still in the plastic sleeve they arrived in.

I think the QDMA has it's place with people new to the concept, and it serves that purpose well. But for most people that end up on this forum and others, their "coverage" doesn't even come close to what you can learn from people on forums.

Nothing against the QDMA - if it weren't for them I wouldn't be where I am now on the evolution of being a habitat guy. But I have zero use for them today. Seems to me they are busy chasing the almighty $$ rather than helping their members. The way they went about closing down their forums was a PR train wreck. But I don't think they mind, they couldn't get rid of the "public voice" fast enough. You can be taking huge contributions (advertising dollars) from buck on the bag seed companies while at the same time people are recommending more cost effective solutions with identical results on the QDMA forum.

Just my $.02

-John
 
This is all great info to consider!
 
I signed up for 1 year when I first found their now-defunct forum. That was plenty for me. I won't send them any $$ for their magazine when I can get better, more detailed, and more relevant info right here.
 
I signed up for 1 year when I first found their now-defunct forum. That was plenty for me. I won't send them any $$ for their magazine when I can get better, more detailed, and more relevant info right here.

Exactly my case as well.
 
I'm with John on this. As much as they pissed me off, they are responsible for putting me in touch with a great network of people that have helped me along this path I am on. That simple connection to others that share the same passion as I do is both a great resource and motivator. Not that it's a competition, but that we have the support to try new things, to look at things differently and to realize that there isn't "one way" to do anything, but many ways. The Q now is like watching only a single news channel.....your getting only one perspective. Watch different news channels and decide for yourself......
 
If I was going to spend the money for lifetime I would do NRA or DU,NWT or the Elk assc.I had a lifetime for North american hunting club and it worked for probably 15 years but remember it's the lifetime of the organization not yours
 
If I was going to spend the money for lifetime I would do NRA or DU,NWT or the Elk assc.I had a lifetime for North american hunting club and it worked for probably 15 years but remember it's the lifetime of the organization not yours

Agree ... I would go NRA way before QDMA.
 
I became a QDMA life member 25 years ago. A lifetime membership at that time was not all that expensive. I read all the magazines and really liked the online forum. Would I become a life member today. NO !! I have the same complaints that previous posters have espoused. Mainly the shutting down of the online forum and the manner in which it was done. I get QDM junk mail always trying to sell me this or that. Their magazine is prepaid for with my life membership, but I find little value or deer hunting insights in it. I could care less about trying to guess how old a deer is from a trail cam picture, for one example.
QDM lost their focus on deer hunting in their pursuit of the almighty dollar.
 
Join the NRA instead. It will do a lot more good for you and our country. I've been a life member for 21 years.
 
I joined for a year and realized all the magazines were advertisements. I didn't renew my membership.
 
I'd buy something for your land if you want to do some good. That's the only way that money accomplishes anything. Otherwise, you're just buying a short term good feeling and long term regret. QDMA isn't funded by guys like you or me and as such, their concern isn't guys like you or me.

Get a dozen apple trees or rent some heavy equipment for a day. At least you'll have something to show for it.
 
I'd buy something for your land if you want to do some good. That's the only way that money accomplishes anything. Otherwise, you're just buying a short term good feeling and long term regret. QDMA isn't funded by guys like you or me and as such, their concern isn't guys like you or me.

Get a dozen apple trees or rent some heavy equipment for a day. At least you'll have something to show for it.

Right on. If you would like to practice QDM, spend your money towards that. You don't really need the A.
 
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Best advice:

Follow this forum and listen to the "five year old bucks"

spend your money on baby trees

bill
 
I'd buy something for your land if you want to do some good. That's the only way that money accomplishes anything. Otherwise, you're just buying a short term good feeling and long term regret. QDMA isn't funded by guys like you or me and as such, their concern isn't guys like you or me.

Get a dozen apple trees or rent some heavy equipment for a day. At least you'll have something to show for it.

Now that's a dang good solution...!


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