Sponsors should be screened. I see Banded as a sponsor on Waterfowl.

[rasbo]

welcome to the site

[Holg3107]

Christian, You seem like a decent dude based on your 10 posts and I have nothing good or bad to say about you, "chad", or your products. However you seem to be ok with seperating yourself a bit from "Chad" yet he is listed on your stie as follows:

Chad Belding - Partner, Social Media and Television Marketing;

Seems since he is a partner in the company that hes playing a pretty substantial role with Banded. I wouldnt mind a new topic started up by you going over your products and explaining your company a little bit since you are a new site sponsor. I checked out your web site and it looks like you have some nice stuff on there.

[CCurtis]

I apologize for seemingly 'separating' myself or our company from Chad.  That is not the intention as we are proud sponsors of his shows and he is an integral part of our company/marketing department a well.  My meaning was, as poorly as it was obviously written, was to explain that Banded is owned by Maxx Outdoors based in Council Bluffs, IA.  All of the other companies that were previously mentioned are owned by Banded Nation, based in Reno.  So to be clear, I am not distancing myself from Chad and I apologize if it sounded that way in the previous post. 

As far as talking about our products, I'd like to wait and see the verdict on our sponsorship.  As I have said numerous times in my previous posts, I hate spam and hate spammers...I respect what Dale has going here and in no way want to detract from that.  Therefore, I would never spam his site (Which could be considered the case if our sponsorship is rejected).  Out of respect for him, I'd like to wait before I talk too much about the products.

Thanks for understanding,

Christian

[bone collector 12]

I have no problem with the company banded or you Christian,but it seems like chad is the face of the company and that is the reason why so many people have a problem with it,i think its stupid we are taking this out on you but you are the brave one who signed up for this wether you knew it or not, i like the products you guys produce but i will not buy because it seems like chad is gonna benefit from it and i will not support him 

[Skillet]

Lighten up on Banded, guys.  It's a company trying to find customers where they are.  Dale provides the vehicle for that and hopefully gets enough out of it to make it worth his time to keep this great site open for all of us to enjoy.  Who cares if that Chad guy is a complete toolshed or not - you don't have to deal with him on any level if you don't want to.  Don't like Banded for whatever reason?  Just don't click the link - but dogging out a company because of their marketing strategy is a bit much.  It's like saying you'd never buy a Chevy truck because that Bob Seger concert you went to back in 1984 was terrible. 
And, as ridiculous as it is, I watched that whole truck-washing commercial.  With the sound off.  No frickin' idea what Banded sells from that ad, and don't care.  Hot girls, garden hoses and white T shirts get a couple minutes of my time. 
Welcome to the board, Christian.

[Curly]

Lighten up on Banded, guys.  It's a company trying to find customers where they are.  Dale provides the vehicle for that and hopefully gets enough out of it to make it worth his time to keep this great site open for all of us to enjoy.  Who cares if that Chad guy is a complete toolshed or not - you don't have to deal with him on any level if you don't want to.  Don't like Banded for whatever reason?  Just don't click the link - but dogging out a company because of their marketing strategy is a bit much.  It's like saying you'd never buy a Chevy truck because that Bob Seger concert you went to back in 1984 was terrible. 
And, as ridiculous as it is, I watched that whole truck-washing commercial.  With the sound off.  No frickin' idea what Banded sells from that ad, and don't care.  Hot girls, garden hoses and white T shirts get a couple minutes of my time. 
Welcome to the board, Christian.

  

[h2ofowlr]

Christian,
You sound like a nice guy.  You must be the PR or Marketing manager for the company.  Unfortunately you have your hands full being tied in with Chad.  I won’t sponsor anything tied to his name.  It’s like a Wal Mart moving into a little town and putting all the mom and pop shops out of business.  Same effect for the waterfowling world.  He was here a few weeks back looking at another key waterfowl spot trying to tie it up for the Banded Hunts guys.  At this rate you will have a whole crew of 18-35 year olds sitting in front of a TV watching Chad’s show while wearing your gear because they lost their spot to hunt.  They tied up several more Quality Hunting spots which Brandon Roozen had spent countless hours trying to secure with grant money from the state to allow individuals to hunt for FREE.  The guys can continue to support his ties while they keep spending money tying up spots on the west side.  I should place a map with all the locations Banded guys have tied up to open everyone’s eyes.  They are hunting in your back yard in many cases.  20+ acre spots to several hundred acres in other cases, specifically in NW Washington and this doesn’t  touch what they are tying up in Eastern Washington.  I breath waterfowling 24/7 and year around and am involved in WWA, Ducks Unlimited amongst other groups and spend the off season making preparations for the following year. I haven’t missed a duck season in over 30 years and spent over 90 days in the field last year.   I spend a lot of money on waterfowl gear and leases each year.  I choose not to be a paid guide as I am rewarded the chance to bring individuals to my spots for FREE and teach them about waterfowling.  They don’t need a $150 call, a lanyard full of e-bay bands or a thug look to make them look cool.  I have enough gear to outfit the guys if need be.
Unfortunately many don’t take the hard stance and then everyone hears about the complaining after the fact.  I have to ask what your company is doing for the waterfowl sport.  What do you think non-hunters will think when they see some of the clothing that Chad and others pose in?  Out in Washington, our vote majority swings with the larger Seattle area.  They are very, let’s say earth and bunny friendly.  So, when they start see a new bad a$$ looking waterfowl killing machine how will they swing on votes for re-zoning shooting zones,  hunting between high and low water marks.
I have had the pleasure of being part of the Huntwa community for the fact that it represents Washington, the Washington hunter and gives a voice to the little guy.  It helps create unity or division amongst the ranks at times, but it is still a form of chat, entertainment, bragging rights and civil discussion.
Fortunately, I am not a mod, so my two cents may not carry any weight.  I work to help keep spots open, oppose closure of spots and try to fight the salmon restoration and dike removal projects involving public waterfowl spots.  I continue to follow all the waterfowl trends very closely and I typically like new gadgets to try.  But, when the dust settles this touches home on a bigger pitcher than a part time waterfowler that likes your add.  As seen he will probably buy your gear and then asks me to lay off because he thinks he looks great in it and that I am too harsh.   I will continue my stance and won’t support your products or gear nor will I let any hunting party that hunts with me wear it out of respect for those that have had to deal with Chad and his crew.
Tony

[Widgeondeke]

I don't kow this Chad character, but that pic makes him look like a clown IMO. 

If they are leasing the QH spots then I definately must agree with h2ofowlr. What is he doing for WA hunters? I may only hunt ducks 10 days a year, but its all public land and 75% of the time it is the QH spots. 
I can't afford a lease or to pay a guide. I just enjoy taking my kids hunting

[johnnyaustin44]

I'm with ya h2o.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Howdy from Buckley town!!!!!!!

[CCurtis]

Thanks for your explanation Tony and yes, I think I'm a pretty nice guy!  Actually, I am not a PR or marketing guy...I'm a duck hunter that builds and designs some of the products.  Know nothing about marketing.  I just know that to sell your products, you have to be out there talking to the people that are going to (potentially) be using it.  Bear with me as I address your points below...

1.  "At this rate you will have a whole crew of 18-35 year olds sitting in front of a TV watching Chad’s show while wearing your gear because they lost their spot to hunt." 

I'm 40, my son is 13.  If I thought for one second...ONE SECOND, that us making/selling these products would make it impossible for my son to hunt well into his golden years, I would never in a million year...A MILLION years, do what I'm doing.  Waterfowling is my heritage and I will do nothing to risk disrespecting my grandfather or my grandfather's father or the legacy they left me.

2.  "They tied up several more Quality Hunting spots which Brandon Roozen had spent countless hours trying to secure with grant money from the state to allow individuals to hunt for FREE" "spent over 90 days in the field last year.   I spend a lot of money on waterfowl gear and leases each year.  I choose not to be a paid guide as I am rewarded the chance to bring individuals to my spots for FREE and teach them about waterfowling.  They don’t need a $150 call, a lanyard full of e-bay bands or a thug look to make them look cool.  I have enough gear to outfit the guys if need be."

I am not going to say that Banded Hunts/Chad haven't "tied up" some quality hunting spots...I'm sure they have as that is an outfitting service.  I operated a guide service for 6 years and "tied up" some great hunting spots close to my home.  As a matter of fact, outfitters "tie up" good hunting spots all over the world, not just "out west."  Actually you said you lease aka "tie up" some hunting spots yourself...and I'm sure they are quality as well.  Brandon Roozen also tried to "tie up" some quality hunting spots with state grant money...I don't know Brandon, I'm sure he's a great guy but where does that state grant money come from?  Tax payers?  The difference seems to be that you and Brandon take people for free whereas Chad and Banded Hunts charges (As do about a million other outfitters around the globe).  I'm just going out on a limb here but I'm going to say that maybe the deal is you have the resources to hunt 90 days a year, lease ground, buy gear, and outfit everyone you take for free...Not everyone...let me rephrase that, nobody I know has the pockets to fund such an operation.  I commend you as somewhere along the way you were very successful at something to be able to do these things. 

3.   "I have to ask what your company is doing for the waterfowl sport."

That's a great question and I'm thrilled that you asked.  We have been "in business" just a year.  That is to say that we have spent the better part of a year developing our products and just now are starting to ship them to dealers.  So we haven't taken in one dollar yet.  But, in the beginning, as we sat around the table laying out our long term goals, we all knew we wanted to do something special and wanted to challenge ourselves to make a difference in peoples lives.  We wanted to give back even before we took in.  We wanted to help make a little boy or girl smile in the face of unthinkable tragedy.  As we thought about the many different "usual" ways a hunting or waterfowl company contribute to conservation, we all kept coming back to our military.  I don't have to tell you that if it wasn't for those men and women, none of this would be possible.  Heck, this forum wouldn't be here.  So, we pledged a percentage of every single item we sell to the Naval Special Warfare Family Foundation.  Since 2001, these guys have lost many, many men (As have al branches of our service) and that means many children without dads, wives without husbands, and parents without sons.  Since partnering with the NSWFF, I have taken two trips to Coronado and met what has to be the most amazing men on the planet.  Just because the wars in Irag and Afghanistan seem to be somewhat subsiding, the SEaLs work is unrelenting...never ending...getting more busy by the day.  They are in places across the globe.  Africa, Central America, Philippines, etc.  When I was there, I spent time with a retired SEaL officer that was the past CO of DevGru.  I'll never forget what he told me...Team 3 had just returned from a deployment God knows where and they were cleaning their equipment and everything was pretty relaxed.  I said, "Sir, I bet these guys are glad they're home."  He replied, "Christian, you know, they are.   They are glad to see their families but after they're home for 3 weeks, they're ready to go back.  These guys are warriors plain and simple.  They have brothers over there right now and if one of them gets killed, the guys here now will never forgive themselves."  Then he took me to the memorial on the Team 3 quarterdeck.  There was Mike Monsoor's memorial.  This guy was on a roof with some of his teammates when an insurgent lobbed a grenade.  The grenade bounced off his chest and landed at this feet.  He was standing in a doorway and his teammates were in front of him exposed on that roof.  He didn't duck into the doorway as he easily could have, he dove on top of the grenade and saved his brothers.  There in front of me was everything he had on that day and above it hung his Congressional Medal of Honor.  That hit me right in the gut.  And all those 18-35 year olds that you referred to... while they are sitting in front of the TV wearing our gear, they will at least be helping ease the pain in some way for one of brave warriors family.  So to answer your question, we have committed a pretty good package to a few DU chapter banquets and I'm sure we'll do much more in the future but at this moment our major committment is listed above and I can say this with 100% of everything I am made of...I AM DAMN PROUD OF IT!  You can learn more about what the NSWFF does by clicking on the link on the home page of our website or for those of you who refuse to go to our website here is the link http://www.seal-nswfamilyfoundation.org/

4.  "As seen he will probably buy your gear and then asks me to lay off because he thinks he looks great in it and that I am too harsh.   I will continue my stance and won’t support your products or gear nor will I let any hunting party that hunts with me wear it out of respect for those that have had to deal with Chad and his crew." 

I 100% respect your opinion and your position but I don't understand it.  You have said your self that you lease aka "tie up" ground.  By leasing aka "tying up" ground you are also securing ground that others may not hunt on.  You take people for free...what if a guy doesn't like you or doesn't want to hunt with you, can he take 6 of his friends on your lease and hunt at will...any time...without asking you?  You do it for free because you're blessed with the resources to do it.  Banded Hunts charges people as do a majority of the outfitters I know.  Heck, I couldn't run a club out of my pocket and I don't know anyone that could.  So that begs the question...is your problem with Chad only because he happened to lease some ground in Washington or is it with every outfitter in the world that leases ground and charges to take people hunting? 

I greatly appreciate being able to discuss these issues with you in a public forum like this.  I appreciate Dale providing this avenue for questions and the opportunity to answer them.

Christian

[CCurtis]

And now it gets even more confusing for me....after I posted and went to the front page two posts down was a guy asking for guide recommendations.  The thread is on to a second page and nobody has offered to take this guy for free.

[BOWHUNTER45]

H20 I am with you all the way man .... we think alot the same ... there is another Banded Hunts in my area and I think he is trying to be like Chad ...I do not like it because of the reason you have already mentioned ...These guys leasing up this land to hunt waterfowl is killing us and landowners are catching on to it ...it will not be long and we will have nowhere to go unless we have money to tie up some land ....not for it and never will be for it ....

[Dan-o]

CCurtis,

Yuo seem like a ridiculously stand up guy, answering all of these questions with great patience.

Welcome to the site.

(It does seem silly, perhps even hypocritical, for a guy to "tie-up" duck hunting property and then get all bent when somebody else does it.)

[Dan-o]

Just curious, but don't most guides "tie-up" hunting property?   Why is this guy getting grief for what everyone else is also doing?