Wolf Bane, SASS 13557 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 My friends... I have been informed by the Powers-That-Be that COWBOYS will be "in hiatus" for 2011; that is, no more new episodes of COWBOYS will be filmed, although the show will continue in reruns. I have also been told by Outdoor Channel execs that the show "may" return in 2012 if there is "sufficient interest." I am hopeful that we can show what we all know...that CAS is the fasted going shooting sport in America. Marshal Halloway (of CasCITY and DRTV fame) and I have a plan to keep COWBOYS alive on the Internet...it is an ambitious plan, and I have no idea of whether it will succeed or not. We will need the support - aka, the money - from our vendors [and moderators, I ask your forbearance if this post has strayed into commercial territory]. By SHOT Show Marshal and I should have some sort of plan. Hey, Marshal has a long history of pulling rabbits out of hats...there's aways hope. In the meantime, I can only give so many of you our profound thanks for your support of COWBOYS over the years. No matter what I have asked for, no matter how inconvenient, no matter on what short notice, you have always come through for us. You are all a tribute to the Cowboy Way. I must single out the Wild Bunch - my dear friends Hipshot, Judge Roy Bean, Tex, U.S. Grant and Coyote Calhoun - Evil Roy, who has put up with more of my nitwit plans than anyone ought to, Wicked Felina, Holy Terror, Captain George Baylor, Long Hunter (you're the man, Jim!), Pale Wolf Burnelle, all the members of The Cowboys (the first and greatest!), Blackjack Zak and Lt. Col. Scratch, Lefty Longridge, Jasmine Jessie, Badlands Bud, Lead Dispenser, Quick Cal, T-Bone Dooley, Lassiter, Frederick Jackson Turner, all our friends at Tin Star Ranch, Bob Boze Bell at TRUE WEST Magazine (a true gentleman of the 19th Century), our first host Tequila and the inestimable Tupelo Flash and Honky-Tonk Hannie, two people who walk their talk every single day. And Indiana Jackson, who has poured her heart into COWBOYS the last 2 years. Sometimes a job, even a great job, is just a job, but COWBOYS has been (and hopefully will be again) a work of the heart. I'll leave you with the words of Corb Lund, better than my words: "so take from the lessons and be glad for the memories of the days that we rode in the sun for after today, there’ll be no man can claim that we didn't have us a good run..." Michael Bane Executive Producer COWBOYS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turquoise Bill, SASS #39118 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 WB, Too bad no new shows this season, you may want to look at this previous thread on the wire. Looks like the outdoor channel may loose some subscribers. http://sassnet.com/forums/index.php?showto...p;hl=Cowboys+TV Always enjoyed TF, like to see what kind of outrageous outfits he would be wearing for the show. Greetings from a cold and snowy AZ, TB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Hoss Fly #63711 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Kinda OT but wanted to give a hat tip to Holy Terror - Watched her in one them IPSC matchs/lesson things on the Outdoor Channel just a few days ago & she "plugged" SASS a couple times Dang that gal kin shoot anythin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonopah Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 OH NO!! One of my favorites that I look forward to every week. On top of that Encore Westerns apparently dropped the reruns of Deadman's Gun. I think I need a double shot of Yukon Jack!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Keep us informed, WB. Cowboys was the only reason I watched anything on OUTDOOR in the first place..............Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Hoss Fly #63711 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 OH NO!! One of my favorites that I look forward to every week. On top of that Encore Westerns apparently dropped the reruns of Deadman's Gun. I think I need a double shot of Yukon Jack!!! Did'nt know that- Encore Westerns waz the decidin factor on choosin the Encore pkg over HBO & Cinamax 'n such Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Henry, SASS #20616 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Howdy, Wolf Bane - Sorry to hear this (although you were "scooped" on the other thread). I've enjoyed Cowboys! in all its incarnations for its entire run. Earlier this year, I finally switched over to AT&T U-verse, once they were able to assure me that I would be able to continue receiving The Outdoor Channel. Now, my primary reason for wanting access to the channel is greatly diminished, with the prospect of watching only reruns of Cowboys! for the forseeable future. Best of luck with your endeavors to bring new episodes to us in 2012 and thanks, again, for providing us with such a great medium for getting out the CAS message over the past several years. Regards, TJH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Well just crap, crap I say. that's right, I said CRAP! "The powers that be" need to pull their head out of their..... account books (and anything else applicable) and realize that Cowboys, and SASS and CAS in general has more worth to the shooting sports in general than another SWAT type or black rifle show. Let me explain, the "black rifle and pistol" shooting sports predominantly draw of those already in the gun culture. The Cowboys TV show exposes those outside the gun culture, who might be western history buffs, or armchair cowboys to a shooting sport where the firearms competition is only part of the overall experience. This can only help the overall perception of guns and shooting sports by those who may be on the fence about guns in general. Case in point, my own dear mother. After being next to someone who was shot in a robbery in her college years, she was very leery of guns and gun owners. While not a rabid "anti" she leaned that way and was often less than enthusiastic about my love of firearms. As I was just getting into Cowboy Action Shooting, naturally I told her all about it, and got the typical "is that safe?" comments. That opened the door for more conversations and her going along with me to a shoot in Boulder, as well as a visit to the Hell On Wheels match last year. She was so taken by the hospitality, and overall experience she donated some things for me to sell on ebay to help me raise the funds to finish buying my cowboy guns. OK, I'll get off my soap box and go find my bloop pressure medicine. Grizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Col Scratch, SASS #23839 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Thank you Wolf Bane for all you have done for Cowboy Action Shooting. Hopefully this is a temporary stop and we will see you and your film crews at Winter Range in 2012. We appreciate (have and will) the opportunity to work with you. Lt Col Scratch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. George Baylor SASS#24287L Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Sad news indeed. I was hoping that next season we could get Tupelo out of his shell. Cowboys, Shooting Gallery, and Best Defense are the only programs I watch on the Outdoor Channel. I hope you get it going on the internet, and that gets the Outdoor Channel back in the game. I've enjoyed every episode and never would have started buying from Midway if it weren't for their sponsorship. Enjoyed working with you. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsekiller Al Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Sooo...in hiatus are we? Well, I just picked up the Outdoor Channel for like $5.00 extra a month for the express purpose of watching that show. I guess my 5 bucks will be in hiatus too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curley Cole, SASS #56849 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 WB Sorry it is shelved, hopefully not for good. To give an idea of the impact of the Cowboys show, My wife (to the distress of Honky Tonk Hannie) has only been interested in the clothing part of SASS. She has become a regular viewer of Cowboys and thank God for the pause button. She will ask questions about gunz and why and how etc. The last episode of Cowboys was about the 1911. I have told my wife she would not be able to work the slide of a semiauto. Well she was asking this and that so I Paused the show got outta bed (yes, we watch it in bed) and got out my Springfiled Armory GI. To my amazement and her surprise she was indeed able to cock and work the slide. After another half hour of question and answer we got back to the show. So, keep us posted on what you have planned and what you need from us. I for one, and Grandma Phyllis will be there for ya. thanks for the shows to date... curley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker T Fudpucker Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 WB, I have to agree with the other comments. I originally subscribed to the Outdoor Channel for the hunting shows but when I found Cowboys that quickly became my favorite program. This is how I found CAS and SASS and a shooting venue that appealed to me. I have never been interested in the formal shooting sports but found CAS to be more fun than could be imagined. Hope that you can convince the powers that be that this show is worth the effort and that it brings more folks into the shooting world. Thanks for your efforts and look forward to new shows in 2012. Tucker T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hacker, SASS #55963 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 WB, How do we tell the powers that be that there is interest in Cowboys? What is email address? What is the snail mail address? Or are we just wasting our time? They made a decision? Or is this a Midway USA decision? They are the principle sponsor of Wednesday night gun shows on outdoor channel. Hacker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Saint Paw Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 WB, I have to agree with the other comments. I originally subscribed to the Outdoor Channel for the hunting shows but when I found Cowboys that quickly became my favorite program. This is how I found CAS and SASS and a shooting venue that appealed to me. I have never been interested in the formal shooting sports but found CAS to be more fun than could be imagined. Hope that you can convince the powers that be that this show is worth the effort and that it brings more folks into the shooting world. Thanks for your efforts and look forward to new shows in 2012. Tucker T +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. George Baylor SASS#24287L Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The last episode of Cowboys was about the 1911. I have told my wife she would not be able to work the slide of a semiauto. Well she was asking this and that so I Paused the show got outta bed (yes, we watch it in bed) and got out my Springfiled Armory GI. To my amazement and her surprise she was indeed able to cock and work the slide. After another half hour of question and answer we got back to the show. Back when the earth was flat and I was a 2nd Lieutenant, some Israelis taught me the technique that would later be taught to all Concealed Carry Licensees in Israel. Later I taught it to 2 shifts of nurses at 93rd Evac in Than Son Nhut. They all could rack the slide of 1911s, and some of them were pretty petite. You can see it at Wild Bunch for Dummies Bsck to the subject at hand, the future of COWBOYS TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vance Montana Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Well just crap, crap I say. that's right, I said CRAP! "The powers that be" need to pull their head out of their..... account books (and anything else applicable) and realize that Cowboys, and SASS and CAS in general has more worth to the shooting sports in general than another SWAT type or black rifle show. Let me explain, the "black rifle and pistol" shooting sports predominantly draw of those already in the gun culture. The Cowboys TV show exposes those outside the gun culture, who might be western history buffs, or armchair cowboys to a shooting sport where the firearms competition is only part of the overall experience. This can only help the overall perception of guns and shooting sports by those who may be on the fence about guns in general. Case in point, my own dear mother. After being next to someone who was shot in a robbery in her college years, she was very leery of guns and gun owners. While not a rabid "anti" she leaned that way and was often less than enthusiastic about my love of firearms. As I was just getting into Cowboy Action Shooting, naturally I told her all about it, and got the typical "is that safe?" comments. That opened the door for more conversations and her going along with me to a shoot in Boulder, as well as a visit to the Hell On Wheels match last year. She was so taken by the hospitality, and overall experience she donated some things for me to sell on ebay to help me raise the funds to finish buying my cowboy guns. OK, I'll get off my soap box and go find my bloop pressure medicine. Grizz Grizz, One fine point!!!!!!!!!!! This is exactly how I got into the sport and why I pay extra to see the cowboys show, buy guns of the old west/shooting horse mag. This is a shame that "the powers that be" can not look at the growth in our sport and see how important this is to us all. WB here is a suggestion: Put T-Bone in charge of PR for this sport. also what I would like to see as many others is all the annual, regional, state, world, national matches represented on the show each week. If you put a suggestion to the cowboys with recorders "a how too record a stage or activities at the range" that can be shown on TV local guys can tape/narrate these matches to keep cost down and send in the recordings for editing and viewing. With these new camcorders we can make it look real purty Vance "who wants cowboys live and kickin" Montana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother King, SASS #69031 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 My buddy Grizzer you have a way with words.... ditto ditto DITTO. Like many here my first introduction to CAS was my sons seeing it on Outdoor channel and yelling for me "DAD, COME QUICK! YOU GOTTA SEE THiS! YOU WOUlDN'T EVEN HAVE TO BUY THE CLOTHES!" Marshall Halloway the first rule of pulling a rabbit out of the hat is to expect a rabbit every time you put your hand in the hat. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuteTheMall Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Marshal Halloway (of CasCITY and DRTV fame) and I have a plan to keep COWBOYS alive on the Internet...it is an ambitious plan, and I have no idea of whether it will succeed or not. We will need the support - aka, the money - from our vendors [and moderators, I ask your forbearance if this post has strayed into commercial territory]. By SHOT Show Marshal and I should have some sort of plan. Hey, Marshal has a long history of pulling rabbits out of hats...there's aways hope. I've never had the pleasure of seeing your show, because i don't get cable TV (life is too short). If you find a way for me to watch it, preferably on the Internet, or possibly on DVDs, I'll be glad to pay a fair price (even if I have to sit thru commercials). Getting new viewers like me to see the re-runs is the key to growth now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Graham, # 26112 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Wolf Bane, you've done a wonderful job with "Cowboys" -- we're another household that pays a few bucks a month extra just to get Outdoor Channel for watching that specific show. I started out just watching that but found a couple of other shows that caused me to accidentally learn a few things about some non-cowboy guns. CAS is the best introduction to shooting sports for those not "into" guns. Many years ago - long before "Cowboys" - a little spot on some show about CAS caught my eye as I walked through the room where Wonnerful Hubby was watching TV. I was an unenthusiastic shooter, forced to the range several times a year to prove qualified on the "house gun." I understood the necessity, but I sure didn't have any fun. I saw the guy in the cowboy clothes with the lever rifle and said "I want one of those rifles and I want to go do whatever it is they are doing." I hope you make it back on the air to continue introducing everyone (but especially ladies) to the idea that shooting can be a lot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckhorn Woodie Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 WB I hate to see the show going away. As the old west is not new to me CAS is. I would have not known about CAS if it was not for the show Cowboys. Now shooting & shooting sports are also something that is not new to me but I have never been compelled to compete until I went to a CAS match. After watching Cowboys a time or two I googled CAS to see if there was any of this CAS stuff going on around me ...well I guess I am a lucky one; in less then an hour from my house there are 10 to 15 CAS or WB matches or practices shoots a month all year round as long as they don't get rained out. So I watched Cowboys a little more and decided to go take a look at this sport call CAS in person... I was not at my first match for 10 minutes before someone notices that I was a new face and walked up and started talking to me... telling me about there cloths, there guns, there loads....telling me stuff like ...."if you want to shoot it"... then someone else hears ..."you want to shoot it"....and comes right over over and says.... "if your going to try his you got to try mine"....It was like this at each shoot I checked out..different people same attitude...everyone wanting to share...people offering to lone me everything I need to try the sport... In other ( Non CAS) shooting events that that I have been to over the years most shooters just don't want to tell you much...asking questions is like pulling teeth ...or to let a stranger touch there gun much less offer to let you shoot there guns..no way...unless they were a vender of some sort wanting to sale you something. I don't know if this is the normal yet about CAS around the world but it seams to be in my little part of California and it was good enough for me to want to join SASS and come out and play. My point is I would not have found out about CAS if it were not for the show Cowboys. If you can twist the arms of the powers that be to keep the show going I would like to see more of the little shoots around the country and the everyday people who shoot in them...not just the top shots. Thank You & Good Luck on keeping the show going. Buckhorn Woodie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salt Flat Swindler Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Like many here I was first introduced to CAS through "Cowboys." I was flipping through channels and found a show that had people shooting what looked to be a really fun game. I started recording the shows, became a SASS member, accumulated some gear, and attended my first match, all thanks to stumbling across the show. The show over the years has only gotten better and I personally thought the last season was excellent. I still like watching other shows on the Outdoor Channel. Wednesday nights are always something I look forward to. I certainly won't be canceling my cable package based on this development. Hopefully the show will come back next year or if an web based version of the show comes out I would love to see that succeed. Best of luck, hope the show pulls through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curley Cole, SASS #56849 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Capt. George I had Grama Phyllis give it a try and she immediately saw that it was easier. "and why". Cool tips thanks curley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 DANG !!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slim chance pistolero Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 i too am sorry to hear about the Cowboys show on the outdoor channel. for two years i would call and beg Comcast to offer the outdoor channel, just to get the Cowboys show. then i dropped Comcast and subscribed to Direct TV becasue they offered the Outdoor Channel in the sports package. but in the end i just picked up the outdoor channel by itself for $5/mo. when the viewing times changed to 11pm and 2am eastern, i was one of the complainers to voice my opinion. as we know the times were changed and i was happy. it looks now like i will drop the outdoor channel from my Direct TV package since Cowyboys was the only show i really wanted on that channel. like others have said here, i wonder if Midway USA is the driving force behind this change. after all they surely are the prime sponsor for the show. well, thanxs WB and TF for some really great shows. it gave the public a chance to see good people using old time guns rather than all the black guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Well looks like I cancel the Outdoor channel. I emailed them and told 'em so. Well.......bye! No offense to you Wolf Bane, ya'll did a great job and Tupelo Flash was good too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shenny Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 How about keeping us up to date on what is going on. I believe that the vast majority of what I have read on the wire has been positive. There are plenty of "shows" that have been kept alive on the internet and probably picked up a larger following. I realize MONEY is a problem. Let us know what it takes and I think most may come thru to keep the show going. Of course, I have no idea what it costs to do a show. Shenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother King, SASS #69031 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I woke up thinking about the cancellation of Cowboys this morning. Don't know why... oh yeah, because Michael (WB) Bane's blog notice hit my Blackberry and I had forgot to turn off the ringer. That aside, I thought that maybe this is a blessing in disguise. After the season last year I had vowed to disconnect the cable/ satellite anyway. What a time waster, but then when you do that you have to do other things. Like re-learn how to spend 3- 5 hrs not surfing 250 channels w/o finding anything to watch before getting up and pluggin in True Grit for the 127th time. I've found HULU.COM to be a great tool. Just plug my laptop into the big screen and watch Sons of Anarchy for free and commercial free (mostly). Football games (the National Felony League) will be shocked to hear that going to a sports bar in Denver (4-11) is just depressing. So maybe Cowboys could have a subscriber base on their website and I'll just plug it into my 72" DLP with studio monitor surround sound? For that $5 a month to get OC I'd be "in". Maybe like rabbit ears were to the 60's; big satellite dishes to the '70's; CD's to the '80's; cable to the 90's; VCR's to Y2K; DVR's to the millenium.... it's just time to cut the cord for regular programming anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost, SASS #50125 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Sad news indeed. I was hoping that next season we could get Tupelo out of his shell. Cowboys, Shooting Gallery, and Best Defense are the only programs I watch on the Outdoor Channel. I hope you get it going on the internet, and that gets the Outdoor Channel back in the game. I've enjoyed every episode and never would have started buying from Midway if it weren't for their sponsorship. Enjoyed working with you. Good luck. +1 on what ya said Capt. The only other program I watch is Impossible Shots. Ghost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sam, SASS #10915 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Wolf Bane, My cable provider is Brighthouse Networks. They have recently decided that the only way to get Outdoor channel was to subscribe to some kind of "Sports package". Not being a "round ball" (football either) sports fan, I didn't want to subscribe to all of the ESPN type broadcasts just to get Outdoor network. Maybe if Brighthouse would not lump shooting into the game sports, there would be more demand. In any event, I've enjoyed your programs and will go to whatever lengths to get Cowboys when you begin to broadcast again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadeye Dingus Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Wolf Bane, Sure hope the Powers-That-Be reconsider and change their minds. "Cowboys" is the only reason I upgraded my subscription to The Outdoor Channel on Time Warner. Didn't matter who the host was, I always enjoyed the show. Deadeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ethan callahan Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Would a sponsorship by SASS save this program? If so, I think it would be a good investment for SASS. If not I think SASS should come up with their own weekly program focusing on Cowboy Shooting, there are other cable networks out there who would air a cowboy action shooting program. I also pay an extra $3.00 a month on direct tv for the the OLN, I originally added this channel just for cowboys. Now I am hooked on shooting USA, Swat, ect.... It is a shame that there will be no new cowboys since cowboy action shooting is still the most popular and biggest growing shooting sport in america. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairshake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I wrote letters and made several phone calls for two years asking my cable company why they did not offer the outdoor channel package in the capital city of Baton Rouge but had it in towns with less than 1/2 the population. They finally saw the light and started showing the channel and I put up my extra $5 a month. Now the show is being taken off the air. They would be surprised at the amount of people that tell me when they find out that I shoot SASS that they only know about it because of the show. I get statements such as I want to start doing that because it looks like every one is having a good time. Or you black powder guys are fun to watch but how do you see the target? None of these people shot at that time but I bet it brought many a new shooter to the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairshake Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I wrote letters and made several phone calls for two years asking my cable company why they did not offer the outdoor channel package in the capital city of Baton Rouge but had it in towns with less than 1/2 the population. They finally saw the light and started showing the channel and I put up my extra $5 a month. Now the show is being taken off the air. They would be surprised at the amount of people that tell me when they find out that I shoot SASS that they only know about it because of the show. I get statements such as I want to start doing that because it looks like every one is having a good time. Or you black powder guys are fun to watch but how do you see the target? None of these people shot at that time but I bet it brought many a new shooter to the table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infernal Combustion Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I'll be one of those folks writing the sponsors and powers that be about bringing back Cowboys in 2012 (if not sooner). I also pay DirecTV $3.00 a month extra just to get Outdoor. I did it just to get Cowboys. Now I've discovered I also like Best Defense, Impossible Shots and American Rifleman. I also occasionally enjoy Shooting USA and Shooting Gallery, although seeing the same Bianchi Cup coverage every year gets a bit old. Cowboys is at least a bit different from season to season. I hope it comes back sooner rather than later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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