Free Range Hunts Vs. High Fence

[Dean2]

In my opinion, a hunter getting a 180" whitetail buck is quite a rare achievement that I respect and admire because all of the time and effort I have put into hunting and have never yet achieved in my pursuit. Not many can do it. The reason I admire and respect it is because these animals are so rare in the wild. When I see someone bragging about a 200" deer they harvested on a high fence hunt, I don't have the same respect and admiration for the trophy because anyone can attain it, just by paying for it. It is obtained by financial ability. I don't care if people do it, to each there own. I just don't view the achievement in the same light. It's like purchasing and wearing Super Bowl Ring from a team that you weren't part of.

Very well said. I agree completely. Same is true of farm raised Elk and any other world record size animal raised in a high fence set up. That said, those that like the high fence hunts, fill your boots, nothing wrong with it for those that enjoy it. Just isn't my thing but then neither is a bunch of other types of hunting.

 

[lancetkenyon]

There are plenty of open range 200"+ deer taken every year across the country. But I would bet that 75% of them are taken with the aid of a guide. Believe me, I know some guides. And some of the guys that hire them. The guides bust their tails, and about half of the hunters that use them show up to camp, and the guide puts them on the animal and then it is over. I don't see a huge difference in that situation to a high fence hunt.

When you have 10 guys watching a particular deer or elk for weeks on end, and then calling your paying hunter, who flies in on his private plane, gets chauffeured to camp, diven out to the overwatch point, shoots the buck/bull on public land, and returns to the airport for the guide to care for the cape (and usually don't even claim the meat).....how is that different. Yes, I actually know of that happening more than once.

 

[Yotekiller]

One of the guys I know who has paid for high fence elk hunts has always done just that. As soon as he gets there the guide drives him to within 250 yards of some giant bull bigger than anything I will likely ever see in the wild and walk 50 feet from the truck to shoot it. He has at least 6 of them. All the stories he has told me of those "hunts" I don't recall one where he had to walk 500 yards from the truck or ever "hunted" a second day. He always chooses his bull from a catalog before he goes. Its already been scored before hand. This is livestock not wild game.

 

[Oscare66]

Historically game preservation done the right way yields the same results. High fence game ranches help fuel the economy in the greater part of Tx when it comes to hunting. With out these ranches we wouldn't have all the perks that TPWD has to offer us and the kids. Trust me I love hunting in low fence ranches just as much as I do high fence ranches and there is no difference between hunting a low or high fence cause 99.9% of the time the places are so big you only see the fence line on the frontage or entrance of the property. And to top it all off 75% of all high fence ranches in Texas are for quail hunting operations the white tail are just a supplemental income. We a blessed to go to a wal-Mart counter and purchase 5 deer tags as fast as you can swipe your card. That has a bunch to do with high fence ranches as well. The neighbor is always willing to pull the trigger no matter what size or specific age. They just see furr and boom. Unlike Colorado or other states where you have to wait to be drawn for a tag and then spend all that time and energy to shoot a good trophy (IMO) that encourages good wild life management

 

[KyCarl]

I don't understand all the buzz? Bottom line is that it's LEGAL! End of story!!
No Laws are Broken!!
If you don't want to..Don't..If you do want to..Have fun!

 

[Yotekiller]

I doubt the guys I know were hunting in very large pens. The stories sure didn't sound like it. I will probably never know. I don't see them as being any different than cattle or sheep. Why should a customer be required to purchase a tag to harvest livestock? The livestock owner should have the ability to harvest any of his animals whenever he wants. I guess it would help make the paying customer feel like a hunter if he's purchasing a tag?

 

[KyCarl]

It adds a lot of revenue to the D N R and that benefits every Hunter, Fisherman. Boater
in the whole state!

I doubt the guys I know were hunting in very large pens. The stories sure didn't sound like it. I will probably never know. I don't see them as being any different than cattle or sheep. Why should a customer be required to purchase a tag to harvest livestock? The livestock owner should have the ability to harvest any of his animals whenever he wants. I guess it would help make the paying customer feel like a hunter if he's purchasing a tag?

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I think most feel it is "more sporting" if it is open range. I think most talk like this is crap-ola... I have hunted open range, high fence, low fence, no fence--and I have never experienced a "fish in a barrel". I took my family to South Africa one time. Was nervous about the high fence option I picked. It was a wonderful hunt on 7,100 hectares..my family had a wonderful time and none of the animals looked like they were running up against the fence. The quantity and quality of the animals was great.

I have also hunted Buffalo on a "open concession " that was probably 400,000 ac...we hunted maybe 10,000 of it...why??? Because that is were the Buffalo were. So what does that mean--well I guess potentially the Buffalo could have been anywhere--but they weren't.

I think if it's legal and you enjoy it--then get after it. If you feel it is non sporting then you should not be doing it. I will tell you I am thinking about high fencing one of my places--it will be 515 ac. I will not feel it is fish in a barrel, I want to put a few axis and red sheep or Urial on it.

 

[Hunter09]

I get some people don't have the time to put into hunting free range whitetails. That and they have a ton of money. There is a place for high fence hunting, but it just isn't for me. I am lucky to have the land and resources I do, but I just can ever see wanting to go kill a deer in a pen.

 

[atkins0331]

For someone who was born and raised hunting in Texas, I can tell you that high fencing has all but decimated the sport in my state. If you drive south texas and hill country roads, it's pretty much all you see. Heck, even much of the piney woods, (east texas) is becoming high fenced. Many land owners now install high fencing, attempt to manage deer with information gained on the internet and increase their lease prices up to 50%. Hunting has turned into an industry of which many people can't afford. Everyone in my large family had a lease when I was a kid. Now, none of them do. Luckily, we are fortunate enough that we could afford 5-8 thousand dollars a year for a lease, it's just that it's beyond the realm of ridiculous now. Every time someone pays $10,000 for a genetically modified pet deer, it encourages other landowners to fence off their land and attempt to make more money. A game warden I talked to a while back said Texas is probable at a point of no return. And for what it's worth, I did try high fence once. My dads old company offered us a trip for free so I said what the heck. The facility and food was outstanding. At night we would feed the deer while sitting on the porch.

 

[NeedForSpeed]

There is a big difference between a deer tag, Pops 30-06, and a 1/2 tank of gas vs a $15,000 trophy hunt on a TX ranch.

Is that all the cost you incur? I got into this a year ago and between rifles, scopes, shooting accessories, safe, ammo, reloading gear, and trips to the ranges I could have bought that $15,000 trophy hunt and had most of the money for a second one

 

[NeedForSpeed]

I appreciate both sides of this discussion. I am relatively new to hunting but I have fished in Florida for 27 years. I have two boats and tons of rods and tackle. I mostly swordfish which is technically challenging and requires expensive tackle, fresh baits and a lot of experience. We also do fishing trips to remote parts of the Bahamas. I rig all my lures and baits and make virtually everything that goes in the water. I'm a perfectionist and spend countless hrs in my garage and backyard preparing for these trips. My friends show up, we go fishing, have a great time with buddies, catch fish and they all bring home dinner happily. None would have that experience without my gear and experience and they all acknowledge that, but it doesn't take away from their sense of enjoyment and achievement. They have family and friends that envy their experience, and would love to get fresh fish like we bring home. So they couldn't do this on their own- does that really lessen the experience of seeing a blue marlin jumping and pulling drag. Or eating wahoo sashimi from a fish that was swimming an hr ago? Or being a small part of the team that caught a 300 lb swordfish? They had fun and spent quality time with good friends- what's more important than that?
I live in Florida and am fortunate to be friends with someone who has his own low fence ranch. If I didn't , I'd have to travel to hunt and I'd be sure to have a guide and a reasonable chance of success prior to investing valuable vacation time. And I wouldn't feel guilty about it. Different strokes and all that

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I had a friend of mine that went to Africa. He wanted a Cape buffalo bad. I told him some options. He did everything right I'm my opinion. He went to DSC, talked to a lot of folks, weighing his options. Before he plunked down his money. I warned him the area he was headed too was water sensitive, and if dry he could see very little game. I told him about the area in Zambia--I hunted--he would see plenty of Buffalo but the cost was about 7k more...I gave him the guys name in South Africa that has 7,100 hectares ( approx 15,000 ac)under a fence. When I had my family there we saw Buffalo almost everyday. He told him he limits to 2 Buffalo a year and does not "drop off"..and he was 1,000 cheaper than the hunt he was booking. My friend told me he was going to Africa once--so this was his chance to see the real Africa... it was dry, in 14 days of hunting he killed one marginal kudu, and saw one impala female, and a Buffalo cow and calf. It cost him $11,950 for the privilege of riding around in the back of a truck for 14 days looking for something that was not there...do they owe him any money back...absolutely not. He planned this hunt almost 2 years in advance, and its hunting...but he will never go back, and his hunt experience was very poor. All I'm saying is when you have plenty of time, you own it--live there then it really doesn't matter--but when you get 5 days off work and family to be successful then I sure see the value of having the animals in the area...

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

There are plenty of open range 200"+ deer taken every year across the country. But I would bet that 75% of them are taken with the aid of a guide. Believe me, I know some guides. And some of the guys that hire them. The guides bust their tails, and about half of the hunters that use them show up to camp, and the guide puts them on the animal and then it is over. I don't see a huge difference in that situation to a high fence hunt.

When you have 10 guys watching a particular deer or elk for weeks on end, and then calling your paying hunter, who flies in on his private plane, gets chauffeured to camp, diven out to the overwatch point, shoots the buck/bull on public land, and returns to the airport for the guide to care for the cape (and usually don't even claim the meat).....how is that different. Yes, I actually know of that happening more than once.

Oh and this is spot on...

I happened to be working in the area when mossback was hunting the spider bull...down in Richfield UT. TheY had about 8 guys combing the countryside keeping up with him. Doyle and his client were successful they had him on camera had 8 guys glassing etc..etc

Ask yourself...the days of wondering out and finding the Chadwick ram have passed.

Ed