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High Fence Hunting

My question is, do people really think those high fences keep whitetails either in or out of those enclosures?

I have a buddy with two high fence places a couple miles apart. They often transport tagged does from ranch to ranch. They often find that these does took it upon themselves to return home.
 
I think that as a whole most would agree that animals released into a pen and sold as a hunt is less than cool and not hunting and that there is a place to have different trophy classifications. As hunters and sportsmen we really do a disservice to ourselves by looking down on or condemning the way other people hunt.
The people how want to take our hunting right want it gone, public or private. Sportsmen digging on other sportsmen is divide and conquer to them, first get the public hunt only guys to ban against the high fence hunter then they will turn to hunting as a whole.
I've seen this happen with trapping and hound hunting, they get bird guys and fishermen on there side, not supporting the trapper or the houndmen is the same as joining them. You may not like them but both groups ply there sport under the same freedom, you figure out who will be next to loose there hunting once it starts to be taken.
Sorry for the rant but these are the times.
 
I think hunting on a regular ol western ranch is one thing, but I just dont get the high fence hunting fever. A few of my friends from another great hunting website have gone to TX a few times on fence hunts and seemed to enjoy it and had a great time hunting and they reported the hunting was tough. They are all SCI type guys.

For myself I just couldnt do it. But then I feel same about atlatl and crossbows( unless handicapped ) and inline muzzleloaders. When I see a pickup goin down the road ahead of me and the woman is driving and the man is in passenger seat, I know good and well he's got DUI's and cant drive. I figger if a man's got to use an inline for everything he prolly can't own a rifle. Wife says I am a dinosaur who cant accept change. Boss says I am a dinosaur who cant accept change. I guess I am darn proud of that, even if I am wrong.
 
Its not hunting its shooting,Ive been on one of the big Texas ranch's and they use water and feed/bait to concentrate the game near treestands and blinds,it dont matter if there are 500,000 acres benind the fence,if the water is controlled they go to it.I had the unfortunate experience of goig "hunting" on it,it was no different than going out in our field and shooting one of our heifers.I have done bolth and I know the difference,if it was my only hunting opportunity sure I would do it,but its not,its not for anyone.If you can afford to hunt a game ranch you can do a FC hunt for half the price.gun)
 
One question for those against high fence hunting ranches, how many of you would want to go to South Africa for some hunting?

Not me, for many reasons.

Silvertip, maybe I'm missing something, but what is wrong with hunting near a water or food source as long as it is a free range? Water and food sources concentrate game, and a hunter improves their odds by going where the game is. Is there a difference between a manmade water sources like a pond ("tank" in Texas terminology) as compared to a creek or river? Is there a difference between a man supplied food source whether a feeder, food plot, abandoned orchard, or agricultural field as compared to going nowhere near one? Most whitetails, and I am limiting my comments to whitetails, live near areas of human activity and influence on their habitat.

I am against high fence hunting which is now becoming common through all of the whitetail's range even in Canada, and against hunting deer with dogs, which is legal and common according to one of my friends in Virginia. Beyond that, I say conform to the law, tactics and hunting culture where you are hunting. I've noticed that practices, tactics, and ethics vary widely by the property being hunted, and even more so by individuals on the particular hunt.

I prefer to see tactics which cause the least amount fear in the animals i.e. no chasing with dogs, and personally I prefer to let them come by me rather than chasing them.
 
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