outdoorslover

1000 acres would be a big area for me to hunt. I hunt small woodlots in the midwest. My primary hunting area is about 1000 acres or so butI can't even hunt it all. I still wouldn't go to any fenced in area to hunt. That's the way I feel. I have to approve of enclosed areas of more than 1000 acres but I still don't think I'd hunt them. My feeling is that the deer are still trapped and you will have to catch up to them eventually. There's a difference if the deer have the whole world to run away and if they only have a certain amount. What happens if you trap them in a corner where the fence is? I sure wouldn't wanna have it that way.

It just seems like a game if you have the fences. It may still be fair chase but it's just not the same. Furthermore, there are always LOTS of deer in fenced areas, not just a few. Wild deer will spread out, these deer have to stay where they were born. In our area, bucks run MILES along property lines. I've observed it many, many times.

The whole world and 10,000 acres are a big difference. God didn't put up the fences. I like to leave it that way. Obviously a deer doesn't need the whole world to run away but, again, it's the concept.

Germ

I have never gun hunted for deer, but I have for turkeys. I do not like fence ranches where the deer herd is managed. The part that bothers me is access for the neighbors. We all know they can shoot "your" deer also. I think it "lessons" the kill if the deer was given unfair chance to age. I do not use calls, game camera or scents. I do use scent control(Xscent these days).

elknfiend

I figure with all the energy that went into this thread a lot of stands could've been hung, scouting been done, heck, even fences been built. This is the longest thread I've ever seen! There doesn't seem to be a lot of western guys on here though. I, personally like to take a 4 or 5 mile walk into a place, where they don't even allow wheeled devices to go, withenough supplies on my back to live for 8-10 days. Then I play it by ear. Much more forfilling to me this way. don't care what you do. Unless it involve shooting at me or threatening my hunting. This is where I draw that magical line in the sand. Quit giving these animal rights fanatics ammo. Just use your common sense. If you don't have any please stay home.I'd really like it if my 6 year old boy could hunt someday. And I'm sure he'll feel the same for his kids. It shouldn't just end with us but it could ya know! Good luck!

laxdad

Sorry but my post was intended to be hypothetical and I really don't want to carry on this thread but your post intrigued me so I did a little probing.

Mass pop desities of 8 per/acre in the NW to 44 on Nantucket which is overrun with deer. Vt claims 5+ and no density figures for NY but approx 50% of the state has total kill figures of <2 deer per acre.

I can't imagine densities of50 P/A but I guess they exist. That's got to be easier than hunting rabbits...

nodog

You ain't so lax dad. Good post!

You got underwear older than me and you think this is something to tell people.Juuuust kidding.

308BLR

I look at guided hunts and the like as hunting, just not the kind that I would enjoy. Mainly I feel sorry for the guy that only has time to go out and pull the trigger. How much is he missing out on? For me the kill is just one part of the experience, although a significant part, that is magnified by the effort that I put in the rest of the year to achieve it. And I love putting in the time and effort during the off-season just as much as the kill. The two go hand in hand.

laxdad

Thanks nodog but the underwear references my age, 71 and lax my 16 year old lacrosse playing son, who, I've been told, has Div 1 potential. Ya know what they say about potential though..He's playing in a NY/MA tournament tommorow. Guess where I'll be...



laxdad

vinyari

I agree to some point with almost everyone, I do alot of what I'll call wild hunting, hunting deer and Black bear that have no boundries or owners, but there is a "wild boar" place that I can hunt within 2 hrs of here that I have considered giving a try as wild boar are not exactly native to Alberta Canada. This guys property consists of about 100-150 acres and he hasrussian boar running wild in there, he does not manage them, feed them or anything else. He has not changed the land it is all natural. All this guy did was put up a game fence and release a bunch of boar in there. They are self sufficient and live in there as if it were their native land. this to me would still be hunting, these boars are not use to human contact, they don't get fed or anything like that, for all intensive purposes they run wild but are limited to where they can go if you consider 150 acres limited. To hunt there; you are free to go on the land at your own risk and hunt the boars but if you harvest then you pay so much per pound and price varies depending on if it a sow or a trophy boar.

Also where I live we have lots of "game farms" some deer but mostly elk and to me that's not hunting it's paying a guy to walk onto his land and pick the animal you want to hang on your wall. These animals are fed by the farmers/ranchers and have a degree of human contact so when the farmer drives the guy out the animals don't go running away as they are used to the trucks. They basically pick the animal they want and shoot it. This to me a a discrace, butit is because of these"PEOPLE" who pay the large amounts of money to do this that have caused these farms to pop up all over the place.

PLEASE don't flame the hell out of me for this next comment BUT........

I have NEVER in my life seen a canadian pay that kind of money to hunt, only americans, so is there that much money just floating around in the states or is there no oppurtunity for these hunts????

I know lots of guys who guide hunts and they all say the same thing, the americans who come up here, are usually very nice people but have no regard for money what so ever. they spend up wards of $15,000 - $20,000 on these hunts when you consider plane fare, and everything else, just to leave behind everything except the antlers, including bows, rifles, gear, etc.

I don't understand the mentality, I am a regular working joe, a carpenter to be exact and I have to make the most of my money and my time so for me it's a real treat to get out to hunt, to budget in what I can and can't hunt for this year, to arrange my holidays so I can take some time off and make a good hunt happen.

anyway, that's enough of me ranting,
Vinyari

outdoorslover

I agree to some point with almost everyone, I do alot of what I'll call wild hunting, hunting deer and Black bear that have no boundries or owners, but there is a "wild boar" place that I can hunt within 2 hrs of here that I have considered giving a try as wild boar are not exactly native to Alberta Canada. This guys property consists of about 100-150 acres and he hasrussian boar running wild in there, he does not manage them, feed them or anything else. He has not changed the land it is all natural. All this guy did was put up a game fence and release a bunch of boar in there. They are self sufficient and live in there as if it were their native land. this to me would still be hunting, these boars are not use to human contact, they don't get fed or anything like that, for all intensive purposes they run wild but are limited to where they can go if you consider 150 acres limited. To hunt there; you are free to go on the land at your own risk and hunt the boars but if you harvest then you pay so much per pound and price varies depending on if it a sow or a trophy boar.

I think you can consider an animal wild after after it has been that way for many years or was born that way. I consider pheasants completely wild but they were actually imported about a hundred years ago or something.

150 acres with a fence would not be fair chase. You WILL eventually kill the boar you want. It can only go as far as the fence allows.

Thanks for your comments. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

cr422

I'll drink to that. Is hunting on a game ranch as challenging as hunting in a state forest? Well, maybe not. But unless you're a vegetarian who thinks killing and eating animals is a sin, what difference does it make? All this bickering about what is and isn't fair chase just gives ammo to the tofu eating crowd. Let's do each other a favor and knock it off.