Rory/MO

oh god not another ethics post

BuckAlley

I'll tell all you macho hunters a story, and you dare to tell me this man was wrong.
A very dear friend of mine whose now 63yrs old, retired from the army special forces just 3yrs ago. He first joined the military at age 16, yes he got in illegally, but it was war time then. He's served in every major conflict since Vietnam. Been on many many secret missions, the ones you never hear about. He's done more for this country then most men alive today. Well he's had some health issues in past yr. , and was advised by his doctor to reduce his cholesterol intake, and suggested only eatting lean meat. He's always been a avid archery, muzzleloader, and rifle hunter. Him & I have pursued Elk w/bow in Colorado. With his health concerns he looked into purchasing Buffalo meat. Well its really expensive. So he looked into a high fenced hunt that had buffalo to shoot his own meat, and the price of this type hunt was a heck of alot cheaper for what he'd get, then buying it by the lb. So thats what he did. He'd never ever consider doing a high fenced hunt on a regular basis. But this made a heck of alot more sense for him in his state of condition. He told me he had a great time. Was treated excellent, and he did actually have to hunt theBuffalo several hrs, before he harvested it.
So to methere is a place for high fenced hunts in this world, and don't knock them until you understand every aspect of things.

SwampCollie

Say its almost that time of the year again isn't it? Where are my rubber boots with the extra thick lug soles?

SwampCollie

I've never hunted in a high fence before, but I have been inside of one.... Camp Peary (VA not Ohio.. spelled different). High fence is a realative term, you couldn't shoot a bullet from one end of this place to the other at a 45 degree angle... 10s of thousands of acres..... but the dogs, the poachers and the "other" deer are kept out. Its strictly managed and done well. I don't have the politcal swank to hunt on a FBI/CIA training facility, but my godfather does. He took me when I was fairly young, probably 16 in the summer time to help with a deer count (spotlighting and just counting.... no guns involved). I've never seen so many deer in my life. I think the lack of pressure, good nutrition (hundred acre plots of nothing but Bio Logic) and ability to control who and what comes and goes has a lot to do with it. So if you think about it that way..... anyone who has ever hunted on a military installation.... you are guilty of hunting inside a high fence...... hang your heads in shame the lot of you....

Most of the high fence operations that I know of have fences to keep things out.... not neccessarily to keep things in.... so long as the fence isn't playing a part in the hunt, I don't see the issue with it. You can hide a hell of a lot of deer on 1000 acres, nevermind 10,000.

If somebody wants to go shoot a deer in a pen (small inclosed area), hell I don't care go ahead if it makes you feel better. That way you can win the HNI big deer contest and impress all your friends and get your picture on a magazine cover to put in your avatar picture and write something about how big your nuts are in your signature line.

907Alaska

Some people were raised to hunt on public land, some were raised to hunt/shoot on high fenced land. For me my dad started me on public land at 9 years of age and to this day I have stayed with public land, I have hunted on private land here in California for hogs...but with no fences. For me, I would turn down a high fenced hunt. Just my opinion and beliefs.
There is a high fenced ranch here in Riverside County about 15 minutes from me where we can hunt hogs and exotics...I have lived here in California for 12 years, and we still drive 240mi north to hunt our hogs. I never think about going to hunt high fence..even though it would be easier and my kill is almost gaurenteed. On public land you have to do the scouting...and the hunt, how could you go without that! The preparation, and the going and the scouting are all key ingredients to the hunting experience.
IMO one is real hunting the other is target practice.

aeroslinger

Of course 10,000 acres high fence in my mind is essentially no different than free range. I think some of the problem is when the acreage gets smaller. I'm not sure what would be the minimum but a friend of a friend with 1000 acres checked into high fencing it with a biologist and was told something to the effect that after about 7 years he would have deer inbreeding. I think any landowner has the right to make money with his land as he sees fit. However, and I'm assuming most states are same as Texas in this regard, the deer are a natural resource that belong to the people of the state of Texas. As landowners sees money to be made with high fence hunting, there are more and more going up each year, many only a few hundred acres. Its even getting to the point I'm aware of a few people who've considered it with less than 100 acres. As for feeders, anyone who's hunted them on any regularity can tell you the deer don't always come at all let alone on time. And when they do, you'll get does, yearlings, some small bucks. Once in a while a shooter. At least free range deer. I can see where some high fenced operations could be somewhat predictable. I don't like high fences at all and see no positive end results for the average hunter or hunting in general. I've thought about this and think what should happen is any landowner who wishes to high fence his land should be made to have his land cleared of native animals. He should be made to pay for a state biologist to certify his land clear, perhaps by helicopter, as that last fence goes up. Then he can buy animals to stock, with the money going to the state department of wildlife. Then he can have all the paid hunts he wants and anyone hunting would know up front they were "harvesting" artificial wildlife. I think the costs would deter some of the smaller landowners, would put money back into the departments, and "hunters" would be less likely to brag about their "trophies". What would be the drawbacks of all free range hunting? I can't think of any legitimate arguments. But if high fence was a good thing, one could surmise we would be well off with all land high fenced. Now think about that and would that be beneficial to us or our kids?

SwampCollie

High fence is one hell of an expensive thing. In most parts of the world, surrounding your 1000+ acres with 8' high fence that would keep a deer out/in would cost more than your 1000+ acres did. In fact, I throughly suspect that is the plain and simple reason that you don't see more high fences.

LEGACY45

I have hunted on a high fence place the last 4 years in West Texas that is around 3000 acres it is MLD and have only taken 2 does won't pay the price for the bucks but there are times the only thing you see are the birds. Maybe a black buck 100 yards away yea they no were the feeders are but if there are acorns on the ground they ain't coming to the feeders. And it is just as much hunting as free range 3000 acres is 3000 acres weather there is a fence around it or not most deer won't travel that far anyway. Just my 2 cents

aeroslinger

I'm guessing you haven't traveled much through Texas. Lots of high fences and more going up yearly. And more and more are less than 1000 acres, some considerably. And there are quite a few people who will spend money when they think they can make it back. I can't see it going away anytime soon. At least here in Texas. There is a lot of scrub land that's not much good for anything but deer, turkey, and hogs. Not a lot of way to make money off of it.

vindog

Then why put a fence around it? If people want to go out and hunt high fence hunts go right ahead. But don't ever say they are just as much hunting as free range hunting, i dont care what the acres. I really dont care how people hunt but when people say high fenced hunts are just as challenging then why do they do them? Its because there is benefits to it. Plain and simple.