LBR:
As usual this high fence thread has turned into a "class envy" thread. Since somebody else has turned this into a class envy deal, I'll explain excatly how I feel about it. If some think I have an elitist attitude, then so be it. I'm here to explain the way I feel, not to try and make everybody happy or kiss any a$$.
You want it,you like it,you might even make good money at it, so tough luck to those that have to pay for it in the future--you aregoing to haveyour fun right now.You may not have ever thought about it like that, but that is what it boils down to. Thousands of acres made private, made into pay "hunts", made into high-dollar leases, etc. is driving the Average Joe away from hunting. Well, that's really not an accurate statement--they are getting priced out of the sport--they simply can't afford it.
I'll be honest, I really dont care about the "average joe". I was not put on this earth to babysit or make sure everything is fair to everybody. I've never been a big fan of the "welfare system" or even the social security system in this country, I wish they would do away with both. I think people should be responsible for their own actions and should make their own way in life. I'm not a big fan of being taxed to death, just so the government can take my money and give it to those "less fortunate" then me. In the last few years this has really flooded over into the hunting community as well. To me its sickening. If you want something then go out and do it and get it yourself, dont rely on others.
Yes, I do feel that hunting in a fence, where the herds arecontrolled,managed, and supplimented; where the pressure is low and my guess is even the natural preditors are removed, is cheating. It sure as heck isn't nearly the challenge that hunting these deer on their own turf is--deer that grew that rack due to being smarter, faster, stronger, and more cautious than their brothers. Any decent buck here, unless you get lucky, takes work. Shoot, it can be really tough to get a doe for freezer meat, with a bow.
Its very clear that your one of those guys (as are alot of hunters) who think everything should be fair, and that nobody should have it anybetter then anybody else. I think the only way that you would be happy is if all the land in this country was opened to the public and could be hunted by whomever. I'm sorry but I'm not a communist.
So what if the majority of the population can't afford to pay big bucks to hunt the big bucks. I'll tell you what--it's just like MB said--you are cheating yourself, and your decendants, right out of their right to hunt.
How in the world am I cheating myself and my desendants out of the right to hunt? I will always be able to hunt, my children will always be able to hunt, and so will their children and their great grandchildren. Its guys like you who will not be able to hunt, nor will your children. WHY? Because my family and myself had the foresight to buy land, thousands and thousands of acres of land that is ours. If we want to go hunting, we go hunting. We dont have to try and find a piece of public land to squeeze onto and hopefully after 3 months of hunting we might kill a spike. Myself along with many other Texans will always be able to hunt, because of the fact we own the land in this state. I PROMISE that there will ALWAYS be hunting in Texas. Other states might ban it, the number of hunters might drop to almost non existant, but there will still be people in Texas who are out there hunting. You can mark my word on that one.