Actually Huck, I lived out west for several years and had several friends that went on bison "hunts" and I've been to some of the ranches that offer these things (and again, I'm not against that and would shoot one myself and may even have the head mounted or the rug--just as a kind of symbol of the old west--not a hunting trophy). What you did does sound different(and better) than many of the places I saw, but you have to concede that you know also what I'm talking about.


I can understand your feelings about this, BUT, I and many others "make it an issue" because to me, it does not represent hunting and because "Joe Public" may be too ignorant to know the difference. Obviously, many of these canned hunting operations would leave a bad taste in anyone's mouth who had a sense of decency, and, just as I expect others not to Drink and drive or rob grocery stores, I expect other real hunters not to hunt behind high fences. Of course my expectations are not always a deterrent for any of those situations....neither is the law always, but it is still appropriate to have a law and expections.

I concede that some (if they are large enough) may be as "real" as no-fence hunting, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. So then it becomes an issue of acreage. Is 10,0000 acres OK? Is 1000 acres Ok??.
How about a 100??

Instead, it would be much easier to just eliminate the fence.

Also, I don't buy the argument that poaching has such a measurable effect (obviously only in certain areas--like Texas) that a fence is required for the Animals protection (If so then it is actually erected for the landowners financial protection)....and sorry, but if your in the "hunting" business, then losses from poaching are a "cost of doing business", besides a fence may stop a deer, but it won't stop a redneck with wirecutters.

Let me ask you a question: If we take away the TV cameras and other media sources, then does it matter to you if someone is raped or murdered 100 miles from your house??? How does it effect you???

Now I am not stating that rape and murder are the same thing as canned hunting, and I would expect the consequences to be much different (I know that's a load off your mind) even if all canned hunting was banned. I'm just using that comparison to illustrate a point.

I agree that the TV camera and the commercialization of hunting have been a double edged sword, but am afraid you can not NOW go backwards regarding those issues. I believe only the market place demand will dicatate whether or not those things continue to be as large of a factor in hunting as they have been lately. But again, something I believe, we, as hunters, can and should do something about is canned hunting operations themselves, although it seems we have trouble as a group reaching consensus.

I for one, although am against all high fenced hunting, would fight against specific operations (such as that Bellar/Jimmy Houston type operation) where we could get more agreement between all hunters. I would not sacrifice my own convictions but can choose my battles wisely

hb