Okieboy,

What it all boils down to: "who do you hunt for?" Trust me, nobody is getting in that coffin with you! You have to decide what makes you happy. You willface many trails and tribulations. In the end, You will have to makeyour ownjudgement calls.

I have hunted both inside and outsidehigh fence. Personally, I could care less whether I'm thought of as a hunter (just don't call me inexperienced). That's not why I hunt. I am here to challenge myself and no one else. I have hunted species of wildlife, inside high fence, which were exponentially more difficult to killthan any free ranging species.I have seen enough to know that most of these pre-conceived notions that many boneheads possess are incorrect!InTexas, for example, I have been to areas where the deer population outside the fence was 229 animals persq. mile. Whereas, inside the fence it was 15 animals per sq. mile. Now mind you, I have never hunted white-tailed deer behind fence inTexas (I have seen them while hunting exotics), but you tell me, of the two scenarios, which one do you think isgoing to be easier? In both scenarios, the deer have had minimal contact with humans and can eluded hunter's easily for days/weeks/months/years.I have experienced both ways... outside the fence was pretty darn easy.

I have hunted the state of New York during the shotgun/muzzy season. I have never been so afraid in my life. I counted "one thousand, two thousand,..." between gun shots. I never made it past three thousand andwas forced tostart over! This went on from sun up until three in the afternoon! I even had a slug hit the tree two feet above my head. Despite "no trespassing" signs on every tree 15 feet apart and completely surround the 700 acreas, we still had trespassers invading posted land. I sort of wished that land, at that point, was high fenced. It would have been a heck of a lot safer! The same thing happened to me while deer hunting with my bow in Pennsylvania. What a joke! I was there for a week. I huntedfour days on private land and watch as the neighboring hunt club trespassed by mytreestand on their numerous deer drives. Not once, not twice, but twice each day!The "posted no hunting" signs had little affect! The police were finally called! I spent the remainder of the week hunting public gound. Same story...a sea of hunters passing every ten minutes. There wasn't a deer to be had anywhere, especially near me! Hmmmm....take down the high fence...the short ones didn't seem to stop anything (poachers)...And neither do the high ones (read on)!

I hunted recently near and outsideWobern Abbey in the United Kingdom. Chinese water deer and Reeves Muntjac were released within the confines of the abbey back in 1870. Now, the walls around the abbey are twelve feethigh and three feet thick (I've seen them). These are little deer mind you. They stand no more than 30" above the ground. So, the question I pose is simple. If the deer cannot escape, then why did I shoot one water deer and two muntjac? They had to come from somewhere? Maybe aliens dropped them?

In Namibia, I watch three bull eland clear an eight foot high boundry fence with ease. Again, the fence was there to keep out poachers. In New Zealand, I killed a rogue fallow deer (from outside the fence)that wastrying to bred with the does located inside the fence. I watched it jump the fence and killed him within twenty yards of the fence-I was there to do that job. I also killed aferal billy goat that slide through the fence like a hot knife going through butter. If you know anything about pigs, then you know that man has yet to creat a fence to contain them. I could go on and on with the examples...

In eight attempts to hunt an axis deer. I have failed miserably. I will be going for my ninth at the end of May.

Let me set the scenario.

Axis deer are not indigenous to the United States. They are found scattered here and there, some are free ranging escapees, most are on game farms. They are actually so well managed that many are being exported back to their native country to replenish an almost extinct population.

I want the challenge of killing one with my bow and have modest means. I cannot fly to Australia, South America, nor Asia. I do not have the connections with private landowners and therefore cannot trespass to acquire one. My only present option is/was to hunt a game ranch. The hunter's spirit within me struggled with the concept of hunting behind fence. In the end, I came to grips with the fact that everything has a degree of confinement. The size of that confinement , in my opinion, certainly became a factor of "fair chase". I ,therefore, selected a ranch with an enclosed area encompassing about 100 square miles-maybe more. Animals literally are born and die of natural causes with minimal contact with humans. I then quietly sit and observe. While dabbling, I watch as deer move from one side of the fence to the other. I think to myself, "If this is the case, then where is the confinement?" I venture inside. I put my best stalking skills to work-camera in hand. What I found...the stalking of this beast is no easy task. The cover is extremely thick, the animals are extremely wary, and there is plenty of natural food and water distributed throughout the ranch. I decide to put the camera down and pick up the bow. If it were so easy, I would have an axis deer to show for my enormous efforts. Killing a free ranging white-tailed deer, elk, or caribouis again exponentially easier. Keep in mind., I could care less about the deer's antler size. I'd even shoot a doe!

I select a time of year when rainis abundant. Thus, food and waterare abundant. I elect to hunt where the coveris thick and the chances of sneaking an arrow throughare greatly reduced-animalscan easily elude me. It's had to be a clean shot or no shot. I elevated the degree of difficulty and it seems to work. When and if I am ever successful, I will in no way claim this to be a free-ranging animal. Is it a challenge? I would say very much so. I am patiently waiting for my chance to hunt a free ranging axis (I haven't received the invite yet).I wouldlove to have a basis for comparison!

I guess the point I'm trying to make, "I've been there done that". There hasn't been a single time when I thought the fence hunt was any easier than a free range hunt. I've been on Lion hunts both inside and outside fence. In both cases, I was accompanied by a conservation officer who was there to certify the hunt as fair chase. One was not any easier than the other. I have spent 42 days trying to kill a Zebra with my bow (in Namibia and S. Africa behind enormous high fence operations where the animals have plenty of room to elude hunters). Again, I have failed miserably. Killing one with a rifle would have been child's play and not for me.

I love a challenge, I love to hunt, but I hate spending money! There is only so much in one's own backyard. At some point, if you are like me, you will need to lauch yourself into another arena. Go have fun. Spend some go quality time with your friends and family. You should never let hunting become a pissing match competiton. Hunt for you!

In the end some animal dies...

You can call it hunting, culling, shooting, whatever. You have to be comfortable with you.

Good luck with your endeavors!

p.s Envy sucks!