While I'm very glad that exotics ranches out west with K's of acres, will continue with game like Oryx, there is also a growing problem in some areas of the midwest & eastern states with such hunts.
The problem is that, they don't offer hunts at all. Just a chance to shoot a animal in a pen you can see across.
So how to control this industry & it is a industry that is growing fast, perhaps to fast for all our good. I really, really wish I could see even a difficult answer to how to do that.....
BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM ISN'T HIGH FENCED OPERATIONS, IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING TO HUNTING & HUNTER ETHICS IN THE USA.
There is a place, only a short drive from where I live, that is now offering "Elk hunts" The guy only owns 30 acres...... A second such "hunting operation" is offering whitetail hunts & he owns 42 acres....but you can buy a hunt for "trophy" whitetails there. Both are less than a 20 min. drive from me.
Where I live there are very, very few blocks of habitat remaining of over 500 acres & if you eliminate river bottoms that are relatively narrow strips of habitat......you can count the 500 acre blocks in my county on your 2 hands. Most of my area is cleared farm land, just small blocks of woods, the majority of which are under 40 acres. This does not mean you can't have a good & ethical hunt in my area, you can. OR you can get 4-6 guys together & do drives if the numerous small wood lots of 10-15 acres and get everyone of your tags filled in about 2 days of such "hunting" .........though slaughtering would be a far more accurate name for that.
Hunting has some real issues to deal with, and NOW.