I don't have a problem with anyone using a rifle or compound, and I can't say for sure that I won't have to go to one or the other one of these days, but for now I just hunt with a longbow. I enjoy the hunt and the challenge more than the kill. Just this past weekend I could have easily killed 2 or 3 deer with a rifle, and it was rifle season, but I was using my bow--no shots.

A lot of people never seen to learn the difference between hunting and killing. I hope I don't step on any toes here, but I am sure you will understand what I'm getting at since you live in TX--in your state, and several others it seems, killing animals in a fence or pen is making some people lots of money, and they call it "hunting". I've talked with folks that have been to some of these places and it seems some of the animals belonged in a petting zoo, but were turned out to be used as living targets. It's legal, but in my opinion it's disgusting and does a lot of damage to the reputations of hunters in general.

I know some places are big, and it can be tough getting a shot, but where is the line drawn? At what point does an enclosure become large enough to be considered fair chase? How many animals can be placed in a certain acerage? Is it fair to buy and/or trap animals and relocate them to a pen to be shot? Way too many questions for me to be comfortable with any of these so-called "ranches". I guess "ranch" is a good word to use, as to me that's always been used to describe a place where animals were raised for human use, including slaughter.

I've never understood why people use a bow on these places either, especially trad gear. Why handicap yourself with your choice of weapons just to cheat in another way? To me it's like using a bamboo fly rod and hand-tied flies, then fishing in a stocked pool.

I don't mean to get off-topic here, but I think what you are feeling with the bow ties in to what I'm saying here.

Anyhow, to get back to what you were saying, the absolute best hunt I've ever been on was a few years ago in Canada. That's where I met Kip--I think he will agree that we had a ball. We hunted hard, played hard, and none of us got our moose, but man what a trip! I'd do it all over, even if I knew up-front I wouldn't get to shoot. 'Course I would have loved to have shot a moose, but not getting one sure didn't spoil the trip.

Chad