ranch hunts
 

I have an illusion in my mind about ranch hunts being less satisfying than a hunt for non fenced in game. Are ranch hunts really that way, or are they equally as exciting as a wilderness hunt.

RE: ranch hunts
 

the first "guided" hunt i went on, and the only guided hunt i went was awful. now that i look back on it. i was young and went with my step-dad who thought he was being nice, he has never hunted before. at the time, i loved it. but now, the "Mouflon Ram" that i went there to hunt was no more than some kind of domestic goat that got the business end of my 30-06. the guy was a flop, we tried to call him back later to get pictures and he would never return our calls. but, this was a small one man, 150 acre "game ranch" in east texas, i am sure that the giant game ranches in the south texas and other places that have been correctly managed would be worth it. i would look for one that will do some rattling or spot and stalk for you though, rather than sitting in a stand somewhere.

jackye

RE: ranch hunts
 

We have taken the family on several ranch hunts. None of them were small land areas however, the smallest being about 1200 acres. I have found that some species are wilder than others in these situations. YO ranch for example is absolutely huge and the animals in most parts of it are wild. We walked 1/2 a day in pursuit of ibex X goats and never saw any, and I don't blame the guide. The bush was thick, we saw sign, smelled them, but couldn't catch up to them.

For the kids or first time hunters a good guide on a quality ranch teaches them lots, and the chance of success is greater and encouraging to young kids. I prefer to bow hunt and spot and stalk if possible or at least use ground blinds, and some ranches will not accommodate that. I also think that for an experienced gun hunter that many ranch situations are not a challenge. It all depends what you want out of a hunt.

I would suggest researching well before booking a ranch hunt, and avoid the too good to be true packages. A guide in Texas told us that the guide and outfitter association down there keeps a watch out for unethical, poorly run type places because they give all ranches a bad rep. He said they have shut a few down that were small, had unhealthy animals or were the too good to be true type package hunts. In Texas we have hunted YO and JN ranches. JN being smaller, well run, and only take 1 party at a time. YO is huge and has some high quality game and many, many species. In Saskatchewan we hunted at Northsask Frontier Adventrues. They had very wild fallow, elk that I hunted with bow, and in my opinion wouldn't be a good challenge with rifle, and the had boar and whitetail as well. The boars at Badland Boars in Alberta were very, very wild and an exceptional hunt. Research well and make sure that the place you book will accommodate you in what you want to hunt, how you want to hunt it and what all the cost of the hunt includes.

T.

RE: ranch hunts
 

I'm mixed on the issue of ranched hunts. I believe they can be managed well, and still offer a decent chance at a wild, "mostly" free ranging animal. It also offers a unique opportunity for us to hunt exotic species here in our home country, rather than just dream about it because we can't afford to go to Africa or other countries to hunt. With the implementation of alot of these ranches, the types of animals such as axis deer are more plentifull now in the US, than they have been world wide.

On the flip side, I believe some of these ranches are too small. Basically what I would consider a canned hunt to be. With any type of hunting, there should be no guarantees for an opportunity for a kill. High probabilty because of a good set up or well thought out hunting style, would be okay, heck, that's even possible with public land guided hunts. Animals that are nearly domesticated, including whitetail deer, just don't seem to me like a huntable animal, more like a pet or livestock.

RE: ranch hunts
 

ranch hunts.....Africa! albiet big <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: ranch hunts
 

I had a specific ranch in mind, one called hunt tioga in tioga county pa. They offer several species on around 1500 acres, if memory serves me. The price is reasonable, and they say that one can hunt until they get something. The thing that bothers me is the size. I know 1500 acres is big, but it doesn't seem to be big enough to hold several species of large wild animal in a really wild state. You can check it out if you want. The adress is www.hunt-tioga.com.

RE: ranch hunts
 

yeah, i would like to see at least 3000-4000 acres myself.

[Deleted]
 

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RE: ranch hunts
 

bullhunter,

i am not against them either, but I know someone who is and here is his argument. He doesn't like to shoot wild animals in an enclosure, comparing it to hunting in a zoo. He also says it is less aesthetically pleasing and doesn't fit under fair chase.

I wouldn't want to hunt on 100 acres either, but if someone else does, I don't have a problem with it.

RE: ranch hunts
 

The way that I feel, is that if it is legal I have no problem with other people doing it. I personally would not hunt inside a high fence ranch, but I feel that this is a good opportunity for people who are unable to hunt a more open area. I guess my opinion just comes from the area that I hunt. Here in NV, to my knowledge, there are no high fence ranches. I like the idea of a 100% wild hunt. Hunts are held on private land, but these ranches are cattle ranches, with 4 ft. high fences. Deer, elk, and antelope can easily jump, crawl under, or go through these fences with no problem, so they obviously have control of the situation. It really makes you bring out your true hunting skills. Very few people are succesful here in NV from tree stands and/or ground blinds too, so it's almost always limited to spot and stalk, or still hunting.