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RE: Another ethical question...
 

First of all I ain't a penned hunt guy either but it does sound fairly large, so not as bad as some might be but hardly what we would call hunting. Being it is basically free and been asked to help cull the lessers...I would go and do it. If nothing else it will provide you with experience in the field, shot placements and heck a nice set of rattlin horns to boot. Now if you have a problem with it personally or no real desire, then don't go. If your problem is with what others may say or think......who cares!! You are the one that has to look in the mirror, do what makes you happy and feel good.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

On a spread this size, I would absolutely consider this a fair chase hunt as long as they don't have dividing deer proof fences. Just ask yourself this question. Will it be easier to kill a deer on this ranch than the adjoining land without a deer proof fence? If you have studied whitetail behavior/escape strategies, you will know that they will be just as hard to hunt on this area. Whitetails do not travel extreme distances to get away from predators. They are very effective at hiding in the cover near their core area (1 to 1-1/2 sq miles). If fact, if it is south Texas, good luck in even seeing a good buck unless you go when it is cold or during the rut.

Are these truly "free ranging deer". Technically no, but you will be hunting "wild" deer and it will be a fair chase hunt in my book.

I say go and I will bet a dollar bill you will enjoy and come away with the realization that this is a fair chase hunt.

Good hunting.

Edited by - txhunter58 on 11/02/2002 07:29:44

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I would agree with skeeter 7 mm. My father in law lives in texas (all his life). as far as getting a nice buck its as easy as ridding a bike. the deer on those ranches are raised like cattle. There really is NO SPORT in the hunt but you do end up with a nice deer. If its free go for it. Deer meat is deer meat no matter how you get it(legely of course). Good luck and have fun!!!

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Go for it. You will probably never even see the fence. Its legal and as long as you are comfortable with it go ahead.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

If your looking for a good challenge like the one we find on open land (not fenced in), this is not the place. On the other hand if your looking to take a good deer, go for it.

KEEP HUNTING THE GREAT OUTDOORS & GOD ALIVE, PASS IT ON!

RE: Another ethical question...
 

<font face='Comic Sans MS'><font color=maroon>I normally lurk here, but I've gotta say something. Model 722, that is really an asinine post. Have you ever been to South Texas? I know that some people have a problem with Hi-fences, to each his own, BUT 10,000 acres makes for a little different scenario. It is HARD to find a good deer, much less any deer in the brush down here. Right now, the conditions are unbelievable, we've had way above normal rainfall and the deer are not moving. They don't have to go very far to get a mouthful and that makes for tough hunting. You DON'T know what sport is until you've tried to hunt here. It is a very fair chase, mostly in favor of the deer. And they are NOT raised like cattle, I'd like to see you get on your hoss and try to round 'em up.
bgidd2280-go have a blast!

Pablo</font id=maroon></font id='Comic Sans MS'>

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Only you can answer this question. My requirements would be that I inspect the territory and I pick the location. I would not want to be lead by the hand and have someone say: &quot;sit here&quot;. If I pick the spot based on my experience, then, and only then, can I feel that I hunted the animal and didn't just pull the trigger for someone else. But that is me, so you should decide. Sounds like you are reserved by asking. Good luck.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

if its free go for it i would lol

&quot;She said if I hit that fishin hole today, she's be packin all her things and she'd, be gone by noon....I'm gonna miss her, when I get home.&quot;

RE: Another ethical question...
 

PABLO If you REALY want to TRY to HUNT maybe you should find some woods (NOT FLAT LAND OIL FEILDS AND DESERT). My wife is sitting with me and said your just another want-to-be COWBOY!!!!! OOOOHH! by the way she is a native texan!!!!! And she doesn't believe in cattle deer hunting either!!!!!!!!!!! Any time you want to go REAL hunting give me a call or you can just Email me.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Sorry model, but I am a born and raised Texan (I'm 44) and would not agree with your Father in law. I do know of a couple of ranches like hes describes (mainly exotic ranches), but most of the ranches I know don't raise deer like cattle, especially in south Texas. For one thing it is too expensive to feed them!

I am curious, has he hunted on a 10,000 acre ranch like he describes or is he going by word of mouth? If he has hunted on one, what is the name of the ranch?

I also know of ranches in Texas where there are NO high fences and the deer are feed year round like cattle and are almost as tame. But even those ranches, you should see the big bucks dissapear once the guns start popping. Even so, I wouldn't call shooting a buck on that low fence ranch really &quot;hunting&quot;.

bgidd: Let us know if you go and what your opinion is after you go.

Good hunting!

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Hey there txhunter58 I'm not sure were he hunted I'll have to ask. I was talking about a ranch like bgidd2280 described, High fence etc... My father in law told me that he would get in his stand which was next to a feeder at dark. About 1/2hr to 45 minutes after the sun would come up the feeder would go off and the deer would be all over the place. Then about 45 minutes before the sun went down the feeder would go off again. Same thing deer all over the place. The deer were fed at regular times all year. So naturally the deer learned that when the feeder turned on there was going to be food. Now you now as well as I do that this makes the hunting real easy. I realise that all of texas is not like this. I didn't mean to make anyone mad. I also know that texas is not the only place that has these types of ranches(high fence, feeding etc...). I know that when the guns start going off the deer start to spook easly, But sooner or later you'll get your deer. If you're on one of these ranches like bgidd2280 described its going to increase your chance of getting a nice deer ahole lot easier.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

<font face='Comic Sans MS'><font color=maroon>Well, Mr Model, let me clue you in on a couple of things. Where we are, it's not oil fields, deserts or flatlands. There are dense thickets of mesquites, blackbrush, whitebrush, huisache, prickly pear, etc., that are virtually impossible to ride, much less walk thru. Also, I'm a 5th generation Texan who was born and raised on a ranch. I train cutting horses and my wife and I raise F-1 Braford cattle. Oh, and she was also raised on her father's ranch that has been in her family for not quite 100 yrs. (1907). So, I know of what I speak, sir. If you would like to visit South Texas in the future, let me know when you are coming thru and I would be glad to give you a tour of a working ranch.
I don't necessarily agree with some hunting methods in other states, but if it happens to be legal there, then more power to the hunter and I hope they harvest an animal by their chosen means. Please don't come on here and knock someone's way of hunting just because you don't like it. Go hunting, it'll make you happier.

Pablo from South of San Antone </font id=maroon></font id='Comic Sans MS'>

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Hey pablo I'm sorry if I offended you and I didn't mean to put down anybody's way of hunting. I was just saying that hunting on a ranch like the one that bgidd2280 described would be an easier hunt. As far as ever being in texas I've been there. I was a truck driver and I've been in almost all of texas north south east, and west. I've also been in every state except alaska, and hawaii. Texas is one of the prettest states there is. Ooh I lived in texas for over a year. It was alittle hot for me So my wife and i moved north.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

No offense taken, my apologies also.

Pablo

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RE: Another ethical question...
 

<font color=red>&quot;PABLO If you REALY want to TRY to HUNT maybe you should find some woods (NOT FLAT LAND OIL FEILDS AND DESERT). My wife is sitting with me and said your just another want-to-be COWBOY!!!!! OOOOHH! by the way she is a native texan!!!!! And she doesn't believe in cattle deer hunting either!!!!!!!!!!! Any time you want to go REAL hunting give me a call or you can just Email me.&quot;

&quot;I didn't mean to make anyone mad&quot;

&quot;Hey pablo I'm sorry if I offended you and I didn't mean to put down anybody's way of hunting&quot;</font id=red>

Wow. <img src=icon_smile_blackeye.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_dissapprove.gif border=0 align=middle>

Edited by - GoTres on 11/03/2002 22:29:19

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I say go for it, if not only for the meat. And when else are you going to get an opportunity like that again.

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RE: Another ethical question...
 

i am a born texan and have lived in texas all my life. i do not believe in high fences. even with 10,000 acres you know pretty much where te deer will be. you have to ask your self the question,&quot;when the deer get to the end of this property, can they keep running free or does the fence turn them around?&quot; if they can not keep running it is not fair chase. if they are turned around by the fence then they are penned up. makes no difference how big the pen is, it is still a pen if they can not get out.success rates are much, much higher on high fence ranches. hunting prices are much higher on high fence ranches.i just believe that the deer should have as much of a chance as the hunter. high fences do not give them that chance.i have been to and looked at high fence ranches all over texas.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I would do it just to try it. If you don't like it, don't do it again. You've got to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. You may NEVER get a chance like this again. Like txhunter 58 stated: if you do go, tell us how & what you felt, good or bad, and how you did.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

do it.

http://kyhunter.proboards10.com/index.cgi

RE: Another ethical question...
 

OK I have to put in my 2 cents I have hunted on high and low fances ranches and I can tell you a ranch that size is no cake walk and as far as feeders go you will see alot of deer after they go off but you will not see the big boys only young deer looking for a free meal.The big boys are too smart to eat at the feeders durring the day.Thay will only hit the feeders at night,thats why they are the big boys.Pabol I will be happy to take you up on the offer to cone down to south texas.I live in Wimberley and hunt the hill country.Bgidd2280 go for it you will not be disappointed.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> i do not believe in high fences. even with 10,000 acres you know pretty much where te deer will be. you have to ask your self the question,&quot;when the deer get to the end of this property, can they keep running free or does the fence turn them around?&quot; if they can not keep running it is not fair chase. if they are turned around by the fence then they are penned up. makes no difference how big the pen is, it is still a pen if they can not get out<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Dep214, I mean no offense but that statement is almost silly. No matter how big the pen is, it's not fair chase? So if we put a fence around the whole US and penned in every deer it's not fair chase? Give me a break. 10,000 acres is over 15 1/2 square miles! Most deer will live and die within a mile or two (or much less) of where they were born. So in this situation alot of these deer might not even know there is a fence holding them back! I'm not a big fan of high fences either, I've never hunted behind one. But to make comments like this is pointless is in my opinion. If you don't agree with that way of hunting, fine, he asked for opinions. But to say that any fence no matter how big it is, makes it not fair chase, is a joke.

Bgidd, I say go for it. No one says you have to kill a deer if you go. At the very least you could have a great experience getting to watch whitetails. If the hunting seems like fair chase, go for it. If it is like a zoo, take alot of pictures. Good luck!

--------------------------------------------
Hunting the Piney Woods of Deep East Texas.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I hunt on 600 acres in south Mississippi. The land is very thick with trees and low bushes. Many times while in my tree stand, I have had deer pass within 20 yards and have still not been able to see them because of the dense cover. You could fence in all 600 of my acres, and the deer would still be just as elusive. In my opinion, 10,000 acres is definitely fair chase. Good luck.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

what is the purpose of the fence if it is fair chase. it is to keep the deer from getting out. i see nothing silly about fencing in animals to shoot them.you can go by many high fence ranches and see deer at the fence.they are not allowed to leave and roam free.this is not a normal fence but one built high enough to keep them inside.that is like saying prisons are built just to house but not keep the inmates inside.fair chase means where the game roam freely and are not fenced inthe only thing allowed to roam freely is the hunters. the hunters can leave.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

This is really silly, guys. Ten thousand acres is an enormous amount of land, much more than any deer would range naturally. In nature, rivers, canyons and mountains create boundaries. A high fence at the perimeter is irrelevant. Many deer on a piece of land that size will spend their entire life without ever encountering the fence. Much more important whether they fend for themselves, or are fed by man and comfortable around him. My guess is that these deer are as wild as any. The biggest problem I can see, is that if you see a Boone and Crocket buck, you can't shoot him...

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Many of you guys must be confused with deer hotels on those dinky 60 acre parcels of &quot;hunting preserve&quot; operations. This was a ligit question and one that has no bearing on the ethics of hunting deer in the type of country and proportions of the ranch the original poster described. But there's a bigger issue here not fully explained or understood by many of you.
Dep214 said

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>what is the purpose of the fence if it is fair chase. it is to keep the deer from getting out. i see nothing silly about fencing in animals to shoot them.<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Actually none of you guys, including dep214, have hit it exactly on the head yet. I'll tell you the real purpose of a high fence. In the years before high fences huge ranches were poached to such an extent that most good deer were removed illegally and only inferior bucks remained. Law enforcement had too many vast counties of Texas brush to patrol to be effective. Naturally if you owned this much land and many times oil flowed up from it you could afford a remedy. The original purpose of a high fence was, and still is, to keep poachers and bad neighbors from killing deer illegally. Now there's another equally important reason for staking a high fence and it's not to keep deer in believe it or not. Rather the reason a high fence is built is to actually keep inferior deer OUT so you can properly manage your herd remaining inside. The majority of high fence ranches have no imported genetics so there's no incentive to build a high fence only to keep deer in. The first and true reason to build a high fence on these huge ranches is to keep out inferior bucks and to help deal with poachers. Period.

Deer hunting is an investment for all of us. Some people with bigger bank accounts want to manage their own private herd. Wouldn't we all if we could? It would be fun! The description of this particular ranch of over 15 square miles definatly ranks as fair chase. The only problem I see is that many international record books may not admit an animal to their book because of the high fence issue. This is not a &quot;hunting preserve&quot; where bucks are bred to die for sure from a clown who buys a 100% percent guaranteed hunt. Let the original poster enjoy himself.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

if the purpose of the fence is to not keep the deer inside, can the deer roam past the fence?no! sure they do not want inferior deer. they want to keep this group at a certain way . they are bred to shoot.too many worry about racks and that is what causes problems.it is not deer hunting anymore. it is rack hunting!<font face='Trebuchet MS'></font id='Trebuchet MS'><font face='Script MT Bold'></font id='Script MT Bold'><font face='Stencil'></font id='Stencil'><font face='Verdana'></font id='Verdana'><font face='Lucida Console'></font id='Lucida Console'>

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I completely agree with soonershooter. I've read several articles over the years from different magazines talking about the merits of hunting fenced in areas. Many of these echoed what Sooner is saying. That the fences were primarily used to keep out other deer. Of course this also keeps deer in but I recall that many of the writers stated that there was absolutely no perceived difference in the hunt! The deer inside the fence were just as elusive as free ranging deer.

I've never hunted inside a fence but I doubt I would feel too weird about doing it so long as the place was large like the one the original poster mentioned. I think one has to simply evaluate the quality of the operation. It just stands to reason that some hunting preserves are going to be run better than others. Needless to say, a 50 acre high fenced preserve would be akin to &quot;shooting fish in a barrel&quot; and I wouldn't pay to hunt a place like that. 15 square miles though is an entirely different ball game. That is HUGE!

One more thing. I think people are becoming too paranoid of the phrase: &quot;100% guaranteed hunt&quot;. One would need to to ask questions but I don't think that always translates to: &quot;YOU WILL KILL A DEER!!&quot; Rather, I believe the statement might actually mean: &quot;Your going to see lots of deer&quot; or possibly: &quot;If you don't take game, you don't pay&quot;. Again, it would be very important and wise to ask the outfitter questions to find out exactly what their 100% guarantee actually means.

-Mike

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I have to add one more thing I have seen the big bucks jump and clear a 12 foot high fence, so if you think that the fence will keep all the deer in you are wrong.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Coming from an area of the country where we do not have high fences (Minnesota), I will offer my perspective. Soonershooter brings about some points that are certainly true, but in my opinion, they also make the case for this not being a fair chase hunt. If you keep inferior deer out, you are affecting the deer herd artificially and therefore, deer shot on this ranch should not be compared to deer shot in the wild. If the deer herd is managed artificially, that is the fence aids in any way, then IMO, that constitutes unfair advantage over those of us that have to hunt the wild deer herd. Now that only means that those deer should not be entered into the record book. Can a person have an enjoyable hunt? Sure. Could it be hard and challenging? Sure. But in my opinion, deer harvested off of any enclosed should not be compared with true wild deer. Many say that the fence may not play a role. I contend that it undoubtedly has. Unless the deer in question has never seen the fence in its lifetime, and a big buck will put on some miles over the course of breeding seasons. I believe that it is roughly 15 sq miles. If it is a square chunk of land, that means it is approximatel 4 miles by 4 miles. If the buck was born smack in the middle, that means he is at most 2 miles from the fence. If any of you think that a mature buck has not traveled 2 miles, you are kidding yourselves. If it is not a square chunk, the fence is even closer. It is pure hogwash to say that the deer haven't encountered the fence. So, I would say to bgidd2280, go and have a great hunt, it will not affect you one way or the other unless you shoot a B&C type buck and it is important to you to have your name in the book (and 140 will not make the book, so no problem).

We hunt deer in MN a little different than those in Texas. So this is just the opinion of a guy up north. Those down south may think it is ok. Thats fine. We don't think baiting is fair chase either, but that is another topic.

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Since you're asking my opinion on the issue, I'd say go for it. It should be fun. But would I call it hunting, absolutely not! The fence could be easily used to your hunting advantage instead of the fact that it keeps the good ones in and the poachers and unwanted deer out. Even when it's 10,000 acres, which is a lot. A good word for this type of stuff is you're harvesting, not hunting, IMO a big difference. Neither is wrong, it just depends on whats for you. Good luck!
Visit My Hunting Page

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Ok Dep: You have just inherited a 10,000 acre ranch and a $1 million bank account from your rich uncle. You go down and check out your new ranch. You find that on 2 sides of your ranch the land has been bought and subdivided into 10 acre &quot;ranchettes&quot; and most of them have a deer blind and a couple of feeders on them. The ranch foreman says that very seldom does anyone see or kill anything bigger than a forkhorn on your ranch. You know for a fact that some of the little &quot;ranchers&quot; take 10 deer/year off their 10 acres. Your ranch supplies feed, cover, etc all year for the deer and some guy with 10 acres calls them across the fence and shoots them. Decisions, decisions: if you continue as is, the herd is unbalanced with very few mature bucks to breed the does, and no good antlers. OR you could consider putting up a deer proof fence and manage your deer numbers for a healthy herd with good numbers of mature bucks. If the deer had a choice, which do you think they would vote for?

You can say that &quot;trophy&quot; hunters are bad, but one of the reasons I hold out for a trophy is that I know I have really triumphed as a hunter when I kill a &quot;big-un&quot;. Those guys don't get really big by being stupid and it takes a really good &quot;hunter&quot; to bag one, even on a ranch with a high fence. I may only shoot a buck every 3-4 years. I do kill 2-3 does/year for meat. If horns aren't important, why don't you just shoot a doe. That may not be an option where you are, but here in the Texas hill country we try to shoot twice as many does as bucks due to the large number of deer.

What? It was my uncle that left the ranch to me? I am calling the fencing crew as we speak!

Edited by - txhunter58 on 11/08/2002 13:20:29

RE: Another ethical question...
 

i am in texas if you had read. i did shoot a doe this weekend on a fair chase ranch. we saw bucks but just passed due to not having a good shot. a high fence would not have made the shot any harder-or easier.
my season has never depended upon how big a rack was. i just try to get meat and some times i fail. i fail in a fair chase hunt and not inside a fence. i fail to see your point on the 10,000 acre ranch. who cares what the other people get as long as they are doing it own their property. i would never put up a high fence to keep people out except maybe in a prison.high fences keep other deer out and the other deer in.the reason i hear is that so they can grow bigger. why is this? so they can kill that fenced in deer when it gets big.fencing anything in where it will spend its life inside that fence is not fair chase. the sole purpose of that fence is to grow that deer bigger so it can be killed once it gets to the size you want. where is that hunting?

RE: Another ethical question...
 

So how many deer would it be ok for a guy with 10 acres to harvest &quot;as long as they are on his property&quot;? 10 deer? 20, 50, 100? I am not talking about him personally, but his friends, relatives, paying guests? One of my points was that the herd within the fence would be a healthier, more natural (buck/doe ratio) herd. In my example everyone was shooting yearlings and 2 year old bucks. Where is the sport/hunting in that? I would bet you a mature buck housed in a 10,000 acre high fenced area would be harder to kill than a yearling buck coming in to a feeder. I have seen first hand what these little &quot;ranchette&quot; subdivisions do to the deer herd and I don't think it is good for the deer.

The only solution other than high fencing to the problem of people harvesting more than their fair share would be to limit the number of deer than can be harvested determined by the size of the parcel. If in the same scenerio, the state limited everyone to 1 buck on properties less than 50 acres and then 1 buck per so many acres (would vary depending on the local deer population) then I would not put up a high fence.

What is wrong with the idea that you can shoot all the deer that your property can support on a day to day basis?

RE: Another ethical question...
 

you should know that being in texas game wardens would be all over you iff that many deer were coming off that property.you being in texas know that we are governed by the amount of bucks and does we can kill in each county. why should it make any differenceabout the size of the property. doe permits are given out due to the size and cover on the property.it used to be one doe permit per every 200 acres. some counties do not require permits. if the properties involved can stand to have that number harvested it should make no difference. a fence has nothing to do witn that. question-(why) is it when we put a fence around a deer so he can not get out we just call it high fencing. when we put a high fence around a human we call it a prison.high fences are there for the lazy hunter who is willing tp pay big bucks. when have you seen a high fence ranch that was cheap to hunt? never!

RE: Another ethical question...
 

Txhunter58 let's not get carried away. No real sportsman wants to slaughter a &quot;deer a day&quot;. And Dep214 don't attack people hunting there as &quot;lazy&quot; or that the cost is high. Don't forget the cost is more because of other things like accomodations, meals, guides, vehicles, butchering/freezing and even free extras like fishing and sporting clays. You don't have to invest in camping equipment or travel trailers, atv's or stands. So your money is spent one way and others spend perhaps the same amount to hunt differently. Remember too that not everyone has time to find land, scout, put up feed and stands or get there more than once a year. Life is busy not &quot;lazy&quot; for some people and getting a chance to go hunting for only a few days is all some people have because of work constraints so they choose the all inclusive option. Also some people only go once every 3 or 4 years saving their money to hunt once in awhile on a ranch with great bucks and not on an annual basis. It's not only rich folks who want to hunt like this.

You can't manage a deer herd effectively without tools. The biggest tool is age dynamics. I can't imagine a 140 class or above deer getting that big without being at least 3 1/2 years old. Most would have to be 4 1/2 or more actually. There's slim chances that with poachers on the prowl you could produce at least 10% of your herd with deer this old. The high fence is a tool to help keep poachers and neighbors who'll shoot anything that walks by at bay so these deer can grow old. It's wise to give dep214 credit and admit the other beneficial effect is to cull undesireable deer. He fails to recognize that this is also a tool for management. His logic is lost if you consider fishing. I guess he's above fishing in a pond with good artificial structure feeling it would be &quot;unfair&quot; and would prefer fishing in reservoirs. His only problem is that he and many other people feel the fence shoves deer into a corner and you'll never change their minds. Many smaller properties are unfortunately run like that on a &quot;preserve&quot; basis in nearly pen like conditions. However the original poster wasn't going to an operation like that. In fact lots of premium bucks on huge high fenced lands, like the 10,000 acres described, are never even seen until the rut and many of them are found dead of old age since the brush is almost impenetrable. The issue will always be very debatable of course but let's not forget that the anti's want us divided so let's unite under a unified hunting umbrella and not rip each other merely because of style over substance.

Edited by - soonershooter on 11/11/2002 12:38:32

Edited by - soonershooter on 11/11/2002 12:41:30

RE: Another ethical question...
 

I do respect dep's point of view and respect his right to believe as he does. It probably really is a result of how you were raised and were taught as well as the area you are from. For instance, I live and hunt in the &quot;deer factory&quot; of Texas, the Texas hill country. I don't know of any counties in this area that issue doe tags anymore (not in the last 15 years) and they have never issued buck tags, so at least in this area, there are no limits on numbers of deer that can be taken. Surely, a game warden would take a close look at any property where that many deer come off, but they could all be taken legally. After all, just a family of 4 could take 16 deer legally off this property. I will continue to argue that this is too many deer for anyone to take off of 10 acres. I promise you that there are many areas where this is actually being done, at least in the hill country.

If reference to the deer being in jail. A deer on 10,000 acres has everything he needs to live a happy, normal (granted slightly restricted) life.

The only argument that really makes any sense to me is that the person with the high fence is restricting movement of &quot;my&quot; deer. Since the &quot;people&quot; of Texas own the deer and not the landowner, I would have to say that is a valid point, and not one for which I have a good comeback. However, I will not concide that a deer on 10,000 feels restricted or in jail. Sorry. We just have to agree to dissagree on this one.

Even if I was against high fencing, I would not be for laws restricting their use, because that is &quot;big brother&quot; telling me what I can and can't do on my own property. That would scare me.

Good hunting everyone, whatever the size of your property! And remember, size matters! LOL.