Texas is the high fence capital of America. Most of the high fence ranches in Texas are 1000 acres or less.

Ok, let's take this in another direction. I think my intent in this post was to see if I was alone on pen raised deer and fenced hunting. I think I have learned myself that although I may not like it and it is not for me, I don't have any reason to bash it. Just let it role off my back, I will hunt the way I want and they can do what they want to and spend what they want to. But how can the record books be affected. I know that a deer must be fair chase but what if one of these deer escapes. Can they be entered in B&C or P&Y. Is there any way to tell if they were raised in this manor. Does anyone know of a case where a pen rasied deer was entered or attempted to be entered in any book. I would like to hear more about that. That is something that does affect the everyday hunter.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with that stance. IMHO the negative publicity of these places does an awful lot to hurt all of us fair chase hunters because the antis try to make everyone believe that it's the norm, rather than the small percentage it is. P&Y and B&C do not allow anything but fair chase animals into their books, but I believe SCI has a section just for high-fenced animals that are taken. If an animal escapes from an enclosure and is killed by a hunter during what would be considered a normal hunt, as far as I know it would be eligible for entry. I'm sure the hunt would really be scrutinized though before final acceptance.

The "anti's" don't like any form of hunting, regardless of whether it's free-range, a 100,000 acre high fence, or a 500 acre high fence. The PETA types don't want anyone hunting, and this is simply a divide and conquer issue for them. They like seeing the "free rangers" at the throats of the "high fencers."

My first "hunt" was on a high fenced place that was participating in a TPWD study prior to implementation of antler restrictions in the area. Hunted from a box blind near a food plot. Really wasn't any different from the box blind hunts I've done on "low-fenced" ranches... You sit there and wait for the deer to wander by, and hope that one who meets the ranch standards for a "shooter" shows up. The deer acted exactly the same way as "wild" deer. Only real difference was in the age structure of the herd.

Is it any different than tossing out a salt block, or baiting beer??

I hunt in NY,where it's fair chase, no bait, no fence, and more often than not, Bambi wins. They either sniff me out, or bust me another way, or whatever, but they are very keen.

I know there out there. The rubs are there. The droppings are there. but they are very keen.

I do not advocate making this illegal just as I would not want to see it made illegal for a farmer to slaughter a chicken or a pig. My problem is with it being called hunting. We used to occasionally slaughter a hog on my grandfathers farm. We just didn't call it a hunting trip. And we sure as hell didn't film it and try to act like we had pulled off some great feat of skill.

Let's state our objectives (let's assume we are legally hunting):

1) To make a one shot kill, killing the animal as quickly and humanely as possible with very little room for error.

2) To hunt safely and ethically.

3) To recover that which we take.

4) To have fun.

Would anyone argue? Moreover, isn't this what the public demands from us when they grant us the priviledge to hunt?

If you agree, then what could possibly be better than killing a sitting duck in a pond, ten yards away, with a single shotgun blast, and then wading out in a foot of water to pick it up? From an ethical point of view, isn't this the best way to meet the objectives? The aesthetics of wing/pass shooting the duck may add more fun (try it with a bow), but it does very little to increase implication of the other objectives listed. Think about it guys...

The bottom line, we're arguing over aesthetics. Are you such a purist that you cannot let someone hunt over decoys...what about the use of mojo motion decoys. Should those be banned? If your are a purist, why not hunt the way you like and let other's do what they like. Certainly, we all have varying abilities which we try to use to full potential. The point being, "I'm not you and you're me. Leave me alone and I'll leave you alone." Why does someone else's aesthetics have to be exactly like yours? Get over it!

Fair chase? How many of you hunt the same spot over and over again from year to year? Wouldn't it be more fair if you moved to a new site and actually had to hunt without having the benefit of KNOWING? You see how deep the aesthetic can go?

As hunters our base, less than 10% of the population, is pretty narrow. Let's not chip away at it any further. Employ your ways and let me employ mine. Remember the objectives!

You equate having a working knowledge of deer movements and where best to hunt on your land with shooting a penned semi domesticated animal and acting like it was a hunt? Aaaah, no, I don't see any similarity there.

Define "hunt" Todd. Isn't it the act of conducting a search for something? Would you agree in both cases a "hunt" is being conducted? It's the aspect of "accomplishment" stemming from "Aesthetic" that's giving you the snag . For you, certainly one is easier than the other. However, for the paraplegic/the stroke victim/the amputee (to name a few) one provides a controlled safe degree of success whereas the other doesn't. Are you going to deny that individual because his abilities (or lack thereof) aren't yours? Define "trophy" Todd. I'm sure your definition isn't the same as mine. I'm sure your definition isn't exactly the same as anyone's. Once you accept the fact that hunting is loaded with millions of variables you'll be able to move past the clutter. Hunt for you and only you. Let others do the same for themselves.

Anyone care to analyze the variables? I'll start with "time". I have more time than you...time of year...time of day...all the time in the world...time to observe...

I don't think it's hunting. To me all it is, is target shooting with a live target. In my mind real hunting is something in the wild where you take a chance of finding the animal on your own by reading the land. Sure it's ok to use a few tricks here and there like food plots or salt licks, and apple scent that's fine. But in a high fence enclosure where you're guaranteed to take one? That's just cheating. And it's unfair to the animal.

Now as far as disabled hunters go, like iamyourhuckleberry was saying, I'm ok with it. But I don't think it should be ok for people who are in fine condition. Then they are just lazy. But maybe I just see everything in black and white.

Just my 2 cents.