Poll on hunting in high fences.
12-15-2003, 10:24 AM
#101
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 352
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
I have never hunted behind a complete high fence. This year we asked the owner of our lease to high fence a portion of our ranch because we had been experiencing a lot of poaching from a specific neighbor. The neighboring landowner divided her property into 100 acre plots and sold them off. The new ownere of the 100 acre plots put feeders all along the fence line and a some of them were caught on our ranch. our lease manager went to our land owner explained this and said we were either going to need a lower lease price or one mile of high fence along that border. So now on our 6,000 acre lease we have one mile of high fence. I think we did the right thing, but it is pretty discouraging that we have to go to these lengths to combat poachers.
So again I have never hunted a high fence enclosure, but I can see why they are becoming more prevalent. If we were experiencing poaching along all our borders and high fenced all our ranch, I would probably move to another lease even though I do think that an area as large as 6,000 acres would still be a challenging hunt under high fence. The bottom line with me is that when I do finally get that 170 class deer, I want him in the record book and deer killed behind a high fence cannot be entered in the book.
I also think that if I had a 170 class deer on the wall from a high fence ranch I would spend more time explaining to people how high fence hunting is real hunting than I would telling stories about how I got the deer.
So again I have never hunted a high fence enclosure, but I can see why they are becoming more prevalent. If we were experiencing poaching along all our borders and high fenced all our ranch, I would probably move to another lease even though I do think that an area as large as 6,000 acres would still be a challenging hunt under high fence. The bottom line with me is that when I do finally get that 170 class deer, I want him in the record book and deer killed behind a high fence cannot be entered in the book.
I also think that if I had a 170 class deer on the wall from a high fence ranch I would spend more time explaining to people how high fence hunting is real hunting than I would telling stories about how I got the deer.
12-15-2003, 10:49 AM
#102
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fredericksburg Virginia USA
Posts: 13,672
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
I also think that if I had a 170 class deer on the wall from a high fence ranch I would spend more time explaining to people how high fence hunting is real hunting than I would telling stories about how I got the deer.
12-15-2003, 10:54 AM
#104
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
What deer is more of a trophy a 3.5 yr old that lives on public land with a decent 8 pt rack or a 160 class 10 pt that lives behind a fence that hasn't seen any hunting pressure?
12-15-2003, 11:05 AM
#105
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,693
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
ORIGINAL: Tazman
I am not saying that a deer confined to a 1,000-100,000 acre fenced in area is not wild, they are, nor am I saying that he is not hard to get a shot at, what I am pointing out is you will always know he is there! You never know when hunting free roaming deer if the buck you saw when scouting preseason will even be in the same county you are hunting little lone if he will be in the same 1,000 acres.
The point I am trying to make which no high fence hunter nor anyone who owns a high fence operation can dispute is this, unless the deer you saw in preseason died, that same deer will still be inside the high fence unlike a free roaming deer.
I am not saying that a deer confined to a 1,000-100,000 acre fenced in area is not wild, they are, nor am I saying that he is not hard to get a shot at, what I am pointing out is you will always know he is there! You never know when hunting free roaming deer if the buck you saw when scouting preseason will even be in the same county you are hunting little lone if he will be in the same 1,000 acres.
The point I am trying to make which no high fence hunter nor anyone who owns a high fence operation can dispute is this, unless the deer you saw in preseason died, that same deer will still be inside the high fence unlike a free roaming deer.
You and I would never hunt fences, but is it wrong for other's to hunt them though? The doctor or dentist that has 4 minutes of vacation all year pays $15,000 to hunt a nice buck. So let em. At least this guy isn't calling PETA wanting to join their ranks.
When it comes right down to it, guys with tons of cash can go on the internet and buy a trophy head mount - trophy wall hanger without stepping foot into the woods. That would never fly with us, but to some hey, whatever. Again, at least they aren't ordering PETA posters to frame and hang on their walls. That's all I'm trying to get at. Whether it makes sense, well, who knows.
12-15-2003, 11:15 AM
#106
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location:
Posts: 11,472
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
On the contrary badshotbob. I think the idea of it alone destroys the integrity of the sport. I also think it can give fuel for the antis fire. They are wound up enough about hunting free roaming animals. What do you think their response to putting one in a cage and hunting it will be? Try justifying to them how fenced animals are a fair hunt. If other hunters here disagree about it what will they say? No words in the world can make them see any positive point on hunting fenced animals.
12-15-2003, 03:07 PM
#109
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,693
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
ORIGINAL: NY Bowhunter
On the contrary badshotbob. I think the idea of it alone destroys the integrity of the sport. I also think it can give fuel for the antis fire. They are wound up enough about hunting free roaming animals. What do you think their response to putting one in a cage and hunting it will be? Try justifying to them how fenced animals are a fair hunt. If other hunters here disagree about it what will they say? No words in the world can make them see any positive point on hunting fenced animals.
On the contrary badshotbob. I think the idea of it alone destroys the integrity of the sport. I also think it can give fuel for the antis fire. They are wound up enough about hunting free roaming animals. What do you think their response to putting one in a cage and hunting it will be? Try justifying to them how fenced animals are a fair hunt. If other hunters here disagree about it what will they say? No words in the world can make them see any positive point on hunting fenced animals.
12-15-2003, 09:44 PM
#110
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location:
Posts: 264
RE: Poll on hunting in high fences.
Well, if you guys all enjoy the experience of waking up insanely early to try to beat ole liquored up Larry to a hunting spot every morning, only to sit there and not see anything for several hunts and finaly end up killing a button buck at the end of the season to put meat in your freezer than by all means....
YOU ARE THE GREAT NORTH AMERICAN HUNTER
Me, I would rather spend a few more dollars on a quality hunting lease, manage the herd by letting young bucks walk, feed them some protein in the spring, and get to see quality deer.
Just a difference in oppinion, that's all.
But don't tell me I'm not a hunter because my lease has a high fence. I'm not paying some outfitter to scout out bucks for me to show up and shoot. I look for scrapes, rubs, tracks, and all the other sign that goes into prepairing to have a successful hunt and even tho my lease has a high fence, I'm not guaranteed ANYTHING. I've gone 5 years and not killed a quality buck. This year is my first year that I have taken rack buck on our lease, but I've been able to let several nice bucks live longer and mature.
I've done the public hunting thing before and it's always the same old thing. 200 guys fighting over the same 100 acres.
Point is this.....you get all the hunters in North America on the same management program where bucks have a chance to live past 3 1/2 and I'll gladly tear every foot of our high fence down. Until then, it stays up.
YOU ARE THE GREAT NORTH AMERICAN HUNTER
Me, I would rather spend a few more dollars on a quality hunting lease, manage the herd by letting young bucks walk, feed them some protein in the spring, and get to see quality deer.
Just a difference in oppinion, that's all.
But don't tell me I'm not a hunter because my lease has a high fence. I'm not paying some outfitter to scout out bucks for me to show up and shoot. I look for scrapes, rubs, tracks, and all the other sign that goes into prepairing to have a successful hunt and even tho my lease has a high fence, I'm not guaranteed ANYTHING. I've gone 5 years and not killed a quality buck. This year is my first year that I have taken rack buck on our lease, but I've been able to let several nice bucks live longer and mature.
I've done the public hunting thing before and it's always the same old thing. 200 guys fighting over the same 100 acres.
Point is this.....you get all the hunters in North America on the same management program where bucks have a chance to live past 3 1/2 and I'll gladly tear every foot of our high fence down. Until then, it stays up.