TXhighrack

Yes I guess your right considering I have a high fenced ranch and I have hunted on high fenced ranches ranging from 2,000-45,000 acres in size. My place I dont sell hunts for deer, never have and probably never will. As far as paying thousands of dollars to hunt deer, I do it every year. But a high fence has nothing to do with that. One of the most expensive hunts I've been on was on a ranch that only had a 4 strand barbedwire fence.

Well thats your choice, but just because somebody does something else, dosent mean they are wrong or unethical. Would you ever go on a sheep or mountain goat hunt? I bet you would, and I bet if you had the money you probably wouldnt mind "paying somebody thousands to shoot one goat".

duramaxlt

i've read all these arguments about fair chase hunting and ethics. one thing i believe everyones missing is the fact that its not natural for the deer we all love for instance almost all yearling bucks that have been radio collared from birth leave their home range with most traveling an average of 7 miles this is natures way of controlling inbreeding some argue the mother runs them off some argue instinct either way its fact.so how much ground do you have to fence in not to affect nature.alot!!!!!

BowHuntingFool

I will never pay somebody thousands to shoot one animal, no matter the size. Thats just my opinion. No high fences either. Like ya said to each his own!

buckhunter14

Near my house recently a man paid a guy and his outfitter 3500 dollars to hunt in a FIVE ACRE pen and shoot a massive buck because he wanted to have a mounter. It took the man 6 times to hit the deer and finally killed it. Sad for me because I enjoyed seeing the massive buck when I would walk by the pen. I guess he got what he wanted though?

kshunter

haha, that's crazy. Like many have said before, " to each his own"

Ryan Campbell

I've hunted behind high fences and low fences. I've been on small places and big places.
i've seen deer behind a high fence that were every bit as wild as anyplace else and i've walked within yards of deer in low fence country that couldn't care less that i was standing there.
Shooting deer in a five acre pen is morally wrong, hunting them on five thousand acres isnt.

rem7400 2

I notice a curious thing in this debate. All you "fair chase" hunters that think fences are bad but have been ignoring a question that has been asked several times and in several different ways. You just keep going on and on about "not my cup of tea", "I'd never pay thousands of dollars.....". You "fair chase hunters" don't seem to think it's right no matter if the fenced property is 10,000+acres. No matter what size property, it would never be right.
So let me ask again. What's so fair about using a modern firearm?? What's fair about shooting deer at 300 yards off a power line. So you think it's hunting to go sit in a permanent box blind or tower stand and shoot deer over a planted field or deer feeder?
Follow your logic in regards to fair chase and you will be sitting naked on a tree limb with a heavy stone tied to a stick waiting for game to walk underneath.
Okay boys, so your better than me cause you shot a deer at 300 yards with your magnum on open range and I dropped one at 30 yards out of a climber on a fenced property? Yeah, right!!!!!

I don't think anyone here that feels high fencing is okay condones what is better described as canned hunts. But you self righteous "no fencers" need to get a grip! Half of you are simply young and foolish and will one day mature and be as wise as me.

kshunter

From what I've gained from the whole discussion for the answer, basically to these 3 questions is; Free ranging deer is the difference. As simple as that.

Everybody has their own views this subject, just good to hear opinions and views from all angles.

TXhighrack

Yeah, but how "free ranging" is a deer who lives on (lets say) crowded public land in one of the eastern states. A piece of public land that might have 50-100 hunters per square mile during deer season. A piece of public land that is surronded by houses and highways. And now lets say that "free ranging" deer gets blasted on opening weekend from 300 yards away by Joe Blow, using his 300 win. mag and his 4X90 power scope. Sorry, but I have a hard time beliving that deer was living a "free ranging" live, even if he didnt live on a piece of land surrounded by an 8 foot fence.

Georgetownboys

Something to consider. . . I think a lot of you are looking at the high fence thing all wrong. The big fence on a nice peice of land, and I mean more than 2000 acres is more to keep people out than the Deer in. As we have all read and seen, we seem to have a number of guys who think that a fence is just something to get in the way of a hunt, not any type of legal boundry. At least with the high fence we are able to keep a few more of non ethical guys off the land and alow the owners of the land to use QDM in a manner that will benefit the folks that the owner wishes to invite or charge to hunt his land.