Hello all,

How do you feel about hunting animals in areas surrounded by a high fence that keeps animals in/out. I am currently having a discussion with a co-worker on this topic and was curious on what some of you think on the topic.

Thanks

Jer

Im sure opionions will vary on this subject but mine is that I think it depends on how much land is fenced. I mean, if a guy is hunting 2000 fenced acres there is still a sporting chance for the game animal. If we are talking say 40 fenced acres, you might as well be hunting at the zoo. I mean I can almost shoot that far. I wouldnt feel to good about running game up to the fence to shoot one. Some might though. Just my 2 cents

Flinch pretty well states my feelings -

There's some places down in Texas that have thousands upon thousands of acres high fenced and are selectively improving the game species by keeping the animals contained an culled. To me, that's all for the good.

A "game farm" on the other hand, leaves me pretty cold. Sorta like shooting dairy herds in the barnyard.

I'd have to agree, if the land is HUGH and the animals are still a challenge to hunt, then that's o.k. On the other hand, if it's a small farm area and you can shoot them from inside your truck, than that's cheating. If you want to do that, buy a video game. My 2 cents!

I have had several opportunities to hunt hogs on fenced property and have turned them down.(thanks but no thanks) These properties usually have all kinds of " EXOTICS " included behind the fence. My opinion is that if i'm gonna hunt behind a fence (FENCED ANIMALS) i'm gonna pay some farmer to shoot one of his cows. Thats my 2 or maybe 3 cents worth.-----STAY SHARP,STAY ALIVE------pruhdlr

Sorry. i just couldn't hunt behind a fence, no matter how big the area. After living in Wyoming and Nevada, where we have plenty of fences, but none that could keep out or in any big game animal, the satisfaction of killing a truly free ranging animal would be missing. I'd rather be fishing. Maybe I'm spoiled with so much public land within easy access. I am lucky to live in a state in which big game farms are illegal, but we still have our problems with disease in our elk herds that collect on feed grounds in the winter. We have feed grounds because of habitat loss.

there have been extreme examples of this on network tv where the animal is in a small pen, or released from a cage disoriented and shot at close range. i would call these "canned hunts" and don't like 'em at all. if the enclosure is measured in square miles, and rugged enough to get lost in, then maybe.
this is my opinion only and not flame at anybody.

monty

I read an article one time about ten years ago about a study in either MN or MI were a small amount or acreage was fenced in (I believe it was a 100 acres). There was a control group of deer introduced and after several months different pairs of hunters were inserted in the area and allowed to hunt. Each group reported either seeing no deer at all or only one. I feel the 100 acres to be on the high side if I remember correctly. The deer all had collars and it seemed the amount was what is generally even here in Texas to be over populated for that size area.

Anyways, they tracked the deer with the equipment and the hunters to observe their patterns and reactions. Deer moved in and around hunters were they should have been spotted.

Also, check out Oregons test area in Northeast Oregon with their mule deer and elk studies. Interesting stuff.

Never hunted high fence. Just a bit too rich for my blood and a bit hard to justify to myself venison at $220.00 or more a pound.

But outside of that if it was a large spread and not a put and take I see nothing terribly wrong.

Just my thoughts.

My views on high fences are about like the others here in Texas. It's a good thing if the place is big and I'm not interested if the place is small. The smallest game fenced pasture I've been in is 12,000 acres. Anybody that thinks that's fencing game in doesn't have a concept of what size a place that is.

Now I know of a 300-acre place that was fence out. Actually I know of two small places in two different counties that where fenced out. Both places where killing an inordinate amount of bucks for the given acreage and making no bones about it. The large landowners gave them fair warning to get with the program or see just how few bucks roam 300 acres of South Texas. Both small landowners offered the finger in return and the next time they came down for the weekend they had an 8-foot fence around their property... and that is all the high fence the large place has... the rest is low-fence with respectable neighbors. Now, you couldn't give those two 300 acre pastures away.

I've only bow-hunted high-fenced ranches and each ranch had an exemption from Pope and Young that would allow the deer to be entered in their record books. I didn't pay any attention if the same held true for B&C.

I'm the small guy in my neighborhood, so I mind my manners with the neighbors and limit my kill.

Thanks a million everyone for the input. I was a little worried about asking about this topic, but am very impressed with the respectful way everyone voiced thier opinion. Again, what a wonderful group of people to interact with on this board. Personally I guess it would depend on the situation and the way the place was run. I've never been in the situation. Thanks again

Jer

P.S. If i figure out my situation. Money spent on guns and hunting stuff / pounds of venison taken. I think $220 a pound might be sounding like a deal. Then again trying to devide by zero is undefined.

You got that right, Jer - !

Gave up a long time ago trying to justify my hunting costs by the pound of game retreived - just relate it to what rounds of golf cost anymore and come out with a smile. :D

Hi Jer, I am against high fences for several reasons. In most states, the law specifically states that the game animals belong to "the people" yet here in Texas, high fencing is becoming more frequent. The state is not reimbursed in any way from game animals taken from "the people" of the state. While excellent racks are being produced, it has become more of a cattle operation with breeding bucks hauled in, etc. I have heard of other states that nipped this problem in the bud by telling the landowners that they would have to pay extremely high fees for a state biologist to come out and do a survey and then charge the landowner more high fees for each game animal on the land. I have talked to many journalists with connections to the Texas Parks and Wildlife board memebers and guess what? Many of the board members high fence their ranches and charge a good chunk of change to hunt on their places. I personally feel this is bad policy and may even encourage inbreeding, diseases, etc on the smaller places. Just my .02 worth.

Good point on the inbreeding. I never thought about that one. A high fence is a sure-fire way to limit the gene pool.

Jer

Good point on the inbreeding. I never thought about that one. A high fence is a sure-fire way to limit the gene pool.

Jer
Jer- I have been very fortunate to have had a 8400 acre ranch dumped in my lap to manage. It had never been leased. It was mine to either screw up or improve.

IN the last 15 years, there has been much more pressure coming off of our fence lines. Anyone who has 50 acres that adjoins this ranch has their blinds and feeders right against the boundary fence. For years, we have had a 10 point minimum on bucks taken on our ranch.
Each hunter has two doe tags on his license, but in order to have big bucks every year, it means that each hunter is not going to kill a buck each year, but when he does, it will be a trophy. We see 4-5 good bucks a day on average.

Since our south fence line has become a free fire zone for deer, we have discussed very seriously, high fencing the ranch starting with that south boundary. Due to the rocky soil, it will run about $17,000 per mile. In four years it will be done.
It would be paid for by the lease money from the hunters.

The going rate in this area is $1850 per gun. No hunting guests. There are hunters who would pay more for the opportunity top kill a 135-150 class buck every two or three years. Not me you understand.

Anyway, all of these hunters have bought in to the management plan, and know what we are trying to do. They want to be a part of this ranch.

Its easy to find hunters to fill a lease down here, but its more difficult to find true conservationists committed to this idea.
Its hard to understand from the other side of the fence, but last year some dufus on the adjoining ranch killed a little 4 point buck off of our fence line on our side of the fence. I drove up, took their guns, and their drivers licenses, and held them until the ranch owner came to boot them off of his ranch. We now manage that ranch too. And have some good guys that leased it.
Anyway, I think that's the way most of these ranches end up being high fenced.
Good Luck
Tom

Tom...

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I've been both the big and little guy but the bottom line is respect of property, people, and critters.

Tom...

This is exactly what I'm talking about. I've been both the big and little guy but the bottom line is respect of property, people, and critters.

I know what you mean. With each season, I gain a deeper respect for the wildlife. How you can have one set of values on this side of the fence and another set for the other side, is hard .
I've been to New Mexico a couple of times, and really did appreciate the size of the land there. Someone's post mentioned that, but it is impressive.

Would you throw another log on the fire and bring me a cold one while you're up there, ranch dog!

Not too far from here is a place on State Game Land that is fenced to keep the deer out. The Game Commission is trying to allow the area to develop some undergrowth as browse. Lots of folks hunt the areas around the fence. I'm sure the fence gives the hunter some small advantage, if for no other reason that you know the deer won't be headed that way.

I'm not a 'pay to hunt' kind of guy. I might hire a guide for a trip out of state or something, but I don't have any desire to hunt captive animals. I don't like fishing behind the stocking truck, and I'm not much on shooting stocked pheasants either.

I don't think that I'd like hunting inside a high fence, though I'd have to agree that the size of the fenced area would make a huge difference. If the animals were stocked inside the high fence, I think that I'd rather spend my time shooting at paper. I'd just as well buy a farm-raised deer and slaughter/butcher it than release it in a cage and 'hunt' it down.

Are the animals and the people on THE SAME SIDE OF THE FENCE? Isn't that DANGEROUS?


Just kidding!!! :D :D :D :D