Hunting Exotics on high fenced game ranches. Is it really hunting?

[walker1983]

different strokes for different folks...

For me - my interest level in places goes way down if it has a lot of non pasture born animals... I think a ranch is much cooler if it has sustainable herds.

I know the economics don't always make sense to do that on small HF hunting operations - cheaper to buy animals from elsewhere - avoid the feed bills - and collect the kill fees.

Also, if hunting a HF, ranch size is important to the hunting experience for me.

I wouldn't have much interest hunting a HF place that wasn't at least a section, and carried a minimum herd of say 50 -/+ animals. Less than that, and you would know every deer on the place if you wanted to.

[DeadEyeB]

My opinion is that if they are basically tame and you just drive up and shoot one it's not hunting. If there is a chase though and they are actually wild then yeah sure it's same as any other type of hunting.

I have a buddy that has a HF that has some exotics that are very wild and not easy to get on. Then I see these HF places where the oryx just stand by the fence line without a care in the world.

[wellingtontx]

For me, Not at all.


But if that is what someone wants to do, then I certainly have no problem with it.

[Hoss163]

Spot and stalk a blackbuck are Axis are oryx in a high fence. That is some fun and tough hunting I promise you . You can even make some ram hunts pretty exciting if you do it right. I shot a red deer at 56 yards with my bow spot and stalk hunting. And two black bucks by doing the same . And a oryx . A mouflon Ram now that’s a tough hunt as well .

[Pushbutton2]

I've been to a high fence ranch 2X.

I enjoyed it but not sure I'd do it again.

The last time the weekend cost me what my lease costs me for a year.....
$2500

[TacticalCowboy]

I’ve hunted several and been on a few more. I don’t find it much different than sitting over a feeder on a LF place, or driving through a pasture and shooting something out of the pickup window.

The part that chaps me most is the ecological rape that takes place on some of these places. I’ve been to some that were 500 acres or better, and didn’t have a single blade of grass or a leaf below 6’.

[AntlerCollector]

I have hunted alot of high fence places. Some were easy, some were tough. As Buff said, when you pinpoint one animal and hunt them exclusively, that changes all the diameters of the hunt. I think you do what you want and quit worrying about what every body else thinks!

I agree with Buff also. I never worry about what everybody else thinks.

To me, I guess the reward comes from the difficulty of the hunt. I have been more excited after shooting an old nanny doe who busted me several times, than I did a big ram that I probably could have lured right to me with a bucket of feed. Like I said in my original post, I enjoy going to these types of places and look forward to more in the future. The competitive juices, and sense of accomplishment just isn't the same as when I've killed a old East Texas buck. I guess the overall thrill of the hunt is somewhat tapered down is all. Still fun times and good eating.

[Bisch]

Hunting Exotics on high fenced game ranches. Is it really hunting?

Often asked myself, because i'm such a tightwad, whats the difference between killing here in Texas out of a blind under a feeder or out of a blind watching over a waterhole in Africa ?
I can save some serious coin by not having to travel all the way to Africa.
Like mentioned above if they eat out of your hand, not so much.
Would love to go to Africa though even if its just to see the wildlife.

As expensive as African critters are over here, you might be surprised to find out that you wouldn’t save much, if anything over going to Africa to do your hunt!!!!! Plus, you would actually be in Africa, which is waaaaaaaaaaaay cooler!!!

OP, I like Buff’s answer. There are too many places that do things in too many different ways to make a blanket statement that covers all of them!!!! Depending on what critters were shot, it could be significantly cheaper over there!

Bisch


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[eastxhunter]

Aren’t you the guy that just posted a “live “hunt for red stag at high fence feeders? Shooting animals in a zoo sall it is.

[jds247]

I'll go for the meat but I'm not mounting a high fence animal.. but then again I don't feel like setting in a blind over a feeder eating twinkies and playing candy crush is hunting either.. I don't have a issue with it either way.

[AntlerCollector]

I have hunted large high fence and very small. To me the smaller places are more about the experience with friends and family. Look at Thompson temples place. Can be about the easiest hunt ever but stay in the A frame with your friends throwing something at the one that snores too loud. Sit outside listening to Thompson telling stories around the fire pit and drinking an adult beverage while doing so... you almost can’t beat it. Yes it was more kill than hunt but I will never forget that trip and neither will my friends that went.

I purposely didn't mention any places, but Thompson's is one where the Rams are not wild. That being said, I went with 14 other family members many years ago, and it's still one of my favorite hunts. We made memories that will last our lifetimes. Back then the goats lived in that A frame. We stayed in the house

[AntlerCollector]

Aren’t you the guy that just posted a “live “hunt for red stag at high fence feeders? Shooting animals in a zoo sall it is.

I was hunting a low fence property. Didn't see a shooter either. Yep that was me.

It was also me that said I enjoy these type of places, and will hunt them again.

Relevance your honor?

[Traildust]

Is hunting with a spotlight real hunting?

[AntlerCollector]

its ok to do it, just don't brag about it LOL

This ^^^^^ has a lot of truth to it.

I have a buddy who's hunted lots of exotics on ranches, and day leases for huge deer. He has mounts all over his walls. Brags like he's Fred Bear reincarnated. I have another buddy who has only hunted public land in Sam Houston and Davy Crockett national forests. I know without a doubt my national forest hunting buddy is a far more skilled hunter. He doesn't have the trophies on the wall, but he kills deer every year on public land.


This really wasn't intended to be another high/low fence debate. I was more interested in how you feel hunting these type of places. I'm not knocking them at all. I know going in what I'm expecting from them.

[batmaninja]

The worst are the bird hunting places. Where a quail runs up to you thinking you have food, and you have to kick it and hope it flys far enough away so that you can shoot it and not blow all of the meat up. Clay pigeons are closer to hunting than that. Its about as sporting as shooting a frozen chicken in the grocery isle at HEB.

With that said I think it is good for the hunting industry to have a broad range of places for people with all sorts of skill levels to be able to hunt and enjoy the outdoors. Versus say sending these people out on public lands .