539 3/8 Idaho

[Texans42]

It's called dispersion and yes he did know he was behind a high fence. That bull knew full well where the fence line was. At 5,000 acres he had no chance to disperse for safety.
Not impressed at all.
We pursue elk on a 8,500 acre ranch , low fence and they very well disperse off of it and use miles and miles away of neighboring land for rutting , feeding and wintering.
Not bashing those who hunt HF but don't give him too much credit.

539 is a long ways from a 400 " free range elk.

539 is gross

Funny you say that on 5k they have no way to disperse. I knew a place that was 5k acres and true archery success was less then 5%. Also he would loose sight of some of thier biggest bulls all year only to find them again when having to feed in Jan. Several guys on this board that have hunted there.

HF elk that are mature 7-9 years old have seen it all, probably the most educated elk around. Especially if they are running many hunts. This is from mainly an Archery perspective. There is some carry over on rifle perspective assuming if you are hunting a certain animal

I don’t HF but I won’t lie and say I’ve never been on premiere LF Private, I bet that Bull cost less or close to a 400” plus from the Acoma or White Apache.

I know a few guys that have also hunted the Utah Broadmore. 10k HF and 50k LF. They run pretty much 100% LF also and 80% combined with archery. Most the guys that hunt the HF try archery first and last day grab rifle on any mature bull they can find. Most that choose the HF are A)looking for a specific animal B) want the option for dual weapon, because it’s a one time trip for what ever reason health, money Etc

[wytex]

Well at least a few posts do give credit to the hunter, I took time to read them all.

The elk, yes give him credit, he grew all that antler mass , whether or not his diet was supplemented.

[ON THE EDGE]

[QUOTE=flywise;13204068]But do they have a fair chance of escape or avoid the hunter?
Nope[/

We hunted this 200 high fenced acres a few years back a family friend owned. He introduced breeders and leased my FIL and GFIL two spots to cover some of his costs. Five or six years down the road he gets a pic of a deer he’s never seen, carrying his breeder deers antler characteristics but pushing 180. He bought, built, paid, and bred those deer. Never had any holes in the fence or lost a “known” deer. My FIL was paying to hunt his “bigger” deer around the 150 class. You can imagine the excitement thinking he might get a 180. That deer was only seen once more that season with no shot opportunity. Up until that point, I would have agreed with ya, but after that season know it’s not accurate. Maybe on some places, but not all of them.

[meltingfeather]

What do y'all think a 100% guaranteed hunt for a 500(+)" bull runs?
I'll start the bidding at $40k?

[wytex]

I do agree they have room to roam, but I look at it this way. That fence keeps some of the animals that would roam on the fringes and out of that territory in it. They are not free to choose to find new territories. Also are they wild elk or farm raised inside the HF, asking don't know ?


I agree that 7-9 Yr old HF elk are educated, they have no way to disperse so they have to see and hear the same calls and pressure every year.

In all honesty though I have no right to disparage this hunter, or take this thread on a rant. My HF opinions probably offend some and that's not too cool among hunters , we should try to stick together.
I would like to encourage any and all of you to get some PP and come up to the mountains for a nice elk hunt. In either Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, NM even Utah. With enough PP you can have a chance at B&C bull on public land or just put some great meat in the freezer.

I would like to know how much those antlers weighed ?

[Snowflake Killa]

Not my cup of tea but to each their own

[batmaninja]

I wonder if the hunter would have worn the same camo pattern if it were a LF hunt?

[Arrowslinger1]

You might stand corrected if it is free range but you'll still find it okay to jump on and question any big animal killed on any thread. You may find HF hunting isn't your thing but it's still just your opinion. You don't want to do it, don't. That doesn't mean you have the right to belittle and demean others who do. Just hit the back button and move on.

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agree! I dont high fence hunt. I also dont judge those that do. Plus the fact that there is not proof that it is high fence. People automatically find guilt and judge more often than Ive ever seen in the past. Wears me out! I personally dont care if it is HF. Its a beautiful animal!

ok well recent posts may have found that it is HF. still dont care. Its a trophy either way

[gtsticker]

HF or Low F it is all about the money. I don’t care how great a hunter you are if you can only afford a Hill country lease or to hunt your own small property then you will kill what is available. If you can lease a place in south or north Texas and pay 8k a person and feed 5k a year in protein your will kill bigger deer. So if I guy spends 16k a year on his low fence and kills a deer that he has named is that a big accomplishment? If he did it on public land without a guide then it is an accomplishment! Killing big deer is all about opportunities. And money creates those opportunities LF or HF.


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[HC Sniper]

Typical back button thread. Many should learn to use it if their comments are derogatory. Just move on and don't comment. Congrats to the hunter

[Homer75]

M

Typical back button thread. Many should learn to use it if their comments are derogatory. Just move on and don't comment. Congrats to the hunter

Sad thing about this thread it’s becoming the norm on this website to bash someone. Was the OP just showing what they found on the web, why does it have to evolve into a debate over someone’s personal preference?
It’s a awesome animal..

[Rush2Judge]

I don't judge the hunter either way. High fence, low fence? Both can be challenging hunts. I draw the line at being impressed by the antlers. If anyone is to be congratulated in my mind it is the biologist and the chemist that put the gene pool together with feed program. Meh. Not impressed.

[OldRiverRat]

Couldn't be farther from the truth, there are so many situations where a trophy is a trophy. Its not like he was lead up on a leash, its still a wild animal high fence or not. Just because you hunt on a high fence doesn't mean you pet them and hand feed them and then get to decide that you'll shoot him today. Its all a game of chance, but I'm sure this high fence low fence discussion could go back and forth for days! Everyone is definitely entitled to their own opinion and I respect yours.

all pending the size of the pen! probably doesn't take a lot of skill to hunt a big boy like that on a small hf ranch

[BitBackShot]

I think it was double down

Yep, people don't even realize they're looking at a 3-yr-old whitetail that ate a couple spoonfuls. Stuff works.

[Texans42]

I do agree they have room to roam, but I look at it this way. That fence keeps some of the animals that would roam on the fringes and out of that territory in it. They are not free to choose to find new territories. Also are they wild elk or farm raised inside the HF, asking don't know ?


I agree that 7-9 Yr old HF elk are educated, they have no way to disperse so they have to see and hear the same calls and pressure every year.

In all honesty though I have no right to disparage this hunter, or take this thread on a rant. My HF opinions probably offend some and that's not too cool among hunters , we should try to stick together.
I would like to encourage any and all of you to get some PP and come up to the mountains for a nice elk hunt. In either Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, NM even Utah. With enough PP you can have a chance at B&C bull on public land or just put some great meat in the freezer.

I would like to know how much those antlers weighed ?

I’d don’t know but at $19 a pound be hard not to sale them, and buy another hunt or tag lol

The herds was there when fence went up.

My opinion on HF is do as you legally please it’s America, but do it and present it well, non hunting public is watching. In all reality the biggest vocal critics of HF are those among us that also have severe issues with true parallels to how they hunt themselves. My two cents, none of us are above reproach