Uhh the low fenced neighbors practice everything you just listed as a "difference" on my high fenced place. Except of course your false statement about "where they can travel" (several square miles of brush isn't controlling anything about a deer's travel as related to hunting that animal).

There is no difference hunting my Zavala county ranch than there is a large low fenced place in the same vicinity.


Here let me help you with visuals since you seem to struggle with written word. This deer was allowed two more years to mature, the same way my low fenced neighbors would have protected him. He was involuntarily "allowed" another year because he was nocturnal by the time I could hunt him (November-Feb). Hunting him in October was the only way he was ever going to be killed. And that's when he was killed the next year (three years after the picture). The difficulty in hunting that animal was exactly the same as it would have been on my large low fence neighbor. And that's what was being discussed with the previous poster (the difficulty in hunting, not the management methods used to enhance opportunity that are practiced on both high and low fenced ranches in my area).

Rancher, you are equating controlling and hunting in your words above. DocHorton said by being HF you can “control” many factors that LF hunters can’t control. And then you berate him saying he can’t read and you go on to talk about how hunting is the same in both situations....different argument. I agree with doc, the “control” situation is much improved in a HF situation. You can control which deer are shot, you can control your neighbors actions to a large extent (I know we can never fully control poaching). In a LF situation you can’t control your neighbor if he wanted to shoot that nice deer in your pics, if the neighbor wants it and it walks on his side, bam animal down and there’s goes years of management. If your neighbor is on the same page as you and agrees to let said deer walk and then he jumps your LF and gets hit by a car....same issue. HF takes this problem away mostly (not completely).

But I will agree with you, in certain HF ranches, hunting can be just as difficult as any LF place. Maybe even more so. Small places animals can get very skidding and never come out. Large places can be just tough to find animals. However, even you have to admit, there are HF shops that operate like a zoo and essentially you pick your animal, go shoot and be done in a couple hours or less. It isn’t hunting at all, just an expensive shooting range.

I know doc said hunting is different, but he went on to discuss management methods as to why the hunting is different. He wasn’t discussing the various methods of hunting in his discussion. I suggest you read past the first sentence to get the gist of what he was saying rather than seeing the first sentence and attacking based solely on that first sentence. It’s all good, just trying to say there may be disagreements in parts of these posts but agreement in parts as well. There is no 100% correct answer In this discussion except for what is legal and what isn’t.

Rancher, I don’t want to quote too many levels here, but saying someone with a. Doctorate level education struggles with the written word and needs pictures to see a point is pretty “berating” in my mind. You may not have meant it as such, but it comes across as really insulting, although doc might not have felt it as such.

Point aside, you are arguing against scalebuster by quoting doc’s post....seems a little counterproductive to quote someone else when you are arguing someone. I certainly didn’t see you arguing scalebusters points, only saw you arguing doc. It’s all good, sometimes these things need a little clarification as not everyone can know what someone else is thinking.

Again, what I saw doc argue was that HF ranches offer a better opportunity to manage deer than LF. He stated that by saying HF ranches are easier to hunt because ...control deer population better, control deer ratios better, neighbor influence is essentially gone, what they are fed, where they can not go (outside the fence), how many animals are killed, etc. Are any of those points patently false when comparing a LF to a HF operation? (I think except for a few examples, most HF ranches are easier to hunt as well, due to their method of operation (way too many deer per acre and a almost forced feeding program due to that high population which allows very dense deer numbers at feeders)).

You took all those statements to say “HF hunting is easier than LF hunting” end of discussion. If you can make an argument against any of the above points please do...if you just want to argue HF hunting can be as hard as LF hunting, well I have already conceded that to you.

My point is, if you are strictly after antlers, it is asinine to think a HF ranch wouldn’t have better “hunting” than a LF ranch. Due to all the variables one can control in a HF ranch, it has to be better antler hunting. Notice I didn’t say it would be easier. Just better.

This discussion was staying civil for once until Doc and now you have to throw out words like asinine relating to other posters' opinions. Doc didn't have to do it to make his point and neither do you.

This discussion was staying civil for once until Doc and now you have to throw out words like asinine relating to other posters' opinions. Doc didn't have to do it to make his point and neither do you.

I read the post from JJH and I saw no reason whatsoever for Doc to have to state his opinion was asinine. This tactic is being used quite often now by people that run out of facts to support their opinion and turn to name calling instead.

Rancher, I don’t want to quote too many levels here, but saying someone with a. Doctorate level education struggles with the written word and needs pictures to see a point is pretty “berating” in my mind. You may not have meant it as such, but it comes across as really insulting, although doc might not have felt it as such.

Point aside, you are arguing against scalebuster by quoting doc’s post....seems a little counterproductive to quote someone else when you are arguing someone. I certainly didn’t see you arguing scalebusters points, only saw you arguing doc. It’s all good, sometimes these things need a little clarification as not everyone can know what someone else is thinking.

Again, what I saw doc argue was that HF ranches offer a better opportunity to manage deer than LF. He stated that by saying HF ranches are easier to hunt because ...control deer population better, control deer ratios better, neighbor influence is essentially gone, what they are fed, where they can not go (outside the fence), how many animals are killed, etc. Are any of those points patently false when comparing a LF to a HF operation? (I think except for a few examples, most HF ranches are easier to hunt as well, due to their method of operation (way too many deer per acre and a almost forced feeding program due to that high population which allows very dense deer numbers at feeders)).

You took all those statements to say “HF hunting is easier than LF hunting” end of discussion. If you can make an argument against any of the above points please do...if you just want to argue HF hunting can be as hard as LF hunting, well I have already conceded that to you.

My point is, if you are strictly after antlers, it is silly to think a HF ranch wouldn’t have better “hunting” than a LF ranch. Due to all the variables one can control in a HF ranch, it has to be better antler hunting. Notice I didn’t say it would be easier. Just better.

I have been shamed. I don't have a doctorate. My property has a HF. And now I am asinine.

Wonder when he's gonna figure out we're deplorable as well?

They used to call me “The white Doctor J”.

Rancher, not focused on dochorton anymore than you. But, I did see where a quote was being responded to in an inaccurate manner. Was just trying to correct that. I try not to quote people and then respond to other people or other posts from that same person without acknowledging it in the quoted material. That’s all.

I don’t think you are a deplorable but there is someone who is putting herself back out there for president in 2020 (at least running the polls to se if she stands a chance) who thinks we are both deplorables. Let her run....it would be best down galore given all we know now about what her and the dems did in run up to 2016.

I wonder what the real Dr. J would think of that comparison?

Well I have 1.5 acers in HF, and have had it up for 5 years now. It works fairly well, as that is where my garden is. It would be fair to say the hunting outside the HF is really good, as the deer always try to get in the garden for free produce!
Mind you not all of the ground inside the HF is planted, as I keep a shed with garden tools, seed, water hoses and things in there. After I'm done I open up the double gate and let the wildlife have at it. Many times a big buck will show up, but I've never found the need to whack him in the garden. I have over the years planted different things to see what the deer like best, everything from Chili Peppers, to peas.
I've no problems with folks hunting either LF or HF, just as long as they are having a good time in the woods.

This time around this discussion just doesn't have the same "zing". Then I figured it out. Shame.

I am fortunate to be able to hunt both. As a landowner, the difference between hunting low fence and high fence is simply this... I know every buck on my ranch. I control how how old they get, how much nutrition they receive, and their well-being. I also control (aside from natural instances) when they are harvested. My family doesn't sell hunts, we do it for the enjoyment of watching a deer herd thrive and harvesting animals that have reached their maximum potential.

I'll say this, I enjoy low-fence hunting more, on a personal level. I enjoy the young kid feeling of not knowing what is going to walk out on any given day. On the other side of the coin, I feel extremely proud about the bucks I am able to manage through selective harvest, feed programs, and land management. I enjoy allowing my son to hunt our high fence ranch and learn about what makes a buck grow big... nutrition, water, management, and selective harvest.

I have seen good areas be ruined by hunters taking immature bucks, but I have also seen adaptations on low fence ranches gained from high fence ranches on sound management strategies to produce larger bucks.

I have bucks that are easier to kill because of our high fence, but I also have bucks on our high fence that people have hunted for years that we wanted to kill that we couldn't. I've had the same on low fence ranches. A lot depends on the deer, each one is different.

Bottom line is this... if you own the land... it's yours to do with what you wish. Every landowner that has high-fenced their place will sometimes wish they could hunt low fence. Every hunter that hunts sometimes wishes they had a high fence to better manage their deer herd.

Just my opinion.