I have an idea that needs some help from you guys. There has always been a large amount of disagreement between high fence hunting vs. low fence hunting.....private land vs. public land.....etc...

I'm sure many of you watched the Animal Planet special tonight about "canned hunting", (which by the way was an absolute JOKE). As expected, it was a nasty twisted view of things from the far left (which hates ALL hunting to begin with).

The facts are as follows:

All high fenced properties are NOT "canned hunt facilities" like many believe. In fact, the VAST MAJORITY are large family-owned ranches that simply use the fence as a management tool to better manage native game and/or exotics on their land. They may sell hunts, but usually it is to help offset the costs associated with the property (taxes, feed, habitat management, etc...)

Here is my proposal.....

If you are the owner of a high-fenced ranch, please invite someone to your place who may not have ever visited one before.....even if they do not hunt. Spend the day with them, showing them around and explaining how the ranch operates, and how you manage your animals. Explain how the hunting business helps give value to animals. Even if they are resistant to the idea, keep your cool and do your best to educate them. This is truly the only way we can make an impact, and actually influence the general public.

On the opposite side of the coin.....if you are somebody who is against high-fences and/or hunting as a business, please respectfully ask to be shown around a properly managed operation.....and educate YOURSELF on the subject. Even if you end up with the same negative opinion in the end, at least it will be an INFORMED opinion.

I know I am applying this to high fenced ranches in this scenario, but it doesn't only apply to them. If you manage any type of hunting operation, do your best to educate someone as often as you can about the hunting industry in Texas. For the most part, people just don't know, and they are wide-open to the mindless psycho-babble of the anti's.

If anybody else has any good ideas to add.....please feel free to do so.

Thanks.

i just watched the episode. didnt you point out the reporters said it was a dall sheep and they where hunting texas dall.

i thought i noticed that she called and aoudad and ibex also when she mention she got out and hugged the ibex. at least they showed an aoudad.

this show really ticked me off. i am just a hunter. and i wish i could do something to point these mistakes out and show how bad this expose was really done.

I've said it repeatedly over time & long before many high fences.... I've got a check waiting to help fund a documentary that will provide insight into who the real conservationist's/stewards of the land/wildlife are & it **** sure isn't HSUS.

I didn't even watch it; didn't need to once I learned who was involved in the production of it...

I wanted to get smart on the topic so I read the legislation. Here is a link. There are several provisions where you can still hunt in a high fence as long as it meets certain requirements. I also didn't see anything where it limited indigenous species so I am assuming Whitetail and Elk are not affected by this.

H.R. 2210

I think we bring lot of heat on ourselves. It's no secret that some high fence land owners raise native and non native game like livestock. They'll raise a trophy buck and put it in a ten acre fenced section and sell the hunt for several thousand dollars. Same thing with the guys illegally bringing animals from other states. These kinds of people give us all a bad name and provide plenty of fodder for the greenies and anti hunting idiots. It only takes a few rotten apples to spoil a bushel.

Not a bad ideal

Those people piss me off I like to show them a thing or two

Sorry, I love love love hunting....BUT...

In my opinion high fence hunting is canned hunting. The only way it isnt is if the high fence game ranch is over 6k acres.

You know whats there, you know where it is. How is that not a canned hunt?

Do i have a problem with that? Nope. If thats what makes you happy, knock your socks off. I dont hunt pets....

Do you own any land?



What amuses me about the show is they weren't bashing hunting but just the canned hunts, heck they weren't even bashing gun ownership! I expected a whole lot more than that and the animal auctions they showed, plleeeaaassseeee.

Nope.

I know what your getting at, and i dont buy it or care.

Hey Eland,

What is your solution? Here are the facts. Hunter numbers are decreasing and the industry is under attack. What is going on is not working. Public perception supports hunting and does not support trophy hunting. Revenues peaked in 2005 and are now falling.

I know you asked Eland but, where are you getting these "facts"? Can you provide a source? If the public supports hunting but not "trophy hunting" then why? And where are you getting data stating "facts" that revenues are falling? (I will go ahead and answer that one for you, we are in the great recession - everything is falling).

I think it would benefit the group that wants to hunt in a high fence to distance themselves from hunting operations that sell hunts on the internet guarantying a kill and even picking the animal they are going to shoot. We all know that they are out there and yes if you are hunting inside a fence a lot of people assume that is what you are doing. So why not speak out against those people who do hunt unethically and police ourselves from within?

And you need to provide and cite your sources if you call things facts cause you are not going to get any respect by throwing words around. Heck on your other post you are getting blasted from all sides. Heck I don't even know what you are trying to accomplish...

Actually I have matt, and the data is easily supportable by a simple google search. If I remember I just seeded the initial articles. The simple fact is that they have no rebuttal based on anything. They could use the internet to refute what I've said. Have they? NADA. They can't. Hunter numbers have been decreasing for years, since the 1960's. Do you really want me to seed something showing this? The rest they don't want to hear.

I think it would be in your best interests to just leave it alone or start backing your data up with facts. You know if you want to be taken seriously then you need to provide that. I posted links to the actual legislation because guys like you are just stirring the pot and you probably didn't even know what it really said. If you want to fix the problem then do some real research, not just a quick Google search and then provide your findings in a document to be taken seriously. Right now you keep saying stuff but it's not doing anything but making you look bad.

It seems to me that as the cost to hunt goes up we should expect the numbers of hunters to go down. With lease and hunt prices where they are not many families can afford to take the kids hunting. So they do other things. Want to help the hunting industry, let a kid hunt for free.

Like what Matt? Fact: There's a pending bill in the H of R. I even seeded the original article that announced it. Want another fact? I told everybody about a new show on The Animal Planet that would slam HF hunting. None of you knew a thing about it. How about another fact. Hunter numbers are decreasing. All facts matt. How much more do you want? I'm way ahead in the fact department.

Have you ever hunted a high fence?

Someone had already posted it before you did. http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u...e_o#Post2369027

Don't take this as me preaching to you, I'm just saying and after you read it we will still have different opinions on the matter. But.....
I don't care what you think or care about but do you realize that 640 acres is 1 square mile? You think it's easy to find a animal in brush that is 1 mile by 1 mile much less 6k acres. As I have said 10 times now, only people that own land can understand why hf's are built. Not all hf ranches are canned hunts, are there some? Yes, do I approve of them? Nope! You will never understand until you purchase property. Good luck to you

I respect your opinion, but I'm curious.....where the HELL did you get the "6k" figure???....and why???

I have been on a few HF operations and what I saw did not appeal to me. Doesn't mean that I think it is wrong or a canned hunt, just not what I am looking for. There is no doubt that some HF operations are a joke and some aren't any different than hunting most LF places.

What gets me the most about this argument and any legislation that restricts any type of hunting, HF or LF, is that it is just one step in a process to further limit and restrict all hunting. The government and the organizations that push for limits don't know where to stop. Do you really think they will stop if they ban all HF operations? Hell no, they will see progress and just push farther.

Just because I don't have a desire to hunt a HF doesn't mean that I have any intention of sitting by while someone tries to push their agenda on our peers.

What makes you have the cut off at 6k acres. I think people know a lot more about what is there and what is not due to time in the field and game cameras, not because of a fence. Do you have any idea how big 6k acres can be in a place such as the hill country which is where I hunt? I can guarantee you there are areas on our lease that have not been seen by human eyes for 75+ years because of accessibility alone. How is managing a deer herd to maximize the health of all the animals there considered having "pets."

Well if everything else fails for you in life you have a grand career waiting as a TV guide. Thanks for your public service.

I'm sure there is a study on the appropriate acreage to have a self sustaining (with feeder and water help) deer population in a high fenced area. I bet it's way less than 6k acres.

A quick google search has a Texas buck's range at 300 to 500 acres http://www.buckmanager.com/2011/03/12/white-tailed-deer-range-and-high-fences/ . That is certainly a starting point to work on.


Our family's ranch is a couple hundred acres, low fence, and have one blind, and two feeders. It is bordered on one side by a large tract, around 700 acres, I would be pissed if they high fenced it bc then my deer hunting would go to crap.

But I've hunted on a 12k acre high fenced ranch, and if that is canned hunting, then it is one big can.

There are un scrupulous people in every business including hunting. I don't consider hunting small HF(I understand this is a relative term) places to be much of a challenge so I don't spend my money that way. The market will dictate which hunting operations will thrive and which will go under, I’m cool with that. To me hunting is a passion and lifelong hobby but I understand its also big business. I don't judge someone for making money in any profession that is legal, I don't have to like it or financially support it but that does not mean I will condemn it. I consider any attempt to further regulate hunting to be an infringement on my God given rights as a Texan to hunt however I dang well please.

PERFECTLY written godfather!! Couldn't have said it better myself....