It's not just about the score. Do I enjoy sending in my forms to P&Y to have my deer in "the book" every year? Sure. Who wouldn't take pride in that. I also take pride in the fact that every animal I have taken has been free range and fair chase. To assume that the evolution of every hunter would lead to the holy grail of high fence hunting is both asinine and arrogant. I have worked hard in my life and I am a very blessed individual. I could write a check and go hunt at any commercial hunting operation in Texas. I could pay to shoot a 200" deer. Why don't I do it? Because I have accompanied friends and clients on whitetail hunts on 6 different high fence ranches in Texas and they were all "canned" in my book. Were the animals running free (within the confines of a high fence of course) absolutely. None of those guys walked into a pen to shoot their deer. But driving around on those ranches was like driving through a zoo.

I am by no means trying to tell someone that they can't go or shouldn't go hunt on a high fence place. If you have the opportunity and it is something you want to do then go for it. Hunting a high fence place is like going on a safari to South Africa. "You want a Kudu? Well let's head over to this "pasture" and see what we find..." That pasture just happens to be the high fence area where they keep the Kudu locked up. That is why I will hunt just about anywhere in Africa but will not hunt South Africa. Too canned. For someone who wants to make one trip to Africa and put alot of stuff on the wall then go to South Africa. It's like shopping to furnish your house. Same thing on a high fence place. If it is a virtual guarantee then it is shooting.....not hunting. And yes, that goes for the low fence places with "wind-up" deer as someone so eloquently put it.

As stated previously, do whatever you like as long as it is legal. I could not care less. Just don't act like you are Cameron Haynes because you have a 350" elk or a 170" whitetail on the wall that you shot on a high fence place. It's not the same as taking one fair chase and every last person in this discussion knows it.

One last thing.....

I have a rhetorical question for all of you folks who are big high fence proponents. If you had the opportunity at the same exact 175" buck on a high fence place or a low fence, free range place, which would you choose to hunt? Now ask yourself why.

Notice it is a rhetorical question. No need to answer on the board. Just be honest with yourself on your answer.

My opinion on a high fence is that they are great. I just high fenced mine 2 years ago not much of a difference from low fence as far as the hunt goes with the exception that you have the piece of mind that those monster bucks are there and should stay there and they have a better chance at reaching an old age which usually means larger antlers. Those mature bucks are gonna stay in the brush execept maybe during the rut but they do the same on a low fence ranch. One reason why we highfenced our ranch was because a hunter on our neighboring ranch shot a nice 160+, 3.5 yo buck. what a waste and they didn't recover it. when we were low fence we would protein feed year round but come during the rut those young nice bucks were too tempting to other hunters. ya thats part of hunting but we didn't want to see young nice deer wasted like that. so pretty much we would feed them and other hunters would shoot them. plus on a high fence its nice to chronicle a bucks life from year to year. of course you can do that with low fence if you have a ton of acreage or disiplined hunters surrounding you.

Not really. I grew up hunting with a rifle. When it lost any challenge I switched to a bow and haven't picked up a rifle since. When getting a decent deer with a bow didn't seem like much of a challenge I started picking out one mature deer and hunted and patterned that one animal until I got him. I don't know if that will become "easy" or not. So to answer your statement, killing a deer isn't hard. I'm just not looking for the easiest way to kill the biggest buck.

I think is going for around $4.25/foot which equals $22,440 a mile. It all depends on topography,creeks and rock.

That's a pretty close estimate. A ranch manager at a place we just got back from a few weeks ago was telling me their cost was around $4.40 a foot. That was not including water crossing and custom entrance gate.

I think is going for around $4.25/foot which equals $22,440 a mile. It all depends on topography,creeks and rock.

Tye and AmoCuernos,

I have put in for YEARS for an Arizona Unit 9 archery elk tag. When I draw I will most certainly hire an outfitter. If I am lucky enough and if my guide is as good as I think he is then I will be in a position to shoot a big bull. Will I be proud of it? Absolutely. Would I have more pride if I were to DIY and get it done? You better believe it. I have no expertise when it comes to elk hunting. I know that so when I draw what is likely a once in a lifetime tag I use an outfitter who has expertise. The big difference is that I don't think that I am some sort of great hunter because a guide can put me on a big bull. I'm not delusional like that. In the same vein, I don't believe that someone who shoots a big deer behind a high fence is a great hunter. Are there great hunters who choose to hunt behind high fence? Sure. Are there folks who don't even know how to gut a deer who will get lucky and kill a big deer on low fence? Of course. Shooting a big, free range deer takes luck or skill. If all you care about is shooting a big deer then you don't need luck or skill......you just need a checkbook.

I'm glad that you guys brought up the guide/no guide question. It makes my point for me. Every single poster on this forum knows that they would take more pride in an animal that they harvest on a DIY hunt as opposed to a guide pointing towards the animal they are to shoot.