Not that it really relates too much to East Texas but what are your thoughts on this subject...pro's and con's of each? I personally do not like High Fence hunting...to me it takes the challenge out of it...especially if your talking south Texas hunting where anyone can kill a good buck if you have the money.

I prefer low fence. The free ranging deer add more sport and skill to hunting. Although I will have to say that I hunt on a 35,000 acre cattle ranch in West Texas that is low fenced and is covered in deer. You can see up to 50 anytime you get on a stand. Simply amazing. All the way around them everyone else is high fenced at that. The highfencing of deer if you are breeding or controlling the genetics is understandable, but I believe that this is what has lead to hunting getting so overpriced. It will not be long before the common person will no longer have a place to hunt at the current rate of things. It may be helping to frow bigger bucks but is is destroying what hunting is originally all about. Developing the skills to harvest the animal and then bringing it home for meat on your table. Most of these big city people pay thousands of dollars to kill gigantic bucks, take the horns for a mount, and then give the meat away. Granted the meat is used, but the principle of hunting is lost with these people.

Medman -

How many guns on that 35,000 acres?

Depends on the count each year. Have seen up to a hundred. Last year it was around 40 hunts booked on one weekend. 5 Deer per booked hunt. Dead deer laying everywhere. Freezer is full now and I will not have to buy any beef unless I get to craving a rib eye!

I bet that sounded like a war zone.

Wasn't as bad as you would think. People try to pick out the bigger deer so they do not necessarily just open up killing everything they see. They also have to be careful. Kill the wrong deer on accident and teh price tag jumps to $3000 and you do not get to keep the deer.

Nurses are rich!

Not this one. My wife is a school teacher so you know who pays the bills. Even if I had the money I do not know if I would pay that kind of money to kill a deer. A littel against my principles!

Low fence, I belive the deer should be able to free range over to my feeder.

Low fence. hunting for me . High fence to me is not hunting it is SHOOTING! Might as well shoot cows in the feed lot and cal it hunting too.




sorry my bad

Turkey, before a Moderator gets you I figured that I would let you know that typing in all caps is considered yelling and is not allowed on Smoaky. Just a friendly reminder.

low fence cause if its high fenced i consider it cheating

i prefer low fence. i believe that deer are property of the State of Texas. However, if i could afford to own a high fence place, i would probably do it.

low fence deer are very managable. my ranch is in a co-op program that includes 56,000 acres of neighboring ranches. All follow the same guidelines, rules, etc. Our deer have gone from an average buck weight of 80 lbs to over 130 lbs at times. The horns are bigger, simply because the deer are older.
High fence has it's advantages as it is a very controlled environment. If I could afford to high fence, I probably would. But at the present, I'm satisfied with our program.

Hey one question MedMan. If the ranch is surrounded by other ranches that are high-fenced ---- doesn't that make your ranch high fenced
Just an observation to prove I was listening. lol

Ha ha funny funny! I'll have to remember that one for later!

Unless you paid for the deer they are wild and should remain wild. If you want to throw up a fence and stock it like you would a cattle ranch then they are yours to do with what you want! As far as fencing wild deer goes, It should not be legal what so ever! But that is just my opinion!

We hunted a ranch a couple of years back that was free ranging but the thing was high fenced on three sides and if you went several miles past the low fence then it was high fenced again but several properties away. I always wondered if I was hunting highfenced or not

I guess it probably would be if it was that way all the way around them! Just as well be!

Can't let youj have the last word with a grin like that!