From a ranch, but HOLY CRAP!

I look at it a little different. I think it's awesome that places exist where animals can live naturally without constant human caused stress but do wish influencers would provide a more true portrayal of the hunt. We could have a discussion about posse hunting and where to draw the lines on technology but the two things that really turn me off are:
1. High fences preventing natural animal travel on and off of land
2. Breeding genetic freaks to be bought and sold and pretending they are the same as wild naturally occurring animals.

Ive had this discussion recently with people in the whitetail world who have massive high fence and low fence properties and have stated (believably so) that the deer in the high fence property are harder to hunt than the low fence property. In this case the high fence deer are not bought/bread/introduced, they are just naturally reproducing offspring of what was inside when the fence was made. I can see how being limited to where they can travel would result in them being wound a little tighter. So the ease of hunt part is subjective, but i just dont like the fence part controlling genetics and free travel of wildlife.
 
also paying for the knowledge that the area you're hunting has big bulls. I spend more than half my time wondering if I'm even in the right area. But I'll save my $$ and stick with burning boot leather and wondering where all the elk are
 
I look at it a little different. I think it's awesome that places exist where animals can live naturally without constant human caused stress but do wish influencers would provide a more true portrayal of the hunt. We could have a discussion about posse hunting and where to draw the lines on technology but the two things that really turn me off are:
1. High fences preventing natural animal travel on and off of land
2. Breeding genetic freaks to be bought and sold and pretending they are the same as wild naturally occurring animals.

Ive had this discussion recently with people in the whitetail world who have massive high fence and low fence properties and have stated (believably so) that the deer in the high fence property are harder to hunt than the low fence property. In this case the high fence deer are not bought/bread/introduced, they are just naturally reproducing offspring of what was inside when the fence was made. I can see how being limited to where they can travel would result in them being wound a little tighter. So the ease of hunt part is subjective, but i just dont like the fence part controlling genetics and free travel of wildlife.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying.

But...
1. High fences preventing natural animal travel on and off of land.
I don't view outfitters and ranch hands cruising standard height fence lines on ATVs and diesel trucks to keep critters in and other hunters away as allowing natural travel. Again, not all outfitters. But it happens, I've experienced it. I'd say the odds this are happening are higher when there are big bulls involved.

2. Breeding genetic freaks to be bought and sold and pretending they are the same as wild naturally occurring animals.

To me this line is blurred. I don't see a ton of difference in hoarding herds of elk for your own playground and guiding business. Last fall in MT, I watched 3 370+ bulls across a fence on private. 1 was a few hundred yards away on the opposite ridge. We'd bugle and he'd just look at us, like "yeah right". He was free to breed and enjoy his harem of 100+ cows without a care in the world. Just not until the outfitter who was leasing that land decided it was his time to go to slaughter. Then it's just a matter of who will pay for the big boy.

May be huge differences to you and I agree there's lots of variability and nuance to each situation. But in general, I view them as similar afflictions within the hunting community at large with far more in common compared to the average DIY public land elk hunter.

But, different stroke for different folks.
 
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Well I am "On the Fence" here, 10k acres is a ton of land and there are a bunch of elk i think that are born there. I was looking into going there, for the same thing. My wife is paying for me an elk hunt as a birthday gift. I have looked all over at outfitters and some private land areas. My line of work i only get a few days a year i can actually take, and my vacation falls outside of elk season! So it makes it super tough to go anywhere on a backcountry hunt for 7 days etc. I have to fly and all that, so it makes sense to go somewhere that offers a better margin. Once in a lifetime hunt, someone may want to go there. Now the cost honestly is crazy, but management bull isnt bad. I went to Utah OTC this past september, i did a swap hunt, gator for an elk. Guy was a guide, etc. guaranteed me atleast an opportunity at a spike. Well after everything he changed the dates and it was after spike season, then cut the trip short 3 days. I had 4k invested after everything thinking i was going on a true elk hunt. Heck it took me everything just to take the days off. So there are certain times where this style hunt may suit someone. While i was out there, the guy i was with was guiding 2 others same time as me(again he failed to mention that) he took them to a 1k acre high fence place and they killed a cow and a smaller bull. We actually walked and kicked the bull up for them to shoot. NOW that is not for me! To each there own though. My wife has told me she will allow me one more chance to go somewhere to try and get it done. I have only 2 points for wyoming, and everything else is OTC. I do not have that much time to take off, so i am trying to plan the perfect elk hunt. I only care to kill a legal bull and does not need to be big! Every day i am planning and praying maybe i get drawn for new mexico or something. I may only have 3-4 days to hunt though but we will see.
Its legal so have at it.
Imo. Honestly if the job keeps you from hunting find a different one. Too far away? Move. Quite trying to act like guys don't want it more than you and make more sacrifices.
That said you should understand that the satisfaction of killing a bull in three days on a guaranteed hunt will be nothing like the satisfaction of killing a raghorn on some shitty blm ground after years of using all your vacation time getting your ass handed to you by smart elk. All of this while sacrificing other aspects of life to achieve a goal.
 
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Don't take this the wrong way but I think you've got bigger problems than fair chase vs high fence. Your in luck however we've got a thread for that here as well.
100% agree. I was trying to decide on a nice way to say it, and whether or not it was appropriate.
 

Makes my skin crawl.
 
My understanding of this outfitter is on the “drives” the elk the outfitter wants killed are released and driven to the hunters. 10k acres is meaningless.
 
Again...

SO gross.

I'd rather spend the rest of my life wandering around Wally World than step foot inside that place.
 
If it was in the wild ?

that more frontal pic from wllm looks quite a bit better.

i mean, yeah, if found that thing on public land i'm very sure i'd be looking to get a shot.

but i've never understood the allure of non typicals, especially those midwest deer that always turn up in articles that just look like they have a bee hive of barbed wire on their head. i'm actually not sure i'd be trying to shoot one of those if i found one.
 
that more frontal pic from wllm looks quite a bit better.

i mean, yeah, if found that thing on public land i'm very sure i'd be looking to get a shot.

but i've never understood the allure of non typicals, especially those midwest deer that always turn up in articles that just look like they have a bee hive of barbed wire on their head. i'm actually not sure i'd be trying to shoot one of those if i found one.
Different strokes ....
 
If it was in the wild ?
I'd venture to guess it wouldn't look like that in Oct if it was a wild bull. I know there's the "cactus buck" deal where some weird things happen with velvet but that doesn't seem likely on a wild bull.

Edit to add: I'd do my damnedest to kill it but would still assume it's a freak show ungulate carnival escapee.
 
Not sure what is more disgusting, the video or the music... :)
 
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