Texas circus animal hunting on 60 Minutes tonight
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BuzzH
Well-known member
I've shot up a low-fence place in Texas a couple times, plan on doing it again soon. I've a friend with a place that rarely is hunted and the hogs, in particular, are out-of-control. Some of the exotics are well past thick too.
It is like the circus is in town for sure...no question of that. The first morning I went out there on my friends place, I had 42 animals under the feeder at one time, 5 species (I think), but didnt see Barnum and Bailey...shocked I didnt.
Whether its hunting or not??? I dont know, but I sure like turning these guys:
Into this:
All I have to say is Texas is Texas...its just an odd place, way different than anywhere I've been in the U.S. Hardly any public land, circus animals everywhere...high fence, low, fence, no fence. Good barbeque, mostly damn friendly and likeable people. The guy I hunt with is the salt of the earth, great guy and rolls out the red carpet. Weird to see exotics like axis, fallow, sika, etc. laying beside the highways hit and killed by cars. Just as weird to see animals you dont even know what the hell they are standing in a cow pasture.
It is like the circus is in town for sure...no question of that. The first morning I went out there on my friends place, I had 42 animals under the feeder at one time, 5 species (I think), but didnt see Barnum and Bailey...shocked I didnt.
Whether its hunting or not??? I dont know, but I sure like turning these guys:
Into this:
All I have to say is Texas is Texas...its just an odd place, way different than anywhere I've been in the U.S. Hardly any public land, circus animals everywhere...high fence, low, fence, no fence. Good barbeque, mostly damn friendly and likeable people. The guy I hunt with is the salt of the earth, great guy and rolls out the red carpet. Weird to see exotics like axis, fallow, sika, etc. laying beside the highways hit and killed by cars. Just as weird to see animals you dont even know what the hell they are standing in a cow pasture.
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shoots-straight
Well-known member
I wonder if anyone is ever skunked while hunting a high fence operation? If it's just the same as hunting anywhere, then you would think that many go home empty.
A few of the way to many high fence elk places around me would run nearly 100% if the only thing they allowed you to use was a ball peen hammer. One in particular has a county road right along its fence, pretty weird to watch groups of 400 inch bulls not even look up at car horns, sirens, etc.
konasage
Member
Just a completely different way of life. I have friends in TX that have said they have been hunting the same 60 acre deer lease for 20 years...yikes most of us hunt 60 acres before the morning snack. I think the entertainment value of shooting these animals to some folks is like some of us going to the range to try a new load, only a little more $$$. I guess the pinch may come when these activities get lumped into one HUGE category as "evil" and we are forced to duck and weave to not take it on the chin as a whole... That being said I think most people can distinguish between the two and the ones that can't are so full of emotion as to not be a threat.
I'm with Fin on the outfits in our western states that have had mainly Elk as "livestock" basically but create a slug of problems that we end up paying for. Disease transmission, regulation, oversight, and anything else you would like to ad here to name a few get paid for by sportsman dollars. Wyoming said NO wish Colorado would. Also problems with wintering elk "getting through" open gates and magically becoming part of the private herd. Besides, Elk behind an eight foot fence just doesn't look right.
Does it???
Buzz...if they need more hogs "controlled" I offer my services at any time..
I'm with Fin on the outfits in our western states that have had mainly Elk as "livestock" basically but create a slug of problems that we end up paying for. Disease transmission, regulation, oversight, and anything else you would like to ad here to name a few get paid for by sportsman dollars. Wyoming said NO wish Colorado would. Also problems with wintering elk "getting through" open gates and magically becoming part of the private herd. Besides, Elk behind an eight foot fence just doesn't look right.
Does it???
Buzz...if they need more hogs "controlled" I offer my services at any time..
trevore
New member
Serious question??
I spent 3 seasons guiding on a high fenced ranch. 100-110 days in the field each of those years, right about 40 hunters each year. Every bit of half of them went home without a deer.
In fact, we had 5 guides running the same schedule. So really close to 200 different hunters and we averaged right about 80 bucks a year.
WapitiBob
Well-known member
That's exactly what I got from it.
Bambistew
Well-known member
How big's an island have to be before its considered fair chase?
rmyoung1
Well-known member
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- Jul 12, 2010
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One of the bedrock principles of the N.A. Conservation Model is that the game is held in public trust, right? If someone fences in game, thereby isolating it on their property for their exclusive use, then the game is no longer held in public trust. It's been taken hostage. How difficult it is or isn't to find the game within the fence is irrelevant. The truth is that the game is no longer held in public trust. These hunts, therefore, cannot claim to be a tool of a true hunter/conservation ethic or system. It's no small wonder why those opposed to hunting hate those operations. I can't blame them. I just don't want the term "hunting" to be taken hostage along with the game.
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OriginalOscar
Active member
High fence hunting is shameful. People can justify it all they want but don't consider it hunting.
Free range. Fair chase.
Free range. Fair chase.
mhungerford
Active member
I went on my first high fence hog hunt (archery only) and let me tell you it was a blast those little guys are tuff as hell it was kinda unfar that they feed the roads and then like clock work the pigs and exotics come out and start eatting but i thought it was great and yes i will be going back to do it again.. if this makes me less of a hunter then so be it i guess.
thecrittergitter
Well-known member
How big's an island have to be before its considered fair chase?
Animals can always swim off an island.............i've not seen many be able to climb a fence
putm2sleep
New member
I thought she was, then she did this piece, and made her ugly. Kidding, she is hot. Thought there would be some banter on here when I saw that piece last night.
IMO, it would not be soooooo bad if it was just located, and limited to, Texas. Problem is, the Texans have border hopped, and now have their operations all over the midwest, their, 'fence and grow it' theories working in places like Iowa and Kansas, and are even trying their 'food plotting' shinanigans in conservation out WEST for elk.
trevore
New member
rmyoung1;
That's a very good point, but I disagree. The more we rely on our govt , the more power we give them. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's really that simple. Public trust is why you guys are dealing with the wolves now in the north. They rammed 'em down your throats without a real plan and despite widespread objection and they used money from the RPA to do it.
Public trust is why we have entitlement programs. How many here are fed up the the upteen different entitlement programs. I mean, aren't tax dollars a resource for our govt to use wisely, yet where does it go??? Are our dollars really being used wisely, or are they being pissed away by those with the power to do so???
The biggest problem with public trust is the fact that our govt is full of whining liberal pacifist who could give two shits about hunting. There aren't many, if any, Roosevelts, Pittmans, or Robertsons left anymore. They've all left public service!
dukes-daddy:
Have you ever hunted behind a high fence? I think I know the answer. But please don't disparage it based on assumptions. If you have then please share the experience so that any unethical ranches can be boycotted.
thecrittergitter:
I've seen two whitetails successfully jump a "game proof fence". Never seen one climb one, or anything else for that matter.
Putm2sleep:
I agree, I would love to see the high fence thing stay in Tx. But as long as there are disagreements on how to manage deer and the ego involved when it comes to shooting the biggest deer. This high fence stuff is gonna continue to spread like a wildfire. The science behind it works, it really is that simple.
To everyone else;
It may seem like a whiny pro high fence pen animal killing POS. I'm not. I personally don't like the high fences. But they've been here longer than I have, so I deal with them. They have a place. I support them because I support hunting. Honest, ethical operations are truly hunting operations whether there's a fence or not.
High fenced ranches are attacked every chance they get by the anti's because they know there is a division amongst hunters on the subject. If you continue to bash it based on emotion and or ignorance, it's going to go away! You may be thinking, hell yeah that's what we want! But as soon as the antis get their way on that point, they're going to come after all hunting. Public land hunting will be next! I guarantee it. If you guys don't like it I completely understand it, but don't bash it. Don't call it canned killing, don't refer to it as something other than hunting.
The more you guys disparage hunting behind a high fence the more ammo the antis have to go after it. I'll say it again, they're not stopping there or here. They will not be happy until hunting is out lawed. Then what the hell are we gonna do? Everyone needs to pull their head out of the sand and get together to support all ethical hunting.
That's all
That's a very good point, but I disagree. The more we rely on our govt , the more power we give them. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's really that simple. Public trust is why you guys are dealing with the wolves now in the north. They rammed 'em down your throats without a real plan and despite widespread objection and they used money from the RPA to do it.
Public trust is why we have entitlement programs. How many here are fed up the the upteen different entitlement programs. I mean, aren't tax dollars a resource for our govt to use wisely, yet where does it go??? Are our dollars really being used wisely, or are they being pissed away by those with the power to do so???
The biggest problem with public trust is the fact that our govt is full of whining liberal pacifist who could give two shits about hunting. There aren't many, if any, Roosevelts, Pittmans, or Robertsons left anymore. They've all left public service!
dukes-daddy:
Have you ever hunted behind a high fence? I think I know the answer. But please don't disparage it based on assumptions. If you have then please share the experience so that any unethical ranches can be boycotted.
thecrittergitter:
I've seen two whitetails successfully jump a "game proof fence". Never seen one climb one, or anything else for that matter.
Putm2sleep:
I agree, I would love to see the high fence thing stay in Tx. But as long as there are disagreements on how to manage deer and the ego involved when it comes to shooting the biggest deer. This high fence stuff is gonna continue to spread like a wildfire. The science behind it works, it really is that simple.
To everyone else;
It may seem like a whiny pro high fence pen animal killing POS. I'm not. I personally don't like the high fences. But they've been here longer than I have, so I deal with them. They have a place. I support them because I support hunting. Honest, ethical operations are truly hunting operations whether there's a fence or not.
High fenced ranches are attacked every chance they get by the anti's because they know there is a division amongst hunters on the subject. If you continue to bash it based on emotion and or ignorance, it's going to go away! You may be thinking, hell yeah that's what we want! But as soon as the antis get their way on that point, they're going to come after all hunting. Public land hunting will be next! I guarantee it. If you guys don't like it I completely understand it, but don't bash it. Don't call it canned killing, don't refer to it as something other than hunting.
The more you guys disparage hunting behind a high fence the more ammo the antis have to go after it. I'll say it again, they're not stopping there or here. They will not be happy until hunting is out lawed. Then what the hell are we gonna do? Everyone needs to pull their head out of the sand and get together to support all ethical hunting.
That's all
BuzzH
Well-known member
...here we go.
We are dealing with wolves because the Feds put them in Ystone and Idaho, yes. However, I think it's not the complete picture to say that it was "rammed down our throats." In Idaho and MT, people came together to work out management plans that would be respectful of both wolf proponents, and those of us who have to deal with their management. The EIS is pretty well crafted in what the delisting metrics were, and how different state agencies should account for another mouth to feed.
The objections that were heard often times went to the fanciful and inaccurate, as they still do. The reality is this: If WY would have adopted the plan originally put forth by their state game managers, wolves would have been delisted in 2005, and while there surely would have been litigation, those three state plans would have been upheld, and the litigators would have lost.
I would disagree with this. For the most part, the folks I know who work at DOI, USFWS and other federal agencies are hunters and anglers who care about the resource and are fulfilling their charges of managing wildlife habitat to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, wildlife and habitat management become political footballs, and as we've seen over the last year, people believe that if you starve these agencies, everything good will happen. That's not the case.
I can point to several in DC who are working tirelessly on our issues and making some gains. Folks like Tester, Simpson (I don't always agree with him, but you can work with him), Congressman Wittman and many others have been moving forward with good legislation that will help us all when it comes to access, sensible management and putting hunters back in the fields.
drthornton
Member
Does anyone else think Priscilla discredits herself by calling them "antelopes"....What about the Deers and the Elks?
drthornton
Member
Does anyone else think drthornton discredits himself by not knowing "antelopes" is an acceptable term for multiple species of antelope? Because I do
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
First of all, I actively supported and was extremely happy that we passed I-143, the game farm initiative in Montana, and that it withheld later court appeals. Montana does not need game farms and high fence hunting for a number of reasons.
However, after watching this feature about the exotic animals that had been previously nearly extinct but now are being nurtured and hunted in Texas on a ranch of thirty thousand acres, I would have to mellow a bit and acknowledge that it is much more acceptable than what we were opposing here in Montana. I had to agree with much of what was stated by the main rancher interviewed, and especially about his emphasis on the point that hunters are the ones footing the bill and carrying the water for wildlife conservation.
On the other hand, the ideology being spewed by the animal rights person, Drucella, was unpleasant to listen to and was irrational. She seemed to equate the animals' rights with human rights ... a typical zany ideology. I would wager she is a vegan and likely naiive enough to believe that hamburger is produced by merely turning on the switch of a sausage grinder!
However, after watching this feature about the exotic animals that had been previously nearly extinct but now are being nurtured and hunted in Texas on a ranch of thirty thousand acres, I would have to mellow a bit and acknowledge that it is much more acceptable than what we were opposing here in Montana. I had to agree with much of what was stated by the main rancher interviewed, and especially about his emphasis on the point that hunters are the ones footing the bill and carrying the water for wildlife conservation.
On the other hand, the ideology being spewed by the animal rights person, Drucella, was unpleasant to listen to and was irrational. She seemed to equate the animals' rights with human rights ... a typical zany ideology. I would wager she is a vegan and likely naiive enough to believe that hamburger is produced by merely turning on the switch of a sausage grinder!
