Greenhorn, thanks for not thinking I'm gay, my wife, kids and the sailors I used to bunk with would be crushed. LOL

Actually I didn't go to the ranch to hunt Elk, he has some really monster Axis and Blackbuck. The day before we were coming out he called and wanted to cull a couple of the older elk and told me I could take one if I could get on it. So I did, and I'm happy.

Except for whitetail, I've noted that most of the really trophy size animals don't come around feeders anyway. The big ones are old and smart just like in their native habitat. Having said that I've visited two well known fenced ranches where the Oryx had to be moved off the roads they were so tame.

I'm actually going to go back in late Jan after one Blackbuck in particular. Only about 20"-22" horns but a beautiful pure black with a almost perfect white circle around one eye. Blackbuck (at least at this ranch) don't come to his whitetail feeders and are extremely wary. We hunted this one hard for two days and could never get a decent shot to take.

Browningguy, If you are in College Station, stop by my sister's gun store, Champion Firearms. I'm thinking if you said some Rude jerk from MT said you were gay, she'd automatically know her brother was acting up again.

Hey.. have fun on the blackbuck hunt.

Buffalobwana
O. K. I didn't get the exact percentage -but I was stationed in the Abilene area/Hill country. I guess that's must be where the 5-8% High fence is becuase everywhere you look it's High fence. But if you don't hunt there expect to spend at least $3500 for a lease or drive a 100 miles on average to get public lands where most times it's elbow to elbow hunting. For the average hunter with out connections in TX you are going to spend a lot of money to hunt! I'll take ID over TX any day- I got Millions of acres to hunt and don't have to pay a dime other than for a license and gas to do it and if they ever start that High Fense crap hear I'll be against it.

Interesting topic.. High fences..
In Texas, most, and at elast, 90% of the land is privately owned. I happen to be one of the FEW to have public lands license, and I hunt those. But, I will also HUNT a high fence, but not SHOOT on one. If the terrain and cover is tough, and it's a fair chase, sure, let's go. If it's a 100% success rate, or, I drive up and it looks like a canned hunt, I LEAVE. I did this on a pig hunt in October, I was promised several things, including fair chase stalking on a low fence (barb wire). I got there, and the pigs where standing at the tree line. This was nuts.

In some states, hunting over bait is illegal, and thereby taken as unsportsman like.

Let's remember that this is also a cash crop, and that high fence costs over $7000 a mile to hang. So, for a 640 acre place, that's $28,000 dollars.

Do I think that TROPHYS should be booked from a high fence? NOPE. Do I think a Texas (or anyone else) should be able to pay $3000, and take an elk in a fair chase, sure.

It's a question of kind, not type. Is 20,000 acres legit? Who in the us can afford that, that would post on this board?

Is 1000 okay? it COULD be.. it could be wild and woolly... or, it could be a pasture, with 5 tower stands., in which case that feed lot needs to not advertise as a fair chase.

Is 640 acres okay? I've seen 640 acres that you couldn't cover in 10 weeks of solid hunting...

200 acres? hmm, no, I won't hunt in someone's back yard

I'll be walking along the san jac river saturday morning, carrying my 45LC and wearing orange, thinking about this as I stalk the 150,000 acres of sam houston forrest.

Oh, yeah, the point of the question... should the writer say it was a hunt? 6 times at the same animal? Nah, it was a shoot.

jeffe