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Joined: Jan 2020
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OP
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Posts: 902 |
Mach3: Pardon the Scheißevögel . As you may have been able to discern, there is a real bias against hunting deer behind fences on this forum. You'll find that a lot on deer hunting forums. I think I understand what you're looking for. Using the term "ranch" is what set them off. Also, I have not heard of anything in the states you mention.
As I understand it, you're looking for a fair chase guided hunt for whitetails. Those animals exist out here in Ohio and Kentucky. I just don't have any recommendations, but they do exist and folks come back with good results. I would do a Google search of things like "Kentucky Whitetail Guides" or "Ohio Whitetail Outfitter" or some such thing. These won't be high-fenced hunts.
Both Ohio and Kentucky have excellent Whitetail opportunities both public and private. The problem is going to be finding a booking for this year. My guess is that will be hard to find.
Some things to consider:
1) I know the AEP power lands south of Zanesville, Ohio are prime deer territory, and they're free. You just go to the office in McConnelsville and register. You can guide yourself. They have camping facilities and everything you need. There are big racks in Eastern Ohio.
2) There are several hunting preserves in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee that serve up exotics behind fences, but they also have associated guided whitetail operations that are fair chase. The closest one to me is Paul Richter's operation Shawnee Hunting Preserve outside of Portsmouth, OH. He's been in operation since at least the early 80's.
3) I don't have any guides in mind, but I do know a guy that brokers leases in my immediate area. You could look up the Parker Funeral Home in Brooksville, KY. John Parker may have leases available. I'm in a very opportunity-rich environment. Parker leases out the land adjacent to my farm. All the counties around me are ZONE 1, which means the state is trying to reduce the herd and are allowing unlimited anterless harvest. I'm about 90 minutes from Greater Cincinnati Airport. This is about a 9-10 hour drive from NJ.
Great info, thanks
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,318
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,318 |
I had planned on going to either Kentucky or Ohio this year for a chance at a big one, but circumstances forbade it. Maybe next year, but since I started thinking about it, I discovered that I can probably go to Texas and shoot a nilgai for about the same price. Lotsa tasty meat on a nilgai, I’m told.
You're absolutely right. If you hook up with a guiding service, expect to pay through the nose. I'm not saying it's not worth it. If you are willing to pay a guy to do all the pre-season legwork, it probably is. Take my place in KY. I have deer coming out of my ears and over the past 5 years, the number of worthy bucks has gone way up. Part of that is hunting pressure is down somewhat. A good part of it comes from the fact that I had a neighbor that was pouring $800 worth of corn into a feeder every year. When he sold out, the bucks didn't have an all-night buffet to go to anymore, and daylight buck sightings increased. I'm out on the property every week. I'm glassing the pastures. I'm checking my camera. I'm shaking my rattle. My guess is that I've seen no more than a dozen B&C-class bucks in 20 years. Oh, they are out there. It's just that they tend to roam a lot. The buck you see today is going to be over in the next county by nightfall. I've got one of them up on the wall. The rest were all chance encounters. That's okay. I'm happy with what I've got. On my 200 acres, there is usually 1-2 mature bucks-- these are shooters, not B&C record book material. I did some figgerin' a number of years back and figured out there were probably 8,000 B&C bucks in the Commonwealth of Kentucky at any given time. That's about 1 per every 5 square miles. Ohio is about the same, maybe a bit less. Kentucky is one of the top big-buck states in the union.
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 37,852
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 37,852 |
Lots of high fences in Texas, employment and financial security for rural people, a class of people worth preserving. Ranches stay ranches longer and not subdivided and/or sold to the Chinese or Arabs whatever.
Sporting? Are scopes, motorized transportation, GPS, hi tech clothing, pre-packaged food and drink supplies brung sporting?
As long as the kill is humane, I don’t have a problem with it.
"...if the gentlemen of Virginia shall send us a dozen of their sons, we would take great care in their education, instruct them in all we know, and make men of them." Canasatego 1744
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,976
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,976 |
Lots of high fences in Texas, employment and financial security for rural people, a class of people worth preserving. Ranches stay ranches longer and not subdivided and/or sold to the Chinese or Arabs whatever.
Sporting? Are scopes, motorized transportation, GPS, hi tech clothing, pre-packaged food and drink supplies brung sporting?
As long as the kill is humane, I don’t have a problem with it. I don't have a problem with it either, I just don't understand paying big money to shoot domestic animals. If that's your thing, go ahead, it's your money. The biggest ripoff I've seen is bison ''hunting''. One ranch has you prop up and shoot behind the head in the 3rd vertebrae and has a backup shooter with you in case you botch it. This is not hunting and the only thing you might prove is your ability to shoot a large target. To each his own.
Patriotism (and religion) is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
Jesus: "Take heed that no man deceive you."
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,867
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,867 |
The subject of free range and low fence VS high fences, comes up a couple of times every year here, and Texas, is always the bad guy, Texas hunting is as diverse as hunting any where else on private land, or public land, I am and have always been opposed to shooting any critter in a pen, just like most of you are, in our case we are surrounded by,
big ranch's that are high fenced or partial high fenced, the ranch on our Northern border is 250,000 acres, on the East border 145,000 acres,on our West border 162,000 acres, on our South border 187,000 acres, we are in three county's, high fence along hi-way's and county roads, help keep trespassers off our ranch's, no high fence will hold critters that want to come and go, they will go under over or thru the fence at will, there's never been a high that a Quail couldn't fly over, Quail hunting in S.Texas produces more money for us than any thing else we hunt. including B& C Whitetail, and Exotic's, there many misinformed people here commenting on high fence, that don't have any idea what they are talking about, which is true of many subject's here on the 24 hour camp fryer. Rio7
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,747
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,747 |
I hunted a fenced place in Georgia. 800 acres.
2 mornings, 2 evenings.
Saw the fence going in, and out.
Once being taken to a stand.
The fence played no part in the hunt.
The way people "hunt" today, you could hunt 100 acres fenced and it might not
play a part.
Sitting in a stand, not moving, if you are in the thick stuff, a fence 100 yards away is unseen. And since no ones moving, nobody is going
to corner anything.
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
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Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 9,378
Campfire Outfitter
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Another CF classic. The OP explained the need and motivation for this legal hunt and triggered the usual crew into rabid virtue signalling. If an honest question can no longer get respect on this site what is the use of asking.
I have made purchases and destination decisions based on the opinions offered by members whose opinions I respected and have profited from those. Our membership purports to be conservative and to value freedom of speech and choice but is starting to sound like the women on the view.
Should our members have to pass a purity of thought test? It could be factored by our resident geniuses that have attained oracle status.
LOL
mike r
Don't wish it were easier
Wish you were better
Stab them in the taint, you can't put a tourniquet on that.
Craig Douglas ECQC
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Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 1,329
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 1,329 |
Go get yourself a farm raised cow Elk in PA. They raise them there and several other states. Lots more meat and better eating too. They were fairly inexpensive and cheaper than an out of state tag out west.
God Bless America
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,098
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 5,098 |
I hunted a fenced place in Georgia. 800 acres.
2 mornings, 2 evenings.
Saw the fence going in, and out.
Once being taken to a stand.
The fence played no part in the hunt.
The way people "hunt" today, you could hunt 100 acres fenced and it might not
play a part.
Sitting in a stand, not moving, if you are in the thick stuff, a fence 100 yards away is unseen. And since no ones moving, nobody is going
to corner anything.
Riiiiight. As long as you can't see the fence its not a factor. Got it.
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Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,319
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,319 |
Another CF classic. The OP explained the need and motivation for this legal hunt and triggered the usual crew into rabid virtue signalling. If an honest question can no longer get respect on this site what is the use of asking.
I have made purchases and destination decisions based on the opinions offered by members whose opinions I respected and have profited from those. Our membership purports to be conservative and to value freedom of speech and choice but is starting to sound like the women on the view.
Should our members have to pass a purity of thought test? It could be factored by our resident geniuses that have attained oracle status.
LOL
mike r Yeah but still, the word ranch in the same thought with PA and NJ is pretty funny.
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Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,646
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 4,646 |
Another CF classic. The OP explained the need and motivation for this legal hunt and triggered the usual crew into rabid virtue signalling. If an honest question can no longer get respect on this site what is the use of asking.
I have made purchases and destination decisions based on the opinions offered by members whose opinions I respected and have profited from those. Our membership purports to be conservative and to value freedom of speech and choice but is starting to sound like the women on the view.
Should our members have to pass a purity of thought test? It could be factored by our resident geniuses that have attained oracle status.
LOL
mike r Bottom line is it simply isn't done. At least not by sportsmen and gentlemen.
The way life should be.
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Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,747
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 21,747 |
I hunted a fenced place in Georgia. 800 acres.
2 mornings, 2 evenings.
Saw the fence going in, and out.
Once being taken to a stand.
The fence played no part in the hunt.
The way people "hunt" today, you could hunt 100 acres fenced and it might not
play a part.
Sitting in a stand, not moving, if you are in the thick stuff, a fence 100 yards away is unseen. And since no ones moving, nobody is going
to corner anything.
Riiiiight. As long as you can't see the fence its not a factor. Got it. It's 800 acres. There are no drives, just stick your ass in a stand and shoot what comes by. The difference between that and no fence is mostly in your head. The fence keeps those pigs from leaving, keeps some predators out. The animals are hunted enough that it wasnt overpopulated, and they were definitely not game. One whiff and I learned just how fast a hog could run. Before that hunt, I thought like you. Went for something to do, and because I had never done it. Given my druthers, I'd actually hunt. On the ground, hunting. With out a fence. But it wasn't canned. Out of 6 or 8 guys, only a few killed a boar. A couple were missed. The place was poorly ran by an [bleep]. It appeared something illegitimate was going on there. (Dogfighting, to guess) Wouldn't go back, due to that. Otherwise, we would. There are places that basically shoot livestock in a pen. Every place with a fence isn't that. But this is the campfire. Everything is judged by ones personal experience and prejudices. God forbid, someone else has a different point or experience. A guy who has his ideas is qualified to judge others who have done. And he can judge everything as if his limited experiences are all encompassing. Personally, the OP isn't something I'm interested in. But it's legal. Even ethical if you don't twist the story. Too far.😉
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,318
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2002
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I have to stand with Dillonbuck on this one. I had a somewhat similar situation on my first time hunting. My buddy and I went to a place to hunt boar outside Crossville, TN. I really did not have expectations. The boar came by where I had been told to sit. I shot the boar. It really did not sink in until years later that this had all been done behind a fence. It's been 40 years. I might do it again, but I would put it in the same category as fair chase hunting.
I have not hunted Texas, but I have traveled in the Hill Country. You can go for miles with high fence on both sides of the roads and various herds of exotics peeping at you from the other side. I would imagine that, were the enclosure big enough, a hunter would not sense he was hunting in an enclosed area.
Having said all that, I know of a guy in Indiana, near Cincinnati, who was charging customers to shoot trophy deer in a corral. There was some C&W star that paid $15K to fly in, sit in the trailer watching Football. At halftime, he was shown out to the pen, shot his monster buck and then retired back to the trailer for the second half. Needless to say, this operation got busted up and somebody went to jail. I met the proprietor a couple times at Outdoor Shows, exhibiting his trophy deer in dog kennels. I asked him how he kept them so docile. The answer: drugs.
Yikes!
I like IvMiker's term "Purity Test" --- somehow judging how my hunting experience is better than your hunting experience. I've seen these arguments go on here and elsewhere for decades. I probably was just as vocal about it at some point. Over time, I realized that sort of thinking does no one any good. You're not going to change minds by calling someone a slob for what you think is poor hunting etiquette. Rule #1 of Fair Chase is "Obey all Rules." The corollary to that is "Respect legal hunting." It may not be my cup of tea, but as long as the rules are not broken then I'm not going to keep my opinions to myself.
Last edited by shaman; 09/22/21.
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 6,867
Campfire Tracker
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Joined: Nov 2009
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shaman, Most of the hill country ranch's are a 500 acres or less, and poor habitat, for deer, South and west of the hill country a couple of hundred miles is a whole different world, our smallest pasture is 2500 acres. Rio7
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,098
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 17,098 |
and this is why Pennsyltuckians don't like jerseyites
The government plans these shootings by targeting kids from kindergarten that the government thinks they can control with drugs until the appropriate time--DerbyDude
Whatever. Tell the oompa loompa's hey for me. [/quote]. LtPPowell
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 12,318
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Posts: 12,318 |
shaman, Most of the hill country ranch's are a 500 acres or less, and poor habitat, for deer, South and west of the hill country a couple of hundred miles is a whole different world, our smallest pasture is 2500 acres. Rio7
I was only there once, and I was a passenger in the car, not the driver. I was visiting KYHillChick's kin outside of Tao. They took us for a sightseeing ride. I never saw so much high fence in my life. It was like the Cincinnati Zoo on steroids. It was December and the town of Llano was choked with deer hunters.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5,817
Campfire Tracker
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Dude….you come to the fire ypu’re gonna get opinions whether you like it or not!! Exactly.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5,817
Campfire Tracker
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I’d shoot one of those goats tho With what caliber? They are pretty small.
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Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 1,329
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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How about a Bison? They're selling those too in PA. $3,000 to $5,000. Fill a few freezers. Shoot it on a Saturday and be back home on Sunday. Heck of a deal. Never need to apply for an out of state tag again. https://www.tiogaboarhunting.com/hunts/buffalo/
God Bless America
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Joined: May 2014
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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How about a Bison? They're selling those too in PA. $3,000 to $5,000. Fill a few freezers. Shoot it on a Saturday and be back home on Sunday. Heck of a deal. Never need to apply for an out of state tag again. https://www.tiogaboarhunting.com/hunts/buffalo/I'd ranch shoot a bison or one of those large African exotics with no qualms. I mean it's not like the big mammals can really free range anymore.
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