We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
Well, sounds to me a blind set up on the downwind side of that fence would be a pretty good place to catch the cruising, free-rangin' bucks during the rut.
We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
How has this high fence property affected your properties productivity? Where abouts are you in MS?
I find it hard to believe you are petting Whitetails thru any fence no matter what the fence is, try your B.S. on someone else. Rio7
[quote=RIO7]Live2hunt,
Just telling the truth sir One of the does even had a red ratchet strap hung loosely over her neck I guess to indicate DONT shoot this one And as far as what YOU believe I really don’t care There is a place for people who choose not to believe I have no reason to lie
Well, sounds to me a blind set up on the downwind side of that fence would be a pretty good place to catch the cruising, free-rangin' bucks during the rut.
Yes sir one thing we’ve found out is free ranging bucks on our property will cruise than fence line as well I don’t know I just don’t think it should be allowed But it’s all about money I guess Don’t know what the fees are to target practice inside fenced property But I will never do it.....
I think there's an importance difference to make between a 'high fence' and a 'canned' hunt, though the lines can get very blurry.
Some high fences are there for legality only. The fenced size can be bigger than a lot of islands in SE AK, and some have lots of holes dug under the fence by pigs or whatever else, allowing many critters to come and go as they please. The OP sounds to be dealing with a canned hunt operation, but it does lend the ethics question of should a "fair chase" hunter use that downwind fenceline to hunt free range bucks during the rut? If the fenced area is only several hundred acres or thereabouts, the wind can carry estrus scent from about anywhere in there to the downwind fence line.
I find it hard to believe you are petting Whitetails thru any fence no matter what the fence is, try your B.S. on someone else. Rio7
Originally Posted by RIO7
Live2hunt,
Just telling the truth sir One of the does even had a red ratchet strap hung loosely over her neck I guess to indicate DONT shoot this one And as far as what YOU believe I really don’t care There is a place for people who choose not to believe I have no reason to lie
I believe you. I have a bunch of deer that eat from my hand. A nice 3x3 gave me a good dose of poison oak a few years ago when I forgot to wash my hands after scratching his head.
What is the point? You assume that all are for hunting. For me, I enjoy growing, observing, and learning deer habits more than I do hunting and killing them.
On the place I frequent, which the deer are fairly tame, only one doe will let you approach, feed, and handle her. This is because she was orphaned and bottle fed as a fawn. She's getting long in the tooth. We've got to prepare another. She's a hoot. Roll down the window and rattle a pack of cheese crackers and she'll be there.
If you fence in a 2 acre plot and let a large trophy buck in for the punter to "hunt," I'd call that an unfair advantage. However, I have driven past mile after mile of high fence in Texas and would have no qualms about hunting that kind of situation.
If you fence in a 2 acre plot and let a large trophy buck in for the punter to "hunt," I'd call that an unfair advantage. However, I have driven past mile after mile of high fence in Texas and would have no qualms about hunting that kind of situation.
With enough acreage the deer are just as wild and wily as those outside the fence. I've hunted 2000 thick high fenced acres in the south Alabama where bucks would die of old age often. I can even argue that they were harder to hunt in this fence. It was hunted hard. Bucks did not move in daylight hours.
I'm going to give it a try this fall in south Texas. 6000 acres no blinds or feeders. This is a big chunk of ground to look for a deer. Were hunting Fallow deer and they only take between 4 & 6 deer a year.
I'm going to give it a try this fall in south Texas. 6000 acres no blinds or feeders. This is a big chunk of ground to look for a deer. Were hunting Fallow deer and they only take between 4 & 6 deer a year.
Sounds nice.
Some have added Axis deer which coexist well with WT’s and are better eating than WT’s from what I’ve heard.
It all depends on context. I wouldn’t have any qualms about hunting something like 6400 acres for deer allowed to live and reproduce naturally there. That’s ten square miles of ground. On the other end of the spectrum, I once had a parishioner who had a small herd of whitetails that he raised for semen production, just like a rancher would have prized bulls, he had prized bucks from with the semen was extracted. His biggest one was named Twister. Gigantic whitetail. Easily 220” of antlers. When he was without horns or in velvet, he was like a pet dog. I’ve got pictures of my girls feeding and petting him. Once he goes hard horn he was deadly aggressive. But his semen was worth tens of thousands of dollars per year. I wouldn’t want to hunt if a deer was raised like Twister. Might as well go shoot a steer in the feedlot and call it hunting.
Selmer
"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?" - my 3-year old daughter
Twister. This was in late July. So he wasn’t done growing antlers yet.
Last edited by selmer; 02/12/23.
Selmer
"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?" - my 3-year old daughter
DF Axis deer are wonderful eating. By far the best venison I have ever eaten. One day I'll go back and look for a bigger buck than I got (30 inches in length) and will also take a doe, there that good to eat.
DF Axis deer are wonderful eating. By far the best venison I have ever eaten. One day I'll go back and look for a bigger buck than I got (30 inches in length) and will also take a doe, there that good to eat.
I've heard this over and over about Axis deer. It's one of the reasons they are on my bucket list for hunting and eating.
Selmer
"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?" - my 3-year old daughter
Well, sounds to me a blind set up on the downwind side of that fence would be a pretty good place to catch the cruising, free-rangin' bucks during the rut.
Yes sir one thing we’ve found out is free ranging bucks on our property will cruise than fence line as well I don’t know I just don’t think it should be allowed But it’s all about money I guess Don’t know what the fees are to target practice inside fenced property But I will never do it.....
\ Why shouldn't it be allowed? As long as the land owner isn't breaking any laws, isn't it his/her property to do with as he/she pleases?
Perhaps they're trying some intensive management, or breeding. Perhaps they want to keep the neighbors or other riffraff out. It’s very difficult to keep private land private in some places, and also local authorities are loath to spend much time enforcing trespass laws.
Some years back I read a piece about how difficult it was to keep people off one’s hunting property. I hunted a friend’s spot a bit some years ago, and the neighbor’s young relative had an apple pile on it, and tried to run me off. Other neighbors thought it was their three-wheeler track. People suck.
As far as the deer are concerned, studies have shown they are quite able to evade hunters in even very small spaces, given ordinary cover. A high fence doesn’t mean the hunting isn’t being done in a sporting manner. Since it’s legal in your state, I think the owner’s conscience should be his guide.
We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
How has this high fence property affected your properties productivity? Where abouts are you in MS?
Still waiting to hear the answer.
Also like to hear some details about the Management plan on your side of the fence.
You can't paint any of it with too broad a brush. There are huge low fence ranches in Texas where the tameness of the deer would astound you. You can stand 25 yards away from 170 class bucks that just stare at you. I hunted for many years a ranch of 3000 acres that was half surrounded by high fenced ranches of similar size. Twice I observed mature bucks jump INTO the high fence neighbors. It's like a box of chocolates.
You can't paint any of it with too broad a brush. There are huge low fence ranches in Texas where the tameness of the deer would astound you. You can stand 25 yards away from 170 class bucks that just stare at you. I hunted for many years a ranch of 3000 acres that was half surrounded by high fenced ranches of similar size. Twice I observed mature bucks jump INTO the high fence neighbors. It's like a box of chocolates.
About how tall was that high fence? Ones I’ve seen were too tall for a deer to clear.
This morning i saw 4 does go under a high fence, it's not unusual to see deer and pigs cross under high fences, I have seen Deer jump a 8'6" high fence when pushed into a corner, a Kudu will hop over a high fence like it's 2' high, most of the people that Bitch about high fence don't have any idea what they are talking about. Rio7
This morning i saw 4 does go under a high fence, it's not unusual to see deer and pigs cross under high fences, I have seen Deer jump a 8'6" high fence when pushed into a corner, a Kudu will hop over a high fence like it's 2' high, most of the people that Bitch about high fence don't have any idea what they are talking about. Rio7
Good info. Thanks.
Agree with your statement that those who put down the high fence concept are not fully informed.
Seems to me some of that angst is no more or no less than envy against those who can afford such. If I can’t afford it, you shouldn’t be allowed to participate. Am I wrong?
This morning i saw 4 does go under a high fence, it's not unusual to see deer and pigs cross under high fences, I have seen Deer jump a 8'6" high fence when pushed into a corner, a Kudu will hop over a high fence like it's 2' high, most of the people that Bitch about high fence don't have any idea what they are talking about. Rio7
Good info. Thanks.
Agree with your statement that those who put down the high fence concept are not fully informed.
Seems to me some of that angst is no more or no less than envy against those who can afford such. If I can’t afford it, you shouldn’t be allowed to participate. Am I wrong?
We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
IMHO high fence ain't hunting. Hunting out of box stands over feeders sitting on shooting lanes ain't hunting. I call that stuff harvesting.
How bout treestands over acorns or big ag fields beans/corn kinda thing? How bout deer drives in other parts of the country or runnin em down with dogs? How bout riding around in the pickup out west or killin em LR from one mountain to another etc etc Are any of these options huntin or harvestin? We are our own worst enemy
All looks the same at the skinning shed. And at the dinner table.
It's what the hunter prefers, not what someone else thinks he (or she) should be doing or not doing. As long as it's legal, (or you don't get caught...)
See how politically correct I can be, including dudettes with the dudes...?
I don't care what someone does if it's legal and with modern sensibilities even the legal/illegal distinction doesn't mean to me what it once did. However, there is a difference in hunting high fences, low fences, private property, public land, and wilderness areas. To suggest hunting everywhere is as challenging as the next place or that it is the same at the end of the day is naive and foolish. It seems reasonable that most high fence hunters select the high fence operation due to the increased difficulty and challenge presented by the fences...
While I substantially live in the land of high fences I have never hunted within one. That said, I have zero issues with anyone choosing where/how they legally hunt.
I’ve hunted a high fence one time for blackbucks a fairly large place 2000 acres or so, I didn’t care for it. I haven’t looked in years but last I heard Boone and Crockett didn’t allow trophies from high fence properties. I guess their thinking being regardless of size it still restricts movement.
Will Munny: It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.
The Schofield Kid: Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.
I never felt hunting was a competitive sport, at least not for me. I don't judge my hunting primarily by the size of my buck to anyone else's. Sure I like to shoot a decent buck but its not what draws me to the sport so I could care less if people hunt in deer in high fence enclosure or not. or if they shoot 110 class or 190 class bucks.
I do have a few concerns but they aren't really about the hunting. It seems that almost all, or at least many of the CWD cases up here originally had some relation to game farms. There is also how the non hunting public views things and I am not sure small high fence operations are necessarily good for public image. But in general people can do what they want as long as its not hurting others, particularly on their own property.
The collection of taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this Republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. Coolidge
I like to do my best to try an keep an open mind about things. Use to have different opinion on fences but after being around a handful (small sample)of private hunting enclosures (no hunts for sale)over the past decade ive changed my mind. Eye opener to say the least. Committed people with a solid plan can do alot of good things.
If i was to ever hit the powerball id fence off a little piece of this world for myself and family too
D.F., In my humble opinion you are wrong. I live, hunt, and guide in the Adirondacks of NY. It’s over 6 million acres with over 1/2 that being state land open for hunting. No 4 wheeler/ATV access on the state land. Also spent a week hunting in the Jackman, Maine area last season. A few thousand acres isn’t that big a chunk of land, unless you’re paying taxes on it. Put up high fences where deer movement is restricted and the gene pool is contained and you’re no longer hunting in a natural habitat. Further, I find the genetic manipulation/artificial insemination of whitetails to grow big sets of horns disgusting and disrespectful of a magnificent animal. Not interested and not jealous. A person/business can do what they want to on their own land but people shouldn’t kid themselves into believing that these things are not being done to make it easier. One man’s opinion.
I sure wish I could afford to high fence my property. It's the only way to restrict deer movement and control the numbers. We can't grow grazing for cattle because of the deer at the house. And the 50 acres of winter grazing I planted on our hunting property for the deer looks like the ground is painted green. I guess we could allow people to stomp the woods hunting and then flatten the woods looking for the deer after shooting and wounding them. At least that way the deer become nocturnal where we don't have to see them every day.
We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
IMHO high fence ain't hunting. Hunting out of box stands over feeders sitting on shooting lanes ain't hunting. I call that stuff harvesting.
So according to this criteria, a tree stand overlooking a green field is harvesting too, and not hunting.
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
While I substantially live in the land of high fences I have never hunted within one. That said, I have zero issues with anyone choosing where/how they legally hunt.
+1
It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
High fence is the best way to improve a deer herd. They bring in trophy genetics, kill out the inferior animals.
And that makes it easier to kill a trophy animal inside it.
More has to do with the deer being exposed to humans and knowing where the bucks are. Cameras have proven to me that that bucks travel a long ways and are good at not being seen. A high fence is on my wish list in the next 5 years. But I'm not going to screw with bringing in outside genetics. Deer just need the right nutrition, age and as much to eat as they want. Creep feeding our calves made a lot more improvement than using AI or top notch bulls. I know of 3 pen raised bucks that were wild pick-ups and each one grew big antlers. But all 3 became so aggressive during the rut at 2.5 - 3.5 they became uncontrollable and were put down.
never did the high fence for big game but i have done the pheasant farm shoots a couple of times , if someone wants to do a high fence i could care less . i have never been to Africa but heard those hunts are high fence just that they are a huge fence areas ?
High fence is the best way to improve a deer herd. They bring in trophy genetics, kill out the inferior animals.
And that makes it easier to kill a trophy animal inside it.
More has to do with the deer being exposed to humans and knowing where the bucks are. Cameras have proven to me that that bucks travel a long ways and are good at not being seen. A high fence is on my wish list in the next 5 years. But I'm not going to screw with bringing in outside genetics. Deer just need the right nutrition, age and as much to eat as they want. Creep feeding our calves made a lot more improvement than using AI or top notch bulls. I know of 3 pen raised bucks that were wild pick-ups and each one grew big antlers. But all 3 became so aggressive during the rut at 2.5 - 3.5 they became uncontrollable and were put down.
People wouldn't travel from here to Texas and pay outrageous amounts of money to hunt whitetails on a high fenced ranch if their chances of killing a big trophy buck weren't much better. I know two guys from here that did exactly that and both came back from their high fenced ranch hunt with bucks much bigger than they had managed to kill in 30+ years here.
I shoot released pheasants as well along with quail. It's just the way it is if you want to hunt birds. I just came back from four days in Georgia hunting quail. My dogs saw more birds in those four days than in four years hunting grouse. South Africa has a lot of areas that are high fenced but you wouldn't know it due to the size. Just because an area is fenced doesn't necessarily mean it's a canned hunt. The hunt is what you make it.
High fence is the best way to improve a deer herd. They bring in trophy genetics, kill out the inferior animals.
And that makes it easier to kill a trophy animal inside it.
More has to do with the deer being exposed to humans and knowing where the bucks are. Cameras have proven to me that that bucks travel a long ways and are good at not being seen. A high fence is on my wish list in the next 5 years. But I'm not going to screw with bringing in outside genetics. Deer just need the right nutrition, age and as much to eat as they want. Creep feeding our calves made a lot more improvement than using AI or top notch bulls. I know of 3 pen raised bucks that were wild pick-ups and each one grew big antlers. But all 3 became so aggressive during the rut at 2.5 - 3.5 they became uncontrollable and were put down.
People wouldn't travel from here to Texas and pay outrageous amounts of money to hunt whitetails on a high fenced ranch if their chances of killing a big trophy buck weren't much better. I know two guys from here that did exactly that and both came back from their high fenced ranch hunt with bucks much bigger than they had managed to kill in 30+ years here.
Originally Posted by Blackheart
Originally Posted by TrueGrit
Originally Posted by Blackheart
Originally Posted by hanco
High fence is the best way to improve a deer herd. They bring in trophy genetics, kill out the inferior animals.
And that makes it easier to kill a trophy animal inside it.
More has to do with the deer being exposed to humans and knowing where the bucks are. Cameras have proven to me that that bucks travel a long ways and are good at not being seen. A high fence is on my wish list in the next 5 years. But I'm not going to screw with bringing in outside genetics. Deer just need the right nutrition, age and as much to eat as they want. Creep feeding our calves made a lot more improvement than using AI or top notch bulls. I know of 3 pen raised bucks that were wild pick-ups and each one grew big antlers. But all 3 became so aggressive during the rut at 2.5 - 3.5 they became uncontrollable and were put down.
People wouldn't travel from here to Texas and pay outrageous amounts of money to hunt whitetails on a high fenced ranch if their chances of killing a big trophy buck weren't much better. I know two guys from here that did exactly that and both came back from their high fenced ranch hunt with bucks much bigger than they had managed to kill in 30+ years here.
Yes, high fences can be used, and are used, to make getting a trophy buck easier. But high fences can be used for other purposes.
While I substantially live in the land of high fences I have never hunted within one. That said, I have zero issues with anyone choosing where/how they legally hunt.
+1
Full disclosure, i have taken hogs under high fence when I do the 24hrhoghunt, hoot n' shoot each year.
If its legal, yada yada yada...only you have to live with how you choose to hunt.
If its inside a fence, no matter the acreage - you know its in there. Not so much outside. Might be a XXX inch deer on this parcel, might not.
Kind of telling that a lot of guys that shoot deer off high fence operations don't go out of their way to put that detail out there unless pressed. Large buck somewhere out west on public and same guy cant tell you it was "walk in, public" fast enough...
We have a high fence property that borders our property...... it’s several hundred acres (not sure of the exact size) It has affected our productivity over the last few years But ms made it legal... so we deal with it But damn When you can walk up to the fence and literally pet does and 140-160” class deer through the fence What the hell is the point?????
IMHO high fence ain't hunting. Hunting out of box stands over feeders sitting on shooting lanes ain't hunting. I call that stuff harvesting.
So according to this criteria, a tree stand overlooking a green field is harvesting too, and not hunting.
I did not say anything about green fields. There have been "green" fields here before the white man, lol.
I’ve got mixed opinions on high fences. I’ve hunted in them and outside of them and everything was just as wild. While I don’t like them, I respect a man’s decision to do with his land as he pleases.
About a mile away from here, the owner of an apple orchard high-fenced his whole place, then replanted with young trees to replace the old ones. The benefit to me is that the stretch of road along his place is no longer a major deer-collision zone. There’s a small patch of woods on the property, so it’s likely some deer were inside when they closed it off, but I’ve never seen one on the inside as I drive by. Maybe they killed them all.
I didn’t post this on the Pics From the Farm thread because I don’t want to rain on that parade, but when I look at the pictures of those bucks it makes me sad. The horns they were forced to grow are beautiful to look at but I feel bad for the animals we turned into a science project and genetically manipulated to grow them for our amusement/entertainment.
I didn’t post this on the Pics From the Farm thread because I don’t want to rain on that parade, but when I look at the pictures of those bucks it makes me sad. The horns they were forced to grow are beautiful to look at but I feel bad for the animals we turned into a science project and genetically manipulated to grow them for our amusement/entertainment.
I’d be better to go to a high fence place every other year than pay what I do for lease, diesel, food etc
If we’re going to boil it down to economics we should just buy beef.
Then you're doing it wrong. I spent under 100.00 and put three deer in the freezer last season. The season before I killed six deer and spent less than 200.00. That includes license/tags, gas, ammo, freezer paper and tape. That comes out to well less than 1.00 per pound. If you know where I can buy beef for that I'm all ears.
I’d be better to go to a high fence place every other year than pay what I do for lease, diesel, food etc
If we’re going to boil it down to economics we should just buy beef.
Then you're doing it wrong. I spent under 100.00 and put three deer in the freezer last season. The season before I killed six deer and spent less than 200.00. That includes license/tags, gas, ammo, freezer paper and tape. That comes out to well less than 1.00 per pound. If you know where I can buy beef for that I'm all ears.
Ok, [bleep] girl. LOL
Now, you’re gonna have to go through hell; worse than any nightmare that you’ve ever dreamed.But in the end,I know you’ll be the one standing.
I've hunted a good number of high fenced ranches.Every one of them was different.The fence allows the owner to manage the animal that live within the fenced property.Some ranches run high density,feed the heck out of the animals and may spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.Those ranches generally are a little easier to hunt.Then I hunted one ranch that did not feed,kept populations low and managed the numbers so the natural habitat only supported the deer.That ranch was 1400 acres.It had about 120 deer and you were lucky to even see one.The season harvest was set by a biologist and it was usually about 12 bucks and 12 does.So it really depends on the property and how it's managed on the inside whether it's an easy hunt or a hard one.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~ As Bob Hagel would say"You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong."Good words of wisdom...............
"Daddy, can you sometime maybe please go shoot a water buffalo so we can have that for supper? Please? And can I come along? Does it taste like deer?" - my 3-year old daughter
I've hunted a good number of high fenced ranches.Every one of them was different.The fence allows the owner to manage the animal that live within the fenced property.Some ranches run high density,feed the heck out of the animals and may spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.Those ranches generally are a little easier to hunt.Then I hunted one ranch that did not feed,kept populations low and managed the numbers so the natural habitat only supported the deer.That ranch was 1400 acres.It had about 120 deer and you were lucky to even see one.The season harvest was set by a biologist and it was usually about 12 bucks and 12 does.So it really depends on the property and how it's managed on the inside whether it's an easy hunt or a hard one.
"Only" 120 deer on 1400 acres ? 50+ deer per square mile does not equate to "hard hunting". Around here our population runs 15-30 psm. A couple hours North it runs around 5 psm. If 50+ deer psm is hard hunting you don't know what that means.
I've hunted a good number of high fenced ranches.Every one of them was different.The fence allows the owner to manage the animal that live within the fenced property.Some ranches run high density,feed the heck out of the animals and may spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.Those ranches generally are a little easier to hunt.Then I hunted one ranch that did not feed,kept populations low and managed the numbers so the natural habitat only supported the deer.That ranch was 1400 acres.It had about 120 deer and you were lucky to even see one.The season harvest was set by a biologist and it was usually about 12 bucks and 12 does.So it really depends on the property and how it's managed on the inside whether it's an easy hunt or a hard one.
"Only" 120 deer on 1400 acres ? 50+ deer per square mile does not equate to "hard hunting". Around here our population runs 15-30 psm. A couple hours North it runs around 5 psm. If 50+ deer psm is hard hunting you don't know what that means.
The difference is nearly all of it is thick thorny brush.Your not going to do well in that stuff trying to stalk one.You might get lucky and catch them crossing a road and that's not often either.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~ As Bob Hagel would say"You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong."Good words of wisdom...............
I've hunted a good number of high fenced ranches.Every one of them was different.The fence allows the owner to manage the animal that live within the fenced property.Some ranches run high density,feed the heck out of the animals and may spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.Those ranches generally are a little easier to hunt.Then I hunted one ranch that did not feed,kept populations low and managed the numbers so the natural habitat only supported the deer.That ranch was 1400 acres.It had about 120 deer and you were lucky to even see one.The season harvest was set by a biologist and it was usually about 12 bucks and 12 does.So it really depends on the property and how it's managed on the inside whether it's an easy hunt or a hard one.
"Only" 120 deer on 1400 acres ? 50+ deer per square mile does not equate to "hard hunting". Around here our population runs 15-30 psm. A couple hours North it runs around 5 psm. If 50+ deer psm is hard hunting you don't know what that means.
The difference is nearly all of it is thick thorny brush.Your not going to do well in that stuff trying to stalk one.You might get lucky and catch them crossing a road and that's not often either.
You can still hunt/stalk here but public land is heavily forested so visibility is limited. In this area the hunter success rate on bucks is about 15% and the buck take runs about 2 psm. Our annual buck harvest is made up of 55% 1.5 year olds, 30% 2.5 year olds and 15% 3.5 years and older so what a Texas private land or high fence hunter would consider a "shooter buck" are few and far between.