Linefinder and I did one of those drive up and shoot buffalo outings in southern Colorado. As I've said before, I did it mostly for the meat, and have never made any pretense of it being a hunt. I also wanted to see how my 338x284 performed. At 30 yards on a 600-700 lb. cow, it did ok.
I never had any desire to do another one, though. For one thing, it did not produce cheap meat, and I discovered that eating bison gets olds after a while.
I wouldn't call it a horror story, but I definitely wouldn't call it a hunt, either.
The same landowner who did the shoot had another pasture with some free ranging bulls. He claimed that taking one of those was much more of a challenge, and by no means a sure thing. I wouldn't want to do that, either.
Lindfinder told me about y'all's hunt after I posted the successful story of my hunt. I'm not sure I could do a pen hunt, would rather just go to an auction sale and purchase the animal and take it to a butcher, but on the flip side if it's pretty cool to see how a particular bullet/load/caliber would do on a large animal.
We're waiting to see if we get drawn for the fall of 2018 buffalo hunt. Should know by the end of the month.
Distance is not an issue, but the wind can make it interesting!
I show up, they tell me what they need to take off their ranch to maintain a well balanced herd. I go to a likely location and throw out corn or feed to a desirable distance. I lay on the ground or get in a blind of some sort.
Under such circumstances, I have seen immaculate whitetail bucks, African game, exotics, and what have you. It's quite amazing.
But, I am there to do a job. And that is to thin the herd of whatever the particular animal is at the time. Folks.........it ain't that hard. Shooting a monster buck is actually quite easy. Selectively culling the right doe or cull buck sometimes takes a few attempts. Either way. It's fun to be outside. It's fun to do ballistic testing. And sometimes, it's fun to allow my boy to get the experience of taking game or just hanging out with me.
Is it worth paying for that opportunity?
Seeing as how I have a "particular set of skills", I don't have to pay. But then, I don't get to shoot the monsters either. Just the riff raft.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Then again, my boy has been offered a nice axis buck this season because of my help with the herd.
. Maybe not a "trophy buck" by monetary standards. But, more than I have ever been offered. And I am absolutely ok with that! I would rather him get the chance than I any day. Will it be from a high fence operation? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Am I paying for it with money? Not a chance.
Just time and attention to keep a place running. The dividend is him getting a shot at a nice axis buck. For a young boy, I'm ok with that.
I never had had those chances as a kid. But then, he may never shoot a Rocky Mountain Elk like I have.
"To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
Im not a trophy hunter. I've only shot two antlered ungulates in my life. The only big game I've even photographed after a hunt was my Dad's.
To me it's about participating in the pursuit, and the adventures that entailes. I might pay a nominal fee to see a red deer or watch someone else shoot it, but I might not.
My thoughts are generally clear. My typing, not so much.
Exactly, so assuming someone is stupid because they can pay a lot of money for a throphy makes no sense to me. I can say from personal experience I have not met a lot of stupid rich people. But I do believe the ones that are get a lot of press. I don't believe they are the majority.
The only ones I can think of live in a place called Hollywood California, or at least work there. I think it must have something to do with the air there. Or maybe the stress from living so close to that big fault line.
:tooth:
Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Years ago, I gauged interest on here with a few guys about a group red hind hunt in TX, iirc it was $3-400 per hind. Even today I'm seeing $500 +/- as they're considered add-ons or cull/ meat hunts. Mostly to thin the herd. 1k is outrageous.
The 1 time i hunted a private ranch it was 18k acres, and I was amazed how big it actually is when you're boots are on on the ground. Only saw a fence once, because we worked a canyon next to the property line. Now this was wide open prairie, I imagine even 1/4 of that size, if dense and thick with vegetation, Could make things interesting.
As to the Africa costs, you're paying for an experience that you just cannot get anywhere else. Its cheaper to fly there and shoot 6-15 animals than it is to shoot 1 eland in TX. Its cheaper to do most ANY plains game package then it is for near ANY north American trophy.
Skip the taxidermy (biggest hidden cost) and shoot more animals, or go a 2nd time. Dip & packing the animals, transfer to a broker, transfer to a taxidermy shop if having it done, the shipping materials, customs forms, actual shipping charges, dealing with US customs, USF&W if you have any CITES list animals, getting it from port of entry to YOUR door or your taxidermist....4-5 basic plains game is likely going to cost you 4-7k all said and done, extra. Go euro mount if you must, and you're looking 1-4k. Or, take lots of pictures, have them professionally blown up and framed, hang THAT in your den.....and go back to Africa again
Can you name a few of the ones you've been to? I heard horror stories about some of the buffalo hunts in WY that they were a drive up and shoot. My buffalo hunt was on 18000 acres and I worked my rear end off to get my shot. No animals in pens. Not saying those pen hunt places don't exist but I've never heard or seen any of them and never heard of one in Texas.
The 1 ranch I went to for pigs had a separate "grassland" for exotics. After our pig hunt the guide took us to the pasture and we drove up on every critter there and he described how it was done, and answered yes to the question about people actually paying huge amounts of money for this.
It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
Here's a pic from my one and only canned hunt. Back before feral hogs got to be an epidemic, a bunch of people near Crossville Tennessee ran high-fenced areas and basically farmed the remnants of the Russian boars that were imported a hundred years ago for private hunting lodges. The result of those animals crossing with free-range domestic pigs in the area resulted in some pretty big crossbreeds.
That's part of the high fence behind me, but toward the middle of the 500 acres, there was more challenging terrain. The entire experience was pretty disappointing, and I don't intend to ever try it again. There were a bunch of hidden fees involved, mostly for "processing" the kill, and I ended up with a couple of coolers full of mediocre sausage for my money. That 225 lb. sow ended up costing me around $600.00 and the "hunt" was over in about two hours. I was sitting on a big rock overlooking a well-traveled trail when one of the "guides" came blasting up on an ATV and insisted that I come shoot a pig their dogs had cornered in the root ball of a blowdown tree. I made the shot from about 15 yards- - - -no actual "hunting involved, other than making sure I didn't shoot one of the dogs!
The same lodge offered various exotics, mostly African antelope for outrageous prices, but if my hunt was any example, it wouldn't have appealed to me at all.
Jerry
Was this in TX or PA? No personal experience but I have heard that a couple of the hunting "preserves" in PA are exactly what you described.
TN
It would definitely take a person who was pretty full of themselves to take anything like that for a trophy. I have heard the same. I think there is a place just north of me that has pens. The more dollars, the bigger the critter. Walk through between the pens and pick your target.
It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
Here's a pic from my one and only canned hunt. Back before feral hogs got to be an epidemic, a bunch of people near Crossville Tennessee ran high-fenced areas and basically farmed the remnants of the Russian boars that were imported a hundred years ago for private hunting lodges. The result of those animals crossing with free-range domestic pigs in the area resulted in some pretty big crossbreeds.
The same lodge offered various exotics, mostly African antelope for outrageous prices, but if my hunt was any example, it wouldn't have appealed to me at all.
Jerry
Loshbough?
If so that is the one I went to. We went in the summer and there was no one else there. The pen is now 700+ ac and while there is a real good chance you will get one, with no one else around you have to work some. We tried dogs for one just for the experience and we covered 8.1 miles chasing the dogs around. Next day we went back to stalking. It wasnt hard, but is was far harder than sitting at a bait pile. I would do pigs again there.
The exotics are across the road in a pasture.
It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
That name doesn't ring a bell, but I don't remember the name of the place I went. It was a little northeast of Monterey TN, just on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. That area was the location of several hunting clubs owned by wealthy damyankees around the turn of the 20th. Century. They imported Russian boars to hunt. Those animals promptly escaped their enclosures and commenced to do what all hogs do- - - -breed everything in sight including the local free-range domestic pigs. In the 1960's some enterprising landowners erected high fences and started selling guided hunts. They would live trap and swap hogs amongst themselves to build up a huntable population and replenish their stock. Sometime later the same lodge operators started offering African game at outrageous prices. At one time I had the website of the lodge I visited saved, but that went away with a hard drive crash 2 or 3 computers ago.
Jerry
I say, whatever you shoot or however you do it, as long as it's legal and you want to do it, if you can afford it and you feel it will give you pleasure, get after it. don't care if the guide drives you up to a cage and tells you to shoot the animal, if that's what you want, do it. It's your nickle.
As for me, neither can I afford it, nor do I think it would give me the pleasure. If I had unlimited funds for my personal entertainment, I would go to Africa and Alaska and go on a couple of real in the wild guided hunts. But as of now the 6 numbers have alluded me.
Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
High fence hunts can be hit or miss. I've seen some that were less than a hundred acres and some that were several thousand. I had my own views of such "hunts" until I spent some time helping at one. There were some species that were tamer than others but it changed my view point some. If done right with enough property and terrain I was completely suprised at how much harder if was than I had thought. It is not for everybody and it is still not my cup of tea. But I do have a different view on it now. I would have no problem hunting plainsgame in South Africa or Namibia on some of high fenced operations that are 8-12000 hectares. Africa is also the best bang for you're buck as far as hunting. You can go hunt free range plainsgame for $350-600 a day with good trophy fees. You can do 4-6 species for less than a lot of guided mule deer or elk hunts.
Back in the 90s one of my closest friends and hunting buddy told me he wanted to shoot a wild boar, so i booked a " canned hunt" with the Lightsey Cattle Co. they own a 2000+ acre island in Lake Kissimmee, it cost $500. each, we were there 3 days, stayed in a beautiful lodge, first class accommodations, great food. My friend Mike is a bow hunter, we did not sit in a stand overlooking a food plot, we ran thru the swamp following the dogs, worked our butts off, I got a 200lb boar, Mike arrowed one about 275lb he than paid extra to get a Barbary sheep (Aoudad) . There were no hidden costs, it was supposed to be a 2 day hunt, we were never charged extra for the added day, we did tip the guides as they skinned, quartered and packed the meat with dry ice in our coolers. This was the only canned hunt i ever did, it was fair chase and we worked for our game.
JAY
THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
Replies
Lindfinder told me about y'all's hunt after I posted the successful story of my hunt. I'm not sure I could do a pen hunt, would rather just go to an auction sale and purchase the animal and take it to a butcher, but on the flip side if it's pretty cool to see how a particular bullet/load/caliber would do on a large animal.
We're waiting to see if we get drawn for the fall of 2018 buffalo hunt. Should know by the end of the month.
John 3: 1-21
I show up, they tell me what they need to take off their ranch to maintain a well balanced herd. I go to a likely location and throw out corn or feed to a desirable distance. I lay on the ground or get in a blind of some sort.
Under such circumstances, I have seen immaculate whitetail bucks, African game, exotics, and what have you. It's quite amazing.
But, I am there to do a job. And that is to thin the herd of whatever the particular animal is at the time. Folks.........it ain't that hard. Shooting a monster buck is actually quite easy. Selectively culling the right doe or cull buck sometimes takes a few attempts. Either way. It's fun to be outside. It's fun to do ballistic testing. And sometimes, it's fun to allow my boy to get the experience of taking game or just hanging out with me.
Is it worth paying for that opportunity?
Seeing as how I have a "particular set of skills", I don't have to pay. But then, I don't get to shoot the monsters either. Just the riff raft.
. Maybe not a "trophy buck" by monetary standards. But, more than I have ever been offered. And I am absolutely ok with that! I would rather him get the chance than I any day. Will it be from a high fence operation? Yep. Do I care? Nope. Am I paying for it with money? Not a chance.
Just time and attention to keep a place running. The dividend is him getting a shot at a nice axis buck. For a young boy, I'm ok with that.
I never had had those chances as a kid. But then, he may never shoot a Rocky Mountain Elk like I have.
I certainly hope he gets the chance to hunt them.
JAY
To me it's about participating in the pursuit, and the adventures that entailes. I might pay a nominal fee to see a red deer or watch someone else shoot it, but I might not.
The only ones I can think of live in a place called Hollywood California, or at least work there. I think it must have something to do with the air there. Or maybe the stress from living so close to that big fault line.
:tooth:
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
The 1 time i hunted a private ranch it was 18k acres, and I was amazed how big it actually is when you're boots are on on the ground. Only saw a fence once, because we worked a canyon next to the property line. Now this was wide open prairie, I imagine even 1/4 of that size, if dense and thick with vegetation, Could make things interesting.
Skip the taxidermy (biggest hidden cost) and shoot more animals, or go a 2nd time. Dip & packing the animals, transfer to a broker, transfer to a taxidermy shop if having it done, the shipping materials, customs forms, actual shipping charges, dealing with US customs, USF&W if you have any CITES list animals, getting it from port of entry to YOUR door or your taxidermist....4-5 basic plains game is likely going to cost you 4-7k all said and done, extra. Go euro mount if you must, and you're looking 1-4k. Or, take lots of pictures, have them professionally blown up and framed, hang THAT in your den.....and go back to Africa again
That's part of the high fence behind me, but toward the middle of the 500 acres, there was more challenging terrain. The entire experience was pretty disappointing, and I don't intend to ever try it again. There were a bunch of hidden fees involved, mostly for "processing" the kill, and I ended up with a couple of coolers full of mediocre sausage for my money. That 225 lb. sow ended up costing me around $600.00 and the "hunt" was over in about two hours. I was sitting on a big rock overlooking a well-traveled trail when one of the "guides" came blasting up on an ATV and insisted that I come shoot a pig their dogs had cornered in the root ball of a blowdown tree. I made the shot from about 15 yards- - - -no actual "hunting involved, other than making sure I didn't shoot one of the dogs!
The same lodge offered various exotics, mostly African antelope for outrageous prices, but if my hunt was any example, it wouldn't have appealed to me at all.
Jerry
TN
It would definitely take a person who was pretty full of themselves to take anything like that for a trophy. I have heard the same. I think there is a place just north of me that has pens. The more dollars, the bigger the critter. Walk through between the pens and pick your target.
If so that is the one I went to. We went in the summer and there was no one else there. The pen is now 700+ ac and while there is a real good chance you will get one, with no one else around you have to work some. We tried dogs for one just for the experience and we covered 8.1 miles chasing the dogs around. Next day we went back to stalking. It wasnt hard, but is was far harder than sitting at a bait pile. I would do pigs again there.
The exotics are across the road in a pasture.
That name doesn't ring a bell, but I don't remember the name of the place I went. It was a little northeast of Monterey TN, just on the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. That area was the location of several hunting clubs owned by wealthy damyankees around the turn of the 20th. Century. They imported Russian boars to hunt. Those animals promptly escaped their enclosures and commenced to do what all hogs do- - - -breed everything in sight including the local free-range domestic pigs. In the 1960's some enterprising landowners erected high fences and started selling guided hunts. They would live trap and swap hogs amongst themselves to build up a huntable population and replenish their stock. Sometime later the same lodge operators started offering African game at outrageous prices. At one time I had the website of the lodge I visited saved, but that went away with a hard drive crash 2 or 3 computers ago.
Jerry
As for me, neither can I afford it, nor do I think it would give me the pleasure. If I had unlimited funds for my personal entertainment, I would go to Africa and Alaska and go on a couple of real in the wild guided hunts. But as of now the 6 numbers have alluded me.
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
Gemsbok are African
Isn't that what he said?
JAY
Dang, yup he did. Saw India, didn't reread. Guilty of skimming