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Article on canned hunts

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Here's something for ya!
When all of us head for our favorite stand, blind or still hunt. What do you suppose the odds are that a trophy of a life time, be it 130" to some or 200" to another comes by and gives us an opportunity to harvest it?
On the other hand, a guy goes to a ranch ( fenced in ) and eats his 3 course breakfast, gets shouffered to his tower stand, with a guide. Picks out the biggest buck that he can afford. Takes a rest on Caldwell Lead Sled with his .270 Winchester at 100 or so yards?
Wouldn't we all agree that the percentage of success is greater and the accomplishment is nil. Who in the heck finds any joy in that? I guess some people just don't care.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Hunting 5000 acres as opposed to 5 is different and more of a challenge, but the people that run these places still have these deer patterned to a t and they are still fenced in. Penned up is penned up whether you got 5000 acres or 5. Not for me.

I am not a fan of them either bud. They do all get painted with the same broad stroke of the brush. Just saying, they aren't all shot in a stable like the staging area a bull rider climbs on top of a bull before they open the gates. lol

If I recall correctly, Willy's guide on his penned hunt said they knew the deer was in there but hadn't seen him for several years. I guess I am defending Willy's buck more than I am fenced in operations more than anything. Silly too because I really don't have a dog in the fight. I don't have anything for them. If I had to guess 90-99% of them simply cater to deep pocketed big wigs with more money than hunting ability.
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
I am not a fan of them either bud. They do all get painted with the same broad stroke of the brush. Just saying, they aren't all shot in a stable like the staging area a bull rider climbs on top of a bull before they open the gates. lol

If I recall correctly, Willy's guide on his penned hunt said they knew the deer was in there but hadn't seen him for several years. I guess I am defending Willy's buck more than I am fenced in operations more than anything. Silly too because I really don't have a dog in the fight. I don't have anything for them. If I had to guess 90-99% of them simply cater to deep pocketed big wigs with more money than hunting ability.
I am with ya, Phil. I was in no way bashing Willy at all, if it came off that way, I appogize to him. I guess what I was trying to covey is when one of those "guys" go to the ranch. There's almost a 99% chance that they ARE bring home some big horns. When we head to the stand, we don't even know if we will even see one big enough to bring the binos up? Lol. These aren't even close in comparison in ethics of hunting.
 

Jamie

Senior Member
5,691
177
Ohio
everyone knows this sort of thing isn't really hunting, but the people who run these operations try sell it like it is. I've always wondered why the folks who would shell out $5 or $10k or more to shoot livestock don't just buy the horns, which is effectively what they are doing anyway. perhaps it's some sort of bizarre ego boost to actually pull the trigger yourself and be able to say you killed the deer. would be a lot less work and might even cost less to just buy antlers. I'll never understand the appeal, or what motivates anyone to partake in such things. is absolutely disgraceful and it cheapens all of us. I'm confident that the non-hunting public finds it as appalling as I do, but at least we as hunters can differentiate between real hunting and canned hunts for the most part. lots of folks cannot or do not. there is no virtue in any of it.
 

bowieoutdoors

*Supporting member*
Mike, I'm curious as to why you think this. None of these organizations except entries from canned hunts, nor am I aware of any issues of late that came about because of a canned hunt deer interfering with official P&Y, B&C, or BBBC business. Is high fenced hunting on such a rise that it would allow SCI to crush these organizations?

I was thinking the same thing Jesse. I didn't think high fence deer were allowed in the record books. I've always said record books mean nothing to me anyway. If I have the meat in my freezer and the mount on my wall that experience means more to me than my name in a record book. I've never killed a buck that would qualify but when I do, and I do mean when, I have no intentions of entering it anywhere. I've never hunted high fence and never will but I've got better things to than worry about how other people do things.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
I was thinking the same thing Jesse. I didn't think high fence deer were allowed in the record books. I've always said record books mean nothing to me anyway. If I have the meat in my freezer and the mount on my wall that experience means more to me than my name in a record book. I've never killed a buck that would qualify but when I do, and I do mean when, I have no intentions of entering it anywhere. I've never hunted high fence and never will but I've got better things to than worry about how other people do things.

I've shot one and he's never been officially scored. Hell, I had to search back for my old post to see what JD scored him at. Lol. That deer means a lot to me personally and not just what some scorer told me he should. I could honestly care less about a record book. Btw. 164 3/8.
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
I see no benefits for "Joe hunter" in b&c or P&Y.

Canned hunts
Leasing
Book chasing/idolatry

All paths to the death of hunting as we know it, as it should be.
 

1hornwilly

*Supporting Member III*
I am with ya, Phil. I was in no way bashing Willy at all, if it came off that way, I appogize to him. I guess what I was trying to covey is when one of those "guys" go to the ranch. There's almost a 99% chance that they ARE bring home some big horns. When we head to the stand, we don't even know if we will even see one big enough to bring the binos up? Lol. These aren't even close in comparison in ethics of hunting.

Ah, you guys won't hurt my feelings. Hahaha. Every time this convo comes up it heads this direction. I wouldn't have posted in this thread if I was worried about it. Appreciate you fellas for thinkin about it though. I still say its great for some but for some it is the worst thing ever. I like reading all the thoughts even if someone thinks I shouldn't have gone on that hunt. It is a fun conversation piece in my office! I'd still rather hunt on my own, but seeing deer like that in real life is crazy...
 

Fullbore

Senior Member
6,439
126
South Eastern Ohio
Ah, you guys won't hurt my feelings. Hahaha. Every time this convo comes up it heads this direction. I wouldn't have posted in this thread if I was worried about it. Appreciate you fellas for thinkin about it though. I still say its great for some but for some it is the worst thing ever. I like reading all the thoughts even if someone thinks I shouldn't have gone on that hunt. It is a fun conversation piece in my office! I'd still rather hunt on my own, but seeing deer like that in real life is crazy...
You have a great attitude about it, Willy. It's different strokes, for different folks. It's all good here.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I am with ya, Phil. I was in no way bashing Willy at all, if it came off that way, I appogize to him. I guess what I was trying to covey is when one of those "guys" go to the ranch. There's almost a 99% chance that they ARE bring home some big horns. When we head to the stand, we don't even know if we will even see one big enough to bring the binos up? Lol. These aren't even close in comparison in ethics of hunting.

Shoot. Where I hunt I don't even know if I will see a doe every hunt. haha
Lucky to see a shooter in bow range every few years. None last year. One shooter in bow range the year before. Another in gun range (during bow season) the year before. I would still rather eat my tag than take part in a fenced in hunt.

I am not sure how the fenced in hunts have any correlation to record books. I put my first (and only) P&Y buck in the book. If I get an OBB I will probably do the same. I don't know why. I suppose it is simply because I am a goal oriented person. By making it official it means I officially accomplished the goal. If I shoot another P&Y I don't foresee me entering it.
 

mrex

*Supporting member*
439
79
Mike, I'm curious as to why you think this. None of these organizations except entries from canned hunts, nor am I aware of any issues of late that came about because of a canned hunt deer interfering with official P&Y, B&C, or BBBC business. Is high fenced hunting on such a rise that it would allow SCI to crush these organizations?

Rob McCarley
 

mrex

*Supporting member*
439
79
Shoot. Where I hunt I don't even know if I will see a doe every hunt. haha
Lucky to see a shooter in bow range every few years. None last year. One shooter in bow range the year before. Another in gun range (during bow season) the year before. I would still rather eat my tag than take part in a fenced in hunt.

I am not sure how the fenced in hunts have any correlation to record books. I put my first (and only) P&Y buck in the book. If I get an OBB I will probably do the same. I don't know why. I suppose it is simply because I am a goal oriented person. By making it official it means I officially accomplished the goal. If I shoot another P&Y I don't foresee me entering it.

I've killed 25 P&Y's...I've entered one. I have a philosophical difference with their stance on crossbows and their lobbying to limit hunter opportunities. I have 3 that would be recognized by B&C...I've entered none. I have a philosophical difference with their records chairman...he sees the glass half empty and I see it half full. I have 13 buckeye big bucks and I've entered them all. I like what the BBBC stands for and I like how they use their resources to promote hunting and hunter recruitment.
 
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Bigslam51

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
25,778
127
Stark County
And for the record, the leasing of land pisses me off more than these fenced in operations. The farm behind our land is leased during deer season and last year I found a stand on my land, it is now on my buddies land and I'll be shooting a deer from it this year.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Shot a 200+ inch Amish pen deer in Ohio. Checked it in and tried to claim it was fair chase with a trad bow. He had a couple other deer in the BBBC books and all were thrown out.

And yet I fail to see how this single instance will be the ruin of P&Y, B&C, and OBBC. He was caught, reprimanded, and publicly embarrassed. Seems like the perfect example of what NOT to do when trying to kill a penned deer and claim it for a wild one. You're going to have to elaborate Mike instead of just sending us on a Google chase to make our own inferences...
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
I hunted in a pen last year - for doves. My buddy had a high fence operation for a few years but quit doing it because the money went out of it. What people were paying a few years ago to shoot a big deer has dropped by 50% according to him. He still had deer in the pen as we were blazing away with shotguns. We had deer walking all around us, similar to what cattle would have been doing. Hunting deer in a pen is not for me.
 

mrex

*Supporting member*
439
79
And yet I fail to see how this single instance will be the ruin of P&Y, B&C, and OBBC. He was caught, reprimanded, and publicly embarrassed. Seems like the perfect example of what NOT to do when trying to kill a penned deer and claim it for a wild one. You're going to have to elaborate Mike instead of just sending us on a Google chase to make our own inferences...

OK...Noel Feather...:biggrin:
 

Ohiosam

*Supporting Member*
11,708
191
Mahoning Co.
I think what Mike thinks the problem is that people will start looking at records skeptically. Kind of like doping in sports records.

I'm learning to be skeptical of pics I see online of monster bucks when I don't know the story.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
OK...Noel Feather...:biggrin:

Again... How does something that happened 20+ years ago have an effect on organizations that have grown much larger and stronger since he was busted for his shenanigans? Not to mention he was busted before ever entering the deer, so it was not like it tainted any record books. And being that it was a TX, MO/IL issue, how would it even impact the OBBC?