High Fence Vs Low Fence Hunting

One of the biggest arguments in the hunting world is that of high fence vs low fence hunting. Many sportsmen believe that hunting inside any fenced-in area is unfair to the animals as they have no chance to escape the hunter, while others will argue that these areas are so large that the animals will never see a fence anyways. So what exactly are the issues?

To start, it is important to note that most hunters who condemn high fence hunting do not realize there is a giant difference between a large high fence ranch in Texas that covers tens of thousands of acres and a small 100-acre “farm” in central Ohio. When you compare the two, most hunters would consider hunting in such a small area with high fences like shooting a deer out of nothing more than a pen. This is where high fence hunting gets most of its negative attention.

High fence hunting got its start as a management practice for whitetail. This was first implemented in Texas after World War II. It really got some traction during the 1970s when the term “quality deer management” became standard practice for producing specific traits in deer much like what is done with cattle. 

These quality deer became a great revenue source for ranch owners, and managing them scientifically became the goal for many landowners. Many ranches were put under high fence management for these financial benefits. These decisions were made for economic and business reasons, and had nothing to do with trying to make hunting deer any easier. And while a high fence may help better manage deer genetics, it does not make them any easier to hunt or kill. 

Likewise, a high fence around a property does not always mean it is trying to keep big deer inside, but also for keeping other deer out. Someone who has a high fence property will most likely care about all of the deer and other wildlife populations there and want to preserve their investments into the genetics and habitat that they have. For large properties, many deer will live their entire lives without ever encountering any of these fences. And as we mentioned, they are just as wild and hard to kill as any other deer!

So what is all the fuss about high fence hunting when you compare it to low fence? A lot of it has to do with the size of the property and the actual fair chase concept. A deer that has no chance of escape in a small enclosure is easy to kill and goes against fair chase. But as we have discussed, many hunters are unaware that most high fence operations offer just as much (if not more) of a challenge as a low fence property. 

The next time you hear the debate on high fence vs low fence hunting, just remember to think about all of the different concepts that come along with hunting behind a high fence. You just might have to rethink your stance once you have all of the facts!