Game Ranches???
I really really really want some game meat in the freezer this year but don't have much time to hunt during the seasons. Lobster season and most hunting seasons overlap and I cannot makeup a lost day from the water.
My brother went with a friend of his this past week on a Moose hunt. I was invited but declined. The hunter spent probably close to $1000 for the lodging, food, gas, license, butchering etc. They were gone Monday to late Friday night. So they also lost 5 days of haul. That is alot of lost income as well.
I am looking into a game ranch in Maine that lets you hunt Boar, Red Deer etc and charges about $600 for the smallest animal and then on up.
Has anyone ever hunted a game ranch? Is is really hunting? I want an animal but not bad enough to shoot one tied to a post.[;)]
But this would work for me because I could hunt in the winter because it is not a season.
My brother went with a friend of his this past week on a Moose hunt. I was invited but declined. The hunter spent probably close to $1000 for the lodging, food, gas, license, butchering etc. They were gone Monday to late Friday night. So they also lost 5 days of haul. That is alot of lost income as well.
I am looking into a game ranch in Maine that lets you hunt Boar, Red Deer etc and charges about $600 for the smallest animal and then on up.
Has anyone ever hunted a game ranch? Is is really hunting? I want an animal but not bad enough to shoot one tied to a post.[;)]
But this would work for me because I could hunt in the winter because it is not a season.
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Rather than pretending to hunt, just buy some game meat off eBay. 0 -
If you are a hunter,......then "hunt", IMHO!
This is the very basis that gets us ALL, that have ever truly hunted, a "black eye" in the press.
There are plenty of folks after you guys,.....I don't really hunt anymore, but these setups only make it look worse.[xx(]0 -
Nothing better than the slaughter of a "caged" animal ......go for it, its your money. 0 -
Go for it, as long as you are aware that it is not hunting in any sense of the word. If the animal's death is assured, then its really no different than going down to the local supermarket and getting meat from a butcher. 0 -
When i lived in Jersey, i had my name put on the Twp. "roadkill list". Any time a deer got hit on the roads in our little town, i would get a phone-call. Of course 3 of my buddies from school, worked for the Twp.[:D]
Jeff0 -
Like said before it is not hunting but you can still enjoy the meat 0 -
Is it hunting would depend a lot on how large the place/"pen" is.
If you listen to some peoples definition of "caged", anything in Australia would be considered "caged hunting". A 40 acre "pen" of open ground wouldn't be "hunting" but OTOH, 40 acres of fenced swamp brush with a deer in it would be a man sized hunt.0 -
Not hunting. Might still be fun but I bet when you figure in all your cost at opportunity that it is cheaper to buy it. 0 -
I looked it up
888 acres of dense Maine woods. Not exactly a small fenced in pen.
Like I said, I want to hunt but can't afford it in time or money during the hunting season. If I take the time off, then I won't have money to pay for heat, lights etc.
Here is the service I am looking at
http://emainehosting.com/hillside/index.html
Fishkiller41, who should I look for to get on the list? Police, Wardens etc.. Just not sure where to start, but I would like to get on a list like that.0 -
Have been to a game ranch a few times. But I would not call it hunting.
In Ohio and PA to Boar ranches. $350 you get to shoot a good sized boar. Then they will clean, cut, vacuum pack and freeze it for you.
I don't see going and paying thousands of dollars for a caged big game hunt.0 -
Its cheaper to buy meat from a butcher. 0 -
If you really want to do it, I say go for it![;)] I would like to hunt wild boar some day and my first choice would be a place that my dad went and hunted at up in the UP of Michigan. Would be cheaper for me to pay $350 to drive up to the UP and hunt a boar then drive to a Southern state and do it. With the ranch hunt I get room and lodging and 2 days to wonder around on 300 acres of land. No guide(you can have one for an extra fee if you want one) and you do all of the dressing and take care of your own meat, etc. Now tell me what the difference is between that and going to a friend's ranch and hunting a boar[;)]. I was a little skeptical about ranch hunts at first too, but after my dad telling me how much fun he had on his(and he is a very "old school" hunter) and doing some reading up on it there are definitely some ranches out that that just simply allow you to shoot game that you otherwise would have to travel to other states or continents to shoot. And yes it's still hunting in this case[;)].
Jon0 -
quote:Originally posted by Jon0322
Now tell me what the difference is between that and going to a friend's ranch and hunting a boar[;)].
That you cannot see the difference between hunting on ranchland incidental to such purpose and trekking through a game ranch specifically stocked and fenced for such purpose is quite possibly the most pathetic example of cuz daddy says I've heard in some time.0 -
quote:quote:
Originally posted by Jon0322
Now tell me what the difference is between that and going to a friend's ranch and hunting a boar.
That you cannot see the difference between hunting on ranchland incidental to such purpose and trekking through a game ranch specifically stocked and fenced for such purpose is quite possibly the most pathetic example of cuz daddy says I've heard in some time.
Sorry you feel that way. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Jon0 -
The only "benefit" I can imagine is that the animal has no chance to escape after being shot, to die later.
Frankly, I'll stifle my primordial instincts on this one, and stay home. Joe0 -
quote:Like I said, I want to hunt but can't afford it in time or money during the hunting season. If I take the time off, then I won't have money to pay for heat, lights etc
But you can afford to pay for hunting on a "ranch" and you can take the time off for it, but you cant afford to do it the "regular" way?...0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
But you can afford to pay for hunting on a "ranch" and you can take the time off for it, but you cant afford to do it the "regular" way?...
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[posted by ruger ,But this would work for me because I could hunt in the winter because it is not a season ]
still not hunting but I dont think its as easy as walking up on a deer tied to a tree [:D]0 -
tazzer...
He knows what I meant....0 -
...Yes, it is hunting. Your hunting on maybe a 10,000 acre ranch...the animals are wild and not TIED down..they spook...remember?...they are WILD. You still have to FIND them and SHOOT them...it's not a "canned" hunt.
...Usually your choice of using a ranch guide or not to put you on the game...or, get on a lease...spend part of the summer getting everything set up looking for sign...then go, God knows how many times and MAYBE get what your after . Though there are know gaurantees on a game ranch either...[;)]
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great whitetail hunting up there in maine . start jogging four miles a day , find a real remote area to pack in , go light, and next year you will be ready to go really hunting 0 -
Classic095 Here:::::
More than likely like every "GAME RANCH" hunt I have seen the animals are shot from a Fixed Blind set up about 100 yards from a Feeder that the animals go to like clockwork at certain times of the day.
I observed one such hunt down somewhere in Texas on something like 50,000 acres, They hunted from a stand built on a pickup truck,, drove it down a trail and parked a hundred yards from the Feeders and waited for the animals to start feeding. The Guide picks the animal you get to shoot. BIG DEAL....[:(]0 -
As everyone has pointed out, there are so many bad game ranches out there, that 'game ranch' has come to mean 'not hunting' to a lot of people.
I've been to 4 of these places. The first three times with a gun and for less than wild species (Sheep-Goats) - didn't know going in that they weren't too wild, just liked the looks of the horns. Anyway, I'd have very little desire to go to any of those places again. Don't get me wrong, I can't say I regret going, but these trips really fell more in the 'entertainment' catagory than hunting.
Now the last couple of years, I've taken my son to a Bowhunting only ranch in Texas and hunted deer (Red & Sika). We go in Sept. before I can hunt deer at home. These trips have been hunting and lots of fun. One wrong move & the deer are gone in a cloud of dust. Now of course all of these ranchs are going to have sheep & goats that aren't too wild - beginers need something to go after and it is a business after all. Anyway, I look forward to going back to this game ranch.
So not all animals behind fences are wild & not all game ranches are worth going to.
Is this place in Maine any good? Ask people who've been there - get a list of references. If they won't give one out, don't go. Ask lots of questions. How long have the animals been in the area they'll be hunted. For me, the answer has to be at least months, preferably since birth (harder to find). If they release animals the same day, I'm out. How are they fed? Remotely is one thing, but if they see people while getting their meal, not good.
In the end, if you just can't decide, you could book a hunt for one of the lower priced animals & find out for yourself. If it was hunting to you, great. If not, hopefully it'll at least have been entertaining.
I mean come on, we all eat meat here, right. All those beef cattle & chickens died too.0 -
quote:Originally posted by BlackRoses
quote:Like I said, I want to hunt but can't afford it in time or money during the hunting season. If I take the time off, then I won't have money to pay for heat, lights etc
But you can afford to pay for hunting on a "ranch" and you can take the time off for it, but you cant afford to do it the "regular" way?...
Yes because for me to take a day off to hunt is a huge loss of income.
Not only do I lose the paycheck from that day, but the traps are not hauled, baited and refishing that day. It may not seem that important to you but it is a limited period of time to catch lobsters. I can fish year round but the lobsters don't trap year round.
Most people can take sick days, vacation days etc and work extra or overtime to make up lost income. It is impossible for me.
I NEED the money, but I like to hunt, and want some wild game. So I cannot take time off from making money.
KX500 thanks for your input, I am mainly looking for guys who have done it and what they think.0 -
Many of the persons who reply to you topic have never hunted on a "game ranch." Game ranches vary a lot in the hunting experience that is provided for you. The charges of "shooting a caged animal" can almost apply in certain situations on some ranches. Others, however, provide a very challenging "fair chase" hunt.
For example, I just returned from a hunt on the Y O Ranch in Texas. For the most part this ranch is not cross fenced and encompasses over 40,000 acres of lower hill country land (read that to communicate plenty of trees, brush, draws, hills, rocks, etc.). This is definitely a fair chase hunt. Even though the animals are numerous if one is hunting a specific quality of animal of a particular species, you can easily go home empty handed.
I had consequential reservations about this ranch the first time that I hunted there (over ten years ago), because I shared many of your opinions about "game ranches." After that first hunt I have been back almost every year since. I will be going back again next year.0 -
Ruger - 888 acres is plenty of space to make for a real hunt. However, you should find out if the animals that you are hunting are free to roam or if they bring them in and release them just prior to the hunt. In the latter case it is not really hunting. It is just killing. If it is the former, then it will probably be a challenge. If you can't find that information out, find out if they have a kill guarantee. If they do, it is most likely not going to satify your hunting itch.
Another option is to look into hog hunting. Most states that have wild hogs do not have a closed season on them and there are places (like Texas) where they are becoming a real problem and the opportunities are plentiful for hunting at a really reasonable price. Plus, the meat is very good.0 -
I used to go once a year and bow hunt a boar for the 4th of july roast. That was when they were $250 and they dressed and packed the meat. Now we just go buy a pig because the hunt[;)] is about $700. 0 -
I was invited on an all expense paid pheasant hunt one time and pleasantly obliged[:)]
When we got to the hunting ground there was a huge net pen full of pheasant and a single wide trailer house/office
We went inside and paid for X amount of birds and while my host paid I looked out the window and saw a guy catching pheasant in the netted area.
He had a box on the back of a quad and loaded all the birds in it.
While we received instructions for the days "hunt" the quad raced out about 200 yards into a sage field and realeased all the birds.
They provided the dogs and guide and I just kind of trudged along behind.
Dog went on point and the guide was whispering get ready.
I was ready.
Guide said any second it will flush.
nothing. Guide walks closer to the sage bush while whispering get ready.
I am ready.
Guide is now kicking the sage bush, dog is still on point and out comes a running pheasant over to another sage bush.
The story remained the same throughout the "hunt" and I never went back[:(]0
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