Future of High fence hunts and experiences in Texas....

[Cliff Gray]

new episode up. this one pulled me a little outside my wheelhouse and i enjoyed it for that exact reason.

Brian's got a background a lot of you will recognize. tons of backcountry time, sheep hunting, all the remote stuff. But he also works in the exotic hunting business down in Texas. We got into what's actually going on in Texas on the exotic wildlife front, which was eye opening on its own. The intriguing part is where it is all headed. Brian is adamant texas is gonna become a serious destination, competitive with south africa. big claim, but he makes a real case for it.

like anything in this corner of our world there is some controversy baked in

 

[Rich M]

It is already a destination for folks who want certain african species without going to africa.

 

[S.Clancy]

The purpose of a destination hunt (Africa, Alaska, whatever) is 90%+ about the experience, <10% about the animal.

The types of people that will go to Texas as a "destination" for high fence hunts are the same people that "vacation" on cruises.....

 

[MuleyFever]

The purpose of a destination hunt (Africa, Alaska, whatever) is 90%+ about the experience, <10% about the animal.

The types of people that will go to Texas as a "destination" for high fence hunts are the same people that "vacation" on cruises.....

Reminds me of reading about someone saying they didn't like Costa Rica. Turned out they were in an all inclusive and never left the resort.

 

[Weldor]

Did'nt the Texas ranches help restock Africa with species that were hurting? better genetics from Texas? Seems I read that years back. Been hunting down there for more than a decade, it is interesting to see all the Afican species on the ranch. We don't hunt them but sure is cool to see them in person.

 

[Alpine406]

I didn't buy his take on an AK sheep hunt being the same to a high fence TX hunt, because the AK guide knew where the sheep was, took him to the valley where the sheep was, etc. Apples to oranges, as there is no guarantee on that AK sheep hunt being a slam dunk - weather, wind, sheep behavior, etc. vs. a high fence hunt where a nearly 100% success rate is part of the sales pitch. It felt more like his attempt to validate the TX destination marketing spin.
Call me cynical, but high fence has a bad rap for valid reasons - it strips away the experience of hunting to a commodity purchase one buys off the menu. The more $$$, the bigger the horns or rarer the animal. It is in a similar light as guided climbs on Everest. Way too many rich dorks with big egos and small amounts of self-preservation are short-roped up Everest to the tune of $100k, all for bragging rights. The Sherpas are the stars there, not some oil tycoon or trust fund betty who paid for the summit photo.

I don't see the appeal of whacking a kudu or Cape Buffalo in TX; I wonder how many 'hunters' tell the story of how they stalked it almost 300 yards before making the shot....in TX, and not Africa.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I didn't buy his take on an AK sheep hunt being the same to a high fence TX hunt, because the AK guide knew where the sheep was, took him to the valley where the sheep was, etc. Apples to oranges, as there is no guarantee on that AK sheep hunt being a slam dunk - weather, wind, sheep behavior, etc. vs. a high fence hunt where a nearly 100% success rate is part of the sales pitch. It felt more like his attempt to validate the TX destination marketing spin.
Call me cynical, but high fence has a bad rap for valid reasons - it strips away the experience of hunting to a commodity purchase one buys off the menu. The more $$$, the bigger the horns or rarer the animal. It is in a similar light as guided climbs on Everest. Way too many rich dorks with big egos and small amounts of self-preservation are short-roped up Everest to the tune of $100k, all for bragging rights. The Sherpas are the stars there, not some oil tycoon or trust fund betty who paid for the summit photo.

I don't see the appeal of whacking a kudu or Cape Buffalo in TX; I wonder how many 'hunters' tell the story of how they stalked it almost 300 yards before making the shot....in TX, and not Africa.

Counterpoint: I don’t really consider it hunting if I don’t find the animal myself. And being led to its lair or usual territory and being told “look over there” doesn’t count (to me). The challenge with most animals is finding them and then getting within range.

I don’t really consider it hunting if the guide does much more than allow or facilitate access to the space.

Your analogy with mountain climbing is apt. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay worked as a team to climb Everest. Both were accomplished mountaineers. A lot of the folks who have done it since are just looking for a false sense of accomplishment.

Some dentist who whacks a Cape Buffalo might as well be in Texas as South Africa or Namibia or Zimbabwe. As long as the animal is wild and free ranging within reason, what difference does the location make? It doesn’t have to be able to migrate from Texas to Canada and back to be “wild and free-ranging.”

Paying for the animal happens one way or another no matter how you look at it.

 

[Tmac]

A surprising number of African hunts are high fence. Often very large blocks, but high fenced none the less. A very common and “affordable” hunt type in S. Africa as I understand it.

 

[BBob]

No matter how hard you try to make Texas high fence “Hunting” hunting it’ll never ever be the same “Hunting” as it is on open public grounds. I’ve been to Texas, I’ve experienced this type of hunting and it isn’t the same, never will be. Let’s just call it what it is.

Oh, and I’ll never go high fence hunting in Texas ever again. It’s not for me.

 

[Cliff Gray]

No matter how hard you try to make Texas high fence “Hunting” hunting it’ll never ever be the same “Hunting” as it is on open public grounds. I’ve been to Texas, I’ve experienced this type of hunting and it isn’t the same, never will be. Let’s just call it what it is.

Oh, and I’ll never go high fence hunting in Texas ever again. It’s not for me.

I actually don't think that Brian was trying to make the point that they are the same in the interview. He acknowledges that even he personally prefers the free-range wilderness experience. I think his point in comparing the two, heavily guided hunts versus high fence hunts, is to look at the similarities they have economically. Guys are paying for a more controlled outcome in many of these cases. I don't know that I fully agree with his entire perspective, but I do acknowledge it is a reasonable comparison.

 

[whoop]

high fence and guided can be real similar if they have places to escape and are not baited. i have never hunted either one. i like that they both exist, especially guides. i'm tickled to hear them on podcasts. they're straight out of the 80's with their wallop, 30-06's and bullet energy.