Sonora monster mule deer

[ridgerunnerrron]

There have been many monster Desert mule deer shot in Sonora.
FYI- I have first hand knowledge from a good friend who saw some behind the actual facts and scenes of what is actually happening on SOME places.
The deer are being farmed and raised to grow big, Then sold and released at a number of outfits. Most of the hunters are clueless or could care less as long as they shoot a great buck.
The mighty dollar wins again. Sad.

 

[Coveyleader]

Yeap, sick! Same happens in Africa with lions etc.

I never knew, but these days everything Mexico related seems to good to be true. They’re doing the same with Bighorn Sheep.

 

[Cornhusker]

I'm not sure this isn't really old news as it's been going on for awhile. Some is correct I've hunted Sonora and shot a couple of pretty good deer. I'm sure mine weren't farmed and they weren't high fenced.

 

[UpNorth89]

I'm not sure this isn't really old news as it's been going on for awhile. Some is correct I've hunted Sonora and shot a couple of pretty good deer. I'm sure mine weren't farmed and they weren't high fenced.

I'm genuinely curious and not being argumentative. How do you know for sure?

 

[Cornhusker]

A fair question UpNorth
The areas I hunted in struggled with locals coming onto the ranch and poaching as roads ran through the ranch. Even out in the Sonora desert a lot of people are moving around on the trails. Sometimes doing illegal things sometimes doing things that poor people do to survive. As far as high fenced we drove outside the ranch as I drove down both times and I did see high fences but they were 20 miles or so away.

Both outfitters I was with were not organized or financed well enough to afford the high fencing or the raising of the deer. The ranches in both cases were owned by Americans and leased by Mexican outfitters and were cattle ranchers that had all they could handle just keeping cowboys working the ranches and keeping the cattle from dying because of poor care and water issues.

 

[UpNorth89]

A fair question UpNorth
The areas I hunted in struggled with locals coming onto the ranch and poaching as roads ran through the ranch. Even out in the Sonora desert a lot of people are moving around on the trails. Sometimes doing illegal things sometimes doing things that poor people do to survive. As far as high fenced we drove outside the ranch as I drove down both times and I did see high fences but they were 20 miles or so away.

Both outfitters I was with were not organized or financed well enough to afford the high fencing or the raising of the deer. The ranches in both cases were owned by Americans and leased by Mexican outfitters and were cattle ranchers that had all they could handle just keeping cowboys working the ranches and keeping the cattle from dying because of poor care and water issues.

Good to know. Thank you.

 

[dchum]

Uh.. DUH!

Couse deer are also captured in helicopters and put into breeding pens. 2 stud bucks and 30 does for example in 3 acres. The does get bred and then all released back out for genetic “development” Of course Mexico big horn sheep are often pen raised and released on the hill side few days before the gringos arrival.
Not to be confused with the raised big horns that are then used to creat free range herds and re populate diminished areas. That has been a great success story in Mexico.

The good operations that have breeding operations will be upfront like “el chaparral” They have their high fence with selected genetics and then offer free range hunt on surrounding. They don’t pretend it’s all the same. Some people just don’t care and want the bigger buck!

It’s crucial to have an outfitter you trust and to understand the background of the operations and not be a stupid Yankee.

There are still cattle ranches with in tainted operation that just have deer as they have always been.

 

[dchum]

Yeap, sick! Same happens in Africa with lions etc.

I never knew, but these days everything Mexico related seems to good to be true. They’re doing the same with Bighorn Sheep.

Same shit happens in SOUTH Africa***

Africa is a continent. The only single country on that entire continent that allows captive bred/farmed lions is SA. Why the cost is 4k they have no added value to wildlife or habitat protection.

If you shoot a lion in, TZ, Moz, Bots, Zim, Namibia, Zambia, Burkina Faso, Benin, it is 100% wild and that money is helping wild habitat stay wild.

Not some farm owner who raised it to be killed like cattle

The USA understands this and is why no lions killed in SA may be imported back while the rest of the list gets lions regularly accepted for import because the have proof of conservation value for your dollars.

Hope that makes sense. Just don’t want people to get Captive bred lion hunting confused with real hunting in Africa.

CBL gives a black eye to the rest of the continent trying to do the best they can to protect habitat for all animals.

Cheers.

 

[robby denning]

A fair question UpNorth
The areas I hunted in struggled with locals coming onto the ranch and poaching as roads ran through the ranch. Even out in the Sonora desert a lot of people are moving around on the trails. Sometimes doing illegal things sometimes doing things that poor people do to survive. As far as high fenced we drove outside the ranch as I drove down both times and I did see high fences but they were 20 miles or so away.

Both outfitters I was with were not organized or financed well enough to afford the high fencing or the raising of the deer. The ranches in both cases were owned by Americans and leased by Mexican outfitters and were cattle ranchers that had all they could handle just keeping cowboys working the ranches and keeping the cattle from dying because of poor care and water issues.

I think this is most accurate

OP is right, though, some of that is happening and the outfitter I hunted with has those same suspicions, specifically big free-range bucks being captured and moved onto high fence ops.

You have to demand a fair-chase hunt when going down there. Plenty of outfits still offerring that but they feel the pressure to go high fence because too many hunters demanding "200 or nothing" hunts.

The other thing I learned down there is spotlight hunting not uncommon. We refused it. But strangely, no one could really tell us if it was really illegal. Didn't matter, we stopped hunting at 30 minutes after sundown, just like here.

Don't be fooled on instagram, these high fence ops don't come right out and say they're high fence, you have to research it. 200" fair chase bucks are rare so if they're stacking them, be suspicious.

Still an enjoyable hunt but demand a fair chase or you could end up in a weird situation.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Guy I know tagged along on a Sonora hunt recently and saw a 340" deer die. 100% not free range.