High fence hunting.... how much?

[Beagle333]

I was browsing around on the web and I often see pictures from places featuring these dreamy bucks standing around a feeder and I just wonder what people pay to shoot one of these creatures. I have a few skinny bucks in my yard, from 4-10 points, but never one with a heavy thick rack like these. Does anybody know what it costs to shoot one of these? I'm just curious. I already have all the mounted critters in the living room that the wife wants in there.
Here's an example pic from their website.

And I wrote to them on their website and they just fumbled around an answer and would only say that they just figure out what a fellow wants to spend on a deer and then try to put him in a location where he'll find one about that size. But it was like buying a used car or a condo in FL and they would never throw out a number or a range before I got tired of talking to them. I figure you gotta spend a weekend there getting to know them and they do a credit check on you and you place a down payment and only THEN can you get to talking about a final price on one. Sheesh!!!!
So, any of you or your buds done any "trophy collecting" and hunted at one of these places before?

[Char-Gar]

This is very common in Texas. Ranchers have figured out hunting deer pays as much or more than raising cattle, so most do both. They introduce breeding programs that produce bucks with massive antlers. These are managed ranches so they must cull off a certain number of does and "management bucks" each year. The "trophy bucks" can go for $4,000.00 to $6,000.00 with the does and management bucks going for much less.

There seems to be a good supply of people with money, that will pay said money, to kill these creatures. It is hunting? They say it is, but I don't agree.

[Beagle333]

I figured it was a case of "If ya have to ask, ya don't have enough money."

and I agree... it's not hunting, because you're shooting deer in a fence. You are just "collecting" something for the wall and you get to tell folks that you shot it.

[dragon813gt]

I think you guys are under estimating just how big some of these places are. The owners know their patterns which makes for an easier hunt. But some places are very large. Not every place brings them out on a silver platter.

If you ask me hunting over a feeder isn't hunting. It's illegal here but legal in many states. Everyone is going to have a different definition of what hunting is. If it's legal then it's good to go IMO.

My issue w/ the high fence operations is the transporting of deer all over the country. This is what introduced CWD to this area. It's happened in other areas as well. Negatively effecting the native wild population isn't good for anyone.

[Beagle333]

So far, I have one reply of $4-6K for a trophy from a farm. Anybody else got one or know a friend who went and got one?

I'm just curious about this, mostly because I keep seeing the pictures come down my page on facebook and so it always crosses my mind.... what are they paying to shoot at those?
Thanks.

[Omega]

I think I'd just buy one of the many mounts for sale around here.

[Moleman-]

10-12 years back the Father In Law took his son (BIL) to one and asked if I wanted to go his treat. Sent me the link to the place and I think it was 8 acres fenced in where you actually "hunted them". Guided hunt ect $2-6K depending on the deer. I politely declined but they went and both "got" deer. Two versions of the hunt. FIL, the deer were wild and it took him the better part of a day to track the one he picked out down. BIL, the deer were mostly tame and really couldn't get away. The guide was there to tell you how much the deer was before you shot it. Mostly he wanted to go to spend time with his dad but wouldn't do it again. Our house is on 2.5 acres as is the neighbors on either side. Couldn't help but think how challenging it would be to fence our three yards in and let a mostly tame deer go. I realize they're not all like that, but I wouldn't want to hunt where it wasn't fair chase of wild deer.

[BKS]

I wouldn’t do it to shoot a whitetail deer but something unique, yes. Ive shot a “tame” bison before and wouldn’t do that again but it was damn good eating. Was it hunting, no, but rather killing.

[Char-Gar]

I have not hunted deer in quite some time, but the last deer I killed was a very nice Mule Deer Buck in the Chalk Mountains of Texas. It was early in the day and I hung the field dressed deer under the shade of the ranchers shed. This was about 1994.

When I returned to pick it up, he told me some other people went by and saw the buck hanging and offered him $1,800.00 for the deer. He said it was not his to sell. I laughed and told him he should have sold it and we would have split the money. This just illustrates that there are some folks who only care about coming back with a head to put on their wall. They care nothing about how they got it.

[Beagle333]

While I admire a nice mount, I'm not much in to collecting them myself. The only one I have displayed here is one that my grandfather took and I have not felt the need to add to that. His means more to me than any I have shot. While browsing the facebook photos though, I was just wondering what the market was for those carefully cultivated heads. And for some reason, the one farm I called, seemed very coy about giving me a hard price. And it wasn't like he was a total stranger, I went to high school with the guy! (40 years ago)
He even greeted me with "Hey! Missed you at the reunion last week", but he still wouldn't tell me what one of them bucks cost.