No deer existed within the enclosure until 6 deer (2 bucks and 4 does) were introduced in 1928. Hello. You will also find your does to be at their highest reproductive rate at this stocking level. I know this probably has been discussed before but, Im trying to have an open mind on high fence ranches. The typical whitetail deer is known to jump well over 8' high. It’s all an opinion on what is considered “free range”. As mentioned, one of the big reasons high fence hunting has fallen under such intense scrutiny in recent years is because of the growing number of small deer farms that have sprung up in the last 15 to 20 years in numerous states. Your electric fence must have one hot wire set at the typical nose height of the animal(s) you want to control. I also plant Elbon rye and rye grass mixed in with the clovers. This ratio can shift closer to 1:1 as the total number of bucks, percentage of older-aged bucks increases. Then there is never a time when my green fields don’t have high nutrition forage in them. Will constructing a high fence around the property help you achieve these goals? Of the 1,800 acres that I have under high-fence management, I plant 10-percent of that land in both warm-and-cool-weather food plots. This was a great article on high fence properties. There’s always the chance that hogs from outside the fence will bust in, but it’s the hogs within the property that will compete with deer for food, water and space. D. First, what are your goals? If we determine that a buck has a genetic characteristic that we want to promote in our herd, that buck will be protected until he is 6-years-old. Would the hunt still have been challenging if the 10,000-acre ranch I was hunting been enclosed within a game-proof fence? The goal: Reduce the deer population to nine per acre. In his sixth year, he is hunted. To keep those numbers, we harvest 30 does and 20 bucks each year from this 1800 acres. These are important considerations for anyone pondering the placement of a game fence around their property in the name of deer management. Are we talking 1,000 or 3,000, 10,000? I leave half of the field in clover so the deer can continue to come to that field and eat while the warm-weather crops are growing. habitat that provides the food, cover and water, carrying capacity of the property for white-tailed deer, exotic ungulate competes with white-tailed deer, CWD Found in Whitetail Deer in Del Rio, Texas. Pickets: If you're installing a wood picket fence, you need to know how many pickets to purchase. I make the buck-harvest decisions based on the buck’s ability to contribute positively to the gene pool of the herd. In contrast, I’ve hunted 600-acre, high fence deer hunting ranches for three days without ever getting within bow range of a buck. Its not deer farming, just an interesting bit of trivia. High Fenced Whitetail Hunting: 1st high fence buck taken off Haun Ranch. The money paid will more than cover the cost to high fence the perimeter of the property, which the entire ranch needs new fencing regardless. Prior to constructing the fence, get the consultant to tell you what type of deer you can expect to produce based on the habitat where you erect the fence. 189″ deer taken by Georgia hunter. First, determine the carrying capacity of the property for white-tailed deer. For instance, some of my clover fields are perennials. Collars collected location data every three hours for each deer for an entire year. One mistake that hunters make when they build high fences is not developing a management plan for the deer inside their fences before the fences are erected. This will retail for about $500 to $750 per 330 feet. Constructing a Deer Fence at the Cecarelli Farm. Height and/or width is the most important factor with deer fences, especially if high deer pressure. High-Tensile Woven Wire Fencing. And of the 225 deer, I only want 60 does. I get the best results from Purina’s Antler Max Supplemental Deer Food. This means getting a wildlife biologist on the property to determine how many deer the property can support based on the plant communities found there. This will likely include decreasing the doe population to get the number of bucks and the number of does closer together. Consider everything about the property (more on this later), not just the deer herd. Also, keep cattle numbers at low to moderate levels if the primary interest is deer. On the other hand, a high fence is not for everyone. Height, of course, is relative, but in the world of high game fences, the minimum is eight feet. This puts less stress on the deer manager to make the exact right call at the exact right time. I also designate various portions of certain food plots for plants that develop at different times of the year. These traps can be characterized as either property “fingers” or a fence corners. 170 something . ): To each their own is really how I live my life. A high fence provides a landowner/manager with the ability to achieve deer management goals that may not have been otherwise possible, so this is why many see game fencing as such a valuable tool. We are meeting with some other local landowners with high fenced properties to discuss the pros and cons and hopefully answer a lot of questions regarding managing whitetail deer and a few exotic animals. Thanks for the input and helpful articles I have found thus far.” — Submitted by Chris. High fence deer killing venues along with a combination of comparatively little public land and deer hunting lease prices ranging from $2K to $10K per gun is why most Texans who’ve hunted all their lives find it difficult to pass that tradition on to their children and grandchildren. 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