What's a "canned hunt" to you?

M

MrB

Guest
I always have thought of a "Canned Hunt" as one where you are offered close to, or a 100% chance at harvesting a "trophy".
What are your ideas of one?

Mike
 
IMO, a "canned hunt" is where critters are confined to an area by man-made barriers. Size does not matter in this case.

First red flag; "no license required".
 
What if ther were no man made barriers, but the animals were conditioned to come to a feeder, food plot or even a water tank?
 
Curious, would you consider Utah's LE units as a canned hunt? Except for archery most hunts have a near 80% or better success ratio and "trophy" is in the eye of the beholder.
 
This is insane - comparing a limited entry unit to a high-fence. That is like comparing an apartment complex to a maximum security prison. What about that high fence operation gives an elk an opportunity to "clear the county" as we so call it, when the pressure is on?

What is a canned hunt? The existance of a high-fence, plain and simple!

In the Easmans thread, why are cattle fences even being mentioned? I have witnessed a herd of 30 elk go right through a 4 barbed wire cattle fence. It didn't even slow the lead cow down.

I hunt wilderness and national forest(public land) why? Because I don't know anyone with private land. If I did, I would be hunting that private land.

I am pro-guide although I haven't used one. Not a canned-hunt
I am pro-limited entry units - Not a canned-hunt
I am pro-access to private land/ranch - Not a canned hunt.
I am pro-damage control hunts on private land over hay bales, clover fields whatever. Even if odds are 100%, animals can come and go - Not a canned hunt.

What are my definitions of a canned hunt?

A privatized herd of an indigenous big game animal
Controlled and selective breading to maximize desired features.
Supplementation for desired features - Antler Growth
Oh yea and the presence of a high-fence

Bottom Line: A "canned hunt" is any hunt that takes place on land that is enlosed by a fence that restricts the animal from getting to the other side of that fence if it so desires.

My two cents.

Autumn Pulse

"Be a straight-shooter in all that you do."
 
IMO a canned hunt includes situations where "said" hunter has a guide who in turn has many other folks out and about hired to locate an animal in which the "said" hunter is then led by hand to the animal to shoot! Even if there are little to no fences I don't see this as being that different of a situation. This is just my 2 cents.
 
I'll second that. If all you have to do on your hunt is pull the trigger and everyone else has done the work FOR YOU...that is a canned hunt. Well....how can you even call it a hunt. It was already found and all you did was pull the trigger. How much reward is there in that?
 
Any hunt that involves payment for a trophy animal, with a 100% chance for a harvest on a specific hand picked animal.
 
Like the "you might be a redneck if..."

You are a canned hunt if:

... no license required.
... 100% kill guranteed
... individual pricing (if you kill that particular animal, it is X number of dollars, but it is another amount for this other animal).
... they charge so much an inch.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
 
257Tony- I hunted Catalina Island off the West Coast for deer and it was not an easy hunt. Very steep terain and c'mon, were playing ball on their turf. Not quite the same as a high-fenced area. I dont see that as a canned hunt in the least.
 
I think high fences make for a canned hunt. The island example is a good one because the animals can't go anywhere such as being in a high fence. There are Ranches in South Texas that are 40,000 acres and up and you are hunting on their turf, but the animals could not check into the neighbors hotel if they wanted to so it is canned IMO.

I find the bait arguement interesting. A manmade waterhole in the NF/BLM and/or waterhole on a Ranch is bait. Hunting within 2 miles of an alfala (sp) field is bait. I don't think baiting ie food plots, waterholes and such are canned. It's sure an advantage but not canned.
 
A high fence does not always make the difference. I have a buddy that is a bilogist on one and they are only able to kill a small percentage of their mature deer. They have to kill a bunch of does and culls every year to keep the numbers under control and by the time those bucks get to be 6 1/2 they are very educated and many of them go nocturnal full time.

I know of many open range deals when the rancher/guide can drive you to a specific deer/elk and you can kill him in one or two days. That is Canned.

If you have a near guaranteed chance of killing a specific animal it is canned. Whether it is in Texas or BFE Rocky Mountains.
 
Confined area for the animal, or animals that are purchased from a petting zoo.

AZG&F is the downfall of hunting in Arizona!!!!!
 
IMO a "Canned Hunt" is when wildlife are confined to an area by man made barriers. An Island is not man made. In fact, we have witnessed deer swimming from island to island here in the San Juans and around Prince of Whales Island in Southeast Alaska.

I find the baiting arguement interesting. Animals coming to bait, feeders, food plots, water tanks, decoys, or game calls are not what I consider "Canned Hunts." Hunting over a meadow of huckleberry, blueberry, and salmonberry for black bear is how you hunt free roaming black bear. It's definately an advantage but it's not "canned."

"Hound Hunting" for black bear, Cougar, and Raccoon, regardless of how you feel about it's methods is still hunting and a necessary wildlife management tool, especially in urbanized areas dealing with problem animals.

"Guided" hunts and "Limited Entry" Units are not "Canned Hunts." I agree with AutumnPulses analogy comparing a limited entry unit to a high-fence is like comparing an apartment complex to a maximum security prison.

Lastly, this idea that barbed wire and other farm/ranch stock fences are in any way considered "barriers" to wildlife is ridiculous. Those making that argument simply don't know the facts.

Bottom line.....A "canned hunt" is any hunt that takes place on land that is enlosed by a man made barrier that restricts the animal from getting to the other side of that man made barrier if it so desires.

HC
 
HC, I think the point of bringing up cattle fences was to say if the game was as valuable as the cattle when the fences were originally built they would have been much higher. They would have been "game fences". If anyone disputes that they are being very nieve. We as people protect our valuables and always have.
My point is that this high fence issue would be a non-issue if history was a little different and venison was the desired meat of that day.

The Devel's Advocate, Mike
 
MrB

I do get your point. However, the reason for expanding on the cattle fences in my post is because there has been some noise made of seeing the farm/ranch fences in some hunting areas and although that has not been suggested here, I wanted to point out that aspect of this discussion.

I really think it gets down to where do you draw the line. I draw it on penned in wildlife.

Kind of off the subject... but to share an example of disagreement in my own family of just what is considered hunting or perhaps "sporting".....On our property we have some nice blacktails that come through every season. Years ago, my grandfather would shoot his winter venison from under the apple orchard. My brother (who lives next to me on this property) and I disagree about whether these bucks should be shot during the legal season. I don't see anything wrong with it, especially for the kids, or if any one of us decides to fill their tag. My brother believes this is not hunting. He and I both prefer to hunt in the mountains and in wilderness areas, but these are still legal bucks. These bucks are usually killed before the season ends anyway. My argument is that most of the hunting done in this country is probably in the midwest for whitetails on farms and private property using tree stands over food plots. So when someone argues that hunting on private property (over food plots) is not really hunting, I would disagree.
 
Any hunt in which you know that a certain animal will be there where you are hunting, most likely when they are coming to feeders or have been scouted by someone paid to do it for you. If someone else has done the scouting and tells you where to sit and what animal to shoot---it's a canned hunt! This includes high fences. Too many people think it is still hunting when they hire a guide who knows exactly where the animals are, hunting is doing the actual LOOKING for animals, not just knowing they are there.
a3dhunter
 
I agree with a3dhunter. Some of these governors tags where the guy hires 10 guides to scour the winter range for that 1 in 10,000 animal. Then watches the video to see if it's the one.

That is canned hunt even though it is free range.
 
i go on canned hunts all the time. mostly beanieweanies and sardines and spam. any hunt i have a tag for is "canned". ;)
 
I've hunted on alot of private ranches in Texas that are high fenced. Most of them being 5,000 acres with the biggest being over 60,000.

I've watched videos and looked at trail cam pictures and in the past I've decided to hunt for one buck and one buck only. I've paid ranches that where low fence (i.e no high fences anwhere) to come out and hunt for one particular buck that the ranch staff had video taped and we all knew would score well.

I've been out west and hunted on private lands that the success rate was 100% on mature trophy muledeer and there was no high fences anywhere around. If and when I buy an indian reservation tag for elk, I'm sure I'll have a 100% chance at what most elk hunters would consider a "trophy bull".

Alot of people dont realize that with proper management your chances of killing mature trophy animals year after year becomes the norm. Most people who dont know better wright that kind of success off as luck or cheating some how. Its shame that most people dont care enough ....
 
If the animal meets the Boone&Crockett entry affidavit requirements it's a fair chase hunt. a guide, finder's fee, hard to draw tag or anything of that sort is not a "canned hunt" it just means someone's jelous.
 

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