high fences in mexico

billythekid · Feb 7, 2008

does anybody know what % of the big mule deer, 200+ class, are killed in a high fence in mexico? i have been at the expo researching hunt opportunities for sonoran mulies and it seems like one outfitter will say that they had a rough time the past two yrs. and another one will show pics. of several giants from this yr. or last? it seems strange that there isn't a consistent pattern bt. the different outfitters. could it be that some are in an enclosure? don't really have an opinion except that i am interested in non-fenced opportunites. anyone have any insight from past experience?

B_F_E · Feb 7, 2008

I think the percentages will be increasing every year now.

Feleno · Feb 8, 2008

16.7% +/- .25%

groundhog · Feb 8, 2008

I have only hunted old mexico one time but my dad hunts it every year and some years he will do two hunts with different outfitters. It is my personal opinion that many outfitters are over hunting their ranches. They are also allowing too many nice bucks with great potential to be taken before they reach their prime. He has also been seeing more and more big 3x2s and 3x3s (some over 30 inches)and older age class 4x4s with crab fronts or weak backs. If you can get on a ranch that hasn't been over hunted you still have a great opportunity to harvest a big buck but it is no slam dunk!

This next year should be great for horn growth. One of the outfitters that my dad hunts with has an enclosure but when my dad gave him a hard time about it he claimed that he was not allowing hunting and just using it to see what he could do with a controlled breeding program.

Mexico is a lawless place where money talks. It would not surprise me if people are paying even bigger bucks to hunt enclosures and keeping it quite.

The other issue is timing. If you can book a hunt during prime rut (usually in January) you will have a lot better chance. The problem is that repeat customers get the best dates and ranches. My dad has had to book several hunts that were not prime time to work his way up through the pecking order. I hope this helps a little and good luck!

ridgerunner · Feb 8, 2008

Muley Crazy did a great article about this within the last two years, it was very eye opening to say the least. I was disappointed at how prevalent it was down there.

CouesSniper · Feb 8, 2008

It happens, and will continue to happen more and more. The inconsistent thing you talked about doesn't necessarily have much to do with fences though. That's just how it is down there. Alot of these mule deer are killed from high seats.

timberline_shedfreak24 · Feb 8, 2008

I'd like to know the %.

Timberline

"Live for somethin' or die for nothin'"

Model_70_Guy · Feb 9, 2008

I have also heard that there is a increase in NOCTURNAL hunting. That one really makes me wonder... Why in the hell would a guy would spend that kind of money to go down there and pop one in the lights????? And than come back and tell all of his friends and family about the tough hunt he just endured..
I guess I just don't get it..

CouesSniper · Feb 9, 2008

70,
It's the same reason people poach deer, or "hunt" penned deer. They aren't hunters. Although some people who might not normally do that in the US may justify it because it's legal down there. You'd never get caught if it wasn't anyways - Fish cops don't exist in Mexico. I wouldn't get worked up about it as you'll never stop it anyhow.

Fortis · Feb 11, 2008

I have to agree with groundhog. You need to find someone you can trust down there, as the rewards can be unbelievable. People are just as greedy down there as they are up here. As long as people will spend big dollars for big muleys there will be some high fence hunting in Sonora. I've hunted there twice, and can't say enough good things about my outfitter, even though one year was great, and this past year was very tough.

Fortis · Feb 11, 2008

groundhog, do you mind saying who the outfitter is? Thanks.

groundhog · Feb 14, 2008

Fortis,
The outfitter that my dad likes the best is Oscar Malena. They feed you well and put you up at a real nice ranch. They also have good dependable vehicles which can be a problem with other outfitters.
When I hunted old Mexico I went with a small outfitter that is now out of business. We spent 80 percent of our time hiking, still hunting and tracking. The rest was spent driving around in the high ride looking for fresh tracks and deer from the road.
A lot of outfitters down there insist on doing most of the "hunting" from the high ride. They claim that hiking and still hunting will just spook the deer. I think this is totally B.S. I think they are just lazy and do not want to hike all day.

The deer are used to seeing cowboys and locals that are headed for the border. Every day I saw signs of other people on the ranches that we hunted. I would love to go back but the first question I would ask is. How much time is spent in the high ride? I would not want to spend that kind of dough to be stuck in a high ride every day. That is just my take on it. The hunt that I did is one of my favorite hunting memories and it was truly a world class experience! Good luck!!!