Theft or not?

W

Wild Bill Bucks

New member
This year I bumped into a guy, that said he worked on the new game ranch in our area, building high fencing, around the ranch.

He said year before last that the ranch had put in some enormous food plots, and had dug a 30 acre lake in the middle of them. All of this centered in the middle of the 3800 acre property.

He said they called this "Centralizing the game".

I have been wondering why no one in the McGee Creek area has been seeing any deer this year, and I'm pretty sure that this practice has caged most of the deer in the area.

He said almost every day as they would go to work, he would see from 50 to 100 deer in the plot area or around the small lake.

I realize that this is probably the way this is done everywhere, but my question is, how does this differ from legalized theft of game animals, since the state uses our tax dollars to fund programs, for the hunter.

Seems like the game farm gets free deer, while the hunter takes the hit in the area.

How say you guys.
 
This is the one of the reasons (there are several others) that some States have it written in their constitutions that the People of the State own the wildlife. Take Wyoming for instance, game ranching is 100% illegal. Ranchers and farmers are not allowed to build high fence without building escape areas for game and other wildlife. They can't "fence them in" because the State owns them.

It is also illegal to ranch wildlife purchased from out of state game farms. The reasoning is that penned animals may contract disease and spread it to the wild population.

I, personally, think Wyoming has it right. I have hunted game farms both here in the US and also abroad. While still a challenge, I like the fact that there are still wild places to hunt. Even if I can't get access to that huge private ranch, there is still the chance that the animals living there may jump the small fence the day I am hunting the bordering BLM!

As for disease, our wildlife is having a hard enough time coping with the natural spread and progression of some pretty bad bugs, I am glad they don't need to fight off the super bug from the game farm deer imported from Timbucktoo!
 
If they own the property, it's their right to put a fence around it. I doubt that their thought was stealing deer, it was probably keeping the gains of their improvements (more deer) from wandering off or having non members wander on. If the deer get "trapped" on the property due to the fence being erected, it's not the owners fault. What's he/they supposed to do when they put a fence up? Do you think they should figure out how to chase the deer off? I don't think they did anything wrong. Just the way it is.
 
I would have no issue if the fence was built them the improvements put in but to put in the improvements first and drawing the game in to be fenced; I have a real problem with that.
In a sense the latter IMHO is theft of public property- live game.

Just my 2 cents.
 
What they've done is either legal or illegal. If illegal, the proper channels should be followed.

If legal, how is it "theft" any more than it's "theft" when a hunters shoots a deer that is "owned" by the state? It isn't "theft" when a hunter does it because it's legal.

If it's legal, it isn't "theft" when a fence does it any more than it is when a hunter does it.
 
Check with your local game officer.

Here, they made one golf course remove a high fence surrounding their property and another modify theirs to allow movement of game.
 
That's a commercial business venture. If the game farm owner stocked his own property originally. I than think he then is entitled to fence it up to the moon if wanting. As read since he's attempting to hold wild normally free ranging animals on his property for the purpose of commercial interests. I see that as not being legal to do. Best thing for those folks affected is to call the States Attorney Office to see if that ranch owner is within his rights to promote such a venture to begin with. Maybe talk to those PETA folks. And get them a-walking around too wouldn't hurt. Try to get the ones up in MN to come down there. Their the best at driving their point home._:D
 
Maybe talk to those PETA folks. And get them a-walking around too wouldn't hurt.
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:eek:Talk about sleeping with the enemy! No way, no how, would I get PETA involved in anything, ever, under any circumstances, ever, never, period.
 
I say theft. I'd be calling every law maker and CO whose phone number I could get.
There is no difference (IMO) in putting out bait/attractants and catching the deer in a trap. Having done so, the fence has essentially harvested all those deer. On top of that they intend to make money off of previously owned state property.
 
Unless PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals no way in heck would I involve them in anything!

If it were me I'd call the local DNR office and ask what the law says.

It may or may not be legal. It definitely isn't ethical. If it happens to be legal you might still be able to stir up enough folks to write the editor, call the TV station, etc. to "convince" them of the error of their ways.
 
I think he was kidding about the PETA.

I would give DNR a jingle. It might be his property, but if he has set up bait and then locked down the local wildlife, then it's maybe borderline.
 
I heard a similar story years ago here in Michigan. There was a high fence hunting area near some state land that a few of us used to hunt. One of the guys in my party had a cottage on a small chunk of property near both the state land and the high fence. Well as the story was told to me, the fence people (we'll call them "the fence people") had to go in a do a satisfactory job (as prescribed by the DNR) of running the wildlife out before sealing the fence off. I think it was pretty involved.....horses, dogs and a boat load of people. After which, they ("the fence people") could import their own game within the confines of said fence. The reason was exactly as many have argued here, the wildlife was a state resource and did not belong to the land owners......"the fence people".

Again, it was a long time and many beers ago but, that's the jist of the story. Maybe it's true and maybe my buddy was spinning a yarn. Sounds plausible though.
 
doofus47: Your spot on with PETA. Just so long as their gone from this State is all that matters. What better place for em to migrate too than Oklahoma in the winter time. A cause such as this Is right up their alley. Yesiree. I'm sure there are 2-or 3 bus loads willing to travel. Just a little invite is all that's required.
 
I think its a two way street. Deer are fenced in their farm, but unless they are using very specialized gates, the deer are also trapped out as well. In a couple years, it will all balance out.
 
Personally I believe in freedom and a mans right to do whatever he wants with his property. If there aren't any deer around you, then lease some land where there are deer. I'm not being ugly, but the man is free to do what he wants with his land.
 
Shrug. If the habitat outside the fence is suitable for deer, deer will be there. If somehow the local area deer had begun hanging out around the pond and food plot, deer from farther away will say, "Hey, lookie what we found! Yummies, and nobody home!"

I doubt that Oklahoma law speaks to how high a fence might be.

What a guy does on his own land is not my business. Since it's in Oklahoma, the laws of Wyoming or Texas are irrelevant.
 
Art is a wise man!!

In addition I doubt that any game farm would go to the trouble and expense stated without researching OK law first.

I do wish more states had laws similar to Wyoming's. Game farming is allowed in MO and as a result we have had CWD problem in the areas of the state where said game farms have been developed.
 
High fence around a good number of thousands of acres is no big deal, to me. But that's not necessarily "game farming" as done by some. From what I read, the odds of CWD are higher than I want to take a chance on.

What most folks don't realize about the high-fence deals is the fence is to keep other deer from coming in to all the improved pasture and water and overloading the habitat.
 
matter of perspective

What most folks don't realize about the high-fence deals is the fence is to keep other deer from coming in to all the improved pasture and water and overloading the habitat
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By that token one could make the argument that prisons are erected to keep other people from free meals, cable TV and exercise equipment.

I am not trying to be contentious, just observing different view points. :)
 
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