Are hunting ranches wrong?

I just recently learned about hunting ranches. For those of you who are not familiar, a hunting ranch is a ranch where the owners breed, feed and raise non-wild animals for sport-hunting in a closed enviroment. People pay thousands of dollars to go to these ranches to hunt rare or non-rare animals like bison or African deer for "entertainment". The kills can be stuffed or eaten for example.

When I first learned of this and started to do a little research, I found myself in a bit of a quandary. I am a meat eater yet I find this concept disgusting. Am I a complete hypocrite? Obviously the meat I ate was killed, but how? Was it killed on a hunting ranch or in the wild? What the difference in terms of what's right and what's wrong? I'm not going to stop eating meat, but should I change my viewpoint about hunting ranches?

Public Comments

1. I think its better than killing any animal any where, but killing animals is really bad, im not a vegi though im just sayin

2. Have you ever seen how they process cattle at a slaughterhouse? It's totally inhumane and disgusting and I won't even begin to describe it to you. If you eat meat then don't worry about hunting ranches because animals if not maintained will only die off anyway and possibly from starvation.
Exotic Game Hunting ranches have become an alternative financial resource for the survival of the ranch. You can no longer have a ranch by raising cattle. Believe me the animals killed on the ranch have a much easier death than that steak you ate.
Much of the meat that comes from hunting ranches goes to feed the poor and provides meals for youth ranches and orphanages.

3. Dont hunt ranch animals. As a gun lover, Vet, and NRA member, I love guns and our right to bear them.

That said, I think hunting for sport is dumb. First off your shooting at an animal that cant fight back. 2nd, the people are usally miles away with today's scopes anyways.

Add that to now they're on a ranch totally used to humans and unafrid of them. That cant even be considered hunting.

Me, I keep me my guns for protection and sport shooting and get my steaks at the butcher or grocer.

4. It's wrong.

It's killing for sport, enjoyment/entertainment, not for necessity.

We can get food without having to pay thousands of dollars to kill it ourself. Imagin the price per ounce. You can't justify you need to hunt to provide food at those prices. Heck, I can't even see a hunter justifying paying thousands on a blind(s) and a hunting lease to "provide food" for their family. Balogna!

5. Those Game ranches still have to buy a permit from the fish and game or the Dept. of natural resources(DNR) to operate. Even tough the game taken on these ranches are not native the permit money goes to help the local and native wildlife. The Antis make it sound very easy to shoot an animal on one of these ranches. It's not really.....unless you are very lucky. Although it is easier than going out into the woods and hunting wildlife that is free roaming. In the wild the wildlife have many predators. On these ranches there are few predators so the game is less skittish.
But anyone can go to the store and buy a steak. Where is the talent in that? The animals that are raised on a cattle ranch or a farm live a much less glamorous life than wild animals. As a result wild animals and even these animals that are raised for the purpose of hunting have a better quality life in many cases living longer than farm raised animals.

6. ima say this....im 20 years old now, ive been hunting all my life...ive had my fid and first license since i was 15..as ma state law requires..and ive watched this stuff on tv..hunting the ranches, it depends on how they are hunting them..if there sitting in a big ass box blind on the ground, or evin on a tripod blind stand..i think its wrong, because its not hunting..here in mass, uyou work for your deer, or pheasant, or wat ever the case may be. But some of those ranches like in t exas, many of them are huge, the deer breed on there own, its just the way they are hunted that i am against. Just my opinion though.

7. I am an avid hunter. I have been hunting since I was fourteen years old. In Missouri you can buy your first deer tag for "fall firearms season" for seventeen dollars and they get cheaper after that, free if you own land. Buy some zip-lock baggies and some butcher paper and you can process 150 to 200 pounds of meat for cheap... no store compares to that. But as far as ranches go - I really don't like them. In Missouri there are plenty of deer to go around. I eat what I kill but still at the same time find it to be sporting so I don't do it just for the meat. It's a sport because you don't just kill deer, you want clean shots and it can be difficult sometimes. Killing wild deer HELPS manage and control deer populations... that is why the Missouri Department of Conservation keeps track of harvest numbers and places retrictions on those numbers. Now shooting exotic animals on a ranch is not appealing to me. I disagree that they are "use to humans and are tame" but they are diffenetly bigger because they are taken care of, fed, sometimes even given medical shots just like live stock. I wouldn't say that it is any more or less humane but when an animal is fensed in... no matter how big the ranch, it just doesn't seam right. You can shoot a wild deer and help manage heards at the same time (if you are doing it for the meat). If you are not doing it for the meat then why are you hunting a ranch? Probably to shoot a BIG or EXOTIC animal. I don't feel that either of those reasons are good enough reasons to end an animals life. I do admit that I hunt for the sport of hunting as well as for the meat... when was the last time you saw a store that sold dove, quail, duck, rabbit, squirrle, or deer for the price of a hunting license or a tag? You are not a hypocrite. There is nothing wrong with eating meat. Hunting is a sport when you do it in the wild. "Hunting" in a "cage" is not a sport. I cannot understand game ranches. You pay A LOT for the meat and the animal is fensed in! A clean shot is a clean shot no matter where that shot is made. So the only argument I think anyone has saying that game ranches are crule is that the animal is stuck there, it can't keep going, it eventually WILL be shot. But that is the same for cows, they can't keep running either. So if you look at it like they are a cow (just live stock) then it is probably MORE humane than beef. Slaughter houses are horrible. Game ranches do give the animal more freedom than being fattened up in a pin. But still, game ranches are not for me. I can see how some people hate them... I can at the same time see how they are not any worse than a real ranch where some fool would pay thousands of dollars to shoot a cow. Beats the slaughter house but its not hunting.

8. Personally, I would not hunt a game ranch. However, I don't think that it's "wrong" so to speak.

It may not be the same thing as "real" hunting, however, I'm not one to tell another hunter that taking an animal in a perfectly legal situation is wrong.

I have a friend who recently took his disabled brother on a hunt at a ranch recently. His brother was an avid hunter, but after a head injury, he was unable to get out and do any real hunting in the woods. My buddy's bro had a blast hunting at the ranch. With this in mind, I feel that "canned" ranch hunts have their place.

9. Yes, hunting ranches do raise game animals for the hunter. However, not all game ranches have their animals enclosed in small pastures waiting to get shot by a well heeled hunter. I cannot afford to hunt these ranches but I have had the privalege of being a guest on two hunts on two different game ranches in Texas. The two ranches that I hunted had raised exotic game as well as trophy white tail deer. They had very large areas of one to three square miles enclosed in game-proof fence in which the animals were located. Huntiing them in this environment was no different that hunting them anywhere else. Plus, the rancher had some very strict rules of what you could kill and what you couldn't. These ranches are regulated by the state and are bound to "fair chase rules". It wasn't like shooting fish in a rain barrel, that's for sure. Of course, there are unscrupulous game ranch operators who pen up animals or simply release them in view of the "hunter" who then kills them. Now, that's shooting fish in a rain barrrel. In my view, it is unethical and immoral at best AND it is illegal in most places. Places such as this are operating withour state approval and licensing and are illegal. Anyone who opeerates such a ranch and anyone who hunts on this kind fo ranch are both subject to the full weight of the provisions of the applicable laws. Believe me, you don't want to run afoul of game laws in Texas. You can kill someone and get off with having your wrists slapped but if you break game laws you can loose all of your gear such as your gun, your vehicle, etc and be stuck with a severe fine and possible jail time.

I agree that "release and shoot" ranches are immoral and I am opposed to them but the well regulated and properly run game ranches I have no problem with.

10. Those hunts are a joke.

11. The answers above seem to show consensus that such ranches are wrong. Anyone from staunch vegetarians to avid hunters can agree that killing animals in such a way is hardly justifiable.

12. There is nothing immoral or disgusting about Hunting Ranches*. Would you rather they die of old age & disease?* What about the cattle, pigs, chickens, fish, turkey, seafood, horses, sheep that are slaughtered every second so people can continue eating them.* Millions & Millions.* You cannot compare or separate or make a distinction between Wild Hunting, Ranch Hunting, Domestic Hunting, because these are just different forms of Hunting.* Hunting requires killing whether its Domestic Animals, Ranch Animals, Wild Animals. It is what it is & you are in denial if you do not acknowledge that fact.*

13. personally i think hunting ranches are wrong, but not because of the reason you do, i think if you hunt you should hunt them in the wild not where the animal will come right up to you, you are a little hypocritical no offense because thats basically what a slaughter house is except nobody pays thousands of dollars to hunt the animals them selves, and the meat you eat is probably from a slaughter house. and yes hunting ranches are unfair, it dosent give the animals a chance and it shouldnt even be called hunting it should be called shooting a pet, i am disgusted with them as well but its good that you know and asked if you were hypocritical.

14. We've always called those "canned hunts" . I personally think it's the worst type of hunting next to poaching. Actually, now that I think about it, how can it honestly be called hunting? The "guide" tells you where to set up, then they turn the feeders on to attract the game, then you just shoot the one you want. That is NOT hunting.

15. Canned hunts are becoming more and more prevalent as private land is gobbled up. Many farmland in our area once used to be open to hunt if you ask permission. Now a large portion is leased for hunting privileges.

As this "movement" becomes more and more prevalent the smaller amount acreage or ground open to all decreases and hunting pressure increases. Some people opt for a guarantee of the canned hunt.

I don't have a problem with the hunting ranches that raise exotics, and sell hunts for profit. I've seen ranches such as the Y-O in Texas with a long history of raising exotics for hunts. Some of these ranches have been integral in bringing several endangered species back from the brink. The Y-0 played a large part in recovering several games species back from near extinction levels to a healthy population and have played a part in restoring populations back to the wild. This courtesy of the expenses paid for "Canned hunts"

BTW Bison is not a rare species. And Game ranches have breeding herds and harvest animals based on healthy culling practices.
Buffalo "hunts" are becoming more common, Many ranchers have opted to raise Buffalo as it's meat is leaner and healthier then beef. Some of there harvest is sent to packing plants and other's held in reserve for "hunting"..

I don't know. I consider it shooting not hunting. Big difference.

I believe the "hunt" is about being in the "wild" and stalking the game that is wary.
I like Buffalo, I've yet to "Shoot" one, I buy Buffalo meat from a friend who owns a small packing plant and processes the "Farm raised" buffalo..

Rarity is an illusion when the animal is purposely raised and breed for that purpose.

Release and shoot is immoral, Ranch raised animals that are wary and roaming wild, is no different then chasing whitetail in the fall.

16. no matter if it is a 1 acre to 100000 acres fenced in canned is canned no skill 100% kill ranches are NOT hunting!
Now is it wrong! Hey they are farmers and if legal I have no problem with them BUT they should never be called a hunt!

17. Duh.

18. Before I write about hunting ranches, I think its important to define hunting as I've read many of the answers and it appears to be a foggy definition.
“hunting” includes taking, wounding, killing, chasing, pursuing, worrying, capturing, following after or following on the trail of, searching for, shooting at, trapping, setting snares for, stalking or lying in wait for any wildlife, or attempting to do any of those things, whether or not the wildlife is then or
subsequently captured, wounded or killed; This is the definition out of the Wildlife Act, 1998 from Saskatchewan Canada and will be similar to other Provinces and States.

With that said people saying "hunting" farm animals ie slaugther houses does not hunting as per these statutory defintions.

Now under the definition of hunting I just gave hunting ranches is considered hunting. But if you talk to people who hunt, this would not cross their mind as hunting. Unless they are lousy hunters, poachers or just like shooting animals..
Most hunters go in the outdoors and spend many hours scouting, tracking and setting up stands to hunt various animals. For many hunters as well as myself its a family tradition to spend time together in the outdoors hunting. Its a great time to kick back relax and if your lucky get a deer or a moose. Most hunters eat what they kill and I am no different.

Hunters are most times the first line wildlife techs as through surveys on their hunt and word of mouth let gov officals in the wildlife departments know about fluctations in wildlife and changes in their habitat. So hunters are benificial to wildlife.

For many hunters like myself its the chase and the ability to lure the animal in thats better than anything. For example this past week I was out hunting for 2 days and I rattled in 2 bucks and stalked a few does to shootable distances with the bow. I couldn't take the shots due to scrub brush in the way but this stalking and rattling in deer was more rewarding than actually shooting the deer.

Now hunting ranches, you sit in a blind and shoot an animal that is caged in by a fence. sometimes they are domesticated wild animals such as buffalo, elk or deer. Some are exotic hunts such as lions. Point is there is no challenge and the animal can't get away. Also these some of these animals are domesticated. Once the animal is not considered "wildlife" it can't be hunting. It can be shooting an animal but that would be it.

Now are hunting ranches wrong?? No, but on the other hand yes. They are wrong in the sense as that is not hunting, but they are regulated shooting of animals which you can do.

If you use the ideals i described about hunting ie tradition, being in the outdoors, experiencing the calling of animals in, then hunting ranches are wrong and are not hunting at all.

I'm not for hunting ranches at all, they are no different than a slaugter house to me. Which brings me to my next point. Slaughter houses are not hunting, whoever thinks that is wrong check the definition again please. Also it doesn't get you out in the field experiencing the outdoors.

There is more to hunting than just shooting the deer or moose. There is the stalking, the calling the set up of stands and bait stands (if legal in your area). There is the traditions with families and friends with hunting. Hunting ranches do not have this and are only meant to kill a trophy animal.

So in short if your talking about hunting that I have described then yes Hunting Ranches are wrong and give a bad name to hunters around. And those who are trying to lump culling, slaughter houses and any other form of animal killing with hunting, stop it because your wrong. Hunting is a tradition that goes back generations and helps conserve our resources, gets people out in the outdoors, and protects our environment in a way.

Hope that helps

19. I have participated in "hunting" on a preserve in PA. I would say it was not true hunting, but I would not have been able to afford the cost of a hunting trip and other fees associated with this. We enjoyed ourselves and we took our meat home with us. There are some animals that I will never have a chance to hunt or see in their native habitat.
This just gives some people a reasonable chance to "hunt" animal thaat they would probably never have a chance to do.
Wheather it is right or wrong it doesn't bother me, I just had a good time with some friends and brought some meat home for the freezer(it still tatses good).