maybe that the comprimise? score the animal the same , but put them in different catagories ... free range/high fence 

exactly what I'm thinking

heres a question: didnt/don't all exotics come from high fence ranches? I dont think game ranch owners are just releasing them into the wild for anyone to shoot. so I assume they exscaped and thus free ranging. so if one escaped and someone shot it this animal was protein feed and supp. feed. would that be fare to all  the other "free ranging exotics"to score it free ranging. just a thought

the texas government released thousands of blackbuck, axis, nilgai (KING RANCH), aoudad, in the mid 1900's to see if they could survive and have a substantial production on the Texas land. They have been breeding in the wild for years and years. We have had blackbucks on our place for twenty something years. So no they weren't release from a pen. or broke out of a pen.

could you forward that information to me. that sounds like a good read.  I researched and couldnt find any information regarding release of thousands of exotics. but I do  live around the King ranch and know to well about the free ranging Nilgai. BTW King ranch is low fence.

Also where about is your place in ref to the release site. Im just saying its not normal to see free ranging exotics....maybe for you  but the average land owner and hunter is not lucky to have a blackbuck stroll through.  The chances would be 1 and a million im sure.

You can't lump all high fence operations in the same category.  To do so would be ignorant.  There are far too many factors. 

I don't really think that it's very important for exotic species, but that's just my take.  I'm sure that there are those out there with a passion for hunting them and would disagree.

in 1988 the texas government did a survey with 90,400 animals confined behind fences and 73,857 animals free-ranging (able to move freely from one place to another. on the texas dept of wildlife and fisheries website.

ranch to another

hey delsotrom have you ever hunted nilgai. I would like to but I'm not paying the price King Ranch wants for a bull. Do people in your area that have them sell a few nilgai hunts on their private land. I tried to bring up the free range releasing but I am on a government server and smart filter keeps blocking me. It did let me bring up the part I post above. Our lease is in cherry springs and on a 1000 acres we see up to fifty blackbucks a day. they breed quite rapily and have two at a time.

I just got back from the Hill Country on a free range, no fence Axis hunt. Mostly Axis and whitetail were visiting the feeder. I was told by a old timer that The Kerrville area has the largest population of free ranging Axis in Texas. I was fortunate to shoot 2 bucks. One tall(20") 4pter with brows 162lbs and another one horned 12" spike. Both were in hard horn. I was hunting over a corn feeder which kept the Axis visiting. Was in a commercial area right off of the main business road in the area. There was enough room to shoot a gun. This was not a paid hunt. Just a friend taking a friend to a place where he could shoot an Axis or two without hunt fees. Would have loved to hold out for a larger horned animal(s). But free range means you never know what is gonna step out. A bird in the hand was worth two in the bush. Could have shot over 60 does...I let them walk.