WTF?

On my last couple of treks to the PM, I've gone west on M-20 from my buddy's place outside Mt. Pleasant. This takes me past a couple of BIG pieces of land surrounded by fences -- both identified as game ranches. This intrigues me, as the game ranch hunt is one I've never understood.

These places charge a premium to basically shoot fish in a barrel. Of course you shot a monster buck -- it was caged in by 14' high fences! And yes, you can practice excellent QDMA to grow bigger deer and cull out the smaller ones when you have total environmental and feeding control. Naturally the new MI DNR ban on baiting was the result of finding issues in some deer on one of these ranches.

I've heard other stories of folks who shot exotic animals like buffalo that were brought in to one of these ranches. I find this even more odd. I have a friend who hunts big game - but he TRAVELS to places like Wyoming, Montana, or Mexico to do so. He doesn't have one planted in Caseville, roll out on a quad and shoot it. In my opinion, a part of the appeal of a hunt is going to a place and tracking that animal.

One of the ranches I passed was this place in Bitely, MI (just south of Baldwin). So, being the curious sort, I poked around their web site. WEIRD. Not one of the testimonials is from a MI client. Then there's the clear undertone of the Christian experience. So, your God wanted you to hunt one of his creatures with the unfair advantages of a ranch environment?

Everyone's got their own thing, but I wouldn't take anyone over the age of 10 to a trout farm - how is this different?

-Sean-