# Fence trap



## Pablo (May 21, 2004)

A friend of mine sent me this picture of a place he had looked at in South Texas. Ranch name will remain anonymous.

This photo is a 'trap' where the owner cut the bottom of the hi fence and made a 'v' with hog panels. He said where the 'v' comes to a point, the horizontal ends of the panels meshed like fingers but were not tied together.

The owner had set up a feeder about 60 yards away and when the deer went thru the 'trap' they couldn't get back out. Voila! Instant deer population. Also, hogs, coyotes, etc. He didn't know if the owner had a deal with the other landowner or not. 

No high fence debate, please. Everyone here knows how everyone else feels about them, snakes, croakers and fuel prices. LOL

Have a nice day,
Pablo


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## ccrocker1313 (Oct 23, 2005)

Who ownes the fence ? We lost a lease that we had for 7 yrs with no notice next to the home ranch we used the same type trap to get back as many animals (Axis, Fallow,Hogs) as we could. With a helicopter and net gun only got back 23 or 24 animals. The trap worked quite well..


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## Charles Helm (Oct 22, 2004)

I have to say that is the first time I've seen a set-up like that. You can check in but you can't check out. Kind of like _Hotel California_ or that pest cntrol product. I would hope the neighbor was aware or they might be real unhappy.


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## ranchpeddler (Aug 19, 2005)

*wow*

If the guy that constructed that contraption owned the fence and it was built on his property I dont think the landowner on the other side could do anything about it. If they share the fence and it's built on the property line different story. I have seen this before around Batesville.


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## Javadrinker (Feb 13, 2008)

Pablo said:


> No high fence debate, please. Everyone here knows how everyone else feels about them, snakes, croakers and fuel prices. LOL
> 
> Have a nice day,
> Pablo


LOL .. now that did make me laugh


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## AggieCowboy98 (Feb 25, 2007)

I saw something similar on a company lease a couple of years ago. The neigbor had a high fence and put in a one way trap during the summer complete with feeder and camera. When we questioned him he said he had a pet doe that got out because someone left the gate open and he was trying to get her back. Never made much sense to me since he had an automatic electric opener on his gate... LOL 

I do know we had a nice Axis on our place that had been seen several times and a few weeks after we saw the trap, he told us he had just gotten an Axis from a friends place and would be willing to let someone hunt it for $3500. When he showed me the pics, they looked awfully familiar...

Most ranchers only use these during the summer months when the bucks don't have horns. Once they start putting horns on, he will likely close it up to prevent them from getting hung up in the fence.

Shawn


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

if that type of apparatus was on my fenceline... the person who created it better get used to mending his fence, because it would be cut at a regular basis. 

I guess it's perfectly fine for a high fence operation to effectively take deer from a low fence, but if a high fence is ever cut, jacked up, or otherwise modified to allow deer on the high fence ranch to get out, you better be ready for all hell to break lose.... have legal action threatened against you, and be shot.

good thing there's no double standard.


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

All the neighbor has to do is build about 8' of his own high fence, or pile some brush up on his side and viola!...no more trap. 

At least that's what I would do.


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## Pablo (May 21, 2004)

Both ranches are completely hi fenced.


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## stxhunter (May 19, 2006)

Wow!! Very interesting indeed. Both ranches hi fenced? How does this work? Does one rancher allow the other to take his deer but not get any back? It's kinda not fair, all give and no take?


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

Or he could make himself a little hog wallow on his side with some Hog Wild. Then when the feeder goes off, all his pigs would run over to the neighbors. :slimer: LMAO


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## sotol buster (Oct 7, 2007)

Man , that is messed up! What if I put a door in a lingere store that said "exit", but the door really went to my apartment. SAME THING, I would catch some dears, some foxes , and probably some hogs!!!


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## ranchpeddler (Aug 19, 2005)

sotol buster said:


> Man , that is messed up! What if I put a door in a lingere store that said "exit", but the door really went to my apartment. SAME THING, I would catch some dears, some foxes , and probably some hogs!!!


Excellent analogy Sotol! I laughed out loud when I read that.


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

probably more hogs than anything else in both senarios....


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Too bad you don't have a game cam set up on that spot Pablo. Looks like it may be referred to as "the scene of the crime" someday :biggrin:


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## kweber (Sep 20, 2005)

since all we have is a photo and little else and plenty of speculation...

this could be an agreement between owners to try and move hogs to a place where they're more easily hunted or trapped. or a cheap way to remove a deer heard before intoducing mega-$$ genetics. 
my brother and I used a simular device to catch goats off a place west of Cline many years back.


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## El Cazador (Mar 4, 2005)

*If it is meant to be a trap (which is what it looks like)...*

*This from the TP&WD website:*

*Means and Methods *

*Restricted Methods *


It is *unlawful* for any person, while hunting or engaging in recreational shooting, to knowingly discharge a firearm in such a fashion as to cause a projectile to cross a property line, unless the person owns the property on both sides of the property line or has obtained written permission from the owner of any land crossed by the projectile.
*Remote-controlled Hunting:* A person may not engage in computer-assisted remote hunting of any animal or bird or provide or operate facilities for computer-assisted remote hunting if the animal or bird being hunted is located in Texas.
*Artificial light* of any form that casts or reflects a beam of light onto or otherwise illuminates a game animal or bird may not be used as an aid to hunt, *except* battery-powered scoping devices that project a light or dot only inside the scope, pin sight lights on archery equipment, or laser sighting devices used by legally blind hunters (legal blindness is: no more than 20/200 of visual acuity in the better eye with correcting lenses or visual acuity greater than 20/200, but with a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees). Blind hunters must be assisted by a licensed hunter at least 13 years of age who is not legally blind. Blind hunters must possess a physician's or optometrist's signed statement attesting to legal blindness. Hunter education requirements apply.
Non-protected nongame animals and fur-bearing animals may be hunted at night with the aid of an artificial light on private property. If hunting at night, please make a courtesy telephone call to your local game warden.
*Traps may not be used to hunt game birds or game animals.*
*Dogs* may not be used to hunt deer in this state.
A person is prohibited from using a dog to hunt or pursue deer in this state. A person who violates this law is subject to a fine of $500-$4,000 and/or a year in jail. Additionally, a person's hunting and fishing licenses may be revoked or suspended. In addition, no person may possess a shotgun and buckshot or slugs while in the field with dogs on another person's land during an open deer season in Angelina, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, and Walker counties.
It is *unlawful* to use dogs to trail a wounded deer in the counties listed above.
Not more than two dogs may be used to trail a wounded deer in counties not listed above. A "*wounded deer*" is a deer leaving a blood trail.

Pheasant may not be hunted by means of a cable, chain, or rope connected to or between a moving object or objects.
*Aircraft* may not be used to hunt any animal or bird unless authorized by the department.
See County Listings for additional regulations.
*Legal Methods *


Animals and game birds not classified as migratory may be hunted from a motor vehicle, powerboat, sailboat, or from any other floating device within the boundaries of private property or upon private water. Migratory game birds under certain circumstances may be hunted from a boat on public water. See the migratory game bird section for the exceptions (Lawful Hunting Means and Methods).
*Calling devices* (including manual and mouth-operated), recordings, and electrically amplified calls may be used to hunt game animals and game birds, except electronic calls may not be used to hunt migratory game birds, unless allowed by special regulation.
*Decoys* may be used to hunt game animals and game birds, except that no person may use live decoys when hunting migratory birds.
*Baiting* for game animals, nongame animals, and game birds is lawful on private property, except for turkey in certain East Texas counties and migratory game birds statewide.
*Trapping* may be used for nongame/exotic animals (e.g., feral hogs, rabbits, etc.) on private property.
*Dogs* may be used to aid in the hunting of any game bird.


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## RussellG (Jun 23, 2004)

But is it truly a "trap", or just a form of livestock and wildlife rustling? I'm sure cattle would zip right through there too? Gotta be something illegal about it.

rg


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## Pablo (May 21, 2004)

Maybe my choice of words could be better. It is more of a one-way gate than a trap. From what I was told, critters go thru it from one multi-thousand acre place to another thousand acre place, not to a holding area.


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## Buck Master (Oct 19, 2004)

Yep .... agree with Pablo. Man those landowners must be on excellent terms with each other.


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## El Cazador (Mar 4, 2005)

If there are any non-native deer changing locations, TPWD would have a problem with that too...


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## Rusty S (Apr 6, 2006)

Looks like a quail trap, McMullen County? rs


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## Masked Duck (Nov 17, 2007)

That's messed up big time. The owner has no concept of what science based game management is all about.

The whole ideal of high-fencing is to keep deer OUT not IN. The last thing you want is to allow a means for outside deer to keep coming in.

He needs to contact the area TPWD deer biologist and get on a proper management plan before he does more damage.


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## Kyle 1974 (May 10, 2006)

Masked Duck said:


> That's messed up big time. The owner has no concept of what science based game management is all about.
> 
> *The whole ideal of high-fencing is to keep deer OUT not IN.* The last thing you want is to allow a means for outside deer to keep coming in.
> 
> He needs to contact the area TPWD deer biologist and get on a proper management plan before he does more damage.


LOL.... good one!!

is it still april 1st?

yes, I'm sure the high fencer's of the state main purpose is to keep the riff-raff out... those 15K a mile fences have nothing to do with keeping those ear tagged babies IN.

LOL


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## Sean Hoffmann (May 24, 2004)

Reminds me of this article...and photo.

'Deergate' Unbelievable But Perfectly Legal 

By Mike Leggett
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Sunday, February 10, 2008

This Garza County gate has swinging bars that allow deer to push inside to enter the property but that are blocked and won't allow the animals to leave once they've entered. Maj. David Sinclair, chief of wildlife enforcement for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said such gates are legal.

I wouldn't describe "this" situation as a landowner's or hunter's finest hour. There's no deer important enough, or big enough, to merit hunting it right on a fenceline or trying to finagle it away from a neighbor. 

At least I thought that until last week, when I was confronted with situations that took the corn inducement to new lows. A reader, who asked not to be identified for fear of worsening neighbor relations, asked if I thought a neighboring land owner at his relative's lease might be breaking the law with his high fence. 

It seems the brazen landowner erected a high fence around his property, which is legal and with which I have no problem. But then he went further, installing gates on pulleys — with ropes running to deer stands inside the high fence — that could be raised whenever a deer outside the fence approached and wanted to get at corn inside the fence. 

A deer enters the hole in the fence and a hunter (we use the word loosely here) inside the blind lowers the gate and traps the unsuspecting deer inside the fence. The reader included photos of the gates, complete with nylon ropes running into the stands across the fence. 

Unbelievable, I thought. Unconscionable, I sputtered. Un-legal, I figured. But I was wrong. 

Recommending the reader to Maj. David Sinclair, chief of wildlife enforcement for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, I was stunned to learn that not only was such a practice legal in Texas, but it was happening all over the state. 

"There's nothing to prevent it," Sinclair said. "It would take the Legislature to stop it." 

Sinclair has photographs of every manner of fence-lowering or raising or defeating device one could imagine, slots and puzzles and holes of every sort, all designed to let deer on to a high-fence property but not let them escape to the ranch from which they came. There's even a berm of sorts — kind of like the earthen platforms heavy equipment operators use to load dozers on trailers — that allows deer to jump over a high fence alongside the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge up on the Red River. 

Sinclair has seen them all and he's investigated many of them, but he's also expert in the ins and outs of the Texas Wildlife Code and he knows right now it's all perfectly legal. 

"They are enticing deer onto their ranch," Sinclair said. "If the enclosure were (20 feet by 20 feet) or something, we could watch that (and possibly make a canned hunt case), but they aren't. They're just getting them on to their property, and there's nothing to stop it." 

"We see regular gates with pulleys and ropes on them, some with teeth and rods swinging just one way," Sinclair continued. "It creates some bad blood."


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## spitfire (Jan 2, 2007)

Is that legal?


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## Buck Master (Oct 19, 2004)

I know a rancher in Real Co. that has a gate similar to those on some major trails coming in and out of his place. He uses them for aoudad .... that way there will not be as much of a chance for them to knock another hole in his fence. These gates swing both ways so they can come and go. Calls them doggie doors. Would love to put a camera out watching one just to see what was going on. That would be pretty interesting to see what all was coming and going on the ranch.


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## Buck Master (Oct 19, 2004)

spitfire said:


> Is that legal?


According to the article that Sean posted up it is.


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## JD761 (Jun 7, 2006)

Oh no! A high fence!


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## TXPalerider (May 21, 2004)

As I've said before, just pile some brush on your side of the fence to deter the deer travel and/or keep the gate from opening. The arsehole that put the gate in can do nothing about it!!


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

TXPalerider said:


> As I've said before, just pile some brush on your side of the fence to deter the deer travel and/or keep the gate from opening. The arsehole that put the gate in can do nothing about it!!


Either that or rig you one of these... they seem to be easy enough to find :cheers:


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## dbarham (Aug 13, 2005)

Haute Pursuit said:


> Either that or rig you one of these... they seem to be easy enough to find :cheers:


 that makes me wanna puke!


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