I cannot see any difference myself between the high fence game ranch, and free range. We all know there are "trophy" hogs in the wild, same as in a high fence area. If one is not willing to accept that their dog may bay up mr big, then maybe they need to take up squirrel hunting.
My .02
I'll throw in an extra 1 1/2 cents because I'm not all there. The likelyhood of you catching 5 250 # boars with 3" teeth or better in the same place on the same day is not very likely around these parts. We have our share of fine boars on the free range, but not that many gathered up together. In a high fence with less than 1000 acres, if there is any kind of hog population at all, you are going to be catching hogs all day if you're packing a decent dog. From my very small experience with trophy ranches (1 time), it does not showcase your dogs hunting ability. I would venture to say that 6 out of 10 dogs found around any dump (waste site), if placed directly in front of a hog will go to baying. However, I would be surprised if 1 could take an old track, and move it out. This is most likely the hound side of my hog hunting brain talking, but the bay is such a miniscule part of the overall hog hunting experience. Personally, I want to see them find the track, move it, jump the hog, stop it, and keep it there. The bonus as a hunter is placing my hands on that hog. Just as it is only a bonus to carry a coon out of the woods when coon hunting. If they tree the coon, they have done their job as a coon dog. If I don't shoot the coon out, does it mean the dog did not do his job? Same goes for a bay dog in my mind. That particular dog's job is to present me the opportunity to make the decision whether I want to take the hog home or just send him on his way. That's the way I approach hog dog hunting anyway. Generally speaking, the hogs on trophy ranches have been brought there by dog hunters, because they showed the characteristics to be derseving of the title "Trophy Boar". Now, I'm sure that some were trapped instead. Either way, they are generally wise, and have seen a dog at some point. Practice makes perfect. A boar that has fought his share of dogs, most likely knows a thing or two about making the dogs leave him alone, even if that means him killing the dogs. Once they've been in a pen that gets dogged, they educate themselves real quick. Survival of the fittest. Bank on that.
As far as running a little hog in a couple acre bay pen to get a young dog started, sure, for the most part, I see no harm. However, once the young dog progresses to the next step in his development, it's time to move on. Without failure, how is any animal going to succeed? That goes for us as hunters as well. How are you going to learn if everything goes your way every hunt. Sometimes, you don't win. It makes you stronger. The burn it places in your personal drive will make you adapt. My little brain loves to learn. I think it makes me stronger in other aspects of my life.
In closing, if you want to run your dogs in a trophy pen, they're your dogs. As long as the land owner is cool with it, knock yourself out. I hope to see some pics of these trophies you catch. I'm just not sure what you're going to prove to yourself, or to your dogs. Oh, one more thing, bring the staple gun.
