General: : This is one of South Texas’ most tightly held areas where large ranches are still owned by Pioneer Families and descendants of original Spanish land grand recipients. Vast ranches such as the East, Jones, Guerra, and Las Islas, etc. make up this unique area where very little is ever offered for sale. In modern times, the immediate area has received national acclaim for its rare climate and soil combination which is ideally suited to summer food plots. When combined with its natural whitetail genetics and diverse native brush, the immediate vicinity is described by many experts as “the best whitetail country in South Texas and the nation”. Private air facilities are located at either the paved/lighted 5,000 ft. Jim Hogg County Airport at Hebbronville or at the paved 3,200 ft. strip at Rio Grande City. Commercial service is available at McAllen and Harlingen International Airports. The ranch is only a short drive to the historic charm and border life at Roma-Los Saenz and is a short distance from the Rio Grande Valley and South Padre Island. The ranch has been primarily operated as a steer ranch in order to utilize the excellent grass cover without harming wildlife habitat. This has allowed the owner to easily adjust stocking capacity based on climatic conditions. Typically, steers are taken from the ranch directly to a nearby feedyard for finishing. Cross fencing, livestock, water and gathering working facility are well designed for cattle operations. There are two sets of cattle pens on the ranch, which are both well designed for processing and shipping livestock. Years’ of excellent stewardship has resulted in an outstanding turf cover of both native and buffel grass. Food plots and fields can also be utilized for winter grazing or hay production.

Improvements: Estrella Ranch is highly improved with an estimated improvement replacement value which exceeds $4 million dollars. The ranch has two sets of headquarters, swimming pool, deer breeding facilities, 12 water wells, a very extensive watering system of concrete troughs for wildlife & cattle, two sets of livestock working pens, barns, deer breeding facilities, exterior & interior high game fencing, miles of all-weather roads, and fully stocked with deer blinds, and feeders. A tremendous amount of time and money has also been invested into numerous big food plots which are individually high gamed fenced. A more detailed summary of the building improvements is listed below. The La Estrella headquarters compound consists of a magnificent “Camargo style” ranch hacienda surrounding a beautifully landscaped courtyard, a separate hunting lodge building designed to entertain many guest, guest housing, a caretakers residence, cooks, quarters, feed barn, equipment barns, garage with walk-in cooler and game processing facility skeet range and pipe and steel working pens. The compound is mostly encircled by mesquite rail fencing (corrals de lena) and designed to capture the historic architectural charm unique to the US-Mexican border. The main ranch house which has captured state-wide architectural awards and is featured in Under The Sun which includes architectural accomplishments from around the world. It is one of four Texas ranch houses selected. The house is a hacienda-style compound with deep wrap-around porches connecting the buildings around a central landscaped courtyard. The walls of the buildings are made with irregular Mexican bricks with wild variations in their natural colors from a factory 30 miles away. Mesquite flooring was cut from aged timber by a nearby stream powered sawmill, the trophy room (actually a separate building) is patterned after a century old Mexican “bodega” or granary. Ceilings are made of California grapes stakes and Mississippi Cypress timbers. Unique fireplaces were copied from some of the ruins in Roma and Rio Grande City. The porous Mexican brick on the outside walls was covered with paint made from pigments found in Mexico mixed with buttermilk and lime giving the illusion of very old walls. Guest rooms each have private baths. The larger guest room features a domed, fired brick ‘boveda’ ceiling common to northern Mexico. At the southwest corner of hacienda complex, an enclosed stairwell leads to a “mirador” or lookout on the roof from which guests can capture a majestic sunset or a million stars from built-in “bancos”. The master bedroom sits unattached to the rest of the structure with details taken from the historic La Borde House in Rio Grande City. It features high, beamed ceilings, mesquite floors, fireplace, a small enclosed patio with spacious bath and closet areas. All of the structures are designed to capture the old historic charm of the border architecture. Walls have triangular “parapets” that were historically designed to function as fire stops. Every building opens on to the deep porches surrounding the courtyard. The north side of the compound deflects cold northern winds up and over buildings while the southeast side receives summer breezes. The deep wrap around porches shade the house like a giant sombrero. The hacienda compound is surrounded by “carrales de lena” (mesquite rail fencing) like those used by the earliest ranches in the region. This is truly one of the magnificent ranch houses in North America. The original guesthouse designed from ruins of an ancient house at Paraje Cuevitas includes two large suites each with private baths. A new guest facility is located just south of the lodge features three bedrooms, each with private baths and separate AC/heating. The garage/game processing building includes an enclosed garage for hunting vehicles, walk-in cooler, game processing area, gun/ammunition room and attached dog pen area. The newly constructed hunting lodge/entertaining facility includes a large entertaining facility styled after an old granary, a bath, office, large dining room, cooks quarters, large kitchen designed for commercial appliances and walk-in coolers and an attached garage for guest hunting vehicles. The facility includes large indoor and outdoor fireplaces and deep outdoor porches overlooking native landscaped courtyards.

Water: Water available for livestock and wildlife is abundant throughout the ranch. The La Estrella is watered by approximately 12 water wells equipped with windmills or electric submersible pumps. In addition to approximately 7 stock ponds the ranch has many miles of buried pipelines to concrete water troughs and ground level wildlife waterings scattered strategically around the ranch. Underground water depth is approximately 290’ – 390’.

Vegetation: The Ranch features a unique combination of beautiful native brush. The majority of the ranch is fertile, fine sandy loam soil, high in moisture retention capacity. The north ½ of the ranch is gently rolling and covered in big beautiful native brush. The south ½ premium quail habitat and is rolling terrain traversed by many creek-beds where numerous stock-tanks capture runoff water. The La Estrella features an ideal blend of almost every species of native brush includes Guayacon, Guajillo, Colima, Granjeno, Blackbrush, Coma, Texas Persimmon, Whitebrush, Prickly Pear, Ebony, Ceniz, Wild Olive and many other species. Areas have been strip cleared and food-plots created for wildlife enhancement. The ranch has an excellent grass cover of both native and buffel grass. Overall, the rolling terrain, native brush combination, and range improvements have made the La Estrella a truly picturesque ranch which, combines the very best wildlife habitat with productivity and income potential.

Wildlife: Without a doubt, the La Estrella is one of South Texas’ greatest recreational and entertaining properties where record quality whitetail, flocks of wild turkeys, quail (bob-white and blue), dove and whitewing, geese, ducks, wild hogs, javelina and other native wildlife create a sportsman’s paradise. The ranch has been game managed over 20 years and is a proven producer of native trophy deer which have exceeded 200B&C. Two further increase the quality of the whitetail herd, the owner has developed a very extensive breeding program and began releasing super genetic whitetail on the ranch several years ago. Utilizing the innovative research on the neighboring “El Tecomate Ranch”, the owner has created many “Lab Lab “footplots throughout the ranch. These foodplots have turned the great deer on the ranch into super deer. As is well documented, moisture retention capacity of the soils in this unique area on the outskirts of the Rio Grande Valley creates the most reliable summer food plot conditions in South Texas. 50% of the ranch is managed very extensively for quail habitat and offers world class wing shooting. Discing, water development, brush management, and feeding have created often heavy concentrations of dove, whitewing, geese and quail.

Price: $2,325 per acre or $20,500,000 DIVIDING THE RANCH: The owner will consider dividing the ranch into three tracts consisting of the following prices & sizes: 3,978 acres at $2,925 per acre. This tract is mostly heavy native brush and individually high game fenced. This tract contains the main headquarters and improvements on the ranch. 4,133 acres at $1,870 per acre. This tract is individually high game fenced and has been managed for premium quail habitat as well as trophy deer management. This tract has a separate headquarters with several nice ranch homes and bird dog facilities. 712 acres. this tract has 425 acres which is high game fenced consisting of heavy native brush and 287 acres low fenced quail country. For more extensive information on details of each individual tract, please contact Meek Ranch Sales.

Comments: A premium hunting ranch in deep South Texas. This ranch is loaded with the finest improvements to be found on today’s market. Improvements include two sets of headquarters, deer breeding facilities, high game fencing, food plots, and 11 water wells, just to name a few. 50% of the ranch is covered in big heavy brush and 50% of the ranch has been improved for world class quail habitat. The property is a proven producer of 200 class whitetail. Located approximately 35 miles South of Hebbronville, TX. The property can be divided into three tracts consisting of 3,978 acres, 4,133 acres, and 712 acres.

NOTE: Acreage and square footage may be approximated. All information is supplied from sources deemed reliable, but is not in any way warranted by Meek Ranch Sales. Properties are subject to prior sale, change in price or removal from the market at any time without notice.