Horse Creek Ranch
Horse Creek Ranch offers perhaps the optimum 1.4 miles of river frontage available in Texas. It features a concrete ramp that easily ushers you and your boat straight into O.H. Ivie Lake, recently named the best fishing lake in America by Bassmaster Magazine and this Concho River branch offers the best of the best fishing.
Horse Creek is a major tributary that runs through the middle of the 2,000 acre ranch with several clear deep holes that hold water except during extreme dry spells. It provides preferred water for wildlife most of the year and attracts a large duck population each autumn.
When the lake is full, the ranch features several miles of lake front with multiple coves and inlets. At present, the lake is less than half full, yet Horse Creek Ranch still offers prime angling not just for monster bass but also catfish that arrive via the rivers. The annual sp...
When the lake is full, the ranch features several miles of lake front with multiple coves and inlets. At present, the lake is less than half full, yet Horse Creek Ranch still offers prime angling not just for monster bass but also catfish that arrive via the rivers. The annual spring crappie spawn centers around the ranch's frontage as well.
Water is abundant year-round with five water wells, each at about 150 feet that test at 20 to 40 GPM. Water quality is good and potable straight from wells, but living quarters are well served by a simple kitchen filtration unit. An extensive network of water lines from three tall reservoirs provides water to concrete drinking stations. Spinner feeders, protein feeders and high stands are situated throughout the ranch. There has been no livestock on the ranch since May 2022.
Fencing is good with high game-proof fencing around three sides. The northern boundary is the Concho River/O.H. Ivie Lake. Interior fencing is good with old fence rows left in place to provide shelter for a substantial quail population.
This part of North Central Texas is known to have a good bobwhite quail population, and Horse Creek Ranch is no exception with a strong 2024 hatch as quick rive now often leads to a view of bobs still in many sizes. It is not uncommon to disturb six to eight large coveys during an evening drive about the property. The present owners have not hunted these native birds.
There are plenty of turkeys on the ranch year-round, and dove hunting can be phenomenally good, depending on what local farmers plant each year. When milo is predominant, shooting is as good as it gets.
Whitetail deer have been a focus of Horse Creek Ranch. Genetics are 100% native to the area with no outside breeding introduced. Present owners practice strict management and selective harvest. 160 class bucks are sighted regularly, and a 170 class buck was taken in 2023.
The ranch is perfectly suited for whitetails since dominant plant growth is made up of preferred woody brush and weeds. In a good year, it is not necessary to provide supplementary protein to get good antler growth. Dense stands of juniper provide more than adequate cover.
A comfortable old ranch house serves as lodging for hunters or an overflow of kinfolk. There is a new metal barn with overhead doors. The ranch has remarkable elevation changes for this part of Texas with several outstanding building locations and panoramic views that are out of this world.
It is a classy place surrounded by classy neighbors. The mineral position is a rare and excellent one with the ranch owner possessing approximately half of royalties and, perhaps, more importantly, all executive rights providing control over any attempts to drill.
Please note this mineral rights information represents the present owners understanding and should be verified by a professional.