5,634 Acres in Crystal City, TX - $16,056,900

The Southwest Star Ranch is an impressive, high-fenced, turn-key, south Texas hunting and cattle ranch, principally recognized for producing outstanding quality, trophy whitetail bucks. Located in the famed Golden Triangle, large ranches, such as this 5,634-acre ranch, are becoming scarcer to find in south Texas, especially close to San Antonio. This ranch was designed to offer the very best when it comes to hunting, recreation, and livestock production. The property has been remarkably well managed, having added countless improvements throughout the years to enhance the habitat, thus enriching the quantity and quality of the wildlife. Superb water distribution and cross-fencing has enabled livestock to be systematically rotated, further benefiting and providing a compatible wildlife-livestock relationship. With its impressive history, comfortable lodging, high-quality wildlife, livestock potential and well-designed habitat improvements, this large South Texas property is an opportunity to own a unique ranch of exceptional quality.

This ranch is also located in an Opportunity Zone. Created in 2017, the Opportunity Zone is an economic development tool that allows people to invest in distressed areas to spur economic growth and job creation in low-income communities while providing tax benefits to investors. Perspective buyers should contact their accountant or a tax lawyer to learn more about the possibilities.

AMENITIES:

The main house is an approximately 2400+/- sq. ft. manufactured home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; nicely outfitted with a large full-length front porch, fenced yard, and shaded mesquite trees. Adjacent to the main house are two manufactured mobile homes recently converted into guests or hunters quarters with covered common area between. Further ranch improvements include an 1800 sq. ft. workshop with an attached five bay vehicle barn, game cleaning area with walk-in cooler. A 4,000 +/- ft. runway which can be reworked to provide easy access to the ranch. A 50 X 60 covered pole barn is located near one of the irrigation wells.

A second 10-acre fenced compound consists of a former Enron processing station with two metal buildings including a 5000 sq. ft. building with 24+ ft. ceiling. These facilities can be converted into lodging, barns, or other desirable purposes.

There is a 1000-yard shooting range for people that enjoy long range shooting.

This exceptional, turn-key operation includes 19 deer blinds (15-4X 6 & 4-4X 5), 27 fenced in Protein feeders, 19 corn feeders, and a 12-ton overhead feed bin. The owner will also convey numerous pieces of equipment including a feed wagon, top drive pickup, and other items to be determined.

WATER:

Southwest Star is well watered with 2 irrigation wells (750 gpm) with portable diesel generator, one domestic well, 6-7 stock tanks, and 17 water troughs evenly distributed throughout the ranch with an additional 8 troughs not currently operational. There are approximately 14 miles of underground water lines traversing the property. Four of the stock tanks can be filled via water pipeline.

WILDLIFE:

The Southwest Star Ranch is located within the famed Golden Triangle of the south Texas brush country, renowned for its quality white-tailed deer. The whitetail deer on this ranch have been actively and intensely managed for almost twenty years and currently under TPWDs Managed Land Deer Program. The genetics were enhanced over a four-year period with deer TTTd from the famous Chaparrosa Ranch, also known for its superior white-tailed deer. Additionally, there are two DMP pens which were used for 4-5 years to conduct selective breeding through improved genetics. The intense deer management of genetic improvement through TTT, selective breeding utilizing their DMP pens, selective annual harvest, maintaining adequate age structure and doe per buck ratios, coupled with excellent high protein brush has created some of the best trophy hunting in the state. As a supplement to the excellent browse available, protein pellets are distributed through 27 protein feeders and 6 whole cottonseed stations distributed throughout the ranch. Proper habitat management has also provided outstanding populations of bobwhite quail, scaled quail, mourning dove, hogs, coyotes, bobcats, and many resident and migrating non-game species. Besides the excellent hunting available, four of the tanks provide fishing opportunities.

HABITAT:

The Southwest Star Ranch boasts some of the greatest diversity of high protein brush (20+ species documented) available providing all the essential nutrients to grow large racked, trophy whitetail bucks. Examples of this brush diversity include mesquite, black brush, guajillo, guayacan, granjeno, twisted acacia, brazil, persimmon, little leaf sumac, cenizo, condalia (sp.), prickly pear and many more. The topography of the ranch is relatively flat with soils ranging from Bookout and Montell clay to sandy clay loam which increases diversity of brush, forbs, and grasses. The clay soils provide excellent water retention, especially for stock tanks or ponds.

Brush management on the ranch has been an integral aspect of improving the wildlife habitat and grazing potential on the ranch. Selective clearing, food plots, and brush sculpting in strips and mosaic patterns provide greater edge effect, allowing for increased forb and grass production which has enriched the deer herd and all the native wildlife on the ranch. These brush strips and clearings provide prime quail habitat and optimal quail hunting locations. Shredding and aerating help maintain these areas.

There are 9 food plots, 3 are high-fenced and two can be irrigated. One of the food plots was used as a Deer Management Pen (DMP).

The ranch has excellent cross-fencing enabling rotational grazing and two sets of working pens. The primary set of livestock working pens is strategically located in the center of the ranch. The current livestock stocking rate is very low at around 100 animals (560 A/U). The current landowner realizes that maintaining an appropriate livestock stocking rate benefits wildlife. There are countless miles of wide roads, senderos, and clearings for traveling and hunting.

MINERALS:

None. Surface only.

Brush is extremely valuable to wildlife in south Texas, and the Southwest Star Ranch possesses the majority of woody plant species found in the region.

Rick Taylor, author: Common Woody Plants & Cacti of South Texas