As a certified wildlife biologist representing ranch buyers, particularly those wanting to hunt Bobwhite quail, I am often tasked with finding something in the “sand sheet”.  What is the sand sheet and why does it have the reputation of being the very best quail country in Texas, or the world for that matter?   The South Texas sand sheet is well defined and mapped.  From the air, it is easily identified due to the openness of the brush which is dictated by the extremely sandy soils.  Using the USDA Web Soil Survey, you can see that true sand sheet soil runs 90% or better s ..read more

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As a young boy I loved the outdoors and was blessed with “woods” just outside the back door. Perhaps a thousand acres of floodplain, the land could not be developed and thus was an island in the midst of San Antonio growth to the north. I walked every acre, fought off Indians and bad guys, learned how to stalk live game, and had a ball. I noticed the development when it skipped over my refuge and realized that wilderness near an urban area is a rarity, a precious thing worth preserving. That realization led me to believe at age 11 I wanted to have a life in the outdoors, helping others find th ..read more

BluebonnetsCrotonSpanish daggerMesquiteMesquite and CrotonBluebonnet Almost 70 years (in July) and I am still amazed by the resiliency of South Texas flora. As you can see below, Texas, and Medina Co. just west of San Antonio, where the Rockpile Ranch is located, is in a severe drought. Bluebonnets came up in profusion, but about half flowered weakly then went to seed while the other half made it to the one-inch rain we’ve had this past few days. But blessed as one inch is, it won’t get us thru the Summer and we need some serious rain. Wildlife adapts to drought, (what choice is there?) and w ..read more

Ranch brokers in Texas are required to use contracts formulated by the Texas Real Estate Commission. The Farm and Ranch contract runs to 11 pages and with addendums and exhibits, can grow to 20 pages. Even at that, not every aspect of the land is addressed leaving a lot of questions. And, while calling in a real estate attorney is always a great idea, you’re usually well into negotiations before the attorneys get involved. That is why ranch buyers should always have their own broker, their own representative to guide them thru the myriad points of the contract and catch “deal-breakers” before ..read more

Research just out from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M by Dr. Charles Gilliland indicates that the recent buying frenzy is dying down and ranch buyers are becoming more selective. https://mailchi.mp/mays/reporttexas-rural-land-buying-frenzy-wanes What is the take away from this? It means buyers once again have the luxury to be more selective, taking their time to decide while researching their potential purchases. It also means buyers should employ their own broker so they can study a comparative selection of available ranches rather than just the one or two the listing broker has to ..read more

My family had access to land in Medina Co. when I was young and I can remember loading up and going to the ranch quite often.  Most visits were during hunting season as we depended on wild game to feed our large family.  As soon as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner was done, we would load up all the leftovers and head to the ranch to hunt.  Sometimes my Mom, a good shot in her own right, would go along, but I think she stayed home just for the peace and quiet. Starting out as a “bird boy”, I would shag downed dove and pick up spent casings and had a ball.  Ammo was expensive ..read more

As a ranch buyer’s rep, I am frequently asked when the ranch market will soften or even crash with all the uncertainty in the world today. The answer is, “not yet”, and if 2008 is any indication, it won’t soften or crash. Long gone are the “mom and pop” ranches where the family had to make a ranch pay the mortgage. In 35 years helping to broker ranch sales, and with dozens of closings, I have only dealt with three buyers looking specifically for land to be used for grazing. All others wanted ranches for recreation, hunting, or a place to simply relax; and the ranch was always part of their ov ..read more

Driving on a back road yesterday, I noticed a glaring example of poor grazing management. One side with thick carry over forage from last year, one side bare dirt. I know we are in a drought, I know some managers are hurting financially, but overgrazing is never the answer. Admittedly, the one on the left may be deferred from grazing, perhaps in a wildlife-only program, but there is no excuse for the tract on the right. Grazing to bare soil, particularly in a clay soil, will result in “hard-panning”, where the soil gets a crust. Rain, when it does come, cannot penetrate initially, and a br ..read more

I moved my “rental cows” to my best pasture today, a plot of good carry-over grass from last year. While I was saving the pasture for later, agricultural termites have moved in and are quickly spreading. Nothing but a good rain will subdue them, so the cows need to graze what little grass is left. Almost time to call the cattle trucks. The post Drought, Heat, and now, Termites! appeared first on Jim Mullen, South Texas Ranch Broker, Certified Wildlife Biologist ..read more