Texas Landowner Magazine - Special Edition Winter Issue by Texas Landowners Association

SPECIAL EDITION | COLLECTOR’S ISSUE | WINTER 2015

Texas

Landowner

Official Publication of the Texas Landowners Association

Magazine

A NEW ERA AWAITS A T T H E W.T. WAGGONER RANCH WHO WILL BE THE NEXT

KING

TEXAS

RANCHING landassociation.org

PLUS: -WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LEASING -TEXAS BIRDING -DR. DEER EXPLAINS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

&MORE 1

landassociation.org

FERTILITY • PROFITABILITY • LONGEVITY INCREASED WEANING & YEARLING WEIGHTS TENDERNESS • CARCASS QUALITY MATERNAL EXCELLENCE • CALVING EASE ADAPTABILITY • FEED & FORAGE EFFICIENT

www.GoBrangus.com • 210.696.8231 landassociation.org

President From the Desk of the

It is my pleasure to introduce to you the Texas Landowner Magazine, the official publication of the Texas Landowners Association.

Ashley Morrow VP of Operations amorrow@landassociation.org

Hello Landowners, Happy New Year! Since debuting only 1 year ago, we’ve enjoyed tremendous growth. Our m embers own more than 1,000,000 acres in Texas and have interests varying Michael Morrow from livestock production, commercial mmorrow@landassociation.org hunting, eco-tourism, and pure financial investment.We’ve also had the opportunity to partner with some amazing sponsors who are equally dedicated to assisting landowners like yourself. Thanks to them we are able to c ontinue providing you the resources you need to manage your property. We are excited to launch our very own Landowner products and apparel with discount prices for our members. TLA is also excited to announce our very first Landowner Gala to help give back to Texas Charties. Although we are happy about our growth, we are more proud of the ways we’ve been able to assist some of our members. We’ve helped answer questions about pipeline easements, mineral leases, wildlife management, tax valuations, plant ID, and pasture production. We’ve also assisted landowners by introducing them to nearby landowners with similar interests, in many cases help from neighbors can be the best help around. As a member, please take advantage of your perks by calling or emailing us with your questions. Our panel of experts is capable of helping or providing you with information about almost any situation a landowner might encounter. Also feel free to continue providing us feedback about our organization. Your feedback helps us develop our organization around your needs. We look forward to another great year and hope you enjoy being a member of The Leading Landowner Organization In Texas!

Sara Noll Director of Marketing saranoll@landassociation.org

Michelle Rhoten Retail Services mrhoten@landassociation.org

Ryan TeBeest Managing Partner rtebeest@landassociation.org

Dana Rhoten Distribution Manager danarhoten@landassociation.org

Have a Blessed Year!

Michael Morrow President

Ashley Gibson

Social Media Admin.

landassociation.org

Lindsey Rashall

Member Service

agibson@landassociation.org memberservices@landassociation.org

P.22 C OV E R ST O RY 8.........A Way to Protect Your Land

By Susan Stutts

10......Winter: Your Pond’s Ally?

by Bob Lusk, “Pond Boss”

16......Consider the Bees

by Mark Dykes

20......Managing Wildlife with a

Game Camera

by Mark Tyson & Kristen Tyson

30......Conservation Efforts

by Melissa Blair

33......Ranch Improvements: Feral

Hog Control by Brad Beach

37......TLA Winter Recipe Gude 41......Profitable, Predictable &

Productive: Santa Gertrudis by John Ford

44......Strategic Tree Planting

by Emily Courtney

50......You Need A Plan

by Dr. James C. Kroll “Dr. Deer”

54......Voice for Texas

by Sara Noll

58......Cool Season Legumes to

Enhance Pastures in Texas By Jamie L. Foster

60......Property Highlight: Cross

Canyon Whitetails

by Texas Landowners Association

64......Diversify Land Production

with an Outdoor Lease by Craig Bown

66......Rangeland Management

Practices you can do this Winter

by Dr. Megan Clayton

70......Dietary Competition among Nilgai Cattle & Deer: What can we learn from Atoms? Special

Contribution

72......Project Preview: 30 Acre

Lake by Conservation Inc. By Ryan TeBeest

76......Texas Brewery: Saint Ar

nold Brewing Company

By Texas Landowners Association

78......TLA Store Preview 82......Celebrating 75 Years of Bering’s By Julie Shuford 88......#TXTuesday 90......Product Highlight: The Firminator by Adrian Chapman 92......Texas Treasure: The Texas

Bird Trails

by Texas Landowners Association

96......Little Hunters Photo Contest landassociation.org

In This Issue

A NEW REIGN AT THE WAGGONER RANCH

Quarter Feature Stories

landassociation.org

Did You Know? P hoto prov ided by Te x a s Forest r y Ass oci at i on

FO R E S T RY B E S T MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

A Way to Protect Your Land

t is documented that well managed forests provide us with clean water. They also absorb rainfall, refill aquifers, slow and filter stormwater runoff, reduce floods, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Forestry operations, if done improperly, can negatively impact these benefits. Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) were developed to prevent these impacts from occurring. Forestry BMPs are a set of guidelines that involve the application of conservation practices and prevent or minimize the amount of nonpoint source pollution (NPS) generated during forestry operations. They help protect your soil and water, two key elements necessary for growing a healthy, sustainable and productive forest. BMPs can include such measures as leaving a buffer zone of trees next to a stream, installing a culvert to cross a stream, or establishing grass on forest roads to prevent erosion. The Texas Forest Service, with cooperation from the forestry community, monitors the implementation of these guidelines by evaluating randomly selected forestry operations. Compliance with the non-regulatory BMPs has steadily risen to 94.1 percent, according to a 2011 survey by the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Computer models have estimated that over the past 15 years, BMPs have prevented more than 100,000 Provided By: Susan Stutts, tons of soil per year from eroding off east Texas Assistant Director, forests—enough to cover a football field, end zone Texas Forestry Association to end zone, 35 feet deep. These practices also kept more than 12,000 tons of soil per year out of lakes and reservoirs. landassociation.org

What can I do to protect my property? Leave a 50 foot strip of trees along streams after harvesting your timber, this will help prevent sediment from entering streams and also provide wildlife habitat. Install appropriate water control structures

In Texas, if we demonstrate voluntarily that we can maintain or improve our water quality while harvesting or during site prep operations, we may avoid the pain of mandatory restrictions. The Texas Forestry Association strongly urges you to use BMPs on your operations to protect water quality. With your help, we can continue our water-quality improvements and ensure the sustainability of our forests for all Texans to enjoy.

on each side of roads to allow water to drain quickly. Also stabilize and retire roads no longer in use.

For more information, contact Texas Avoid crossing streams when possible. If this is not Forestry Association possible, cross streams at straight sections and at right at (936) 632-8733 angles. Remove all temporary crossings and debris from or online at www. channel and stabilize stream banks. Make sure the ground is stable enough for heavy equipment so rutting does not occur.

texasforestry. org.

Conduct operations along the contour of the land. Read and follow manufacturers’ labels before applying silvicultural chemicals.

FOR ORDERING INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jamie Driskell (903) 681-4263

Properly dispose of all oil and trash associated with the operation.

jamie.driskell@malakoffisd.org

When harvesting your timber, use a professional forester and choose a logger that has been trained in BMPs. Try to become familiar with BMPs and include them in your timber sales contract.

Danny Driskell (966) 546-4930

dannyray05@hotmail.com

100% Natural

Dusty Driskell (936) 465-0781

mdriskell@txfb-ins.com

landassociation.org

By: Bob Lusk, Pond Boss

WINTER:

YOUR POND’S ALLY?

uring the holiday season, the last thing people tend to think about is their favorite pond. After all, it’s winter…a time for things outside to be at rest. Your pond doesn’t “rest”…well… okay, I’ll concede that some things do rest. Aquatic plants, for the most part, are dormant. That doesn’t mean they aren’t alive… it means they are squelched. With colder water, most plankton is gone. Fish, cold-blooded creatures, don’t move much. At the same time, some miraculous things are going on. Water’s affinity for oxygen rises as the temperature drops. That means your water can hold a lot more oxygen during these cold months. Remember this…most oxygen in water comes from contact with the atmosphere and from photosynthesis of living plants under water. Decaying organic matter uses oxygen, although at a much

slower pace than during warmer months. Creatures with gills use oxygen, too.

Where are we going with this, you might be asking?

Without ice cover, which our northern friends have, oxygen is easily replenished. But, when ice forms and is covered with snow, all contact with the air stops. So does photosynthesis. In older ponds, especially those enriched with heavy sediment and nutrient load from surrounding fields, oxygen consumption often exceeds input from natural sources. Then, we have this phenomenon called winter kill.

landassociation.org

Fish can suffocate under the ice. In Texas, we don’t typically deal with winter kill, with maybe an exceptional winter in the panhandle of the state. So, how can you use the frigid effects of winter in your pond’s favor? Over the last decade and a half, pond aeration has been a trend. With vertical movement of water via different types of machines, mankind can increase water’s ability to process its organic matter load and assist in providing oxygen, too, through greater contact with the atmosphere. Bottom diffusers are quite popular, using high volumes of air pushed to the pond bottom, followed by what looks like a bubble plume similar to Alka-Seltzer to sooth your pond’s upset stomach.

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There are circulators, fountains and pumps…all designed to move water to assist its cleansing. When aeration systems are operating during spring, summer and fall, your water has the best opportunity to cleanse itself, preparing for winter’s rest. Turn off those aeration systems in early winter, or run the risk of cooling your water much more than it would naturally. Here’s the skinny on that concept: water is most dense at 39 degrees, F. That means water is heaviest at that temperature. It sinks, especially during winter months. It’s normal for your water to be in the low 40’s on pond’s bottom, even though you may or may not see a crust of ice form during the coldest of spells. With your aeration system operating all winter, you can bet your water temperature will be autonomous from top to bottom. That means your fish can realistically be exposed to water temperatures near freezing during the coldest times. That’s not good for your fish. Since fish are cold-blooded, they are at the mercy of water temperature. Most warm water fish don’t do well in water temperatures in the lower 30’s. They can handle 40 degrees quite well, but not those cooler waters.

So, your pond benefits from aeration during the warmest months, to set the stage for winter. With clean water and maximum oxygen, fish have less stress as they make it through the winter months. They can develop eggs, keep metabolism lower and eat from time to time to maintain their weight. One important way your pond can benefit is that frigid temperatures can knock back or wipe out some species of unwanted plants. One common recommendation is winter drawdown. If peripheral plants have become too thick during summer and fall months, drop the pond two or three feet and let nature freeze the roots. If you’re in a region prone to drought, cancel that last recommendation. Years ago, I’d make the recommendation to drawn down a pond to eliminate plants, and then be called to task landassociation.org

from the landowner when it didn’t rain to fill his pond the following spring. Be picky about this recommendation. Also, it helps to know your plants. Drawdown works for some plants and doesn’t for others. For example, coontail, a submerged plant that has no roots and moves with currents, isn’t affected by severe cold. Cattails, left high and dry, can be curtailed…except for the fact they drop seeds on the ground. What about the fishery in winter? Actually, fisheries biologists often recommend habitat improvement during winter months. We’ve added lots of artificial structure, brush and trees to ponds during the winter months. How about your equipment? Winter time is an excellent time to do all the maintenance you need. Pull the battery from feeders, maintain aeration systems according to the manufacturer, repair the dock, and put those rivets back in your aluminum boat.

While there are some things you can do to use winter as your pond’s friend, there are also things to avoid. Don’t stock fish during winter, unless you work with a professional who knows their way around the business. If you catch a giant bluegill in a neighbor’s pond, don’t expect that fish to survive a trip to your pond for stocking during cold weather. Avoid handling fish in cold weather. It’s often fatal to the fish, especially if you compromise the slime coat of the little beast. That doesn’t mean you can’t go fishing. You certainly can. Just be sure to use wet hands when handling your fish and release them quickly after catching. Also, if you have a selective harvest program going, use winter to remove some of those non-performing fish. In a bass lake, winter is an easy time to tell the difference between male largemouth bass and the females. Most folks choose to

harvest male bass, simply because they don’t grow nearly as large as the girls. Winter can be a good time for thoughtful selective harvest. Just because we’re wrapped in the throes of family, frigid weather and celebrating the holidays, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to our ponds. Winter can be an ally. Bob Lusk, the “Pond Boss” is in his

35th year as a private fisheries biologist, traveling the nation designing, building, stocking, and managing premier fishing lakes. He’s both the Editor of Pond Boss magazine as well as an established author in his field. His latest book “Perfect Pond, Want One?” provides great detail about designing an ideal underwater habitat by building the best pond possible. He can be reached through e-mail at bob@pondboss.com or by calling the Pond Boss office at

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about OUR PARTNERS The Texas Landowners Association is leading the way to be the primary support group for Landowners. We’re dedicated to providing the resources and education that help Landowners accomplish their personal goals for their property. We’re creating a movement towards educating and connecting Texas Landowners. Our Partnership Program exists for businesses who want to be a part of that movement—it is for service providers, farm and ranch realtors, brokers and lenders, product manufacturers and so much more. These businesses proudly support all generations of property owners and landowner operations throughout The Lone Star State.

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ourPARTNERS REALTOR PARTNERS CHERYL DRISKELL

SILVER PARTNERS

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CONSIDER

THE BEES

tion that has been passed down for generations. In addition to pollinating our fruits, veggies, and nuts, these industrious workers also provide us with honey.

By: Mark Dykes, Chief Apiary Inspector, Texas A&M AgriLife Research

Unfortunately, in recent years, honey bees have faced unprecedented declines. The exact cause of these declines is still being investigated, but nutrition is believed to be one of the causes. Like other livestock, good forage is a key to good nutrition, and thus, improved health.

oney bees are an imporant part of agriculture here in Texas and worldwide, about 1/3 of the food we enjoy is pollinated by honey bees. Honey bees are an agricultural tradi-

People often ask what they can do to help support these prolific pollinators and the simple answer is to provide forage for them. With urban encroachment, especially in east Texas, land for honey bees is becoming much harder to find. More importantly, land

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with good pollen and nectar sources (aka. flowers) is giving way to development. For this reason, the landowners of Texas are in a good position to help support the bee keeping industry. Planting native flowers will provide good forage for honey bees. Seed companies such as the Texas-based Native American Seed (www.seedsource.com) have seed mixes specifically designed for bees. Native wildflower mixes are especially good for forage because the flowers will come back year after year once established. In addition to providing forage, landowners can also provide land for commercial beekeepers to place their bee hives. Generally speaking, beekeepers need areas to set their bee hives when they are not pollinating crops. These

“ Providing land for H ONEY BEE S

CAN BENEFIT L A N D O W N E R S F I N A N C I A L L Y. . .

”

“resting” periods are very important to the bees’ health, and the better the forage the quicker the bees can recover. Areas away from holding pens and houses but near water sources are best. For landowners interested in allowing beekeepers to place beehives on their property, contact the Texas Beekeepers Association (texaskeepers.org). This state association works with, and is comprised of, Texas beekeepers. Also on their site is a honey locator to help you find honey produced in your area. Providing land for honey bees can also benefit landowners financially. Land can receive an agricultural designation if used for beekeeping. This applies to parcels between 5 and 20

acres. For more information, contact your county tax appraiser’s office. Lastly, supporting research efforts that seek to find answers to honey bee declines is another great way to help the honey bees. Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab (honeybeelab.tamu.edu) under the leadership of Dr. Juliana Rangel, is one such institution based in Texas that is conducting cutting edge honey bee research. Another group that helps Texas beekeepers is the Bee Informed Partnership (beeinformed. org). In 2015, this non-profit group will begin operating Tech Transfer Teams—similar to crop consultants— that are aimed at helping beekeepers reduce bee mortality.

For more information on beekeeping and what you, as a landowner, can do please contact the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS. tamu.edu). This state agency is responsible for regulating the commercial beekeeping industry in Texas. The inspection services’ duties include inspecting commercial bee hives for diseases and issuing interstate permits. In addition to the regulatory duties, the agency also provides educational opportunities to beekeepers and the general public. These opportunities include giving talks on honey bee pests and diseases, and providing a link between the industry and the research sector. The inspection service’s website is a good resource for beekeepers and the general public on beekeeping topics.

As a Texas landowner, why not consider helping these hard workers? Who knows, you may just want to become a beekeeper yourself. landassociation.org

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Seasonal Wildlife Management MANAGING WILDLIFE WITH A

GAME CAMERA

ith each new generation, society has steadily adapted to a more technologically-driven life. Whether we speak to a GPS device for directions, talk through our radios to have a mobile phone conversation, or use phones to take pictures and videos, we are a digitalized nation. It doesn’t take long for you to look around and note all of the products available that make life, invariably easier on us. This attitude can be distinguished in the wildlife management world as well. Trail cameras have replaced the scouting ventures of our great-grandfathers and enabled us to “see” the woods from the comfort of home computers versus hours spent observing in the outdoors. There are two basic options offered by trail cameras that are highly useful to wildlife managers: a motion-activated option and a time-lapse option. The motion-activated trail camera takes a picture or video when something triggers the sensors, while the time lapse option takes an image at one to five second intervals and links them together to form a video of events that occurred throughout a specific time period.

BY: MARK TYSON, M.S. & KRISTEN TYSON, M.A.

movements of deer inhabiting the property. With this basic information, land managers can make informed harvest management decisions such as selectively harvesting mature bucks or does.

So how can you benefit from trail cameras? The use of trail cameras as a wildlife observation aid is mostly known around hunting circles. However, trail cam1 YEAR WARRANTY | DEALERS WELCOME eras can be used for so much more. Those interested in wildLOW AMP DRAW | WATERPROOF/DUSTPROOF life management can use trail cameras to both monitor and collect data on a wide range of wildlife species.

WHITETAIL DEER Trail cameras can be a great tool for those interested in managing whitetail deer on their property. The potential to which the cameras can be utilized depends primarily on the goals of the land manger. At the most basic level, cameras can capture photos and footage of deer in the area. These photos can be used to gain a general idea of the diversity and landassociation.org

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At a more advanced level, trail cameras can be a versatile, lowcost option for estimating population parameters such as deer density, age structure, buck-to-doe ratios and fawn production. The use of trail cameras for deer surveys became popularized when Jacobson et al. (1997) demonstrated that the technique could reliably and accurately estimate adult buck numbers. Over time, the technique has been further developed and several protocols currently exist. The use of bait is a primary component incorporated into many of these protocols, yet some concern exists that individual deer may not use bait equally. Recent research suggests that placing cameras on well used trails may provide a practical alternative to using baited camera locations (McCoy et al. 2011).

UPLAND GAMEBIRDS While using trail cameras for deer densities is beneficial, other wildlife can also profit from

these photo ops as well. The Texas Quail Index (TQI), designed to help landowners monitor their quail populations, suggests setting up trail cameras for several of their land manager activities. Roads and trails are commonly frequented by a variety of wildlife species including upland gamebirds. Cameras can also be beneficial in documenting “dummy nest” (simulated quail or turkey nests) predators who could potentially depredate a real nest. Both of these uses serve as an awareness mechanism for landowners to not only visually observe upland gamebird prevalence, but also possible predators of quail and turkey on their property. Predator management decisions could then be formulated based on camera survey results. Strategically placed cameras can also be used to monitor habitat utilization and age structure of upland gamebirds. Areas such as known loafing or roosting sites, watering holes or feeders are a great place to begin monitoring efforts. Who knows, you might even capture a video of a male turkey strutting his stuff for the ladies.

FERAL HOGS Often the damage left behind serves as a viable indicator of the presence of feral hogs on a property. Feral hogs typically focus their daytime movements during the early morning and late evening, with the bulk of their activity taking place through the night. This can make in-person observations difficult and highly random. Trail cameras can be extremely useful in monitoring feral hog activities and also play a vital role in population reduction efforts. Cameras placed in a baited site provide insight into the number and body size of the responding feral hogs. With this information, land managers can make an informed decision on which legal population reduction landassociation.org

technique is best suited for the hogs observed. Research suggests that trapping is an effectual technique; corral traps, in particular, have been found to be four times more effective than standard 4ft by 8ft box traps (Williams et al. 2011). Techniques such as strategic shooting, snaring and the use of trained dogs should be utilized when necessary to supplement trapping efforts. A holistic plan should be developed prior to implementing population reduction strategies, as to prevent one technique from interfering with others. For more information on feral hogs and their management visit our website http://feralhogs.tamu. edu. These examples highlight just a few of the ways that trail cameras can be used in wildlife management. For a more extensive review on the subject, refer to Potential Uses for Trail Cameras in Wildlife Management which is available from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore. Land managers can think of trail cameras as an extra set of eyes on the landscape that works for no wage, never calls in sick and always tells the truth. While trail cameras are not the cure all for wildlife management concerns, they do provide invaluable data that previously could only be obtained personal observation in the wild. Ultimately, you decide if the effort is worth the reward.

For more information on the use of Trail Cameras and their use for estimating populations feel free to contact the Texas Landowners Association.

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AT THE w. t .

New Era waggoner RANCH

Awaits

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the date is

August 8 2014, AND NEARBY VERNON, TEXAS, the massive half million acre, almost 800 square mile W.T. Waggoner Ranch is winding down from another work week of activity. That morning had been a bustling one for the ranch’s patrons, both animals and humans alike, thanks to milder-than-average summer temperatures. The current tone now felt throughout the estate was one of midday leisure. On one corner of the property, a cut of the ranch’s legendary Hereford cattle herd can be seen dozing under the shade of close by mesquite trees. In the background, the sight and sound of the ever constant squeak and dip of oil jacks pumping liquid gold harmonize all other ranch sounds 24-7-365 from stirring breeze to the chirp of crickets, bellows of cows, and the first whinny of a newborn foal. It’s a daily routine synchronized to perfection after decades of repetition. Nearby, sunlight dances over a canopy of cedar where red rock cliffs tower over the scene like a hushed amphitheater staging a symphony of raw Texas beauty. Within the estate, the quiet

hours pass in typical fashion, a typical end to a typical week... but, for the world beyond the iconic front gates, the case quickly became the polar opposite.

tate made it onto the Google U.S.’s Top 100 Trending Topics. The origin of the uproar: a report by the Associated Press that declared the 510,000-acre iconic ranch was listed for sale following a judge’s decision to liquidate the estate, and the shareholders’ joint and monumental agreement on who would represent them to do just that. The liquidation would mark both the ending of what was an alluring and powerful Texas dynasty, as well as the dawning of a new era.

In the outside world, news outlets began to chatter and the headlines started buzzing: “Last of the True West Up for Sale…” “A Ranch That Defines Cowboy Culture…” “Amongst U.S.’ Largest...” Within minutes, the breaking news spurred national media powerhouses like CBS News, The Washington Times and New York’s Wall Street Journal to join the frenzy, racing to meet both view- The sound of the Judge’s gavel er’s and reader’s growing demand on Wednesday afternoon, Aufor more information. gust 6th, 2014, echoed across the room. It was the sound of certainAt the 5 o’clock news hour, the ty and long-awaited finality that W.T. Waggoner Ranch had be- in a matter of minutes would recome the noise of the nation and verberate throughout the Vernon was going viral. ranch headquarters a block away and across the massive ranch itBy the beginning of the second self and beyond. After all, nothing week in August, nearly eight de- remains a secret long in the small cades after the cattle baron’s death, town of Vernon. W.T. “Tom” Waggoner and his eslandassociation.org

Within 24 to 48 hours word would spread like wildfire across Texas, the Nation, and around the World. One of the two most famous ranches in the world, the W.T. Waggoner Ranch was—for the first time ever in its 165 year history— officially on the market once and for all.

sociate of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s in Dallas, is an international real estate advisor. Raised on a cattle plantation in Papua New Guinea, Uechtritz has spent 25 years in the USA at the upper echelon of real estate sales. He has a reputation for successfully selling complicated, improbable and even impossible deals across the real estate spectrum from luxury mansions and With the tap of his gavel and the stroke developments to large rural ranches. of his pen, Judge Dan Mike Bird confirmed the court order appointing Ber- Together, these two experts have dinard Uechtritz and Sam Middleton to vided their workload with Uechtritz market and sell the ranch. As the court largely behind the international reach, room attendees began to rise and clear strategic marketing and advertising the room one last time, Uechtritz and and due diligence aspects, while MidMiddleton solemnly affixed their own dleton works the showings, title work signatures to the court order. Then, it and mapping. Together they meet buyers, negotiate offers, and screen wouldwas over, just like that. be prospects, to sort the dreamers from For almost two decades prior, as heirs, the doers, and each report to the court directors, shareholders, and court ap- appointed receiver, Mike Baskerville. pointed receivers battled to extract the In turn, Baskerville is empowered by ranch from a morass of legal wranglings, the court to accept the first non-conrumor and innuendo of its status, the tingent offer with the right price and ranch had entered into a time warp of seek the court’s final confirmation for uncertainty regarding its future and its the close of the sale, and he is anxious to do so. progress had remained stifled. Over time, endless rumors of offers being made and accepted were rampant, and were outnumbered only by the speculation of a myriad of “name buyers” and syndicates formed all swirling with the constant ebb and flow of court hearings and Supreme Court rulings. Multiple sightings of helicopters over the ranch and a litany of aircraft ID numbers seen on the tail fins of corporate jets at Wilbarger Airport were also a constant. Was it really for sale? Had it been sold? Over those same decades, the Vernon rumor mill had constantly churned out red herrings that the ranch had been bought by John Malone, Arab sheiks, Ted Turner, or Chinese billionaires.

Both Uechtritz and Middleton bring distinctly different styles with complimentary skill sets to the challenge and together they have put the cement in certainty by removing all doubt that one of the two greatest dynasties of American ranching empires will be absolutely and irrevocably be sold, and likely very soon.

After spending the last quarter of 2014 in preparing the ranch for its debut and marketing its allure worldwide, showings and tours of the ranch will begin in January 2015.

So the question becomes not if, but when? Which leads to the who, why, and potentially, the what if? What awaits the new owner(s) of the biggest opportunity in modern day ranching history is best described by looking at what is the most widely known brand in ranching today, comparing the two and evaluating the blue sky opportunity. Two of the most famous names, brands, and family dynasties in American ranching history, are the obvious and not so obvious. Namely, King and King Ranch, and Waggoner, and the Waggoner ranch. The two have been identified as comparable to one another on multiple occasions. This is calculated not by a tally of the integrated asset value as neither ranch has ever been sold. But moreover, its the value of the opportunity that exists, that the Wagonner’s value should be calculated; simply using what the King Ranch has so brilliantly achieved with a very comparable history and cornerstone of assets. Each of these icons trace their establishment to 1853 and each can be considered the two halves of the birthplace of American ranching history. Each are respectively the biggest of their kind. One has more acres; the other, more acres under one fence. Similarly, Waggoner Ranch is the lifeblood of Vernon and its local communities. Meanwhile, over 500 miles southward, the King Ranch is the cornerstone of Kingsville. One has, in recent decades, shaken off its limiting growth factors of family management which historically brings disagreement and accompanying conundrums, and has

That too, was now over. The announcement of Uechtritz and Middleton removed any remaining doubt as to the ranch’s real present day status, and what was unequivocally coming. The public eye now turned to the two brokers in question. A ranch broker from Lubbock, Texas, Middleton inherited his brokerage from his father and grandfather, all of whom have sold ranches across West Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado for three generations. Middleton is also a renowned appraiser. Uechtritz, an as-

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reinvented itself and risen to become a well-known name brand, recognized outside of ranching across multiple industries. The other has spent the same past two decades struggling to untangle itself from a quagmire of not dissimilar factors to now arrive at a comparable crossroad of opportunity. The parallels and paradoxes do not end there, and throughout history and over time, the similarities of the dynasties are both incredible and uncanny, dwarfed only by their equal opportunity. Opportunities both realized for one and not yet come to pass for the other. The ranches’ foundations, infamous and growing families, triumphs, trials and tribulations as well as the ebb and flow of fortunes made were all built around the cornerstones of cattle, horses, oil, fortitude, and farming. In fact, the rise, near fall, and rise again of the legendary King Ranch saga is best chronicled in Skip Hollingsworth’s story “When we were Kings” by Texas monthly in August 1998, which could in parts be a photocopy of the Waggoner’s own ranching challenges and family growth issues. That story is well worth a read for any rancher or eager entrepreneur interested in potentially becoming the next King in America’s ranching royalty.

turnaround and success of marketing a brand that was initially branded on to the backs of cattle and in effect, is now branded onto the sides of millions of Ford trucks, as well as into lines of luxury leather goods, along with being emblazoned on a myriad of other products and services worldwide that extend far beyond the scope of traditional ranching. What propelled this success was the innovation and transition from a family style of ranch management to a hybrid corporate style of resource management and business acumen which is diligently steered by a board of directors, along with CEO and CFO of independent executive management. In short, keeping and preserving the best most authentic elements of ranching life and heritage, yet entrepreneurially embracing, integrating, and leveraging a multitude of modern day opportunity, technology, intellectual property, and ecotourism.

“A recognition, if you will, of beyond the ranch,” says Uechtritz. “If you look at the King Ranch operation, the ranch itself is certainly the catalyst and kernel of the brands success, but not by any means the completeness of it.” The Waggoner is mirror image of opportunity, it has the same great bones and Importantly, one can also see this resources that the King Ranch startstory as a blue print and rule book ed with. The Waggoner is also only a for the potential and future of the couple of hours northwest of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, which has a W.T. Waggoner Ranch. massive opportunity, for both the ranch and the local town. Such opportunity is tied directly to the International airO P P O RT UNITY K N OC KS port, direct flights and ecotourism with Uechtritz explained the opportunity of the explosion the DFW area. Therein, the Waggoner by pointing out many the Uechtritz explains, lies the solution parallels between the two. What gave and the opportunity to the future of the rise to the King Ranch’s meteoric accel- Waggoner ranch, not unlike the King’s eration to a household name was the dynasty, the Waggoner-Wharton-Biggs

families for a variety of reasons have now taken their stewardship as far as it will go.

A new era dawns, beckons and awaits. The Waggoner is at the same crossroads of opportunity awaiting innovation today as the King Ranch was some time ago. The opportunities through acquisition of the W.T. Waggoner Ranch are seemingly endless. They range from increasing farmland from 30,000 to over 100,000 acres to increasing its cattle herd back to its prime capacity of 16,000 head and even the creation of a hunting preserve on 50,000 acres of an otherwise unused portion of the ranch neither suitable for crops or cattle. This alone will add millions to the bottom line. In addition one can factor in leveraging the brand and associated intellectual property “beyond the ranch” into mainstream marketing, merchandise and products of other industries. There are vast opportunities for green energy, renewable energy, an expansion of existing energy and mineral extraction, conversion of an ocean of brine water under the ranch for use in energy production and irrigation, modern power plants and municipal water supply...the list goes on. In golfing terms, the Waggoner Ranch, is now teed up to be driven into a new era of ownership, opportunity, and entrepreneurialism of the 21st century and beyond.

Who will chip the ball of opportunity onto the green, and sink the winning putt to become the next king of Texas ranching evolution?

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: W.T. “TOM” WAGGONER, WAGGONER MASTHEAD AT THE ENTRY TO THE PROPERTY, FORK OF THE LITTLE WICHITA RIVER, WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE PROPERTY

a breakdown of this allinclusive cowboy kingdom

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an all-inclusive cowboy kingdom A breakdown of what ’s in line for the nex t ruling rancher over the W.T. Waggoner throne.

cattle

baron’s empire The ranch’s 165 year- old Cattle Operation is one of the oldest in Texas’ histor y. Today ’s ranch carries 7,500 head of cattle and at one time, the herd once numbered nearly 16,000. I t champion famed is comprised of 60 percent Hereford bloodline and 40 percent Angus/ legacy Hereford and Brangus/Hereford From racing to reining, the name cross. “ Waggoner ” is found in both in the pediAdjacent to and once owned by the grees of today ’s top thoroughbred horses as well ranch, the Santa Rosa Rodeo Grounds were as the American Quar ter Horse Association Hall of built by the Waggoner family in the mid 1940s. For Fame. Waggoner ’s famous Poco Bueno, sired 36 over 70 years since, the annual Santa Rosa AQHA Champions alone. Today ’s operaRoundup and Rodeo has featured some of private tion, inside the proper ty ’s the centur y ’s best rodeo stars and state - of-the ar t Whiteface classic western ac tors like Fields Camp, boasts a herd of Ken Cur tis and M ichael almost 500 Landon. horses. During its glor y days, the estate was a true cowboy ’s playground. In the early 1900’s, the estate boasted multiple polo fields, so that several matches could be played out at once. Coupled with A.B. “Buster ” Whar ton’s undefeated “El R anchito” team record, the fields once hosted both locals and dignitaries, including famed polo players like Will Rogers.

rodeo

horses

polo

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farm

operation The W.T. Waggoner Estate farms nearly 30,000 acres, with a potential of up to 200,000 acres available to expand this operation. . The majority of the cultivated land is farmed on a dr yland basis. However, existing and an potential irrigation make the untouched ranch a world- class food chain oppor tunity. opportunities

oil & energy

wildlife

hunter’s haven

Despite his cattle ranching success: it ’s In the 165 years of its ownership, com“black gold” that truly made Tom Waggoner the mercial hunting has never been allowed on the “Richest Man in Texas.” Today, the estate boasts 1,200 ranch. This alone could offer tens of millions of producing wells on approximately 100,000 acres. dollars in potential annual revenue. One distincYet, some 400,000 acres remain untapped. tive par t of the ranch has become a haven private Green Energy oppor tunities of wind, for huge deer, rare Aoudad Goats, & profitable water and power are also turkey, quail, dove, hogs and abound. much more.

lakes

Many lakes can be found on the proper ty, two of which provide water to nearby communities and power plants. The Waggoner family ’s private Santa Rosa Lake, often seen in pic tures with their Lakeside mansion, covers over 1,300 sur face acres when full. In addition, the ranch features hundreds of livestock tanks proper ty wide and two forks of Little Wichita River.

questions on the W.T. Waggoner R anch Sale contac t 214.855.4000

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