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Our experiences on a recent trip to south Texas reinforced the importance of the synergy between working landscapes and conservation, our company's mission since 1993. To find out more about our company and our approach to rural land conservation please check out our inaugural e-newsletter or website.
As we drove south from San Antonio, we watched as the Texas landscape changed, becoming flatter, and the expanse of sky bigger. As the sun set, the clouds that gathered over La Paloma Sola Ranch exploded with color and shapes rarely observed in the Piedmont of Virginia. The ranch is a model for conservation and wildlife management, raising trophy deer while maintaining the south Texas plains for future generations. John Gurasich wrote of his passion for the ranch and his family's experiences learning how to be responsible stewards of the land.
La Paloma Sola
"La Paloma Sola has been a special place for our family for the last 25 years. It has been a place to escape, spend time with friends, create lasting memories, and enjoy the wildlife. The ranch is located in the rugged and wild brush country of Webb County, Texas.
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THE RANCH
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South Texas is famous for producing incredible white tail deer. Over the last 30 years there has been a transition in land use from cattle ranches to wildlife ranches. The state helped this transition by introducing the Wildlife Tax Exemption, which recognizes wildlife management as an agricultural use.
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"MOOSE"
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TURKEY FROM ABOVE DURING DEER SURVEY
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After deciding to pursue wildlife management, we were fortunate to be able to hire a wildlife biologist to help us put together a plan. We learned about maintaining the size of the herd, sex ratio and age structure. With the help of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department we also put together a land improvement plan. After strategic locations were selected throughout the ranch for food plots, we cleared a total of 125 acres to make 6 food plots which we plant each fall and spring.
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THE TANK
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Because of the improvements we continue to maintain, we have qualified for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Managed Land Deer Permit. This permit allows us to take advantage of a longer season and gives us the ability to have knowledgeable hunters harvest more animals by using "ranch tags" instead of their normal allotment of 5.
Survey information allows us to determine how many deer need to harvested, how many does versus bucks, and gives us an opportunity to identify undesirable bucks. In any given year we need to harvest 70-80 deer, and it is generally 1:1 bucks to does.
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RANCH HORIZON
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BUCK IN ROLLER CHOPPED BROWSE
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It might seem like a lot of work, because it is. But the work at La Paloma Sola is some of the most enjoyable time we spend with friends and family. When we aren't messing with the deer, we are fiddling with the large mouth bass or wandering around looking for arrowheads. La Paloma Sola may not be the most beautiful landscape you have ever seen, but it is my favorite place on earth."
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A PEACEFUL SETTING
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Before we left Texas to return to Virginia, I had the pleasure of meeting David Braun and Ken Thigpen of Plateau Land and Wildlife Management. Plateau is a resource for those who embrace the field sport concept that wildlife management, land and waterway conservation, and the economic vitality of rural property are all essential for the long-term health of the planet. David was also instrumental in drafting and encouraging the passage of the Texas wildlife management tax bill. Please read the article written by his associate about the importance of this bill as well as the management of land for both wildlife and agriculture/cattle.
All the best,
PHOTOGRAPHY ©FIELD SPORT CONCEPTS, LTD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
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