South east TX grass

[kenny thomas]

I just finushed spending 18 days helping with hurricane Harvey recovery in the Beeville to Corpus Christi to Tivoli area of South TX. I never imagined there could be so much grass this time of year anywhere in the south. I was 30 minutes from Brute 23 but figure there are more members here from that area. Tell me about the cattle and grazing in the area.
If it's always like that I would love to have a ranch there. One ranch I drove through daily was 24 miles with only the main road. Was told that it was 80,000+ acres.

 

[Texasmark]

Just curious, surely others are too. What were you doing down there.....not why but what? What effect did rain have on what you went there to do? How are the locals recovering? How did the pasture and live stock manage the storm?

"SE Tx. grass" Tivoli, Rockport, Port Aransas, Corpus are S-SW Tx.? Where did you go?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Ken lots of cow country in those coastal counties in Texas.

 

[Brute 23]

The supposed birthplace of Texas Ranching

 

[kenny thomas]

Just curious, surely others are too. What were you doing down there.....not why but what? What effect did rain have on what you went there to do? How are the locals recovering? How did the pasture and live stock manage the storm?

"SE Tx. grass" Tivoli, Rockport, Port Aransas, Corpus are S-SW Tx.? Where did you go?

We managed the,distribution of tractor trailer loads of Ice, Water, and MRE's. For 6 days of the trip I held town meetings in Rufugio Co and found out first hand the needs of the communities. The Port Aransas. Aransas Pass, and Ingleside towns were hit really bad. The towns nor the people will not be the same for years to come. The pasture looked exceptionally good. That's what prompted me to ask about it. I even ask an extension agent about the possibility of sending a load of steers down there to winter. She looked at me like i was crazy so i didn't ask much more
It never rained much in the area I worked. The storm surge i,feel done more flooding than the rains. I seen a few dead cattle and a few that looked like they had been through a. Bad time but mostly the cattle looked good.

 

[kenny thomas]

Brute 23, i would need herbicides by the truckload if i lived there. I ask some,of the locals and they said that there was so much grass it wasn't worth fighting the Mesquite. Is that normal?

 

[dcarp]

In a normal year the grass would be pretty dry. June, July and August weather usually 90-100 degrees with a scattered shower here and there. That said, you can grow lots of grass here if you get rain.
Lots of those larger ranches leave a bunch of Mesquite because it makes good cover for the deer and deer hunting leases bring big $$$.

 

[kenny thomas]

Would a 80,000 acre ranch depend on hunting leases as part of the income compared to the extra cattle they could run? I guess that could add some pretty easy profit.

 

[callmefence]

Ken lots of cow country in those coastal counties in Texas.

Just the area flooded carries more cattle than any state in the east or the Rockies.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Would a 80,000 acre ranch depend on hunting leases as part of the income compared to the extra cattle they could run? I guess that could add some pretty easy profit.

There's more money in deer than cows.

 

[callmefence]

Would a 80,000 acre ranch depend on hunting leases as part of the income compared to the extra cattle they could run? I guess that could add some pretty easy profit.

You can bet there's multiple hunting leases.
Package hunts and full time guides.
You actually can't legally wear a cowboy hat unless you own or work on at least 50,000 acres. But since they can't ask you for proof without a warrant it's not enforced.. 8)

 

[kenny thomas]

Would a 80,000 acre ranch depend on hunting leases as part of the income compared to the extra cattle they could run? I guess that could add some pretty easy profit.

There's more money in deer than cows.

Everyone had a big laugh when i told them it was not legal to feed deer in VA.

 

[Brute 23]

100,000 a.c. is not uncommon. Several families are over the 500,000 a.c. mark. A lot of that stuff dates back to original Spanish Land Grants.

Hunting trumps cattle but O&G trumps all. There are some of the most prolific O&G fields in US history is that area. You can read about their effects on the US and WWII. Many if them are still in production today.

Most those big places are just going thru the motions on cattle... aren't worried about hunting.

If your mid sized and want the money you can sell hunts for $4-5K per gun and that's per 200-500ac.

It's very productive land with rain. Grows big cows, quite a few crops, big deer, and big rattlesnakes. When it's dry it's a miserable, hot, hell hole.

The land changes drastically ever 30 miles so if you don't like what you see keep driving.

 

[greybeard]

Would a 80,000 acre ranch depend on hunting leases as part of the income compared to the extra cattle they could run? I guess that could add some pretty easy profit.

You can bet there's multiple hunting leases.
Package hunts and full time guides.
You actually can't legally wear a cowboy hat unless you own or work on at least 50,000 acres. But since they can't ask you for proof without a warrant it's not enforced.. 8)

pretty sure there is some kind of official exception for truck drivers and goat farmers...
How many acres does one officially need to wear a HiPro, Lone Star or M-G feed mill ball cap?

 

[Caustic Burno]

Ken lots of cow country in those coastal counties in Texas.

Just the area flooded carries more cattle than any state in the east or the Rockies.

And most of those cows are Brimmers ;-)

 

[greybeard]

Kenny--Brute..are there any motel rooms available anywhere down near Corpus/Goliad/Victoria?
I know lots of displaced people are using them already, as well as those who like Kenny, came down to help, but I'm headed down that way..maybe as soon as tonight when my twin brother arrives. Not the best timing, but time is the one luxury we don't have. It's now or never.

 

[callmefence]

Ken lots of cow country in those coastal counties in Texas.

Just the area flooded carries more cattle than any state in the east or the Rockies.

And most of those cows are Brimmers ;-)

And those that aren't wish they were.

 

[Texasmark]

Thanks for the inputs.

On hunting leases, Hughes Tool in Houston had a big lease down there and one of my high school class mate's dad was a HT employee. Obviously son (and his friends) got hunting priviledges. It was south of Alvin down adjacent to the intercoastal canal, mostly flat marsh, not any trees to speak of. We went down after dove. I don't know what else was hunted on that lease.

Then there was a series of lakes around Angleton that was a similar deal but very woody. My dad could get us into that place. Great fishing and in the winter we'd hunt ducks on the rice levees and geese in the fields.....lot of walking back then with all your stuff to get far enough out in the field to do any good.

 

[Brute 23]

Kenny--Brute..are there any motel rooms available anywhere down near Corpus/Goliad/Victoria?
I know lots of displaced people are using them already, as well as those who like Kenny, came down to help, but I'm headed down that way..maybe as soon as tonight when my twin brother arrives. Not the best timing, but time is the one luxury we don't have. It's now or never.

Should be able to get a room. Tons of campers in the area. A lot of the contractors and helpers are bringing their own campers.

 

[kenny thomas]

Kenny--Brute..are there any motel rooms available anywhere doND asave wn near Corpus/Goliad/Victoria?
I know lots of displaced people are using them already, as well as those who like Kenny, came down to help, but I'm headed down that way..maybe as soon as tonight when my twin brother arrives. Not the best timing, but time is the one luxury we don't have. It's now or never.

There are some rooms because the motels realize they can get more money than FEMA is paying. Call ahead and save time. There are 3 motels at the exit that the Beeville Commission stockyard is at.