As you can well imagine, maintaining a 400-acre recreational hunting property is no simple task. Restoring it to a natural state with special attention to sustainability is quite another.
Happily, we have sought and received tremendous assistance from the very best in the business as part of our continuing work to make Long Straw Ranch a model recreational property.
As a result, the Ranch property is now far different than it was when acquired by the current owners.
Since purchasing the ranch in 2006, we have worked hard to restore the property to its natural state, with a focus on wildlife habitat. Shortly after acquiring the ranch, we commissioned an assessment of the property by a professional wildlife biologist and developed a multi-year plan for responsible habitat restoration.
To implement this plan, we worked closely with the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) located in Bowie, Texas, as well as participating in the Quail Masters class of 2009 hosted by the Texas Wildlife Association and Texas A&M. Involvement in Quail Masters led to our adoption of their approach of using "Cow, Fire, Axe and Plow" to restore the property.
Obviously, maintaining and improving a large game preserve requires careful land management. Our lakes, pastures, and wooded areas each receive ongoing care to provide optimal — and sustainable — conditions for our hunting clients. We continue to improve the property from season to season, with the goal of providing our clients the very best outdoor experience possible.
PRESCRIBED BURNS AT LONG STRAW RANCH
To optimize bird cover across the ranchland pastures, the first in a planned series of prescribed burns was conducted at Long Straw Ranch in cooperation with the North Central Texas Prescribed Burn Association (NCTPBA) and in conjunction with the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP).
That first prescribed burn took place in July, 2010, and was conducted across approximately 30 acres of coastal Bermuda in preparation for plowing and planting of native grasses. Further burns have been conducted on our property over the years as conditions allow, and the pastures have improved dramatically as a result.
Our wooded acres have received every bit as much attention as our pasture land, with the greatest improvements coming from our annual programs of red cedar tree removal. This has greatly promoted Texas oak tree growth, and has further bolstered upland bird cover across the entire property.
IMPROVING QUAIL POPULATION IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS
One of our ongoing initiatives at the Ranch has been addressing the decline in native quail population in North Central Texas. An excellent news piece was recently run, shot at Long Straw Ranch and featuring our own Ronnie Smith, discussing some of the measures undertaken to improve populations by local hunting venues including LSR. You can watch this video via the following link (the video will open in a new tab or window, depending on your web browser)...
Addressing Quail Population in North Central Texas ▶
Long Straw Ranch is operated as a recreational hunting property with a focus on quail hunting. While "pen-raised" birds are the core of the hunting operation, a number of resident quail coveys have been established and are carrying over from year to year and thriving. In addition, due to the continuous improvements in habitat, increased populations of turkey, dove and deer have been in evidence.