Rayland, TX 79227(Foard County)

Water is key to any property, and this one has plenty of it! Over a half a mile on the mainstream Pease River and a large sandbar provides plenty of room to enjoy the river bottom, whether for hunting or picnicking. The ranch lies just downstream from where Mule Creek merges with the Pease River, so it stays at a steady flow.

On the south side of the property is a large fishing tank, almost one acre in size. This is an old tank, well-established in vegetation, and is kept full year around by a underground spring. In addition to fishing, this tank also provides a great place to dove hunt, or call in migratory ducks. The bottom pasture is full of springs too, and in one place another small pond has been carved out to provide water for wildlife. Ground water can generally be found within ten feet below the surface.

TERRAIN/TREES:

The ranch has a slight roll and slope going down to the river. About half of the property is in native pasture, with tall range grasses, wild plum thickets, and 50' towering cottonwood and elm trees. Hackberries, chinaberry motts, and mesquites are scattered throughout as well; in some areas the brush and trees are extremely thick, which allows for both bow and rifle hunting on the place.

The other half is made up of food plots and farm land. There are five specific food plot areas, ranging from 1 - 27 acres in size, and one large 105 acre hay field. This hay field is sub-irrigated and ideal for growing alfalfa hay, wheat, or cotton. It could be easily rented to a local farmer to provide an income for the ranch, if the new owner didn't want to farm it themselves.

The food plots wrap around the south part of the property and have all been kept in winter wheat in the past. The bottom pasture, near the river, has several good locations for additional food plots as well. With the whole bottom being sandy and fertile, you could put them in just about anywhere you wanted.

HUNTING:

The Pease River valley in Foard and Wilbarger Counties is known for its big whitetails. Bucks in this region can grow into the 180 class and beyond in a low-fence environment, with 150-160 class deer being more common. This is largely due to the irrigated farm land that follows the south side of the river in the Rayland and Lockett communities. Between the growing hay and cotton in the spring & summer months and wheat in the fall & winter, deer have plenty of year around food here, in addition to the seasonal browse and forbs in the native country. The dense wooded motts, mid-size brush, and range grasses provide excellent bedding areas for whitetail deer as well.

Other wildlife includes Rio Grande turkey, feral hog, coyote, and bobcat. The current owner has been leasing to tenants for several years now, and they have been very selective with their deer, putting in the food plots each year and supplementing with corn in the spin feeders. The property has other management conscious neighbors around it too, including 2,500 and 10,000 acre ranches across the river. A lot of the properties are locally owned and either not hunted at all or only mildly hunted by the families who own them.

IMPROVEMENTS:

A three bedroom farm house is being used by the current tenants for a deer camp. It has a bathroom, kitchen, electricity, and a Red River co-op water line already ran to it. The headquarters has two other metal buildings, a 30' x 40' shop and 50' x 80' hay barn. The shop has a concrete floor and utilities, and would be an ideal building to convert into a lodge, if an owner wanted something nicer than a farm house to stay in. It sits on the edge of hill, with a one acre food plot directly below it, which makes for a nice view. The hay barn has pipe rafters and a dirt floor, and could be used to store equipment, ATVs, corn and feed, or could easily fit two large camping trailers.

The ranch has fair to excellent fences. An old water well is at the house too. The land is easily accessed by the existing ranch roads. A person could cut ATV paths through the woods to open them up some as well.

ASKING PRICE:

$1850/acre (reduced from $2250/acre) - cash to seller, no owner financing available.

CONTACT:

Call land agent Beau Byars at cell phone (940) 224-3183 for more information and to arrange a time to view this unique property in person.