GENERAL DESCRIPTION: This turn-key wildlife paradise was built over the years by two succeeding owners that were passionate about wildlife and truly thought out changes before they made them. The current owner sought a ranch in the late 90s with red sand, ample good-quality water, and decent deep clay for a self-sustaining lake. He found it in Retama Ranch.
IMPROVEMENTS: This ranch has all the improvements necessary for maximum enjoyment with minimal maintenance. Buildings are all well constructed and have been meticulously maintained. Entering from the east, a double gate entrance ensures privacy and security. The pipe cattle pens located at the entrance have not been used in years but are in good condition. Across the paved entry road are two metal barns. One of these barns has two enclosed storage rooms that can be secured. Continuing down the entry road, you pass the Carri...
IMPROVEMENTS: This ranch has all the improvements necessary for maximum enjoyment with minimal maintenance. Buildings are all well constructed and have been meticulously maintained. Entering from the east, a double gate entrance ensures privacy and security. The pipe cattle pens located at the entrance have not been used in years but are in good condition. Across the paved entry road are two metal barns. One of these barns has two enclosed storage rooms that can be secured. Continuing down the entry road, you pass the Carrizo water well and hot tub, both constructed in 2007.
Finally arriving at the main headquarters, there is a shop/game cleaning facility/caretakers apartment on the left. This all-metal facility has power, water, and drive through bays with a walk-in cooler for game. Adjacent to the shop is a large fire ring ideal for telling stories of the days hunt. Across from that is a domestic water well used for the HQ. The Carrizo well is piped to this system as a backup should the house well ever need repair.
The jewel of the HQ is of course the main house. Built in the late 80s, this four bedroom home, done in an open ranch style with a symmetric bedroom/bath floor plan has been well maintained and welcomes large groups or intimate family gatherings. The great room overlooks the lake with large windows and is in turn overlooked by a game room above the well-appointed kitchen. With marble topped counters, wet bar, and walk-in pantry, the kitchen is designed for ease of food preparation and social gatherings. The yard has been landscaped in drought resistant plants and requires minimal maintenance. In the yard is a wading pool for small children fed by the HQ well.
The main lake is reputed to be approximately 50 acres when full. It was dug in a natural watershed and with average rainfall, does not require supplementation. The dam runs east-west, and was recently faced with rock to reduce erosion due to wave action. The Seller recently added a concrete spillway to improve access during periods of heavy rainfall. Across the lake from the main house, at about the mid-point of the dam is a well-anchored boathouse and walkway.
The boathouse has two boat slips, one of which has a lift, two storage rooms, power and water to a fish-cleaning sink and a large sun deck with ladder. The water off this boathouse is very deep and provides excellent swimming when the weather gets warm.
Lastly, the ranch is high-fenced and cross-fenced for grazing if so desired although it is currently valued as agricultural land managed for wildlife. There are several nice deer blinds with feeders and protein feeders that will convey. There is a borrow pit used for road material also on the ranch.
WATER: In South Texas, water is key and this ranch not only has natural water assets, it has plentiful well water assets and the means to deliver it across the property. Although the lake has almost 1,000 acres of watershed, the owner drilled a Carrizo well in 2007 as insurance against drought. The water from the new well, rated at 850 gpm, supplies the ranch with good quality water through 8, 6, and 2 inch lines, buried and valved. In the Dove Field as well as in the Garden Field, the water is available through a sprinkler system, effectively drought-proofing those food plots. The well water is also piped to the unique hot tub which requires no maintenance as the water never stays in the tub, but rather simply flows through it on the way to the main lake. Two smaller ponds are also on the system and can be maintained with the well. As mentioned, the main house complex is served by a smaller domestic water well.
VEGETATION & SOILS: Retama Ranch has 12 soil types with 88% of the ranch rated as GOOD for Upland Native Herbaceous Plants or forbs which are the mainstay food for all wildlife species.
Vegetation has been left native over most of the ranch with excellent stands of Coma, Brasil, Guajillo, and Blackbrush. There are four fields including the two mentioned above that can be manipulated for wildlife or livestock.
WILDLIFE: As stated earlier, both the current owner and his predecessor were primarily interested in native wildlife and both arrived at this spot in Texas after extensive searches. Genetically, the Whitetail deer are superior with several deer scoring above 170 B&C. There are no introduced genetics on the ranch.
With little effort, bird hunting is great on Retama. The water draws dove and the food plots can be managed to hold dove, quail, and turkey. The main lake attracts waterfowl by the hundreds if not thousands and flights of snow geese are a sight to behold.
Fishing is of primary interest to the current owner and bass in excess of 6 pounds are common. The lake record is just over 8 pounds. In addition to bass, the lake has threadfin shad, gizzard shad, crawfish, and bullfrogs. As of this writing, the lake is down to accommodate spring rains and to allow for maintenance of the cattail reeds. If the drought continues, water will be added as needed to maintain the superior fish population.
MINERALS: Neither the current owner nor his predecessor own any of the mineral estate on this ranch. The minerals are currently held by a number of owners. There is no production on the ranch and no easements other than power onto the ranch.
Search for detailed parcel information including; Elevation & Vegetation Maps, Ownership Information, Detailed Parcel Information, Crop History Map, Soil Survey Productivity Data, and more.
Research Parcel InformationRetama Ranch is located about 7 miles southwest of Charlotte, between SH 85 and SH 97. Most of the ranch is in Atascosa Co., with a small portion in Frio Co. Access is by gravel county road which dead-ends at the ranch. The ranch has only three neighbors.
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