Marathon, TX 79842(Brewster County)

The Randolph Ranch is part of the historic Kincaid Ranch assembled by David S. Combs of the Texas pioneer Combs family in partnership with his brother-in-law's brother, Wm. D. (Billy) Kincaid, beginning in 1907. David S. Combs bought the Kincaid interest from Billy's widow, Cordelia, in 1923. The Ranch, named "Kincaid Ranch" by the Combs family, has been owned by descendants of David S. Combs until now and operated by them continuously from 1907-2011.

Description

The Randolph Ranch is Texas cow country at its finest and represents some of the best grasslands in West Texas. The ranch is in a northeastern pocket of the Marathon Basin surrounded by mountains on three sides, producing an average of 14" of rainfall annually, one inch more than Marathon itself. It usually receives monsoon summer rains and has mild winters. Rainfall records for four rain gauges cover the period 1987-2011.

The topography of the ranch ranges from 4,100 feet along Big Canyon Draw to 4,700 feet at the top of the hills along the east boundary. It would be safe to say that this ranch has a gentle topography with some wide open valleys and flats to some very nice hills, all having excellent views of the Glass Mountains, Cedar Mountain and Stillwell Mountain and, from a rise on the south line, all the way to Santiago Peak to the south.

The ranch has served as a laboratory for range recovery under its operation by the current owner for almost thirty years. A high-intensity, low-duration grazing system (Savory System) was employed from 1984-2011, which greatly accelerated the recovery of native range by natural means without use of any re-seeding or mechanical methods. This labor-intensive system, having served its purpose, was replaced in 2011 with an eight-pasture rotation, which will allow the largely-recovered pastures to complete their recovery, if they are managed to do so.

The condition of the forage has allowed English-breed cattle to achieve 45-day breeding seasons, producing steer calves averaging over 590# at weaning with breed-back conception rates over 95% on a consistent basis, even during droughts. During a series of good years a stocking rate of over 500 animal units (AU) was obtained while still continuing range improvement. This rate is considered exceptional when applied to average conditions, and normal stocking rates on this ranch for a cow-calf operation should run in the range of 300 AU, or 1 AU/40.5 acres, unusually productive in this part of the state. Higher rates in good years could be used in a steer operation. These stocking rates allow for continuation of range improvement. During the 2011 drought, believed to be the worst drought in this area since 1885, three-fourths of the ranch received only 2 1/2 - 3" of rainfall during 16 months and never greened up in 2011. The remaining one-fourth received 3 1/2 - 4" of rainfall, lower than any record for any other year since at least 1984. The grass grew, headed out and produced a small crop sufficient to graze 75 AU from February 1st until late summer rains in 2012.

The range improvement has been extraordinary. Beginning with the grasses typical of this areatobosa, alkali sacaton (salt grass), side oats grama, three awns and burro grassthe native grasses have gradually reappeared from seed long hidden under brush or dormant in the ground and have spread over almost the entire ranch, with the higher succession grasses coming in as the conditions improved. First came silver blue stem and buffalo grass, followed by black grama, blue grama, and sand dropseed. Vinemesquite is found in the draws and has carpeted some of them solidly to a width of 150 yards or more. Muhly grass and vast quantities of plains bristlegrass have taken hold. Finally came Johnson grass and, during the last five years, one of the climax grasses of Texas, not generally thought ever to have existed in Brewster County, small clumps of big bluestem have also appeared, giving confirmation of the trend in the forage.

Habitat

The landscape is wide-open rolling grassland, interspersed with hills, all the way to the sky, surrounded by rugged mountain ranges which can be seen from anywhere on the ranch. Classic "Cattle Country" of the Old West, the Marathon Basin has maintained much of the environment and appearance of times past. This ranch lies at an elevation that supports a mix of vegetation from the mid-high Chihuahuan Desert such as century plants, Spanish dagger, yucca and cholla with a dominant grassland with areas of brush. Three major drainages cut through the ranch, which are collection points for grassland runoff during the summer monsoons, capturing water in thick grass- covered soil. This ranch, once predominantly bare ground, has had active management to heal the land with a growing cover of native grasslands that provide excellent forage for livestock as well as habitat for muledeer, pronghorn antelope, native birds and mammals.

Wildlife

This is Chihuahuan Desert grassland at its very best. The grasses, forbs and brush provide excellent habitat for game and non-game animals and birds. Muledeer, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs, coyotes, javelina, bobcats and badgers are all present. Blue (scaled) quail and mourning dove are the game birds. Raptors include golden eagles and wide variety of hawks. Neotropical migratory birds such as oriels, hummingbirds, warblers, flycatchers, and many others make for a wonderful birding experience. The provision of year-round water over virtually all the ranch results in gradually increasing permanent grounds for game and consequent increase in their population.

Improvements

There are two Headquarters on the Randolph Ranch. The main ranch house, located on a hard- surfaced road 3/4 mile off Highway 385, has three bedrooms, two baths, an office, kitchen, living- dining room, screen porch, open porch along the west side, and closed storage. A large metal barn contains a shop, tack room, and storage for equipment and feed with a partially-concreted floor. An extensive set of shipping traps, holding pens and welded pipe pens and chutes, contain a set of scales allowing sale of calves by private treaty, with a greatly reduced "shrink." Steel sheet siding on the working chutes and loading chutes minimize stress on the cattle and loss of weight from being handled. Two overhead feed bins for cubes each hold 12 tons. In addition, there are two tanks for liquid feed with cover over them to protect the tanks from ultra-violet deterioration. A fenced garden is available. It is served by two submersible wells and a closed metal storage tank, which can provide back-up by gravity flow if electricity is lost.

The Burnt House Headquarters is three miles off pavement on a hard-surfaced road. It includes an old cowboy house, renovated to serve as an owners camp, which contains a living-dining room, kitchen, one bedroom, bath and dressing room. The windmill's wooden tower and the turning of the mill's fan provide an appropriate setting. Being so far removed from the road allows viewing of the sky without any light contamination whatsoever, with a view at night of occasional headlights coming soundlessly through Stockton Gap nine miles away on the road from Fort Stockton. A hunting trailer can sleep up to six in bunk beds, with a small kitchen and dining area, a full bath, and full-sized water heater and refrigerator in lean-to's on the side of the trailer. A small set of pens accompanies a set of old sheds.

Each of the three former Savory cell centers, together with the headquarters, is constructed to permit one man to pen, separate, doctor and load one or more animals by himself. The improvements are designed to allow this ranch to be a one-man operation except during spring and fall works.

Water

The Randolph Ranch has 6 windmills, 3 wells with submersible pumps and one well with both a windmill and a submersible pump, and a closed tank for house water, for back-up. Thirty metal, 4 plastic, and three concrete reservoirs of various sizes provide approximately 192,000 gallons of water storage. Miles of polyurethane pipe connect every windmill and well with the storage tanks, and a circular pipeline system connects each storage area with every other storage area, allowing water to be moved from any part of the system to any other part of the system, almost entirely by gravity flow. Water is distributed to livestock through 34 metal and concrete troughs. Since this system was installed in 1984, there has never been a time that cattle had to be moved out of a pasture or pen for lack of water. In addition, there are six troughs for game, most of them fenced off from livestock. Game is able to access water within one mile of any location on the Ranch, with one minor exception. This has expanded the area of permanent water available to create additional permanent range for an enlarged game population. A detailed description of the entire water system and its method of operation is available.

Minerals

Seller will convey 20% of the mineral and royalty interests owned by Seller, estimated to be 590 mineral acres and 250 royalty acres to be conveyed, with the executive rights for those mineral acres, or approximately 5% of the total interest. This is a size interest that gives a Buyer a seat at the table sufficient to protect his reasonable surface rights in any lease negotiation.

Four dry holes, searching for gas, have been drilled to depths of 5,000-10,000 feet on this ranch and adjoining properties during the last four years, and the lessees allowed the leases to terminate without making any effort to renew them. Between 1985 and 2004 two wells drilled to depths of 4,000-6,000 feet on this ranch were dry. Between 1961 and 1984 four wells drilled on adjoining ranches to depths of 4,500-20,500 feet were dry. Between 1958-1968 at least three dry holes were drilled south of Marathon to depths of 9,500about 13,000 feet. There has never been any oil or gas production in commercial quantities anywhere in Brewster County.

The prospect of gas exploration in the Marathon Basin has been severely impacted by the large gas shale discoveries since the 2008 leases were made. The new discoveries are more favorably located near markets and existing infrastructure. The discoveries have created a gas glut which hangs over the market for many years into the future. Because of their superior locations, these areas will be developed before any rank wildcat area, especially an area totally lacking in infrastructure.

Price

$850 per acre or $10,339,400.