Location

The ranch is located seven miles south of Columbus on paved county road 101. Less than an hour and a half from Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.

Topography, Rangeland & Habitat

The 4LJ3 ranch is a diverse property with several different ecological areas that offer a variety of habitats.

The housing compound area consists of manicured yards with historical live oaks throughout approximately 90 acres. This area is a sandy loam soil type, ideal for growing grasses and huge trees with good drainage. The area includes over 100 live oaks and a mix of pecans and other oaks to complement the fauna. This entire area is fenced off from any livestock and kept immaculate.

There are about 330 acres of river bottom land that is a mix of pecan bottoms, hay fields, and thicker hackberry and cedar elm forest that provide excellent cover for wildlife. This area has a mix of alluvial soils very rich in nutrients from river flooding that create the ideal environment for the large pecans that dominate here.

The middle acreage of the property is mostly the huge lake with rolling hay fields around it. The ground around the lake has been overlayed with sandy loam soils to create excellent and beautiful hay fields that are meticulously maintained.

Wildlife

The ranch has a fantastic population of white-tailed deer and being on a river bottom, opportunities for some very nice deer for Colorado County. The thickets in the river bottom have good roads through them for accessing the multiple blinds and feeders.

There is excellent waterfowl habitat on this property making for premier duck hunting. The 200+ acre lake holds large numbers of ducks all winter and has many nooks and crannies with shallow water and aquatic vegetation that are ideal spots for laying out decoys. There is also an eight-acre wetland unit overlooking the lake that can be manipulated to create ideal waterfowl habitat. The Colorado River offers winter duck hunting when the river is along the banks or out on sandbars. There are also several opportunities to create more wetland units along the lake that would have access to water to manipulate habitat to further expand hunting opportunities.

There is good dove hunting along the hay fields next to the lake that could be enhanced with additional plantings.

Fishing is excellent in the lake, which holds bass, catfish, crappie, and bream.

Agriculture

Cattle are run in the river bottom and there are multiple hay fields throughout the property. There is an abundance of native pecan trees that are currently not being harvested but are commercially viable. 

Improvements

Coming through the west gate onto the ranch follows a paved road lined with live oaks, to the housing compound area, which is at a higher elevation entirely out of the floodplain. The area of over 75 acres is fenced and includes the main home, two guest homes, a game room, barns, and fenced-in vegetable and herb gardens and is wonderfully manicured, making an amazing site with views looking over the hay field and lake.

Main House: This home consists of 6 bedrooms (3 bedrooms on the East side and 3 bedrooms on the West side) and 4 baths and 1 half bath. The kitchen ceilings and the entire central living areas are donned with custom crafted-wood, there is an oversized granite island in the kitchen, an abundance of counter space, natural light from several Paella windows, custom appliances, such as a Sub Zero refrigerator, and a large breakfast table. There is a large walk-in pantry just off the kitchen that has two additional refrigerators and lots of shelf space. Just around the corner from the kitchen is an enormous outdoor kitchen, complete with a screened-in porch that can easily accommodate 30 guests and provides views of the backyard and its plentiful Century Oaks.

The main living room boasts an enormous antique bar built by the Brunswick Co. in New York that was brought to the ranch in the 1960s from a saloon in Schulenburg. The bar includes a beveled mirror over the bar, and the bar itself is over 27 feet long and is sure to bring out lots of interesting tales of the wild west. This room features a fireplace, big-screen TVs, couches, and skylights. Attached to the living room is an indoor/outdoor patio sunroom that has doors that can be closed off and several sliding glass doors with screens. The room has ample seating and can easily be used for card games or a casino night. The pool area hosts a spectacular pavilion on one side and a firepit on the other side of a large lawn area. One of the focal points of the backyard is a Century Oak with built-in wrap-around deck seating, a glorious place to sit and read and enjoy the vista overlooking the 200+ acre lake.

Guest House 1: A short drive from the main house heading west is the first guest home where you pull up under a porte-cochere and enter through the front door. The master suite has an en-suite bathroom with a large walk-in tile shower and an oversized closet with plenty of space for clothing and safes. The other two bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house so you can enjoy privacy when guests are staying there. The exterior of this home has an inground trampoline, a stone fireplace on a gorgeous patio, and a short walk to a beautiful pond with a deck, perfect for catching a bass or bluegill for a fish fry. There is a small garage off the front drive that houses duck hunting supplies and ATVs.

Guest House 2: To the east of the Main House is another guest home that has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a lovely living room, a fireplace, and an open kitchen concept with plenty of seating to entertain. There is a fireplace outside on the patio with seating for guests and a place to roast marshmallows! There is a small garage and another covered porch that could be used for an outdoor kitchen. The home has plenty of French doors that lead out to views of the mature oaks and areas surrounding the home.

Between the main house and guest house, there is a building that houses golf carts, a huge game room with a kitchen, and a full bath. On the second floor, above the game room, there are 3 queen beds for spillover company or lots of kids having a sleepover. The game room includes a pool table, ping pong, shuffleboard, and other games to entertain.

There is a spacious potting shed inside a high-fenced garden with elevated beds for growing vegetables, flowers, and herbs. For the grandkids, a wonderful tree house with air conditioning is found in the middle of the compound.

Water

There is a deep well at the housing compound that provides water to the homes and barns. It has a water filtration system to ensure high-quality water for home use. There is also a water well on an electric pump down in the river bottom to provide water for cattle in that pasture. Groundwater here is shallow and abundant, with the smaller well in the river bottom only 120’ deep and pumping over 100 Gallon Per Minute.

The crown jewel of the 4LJ3 ranch is the 220-acre lake. The lake was designed with recreation in mind, being very open to give ample room for water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, and other boating activities. Along the banks, islands and ridges exist to provide fishing opportunities. A large boat dock with electricity and water and a paved boat launch make access to the lake ideal. The lake averages over 18’ deep.

There is ¾ mile of Colorado River frontage on the property and the river is accessible.

Electricity

Located on property, both single and three-phase.

Minerals

None, no production.

NOTES

The ranch currently benefits from a neighboring gravel-loading operation, generating an annual income ranging from $300,000 to $350,000. However, it is important to note that this operation has the potential to be discontinued, with proper notice, leading to the removal of all associated equipment. Furthermore, the ranch presents an excellent opportunity for additional income through its vast collection of large pecan trees situated in the river bottom. Additionally, given the array of sporting activities available, this ranch holds immense potential as a rental property, capable of generating substantial revenue. Moreover, a significant portion of the land, spanning several hundred acres, is dedicated to hay production, ensuring consistent and favorable income in most years. Beyond hay production, the land has excellent improved grasses and can handle a significant cattle operation should a buyer wish to raise beef. Additionally, there are various well-suited areas on the ranch that could be developed into wetlands, greatly enhancing the potential for duck hunting. These areas can be leased to interested parties at the owner’s discretion.