Location

Elm Creek Ranch is just 13 miles north of Hondo, Texas and 11 miles south of Bandera, Texas. The ranch is nearly equidistant of Bandera, Quihi and Hondo providing great proximity to desirable amenities and shopping. The ranch is only one hour from San Antonio and a tad over 2 hours from the state capitol in Austin, TX.

Topography, Rangeland & Habitat

The ranch has a balanced mixture of uplands, sloped hillsides and shallow draws that provide great habitat for wildlife and space for recreational activities. The bottom country is spotted with live oak motts, grasslands and dense ashe juniper forests. The transition break between the Hill Country and South Texas begins its transition on the ranch, however the habitat leans more towards the Hill Country’s typical terrain.

Wildlife

The ranch is home to nearly all native wildlife that call this area of Medina county home. White-tailed deer, Rio Grande turkey, feral hog, bobcats and coyotes are present in this area just to name a few. In addition to the native wildlife, there have been known to be free-ranging exotics including elk, aoudad and axis deer.

Water

Elm Creek, a wet weather creek, traverses the ranch from north to south providing beautiful bottoms and a travel corridor for the wildlife in the area. During the wet times, you will find seasonal water holes perfect for the ranches wildlife population. There is also a water well with a large trough.

Minerals

All of Seller’s interest, surface and subsurface, will convey subject to restrictions/limits if any imposed by the terms of the easement.

Area History

In A.J. Sowell’s book from 1900, “Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas”, which is a recommended read for anyone interested in first-hand history of the broader area, he recounts the story of the Cow Camp Massacre that occurred just west the ranch in 1866. Three boys were camping on a bluff over the Hondo Creek and gathering some stray livestock. An attack by a group of eight Indians resulted in one death, one capture and one escapee, August Rothe.

Area Attractions: A quick drive from the ranch is the community of Bandera, TX, also known as the Cowboy Capital of the World. Here you can find delicious cuisine, nightlife activities such as bands and dancehalls, Bandera’s ProRodeo, small town boutique shopping, markets, parades and so much more.

Medina Lake, a 4,246-acre reservoir of the Medina River, is a popular destination for water skiers, SCUBA divers as well as fishermen. It is so close to the ranch that you can see Medina Lake in the aerial shots on the listing page!

A short distance to the south is Hondo, Texas, which has all the necessary supplies, groceries (including HEB) and restaurants, not to mention world-famous dove hunting opportunities!

Conservation Values

The sale of this property will be subject to a conservation easement recorded at closing in favor of The Nature Conservancy. The new owner of this ranch will be completely at home with this easement in place as the draft easement and modifications that the Conservancy are willing to make provision for typical ranch uses and wide-ranging recreational activity.

For more information about The Nature Conservancy’s work in Texas, click here.

The ranch is appraised for ad valorem taxes under 1D1-Ag valuation on its open space.