Location

The ranch is located on Highway 239, eight miles southeast of Goliad, Texas.  The property has over 1.3 miles of frontage on the north side of Highway 239.

Topography, Rangeland & Habitat

The Shouse River Ranch is a very diverse property including miles of river bottom alluvial soils, hay pastures, dense live oak forests, and native tallgrass prairie.  The rich bottomland is approx. 950 acres made up of various fine sandy loams and has a mix of native grasses and fenced hay fields with various improved strains of grasses (Jiggs, Tifton and coastal).  The extensive river frontage is dominated by huge pecans, oaks and cottonwoods. The 350 acres of rolling live oak forest portion of the property is mostly fine sands and sandy loams. Native grasses grow amongst the huge stands of mostly mature live oaks with mesquites and native brushes. The remaining 780 acres of the property are dominated by the native tallgrass prairie with interspersed post oaks and mesquite. This land is rolling and well-drained on the higher country and dominated by fine sandy loams.

Wildlife

Wildlife is abundant on this pasture with white-tailed deer, turkey, dove and quail. The mix of bottomlands and wooded uplands creates tremendous habitat for deer and turkey. The native grasses create excellent habitat for bobwhite quail and the Attwater’s prairie-chicken (A unique feature of this part of the ranch is the voluntary work with Attwater’s prairie-chicken. Due to the ranch’s great biological diversity that still thrives on this native tallgrass prairie, the owners have collaborated with multiple government and private organizations to enhance the diversity of the prairie habitat and wildlife.  This is one of the few places left where the Attwater’s prairie-chicken can be found).  There is also an established bald eagle nest high in a pecan tree along the river.  During the winter migration ducks, geese and sandhill cranes are found in the lake and low-lying areas that fill with water.

Improvements

The main house built in 1993, sits on a bluff overlooking the river valley with a large lake built just below the 6,000 +/- sq. ft. establishment.  The home has towering ceilings with two large bedrooms, dining room, breakfast room, study and large den.  There is also a foreman’s home and good set of cattle pens.  Fencing on the ranch is all 5 strand and in good condition with multiple pastures.

Water

Water is supplied from eight water wells (two windmills, two solar, and four electric) on the ranch, well distributed among the pastures as well as access points to the river.  The San Antonio River has 3.5 miles of frontage on the ranch and runs year-round. There is a 3.5-acre lake below the house and several smaller stock ponds on the ranch.  The groundwater here is of excellent quality and access to large volumes of water is very consistent in this area, with most wells being less than 300’.

Minerals

This sale is a surface estate sale only.  There is no current production on the ranch.

Area History

The Shouse Ranch is part of the historic O’Connor ranches that has been continuously owned and operated by family members for well over a century and a half.  Founded by Thomas O’Connor who had fought at the Battle of San Jacinto, the ranches grew to over 500,000 acres. Part of the legacy of this famous cattle ranch was helping to develop the cattle which ultimately became the foundation of the Santa Gertrudis breed.  Currently, families of Mr. O’Connor’s descendants share ownerships of the land in different pastures.  The Shouse Ranch pastures have continued the legacy of Mr. O’Connor and run a well-established cow/calf operation to this day.