More info on Val Verde County.
Collins Ranch North
Welcome to the Desert Oasis Hunting and Cattle Ranch in west Texas which is located just west of the Pandale crossing near the Pecos River in Val Verde County, Texas. This large west Texas ranch has been in one family for generations. It has been well managed and ranched for the duration of the family’s ownership. This ranch’s best and highest use is hunting and recreation and has everything you need. It is well watered, has great access, and is well electrified. The ranch even has a resident couple that lives near the ranch who has cared for everything and are available to work for the new owners if so desired. They take care of everything from repairs to filling feeders to cleaning house and guiding hunts. They know the ranch like the back of their hand and are very handy to have at the ranch.
This ranch has been surveyed and consists of 2 pastures and 2 traps with a water well and 3 drinkers in the north pasture The wells are around 500′ deep and the groundwater is accessible, prolific, and is high quality, being part of the Edwards-Trinity or Plateau Aquifer. There are several dirt tanks that hold water, as well, providing plentiful water for livestock and wildlife. Electricity can be scarce in this part of the country but not on this ranch. There is electricity provided to many locations of the ranch bringing power to the wells and the residences which consist of the main headquarters home, water wells, and a hunting cabin. The ranch foreman lives on his own piece of ground right off of the county road.
The ranch has great access from Fielder Draw road, which is a well-maintained county road. The road system across the entire ranch is good. You can access just about any part of the ranch in a pickup. Fielder Draw road runs through the middle of the ranch and out the west side. There is a landing strip at the headquarters and another just east of the ranch on the county road for the convenience of flying in.
The topography of this ranch is diverse, attracting many species of wildlife. The elevation change is not too drastic and has a gentle slope from oak-filled draws that run when it rains to outcroppings of rock and caves up in the canyons. There is about a 60′ difference between the draws and the hilltops. In the draws, the elevation is approximately 1980′ and on the mesa elevations are around 2040′.
So far this year, there have been 6 mountain lions killed on the ranch. Other wildlife includes black bears, bobcats, coyotes, javelina hogs, bobwhite and blue quail, whitetail deer, mule deer, and plenty of varmints. The Pecos River crossing is just a few miles down Fielder Draw road in Pandale. The Pandale Resort offers lodging, fishing, and kayaking on the Pecos River, and Lake Amistad, Texas’ most beautiful trophy fishing lake, is nearby. Other nearby attractions include Seminole Canyon state park and the Devil’s River.
The ranch capacity is greater than expected with the amount of browse and grasses produced. Historically it has supported one animal unit per 35 acres. There are two sets of pens and the water lots have traps around them to make gathering livestock easy. The fences are also good as they keep sheep and cows inside. Many varieties of browse and grasses grow here. In the draws, there are many mature live oaks mots and thick, strong grasses such as side oats grama, hairy grama, blue grama, and more. There are also very good weeds such as tallow weed among other healthy weeds. In the flats is a good variety of browse such as Sage, Elbow bush, Acacia, Algerita, Mesquite, Persimmon, Sumac, and more. Desert ornamentals include Ocotillo, Sotol, Yucca, Spanish Dagger, Guajillo, and Barrel cactus. There are several dirt tanks on this ranch that hold water.
The headquarters is located on the north side of the ranch. At the headquarters, there are working pens, traps, a hunting cabin, barns, sheds, and a swimming tank. The above-ground swimming tank has a deck with shade and is located north of the main house in a separate trap. The swimming and fishing tank is stocked with perch for catching bait for Pecos river trot lining. Several outbuildings and a workshop accompany the main headquarters along with a large set of working pens and a landing strip. The main house is spacious and comfortable. It has beautiful saltillo tile, a fenced yard with shade trees, and large rooms. The main ranch house sleeps 15 plus people and the hunter’s cabin will sleep, 10 people. Most furniture and appliances will stay with the homes. The roofs were recently replaced on the barn and headquarters home.
Broad tops with big valleys create a combination of easily accessible gentle land with deeper soil and the limestone bluffs, rim country, steep hills, and canyon heads creating a diversity of habitats. This is a working ranch with exceptional hunting. It’s also loaded with canyons, mountains, caves, and excellent vegetation cover making this an explorer’s dream. It has been well managed for decades and is known for its combination of native grass, shrubs, and trees. This is the Western Edwards Plateau transitioning into the Chihuahuan Desert, a convergence of two biologically distinct eco-regions in Texas. The ranch is the perfect combination of topography, vegetation, accessibility, scenery, history, and beauty. From Yucca and Sotol to Hackberry and Mesquite woodlands, to Persimmon and Juniper, the ranch represents a crossroads of diversity. The property’s browse and grasslands are in great condition, a result of responsible grazing methods. Native grasses, forbs, browse, brush, cacti and trees not only provide excellent habitat for game species such as deer, turkey, quail, and dove, but also for non-game species such as Texas horned lizard, songbirds, fox, ringtail, lions, bears, and many other animals. Mule deer and Whitetail deer populations on the ranch are good. There are also many exotics that roam this area including elk, blackbuck, red deer, and axis. Wing shooting opportunities for blue quail, Bob White and Morning dove are also good. The ranch is divided into upper mesa land and lower valley/canyon land.
This is a fun recreational ranch that offers something for everyone. Explore the rock cliffs and caves for Indian artifacts, visit Pandale crossing and kayak the Pecos which is just minutes away, go mountain lion hunting, deer hunting, or night calling, go boating and trophy fishing on Lake Amistad and study the cave paintings and dinosaur tracks at Seminole Canyon. Most of all, enjoy the peace, beauty, and quiet of the west Texas desert.
