Pristine property
Rare South Texas ranch shoots onto market for $7.9 million
A hunter’s, rancher’s, and fisherman’s paradise in South Texas where the deer and the antelope really do play is now on the market for more than $7.9 million.
The 2,264-acre El Tecolote Ranch, located 21 miles northwest of Raymondville and roughly 200 miles southwest of San Antonio, boasts plentiful populations of bobwhite quail, whitetail deer, and nilgai antelope. It’s also home to more than 400 bird species, and to many bass and catfish. For true ranchers, there are cattle pens and horse stables. The property also includes dog kennels.
The listing for the property, which is in Kenedy and Hidalgo counties, describes El Tecolote as “an exceptionally rare, diverse, and pristine ranch.” El Tecolote is near the legendary King Ranch and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge. Jay Leyendecker of Hall and Hall has the $7,924,000 listing.
“Geographically, El Tecolote Ranch sits in the middle of nowhere — more than five miles from the nearest paved road. … It is a place found by landmarks, not by maps,” the Houston Chroniclenoted in a 2014 article.
In Spanish, el tecolote means “the owl.” Among the many birds spotted at the ranch is the small and fairly rare pygmy owl. The owl’s U.S. habitat is confined to South Texas and Arizona.
The ranch’s five-bedroom, four-bathroom main house affords views of a two-acre clear-water lake and waterfall. More amazing scenery can be seen from the Sundowner Tower, which offers a 365-degree view of the ranch.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom hunter’s lodge sleeps 10 to 12 people, while the smaller manager’s cabin overlooks a one-acre lake.
The ranch’s amenities include:
- Two equipment barns
- Three cattle pens
- Nine pastures
- Seven water wells
- 10 well-fed ponds
