Txranchdad

30/12/2023

Went on a blast and cast adventure yesterday with this crew (guided by Kyle Miers) . We got a few ducks and enough crappies for a fish fry. It was cold out on the water, but we had a great trip anyway.

If you have read my other posts you know my stepson passed away back in September. This trip was with my youngest son, my stepson’s dad, and little brother (from his dad). Over the years we have celebrated some birthdays and holidays with both families, but this was our first hunting trip together. I am sure Cameron was watching and happy to see us on an adventure together.

23/11/2023

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all able to relax and enjoy time with friends or family!

12/10/2023

Hey, you don’t belong here! This guy must have escaped someone’s high fence.

14/09/2023

Loss of a child is something I can’t put into words right now.

Last week we lost our 31 year old son to su***de. He leaves behind my wife and I, his dad, three siblings and a daughter. My wife and I married when he was three. There are no words to express how we feel and the grieving process is complicated.

Addiction and su***de are cruel and complicated.

He and I spent a lot of time in the outdoors hunting and fishing. We made great memories. He was tender hearted, loved passionately, and could make you laugh in almost any situation.

I am not sure how our path forward looks, but I do know we will see him someday in heaven.

If you are struggling and want help please reach out to someone and know that your family loves you.

03/09/2023

Another shot of this unique buck we have hanging out at the ranch.

21/08/2023

This guy could be a stud some day. Having a small place with lots of hunting around makes it hard to watch them grow. Not sure he’ll be safe this season.

12/08/2023

How things can change in a couple of minutes…

8:43 a small herd of deer

8:45 a sounder of pigs

I hate it when the pigs run off the deer!

Time to start trapping again, once it cools off a little bit 🤣

05/08/2023

Big one…

03/08/2023

This guy could grow an interesting set of antlers in a couple of years. He had some odd growth last year, but definitely has more mass and length this year.

16/07/2023

My son and I had a great time fishing with Josh yesterday. We caught plenty of fish, learned how to use livescope, and watched that big walleye bite my line! If you go to Branson and want to catch some fish look him up!

09/07/2023

In case anyone is wondering, I have been pretty busy. We have a lot going on and sharing things around the ranch just hasn’t been a priority. I’ll get back to it soon, until then here’s a picture. Maybe one of these days I can get some video posted. Also, it’s pretty hot and dry here in Texas. Our ponds are at their lowest since we’ve had the place.

We still have plenty of water for these guys, but could really use a good rain.

01/06/2023

Anyone else run their trail cameras in portrait mode?

Me either, the cattle must have pushed it over…

I don’t think most people understand how curious they can be. They love to check out anything within their reach. We had one eat the emblem off one of our cars. They are crazy!

21/04/2023

We are getting ready to pick out some new steers for the season!

This was our little herd last year. Our chief cattle selector (CCS) has an eye for uniqueness, but her main target characteristic is they are calm enough to let the grandkids feed them. That's one of our highlights every year. Stay tuned to see what our new herd looks like this year.

05/04/2023

Proof that I had a successful turkey hunt once upon a time!

02/04/2023

01/04/2023

Caught a great picture of this guy while checking things around the ranch the other day.

These guys, like hogs, will wreak havoc on turkey nests and need to be kept in check.

He looks friendly, but he’s not.

Tagging , this guy looks happier than the you one shared 😎

01/04/2023

A little spring cleaning and work around the ranch. Trees are blooming, repairs are needed, and the weather is great!

March was a very busy month so I didn’t post much. April looks a little better, and May will be pretty busy.

Funny how life does that sometimes, you have to learn how to adjust and enjoy the busy and recover during the quiet times.

This year is a big transition as my youngest will be graduating high school and heading off to college leaving us as empty nesters. It’s going to be a busy spring and summer to say the least.

25/03/2023

So… this guy showed up today after my post about the turkeys and seeing fewer hogs around!

New target identified.

Let’s go get him!

25/03/2023

Do you see what I see?

24/03/2023

Most of you probably don’t understand how happy it makes me to see a turkey on our ranch. We don’t see them too often, but we see them more than we did when we bought the place.

I may be wrong, but we’ve been aggressively reducing our hog population and I’d like to think this is one of the benefits.

Spring is their mating season and they’ll lay eggs soon after. Hoping they are successful and we some more around!

02/03/2023

A full day of work at the ranch is ending with a great sunset.

28/02/2023

Our accomplishments so far today:
UTV Driveshaft replacement
Rewired golf cart and put in new batteries
Repaired ATV rim
Replaced two screen panels on the screened in porch
Replaced one window screen
Lunch
Sit down to enjoy the view for a few minutes

21/02/2023

Roadrunner Encounter....part 1

You really never know what you'll find around the ranch. My wife and I were out checking on the cattle and surveying the pasture one morning and had pretty entertaining encounter with a roadrunner. We were out walking around and as we made our way back to the 4 wheelers something caught our attention. There was a roadrunner on one of our 4 wheelers! (See Pics) This ended up being a very interesting day with two different encounters, this being the first one.

He wasn't concerned with us at all, and actually seemed quite curious what we were doing. We took serval pictures and just watched as he checked everything out. He eventually hopped down and we went on our way.

A couple hours later we went back down to the pasture. We could hear him up in a tree. As we sat there my wife began to call to him with a bird whistle that her grandmother had taught her. When she would whistle, the roadrunner would respond and eventually revealed himself. This experience still makes us laugh today.

Stay tuned for the next post on Part 2, which will include some video of what happened next, you won't want to miss it.

20/02/2023

Spring chores at the ranch are always a little bit of an adventure.

We have a wet weather creek that runs across our place and we have to check the fencing a few times a year. Heavy rains bring runoff and debris which seems to have a way of getting caught up in the hanging fence.

We normally pick up some steers this time of year and before bringing them home we have to check all our fences including the three that cross the creek.

There was one time a few years ago where I was doing some fence repair and a copperhead was on the branch I was working under. You just never know where those guys will be. It’s best to keep your eyes open all the time and continuously scan your surroundings.

19/02/2023

Anyone else enjoy finding dropped antlers? Also known as shed hunting.

It's a great way to explore your property in early spring and see how things look after winter starts to fade. Finding shed antlers is just a bonus. It's good to check fence lines, game trails and near food and water sources. You are guaranteed to learn something new about your property regardless how long you've owned it or had access.

18/02/2023

There's nothing better than a sunrise from the ranch. Looking out over the valley watching the sunrise is one of my favorites.

Most people think Texas is flat and boring.... this may not be a mountaintop, but it's a great view.

I hope you are enjoying your morning as much as I am.

17/02/2023

Anyone else ready for the long weekend?

15/02/2023

"It always seems impossible until it's done." —Nelson Mandela

This picture still cracks me up. There were so many other options for getting this golf cart back up the hill, but they chose manpower.

Also, a good reminder that it's hard to add fuel to an electric vehicle out on a ranch...

14/02/2023

This lady has been my valentine for a while now. She's also my best friend and most trusted advisor. We've been through a lot of ups and downs as we've navigated life. She encourages me to be better than I was yesterday and loves our family deeply. I'd be lost without her. She

14/02/2023

The little piggies better be careful. There's been a bobcat lurking around that feeder looking for a meal. He chased off a squirrel and hour or so before they showed up yesterday.