To date over 1,000,000 acres have burned and over 200 homes have been destroyed due to dozens of Wildfires throughout the State of Texas. The 3 major wildfires still burning in Texas are Possum Kingdom, Wildcat, and Rockhouse Fires. These 3 wildfires alone have destroyed 191 homes, 2 businesses, and 2 churches as well as burning more than 500,000 acres. The largest of the “Big 3” wildfires is the “ROCKHOUSE” still burning in Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties of West Texas. So far this fire has torched more than 230,000 acres and destroyed … (13 comments)
In 1837 Joseph A. Tivy and his two sisters came to Texas from Canada. After serving as a Texas Ranger, Tivy joined his sisters in the California Gold Rush of 1849. There they operated a hotel and he later served in the State Legislature. After returning to Texas in the late 1850s, Tivy fought in the Civil War, attaining the rank of Captain. A surveyor, rancher, and Texas Legislator, he served as the first Kerrville Mayor in 1889. During his term of office he gave land for the city schools. He and … (10 comments)
hill country ranches: Bulls have horns- cows do not!?!?
- 04/13/11 12:01 PM
Bulls have horns- cows do not!?!? That one is a bull-cow(actual word used) see the horns and that one is a cow-cow, no horns. This is actually what I over heard a Houston Real Estate Agent telling his clients(husband & wife) one day while I was driving them around looking at Kerrville area Ranches. I coughed and sputtered and almost couldn't keep the laughter in while thinking to myself "This is the reason residential city real estate agents have no business representing buyers looking at Hill Country Ranches!" Just for the people reading this that have absolutely no background in "Bull-cows and Cow-cows"- the … (7 comments)
(The actual geographical center of Texas is located on private property.) Five miles northwest is the geographic center of Texas, an imaginary point whose coordinates divide the state into four equal areas. In straight-line distance it is 437 miles from the state's most westerly point on the Rio Grande River above El Paso, 412 miles from the most northerly point in the northwest corner of the Panhandle near Texline, 401 miles from the most southerly point on the Rio Grande below Brownsville and 341 miles from the most easterly point on the Sabine … (4 comments)
Howard Henderson(1842-1908) came to Texas in 1857. He was a survivor of the Civil War Battle of the Nueces in 1862, in which he and other Unionists were ambushed b Battle of the Nueces in 1862, in which he and other Unionists were ambushed by a Confederate force near the Nueces River. He later served as a Texas Ranger. Henderson married Narcissa Turknett in1866 and they settled near this site in 1870. Upon the deaths of their infant twin sons Thomas and Phillip, they began a family burial ground which became known as Henderson Cemetery. … (10 comments)
Charles Armand Schreiner(1838-1927), a native of Alsace-Lorraine, immigrated to Texas with his family in 1852. He joined the Texas Rangers at the age of fifteen, and in 1857 entered the cattle business at Turtle Creek in Kerr County. He left to serve in the Third Texas Infantry during the Civil War, and returned to Kerr County in 1855. Moving to Kerrville in 1869, he opened a successful mercantile business. The threat of Indian raids in the area soon prompted the formation of the Kerrville Mounted Rifles, and Schreiner was appointed Captain by Governor Richard Coke … (9 comments)
hill country ranches: Texas Historical Markers- The Pinta Trail
- 03/27/11 03:03 PM
Texas Historical Markers- The Pinta Trail Origin of the Pinta Trail is attributed to nomadic Plains Indian Tribes. Early Spanish and Mexican expeditions followed the general route of the trail, which extended from San Antonio De Bexar to the San Saba River near present Menard. A survey by German immigrants in 1845 provided a wagon road over part of the trail, and after the discovery of gold in California in 1849, the trail was utilized by U.S. Military companies seeking to open new routes to the western states. Use of the trail declined with the advent of railroads in the late … (5 comments)
hill country ranches: Kerr County Historical Marker- Dowdy Tragedy of 1878
- 03/26/11 03:44 PM
Kerr County Historical Marker- Dowdy Tragedy of 1878 The Historical marker reads as follows: The Pioneer family of Susan(1830-1913) and James Dowdy(1818-1900) moved from Goliad to Kerr County in 1878 and settled on Johnson Creek. Shortly after the family arrived, 4 of the Dowdy children were killed by Indians while tending to sheep near their home. The attack occurred on October 5, 1878, at a site about 3.5 miles northwest of present Ingram. The victims were buried the next day at Sunset Cemetery, northwest of Ingram. This incident was one of the last Indian raids in Kerr County.
Below … (5 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas- Part IX
- 03/11/11 05:27 PM
Wildlife Management for the purpose of Tax Exemptions in Texas. The 7th Management Practice is Census Counts. Census Counts Census counts are surveys performed to estimate the population of a particular species within a the boundaries of the land being managed for wildlife. This is one of the most important parts of management practices because it gives you the approximate population. Without knowing information about the population, it is difficult to determine what will benefit the wildlife. There are many different way to conduct a census count. The type of survey performed will be dependant upon what your targeted management species … (13 comments)
Providing Supplemental Shelter This is when a landowner manipulates the native vegetation or creates new structures that provide a form of shelter for the wildlife. Some common ways to provide supplemental shelter are: Nesting boxes and bat boxes- are used to provide artificial shelter for certain species of wildlife to use for nesting sites, protection from predators, and safe places to rest or raise their young. Brush piles-provide supplemental shelter when the land is cleared and the brush is left in piles … (4 comments)
Providing Supplemental Food Providing supplemental food is probably the most commonly used practice for wildlife management. This is done by providing a healthy food source other than what already appears naturally on the property. Here are some common ways to provide supplemental food for wildlife management purposes: Food plots- are becoming one of the most popular ways to provide supplemental food among many landowners. Food plots are areas of land that have been planted, for the benefit of the wildlife, with a … (5 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas- Part VI
- 03/08/11 03:36 PM
Wildlife Management for the purpose of Tax Exemptions in Texas. The 4th Management Practice is Providing Supplemental Water. Providing Supplemental Water Providing supplemental water is the building or maintaining the natural and man made water or wetlands for the benefit of the wildlife. Supplemental water can be provided by the following: 1. Marsh or wetland restoration or development-can provide supplemental water in the form greentree reservoirs, specific shallow roost pond development, seasonally flooded crops and other areas, moist soil management, marsh restoration/development/protection, and prairie pothole restoration/development/protection. 2. Managing well, troughs, and windmill overflows- can provide supplemental water for wildlife by modifying fencing … (2 comments)
Predator Management Management is the eliminating or reducing the population of a species that is considered harmful to the wildlife you are attempting to manage. It is only recommended to practice Predator Management as part of the Management Plan if the populations of predators threaten the wildlife. Several ways to manage predator populations are: 1. Mammal predator control- This is used to reduce the population of hogs, coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, mountain lions, cats, dogs, skunks, and snakes. 2. Fire ant control- Used … (2 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas- Part IV
- 03/07/11 04:04 PM
Wildlife Management for the purpose of Tax Exemptions in Texas. The 2nd Management Practice is Erosion Control. Erosion control is activity that attempts to reduce or stop the erosion of habitat used by the wildlife. Common practices of qualifying erosion control are: 1.Pond construction and/or Maintenance 2.Gully shaping 3.Streamside, Pond, and Wetland Revegetation 4.Establishing and/or Maintaining Native Plants on Critical Areas 5.Dike or Levee Construction and/or Maintenance 6.Establishing Water Diversion. Pond construction- Building or maintaining a structure to retain a permanent source of water for the benefit of the wildlife. Gully shaping-Is the smoothing out of the sides or walls of a … (2 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas- Part III
- 03/07/11 01:45 PM
Wildlife Management for the purpose of Tax Exemption in Texas- Part III The 1st of the 7 Wildlife Management Practices I talked about in my previous blog was Habitat Control/Habitat Management. Habitat control or habitat management is when you create or enhance the environment to benefit the wildlife within the boundaries of a property. Acceptable manipulation of habitat that qualifies as Habitat Control/Management includes: 1.Grazing Management 2.Prescribed Burning 3.Range Enhancement 4.Brush management 5.Forest Management 6.Riparian Management 7.Wetland Enhancement 8.Wildlife Restoration
Disclaimer- in no way is this information intended as legal or tax advise. It is for informal educational purposes only. … (3 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas- Part II
- 03/06/11 03:42 PM
Before I proceed with more information on how to go about working towards obtaining a wildlife exemption for your property, I fill it is necessary to make sure you know that there are many factors that need to be meet to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications to convert your land to wildlife valuation. The 2 biggest factors are- 1. Does your property currently have a 1-d-1 agricultural valuation in effect? And 2. Does the property you want to use for wildlife exemption consist of at least 20 acres? If you meet both of these qualifications, then you can proceed … (6 comments)
hill country ranches: Wildlife Management in Texas
- 03/06/11 02:43 PM
Wildlife Management for the purpose of Tax Exemption in Texas. In Texas there is a way to have your property valued at the agricultural tax rate without traditional farming or ranching practices taking place on the land. It is called Wildlife Exemption or Wildlife Valuation. This allows a qualifying landowner in the state of Texas to have their land managed to improve the wildlife's conditions and habitat. For a land owner to qualify for this exemption, a minimum of 3 of the 7 "Management Practices" must be implemented on an annual basis. The seven Management Practices are: 1. Habitat Control 2. Supplemental Shelter 3. Supplemental Water 4. … (7 comments)
hill country ranches: Quick Reference Do's & Don't of a 1031 Tax Exchange
- 02/23/11 02:22 PM
Below are some simple DO's and DON'Ts if you are planning on participating in a 1031 Tax Exchange that may save you some headaches. DO NOT miss your 45-day identification and 180-day exchange deadlines, as this will disqualify the entire exchange. Reputable Qualified Intermediaries will not act on back-dated or late identifications. DO NOT try doing a 1031 Exchange yourself using your CPA or attorney to hold title or funds. IRS regulation requires a Qualified Intermediary to properly complete an exchange. Regulations under IRS Section 1031 disqualify any attorney, broker, accountant or real estate agent who provides routine service to the taxpayer … (11 comments)
hill country ranches: Texas Historical Marker- Geunther's Live Oak Mill
- 02/15/11 05:10 PM
The Texas Hill Country has 100's of Historical Markers scattered throughout its networks of highways and small county roads. The one below is located just a couple miles south of Fredericksburg on Hwy 16. I found it very interesting to learn that Pioneer Flour Mills was originally started by Carl H. Geunther who started his operations on the small creek of Live Oak.
If you cannot read the historical marker please leave your email address with your comment and I will be glad to send a larger version that is easily read.
There are still some fields that are … (7 comments)
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