YT Ranch Dove Hunts
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YT Ranch Dove Hunts
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THE
YT RANCH IN WINKLER COUNTY
Near the southeast corner of New Mexico, in the Trans-Pecos region of
Texas, the Caprock of Texas ends, and the Chihuahua Desert begins.
The flat grassy pastures of the Plains turn into undulating sand dunes.
The YT Ranch is situated on this transitional terrain.
The deep sand soil supports a variety of native grasses such as Bluestems
and Gramas. Due to the arid climate
the grass is sparse in coverage, but it is of the highest quality in strength
and nutrition. Oak shinery and
Sagebrush are common shrubs, and Yucca is the prevalent cactus in this area.
Mesquite trees are also common. Though
the land is dry and sparse, it is excellent cattle ranch country.
Underground water is less than one hundred feet deep, and is plentiful in
most areas. With proper stocking
rates and care, this land prospers on the average ten inches of rainfall per
year. The winters are mild and dry
with little snowfall. Summers begin
extremely hot and arid, but usually moderate by July with the inclusion of rain.
Fall is consistently our most pleasant season with daytime temperatures
in the nineties and evenings in the seventies.
Though this area was settled as late as the early 1900's it has always
supported a human population beginning with the early Paleo-Indians and ending
with the historic tribe of Comanche. In
the shifting sand dunes, arrowheads, spear points, and flint tools remain to show
the presence of ancient cultures living in this area.
Reliable water sources attracted various game animals and the people who
hunted them. Mortar holes for
grinding corn and beans are numerous in the rock on top of nearby Blue Mountain
(a point formed by the end of the Caprock).
Indians used this place as a campsite because of its quality as a
lookout, and the caves that occur naturally in the side of the escarpment.
Lithic drawings made by the Comanche still remain on the rocks of these
caves. By 1876 the combination of
the U.S. Army campaigns against the Indians, and the slaughter of the bison
herds removed the remaining Comanche from this area.
The passage of the bison hunters made way for another economy that
remains strong in Winkler County today. Land,
unsuitable for cultivation, is found to be excellent grazing land for cattle.
The native forage grows strong, and remains nutritious through the winter
months. It is possible to range
spring calving cows through the winter without supplemental feeding.
And cattle diseases and parasites are less of a problem due to the arid
climate and the uncrowded stocking rates the region prescribes.
Another industry dawned in Winkler County in 1926 with the discovery of
oil. A well, T.G. Hendrick No.1,
drilled on land leased for ten cents an acre launched an oil field that reached
a length of nine miles, and an oil boom that transformed the entire region.
Oil and gas exploration is still the driving force in the Winkler County
area along with cattle ranching.
One rich aspect of our land that exists in abundance, but remains largely
undisturbed is the presence of game birds and animals.
The YT Ranch hosts a variety of game that has never been subject to
excessive hunting pressure. Windmill
water and masses of sunflower plants consistently bring in large numbers of
mourning dove each season. Through
conservative use of the land, the population of Trans-Pecos mule deer continues
to grow. Some of the largest deer of this species have been recently taken from
the YT Ranch. Javelina exists in
modest numbers alongside countless numbers of varmints.
All of these animals have been hunted very conservatively over the years.
Ranchers take only what they need, and occasionally invite special
friends to enjoy the blessings of this land.
The YT Ranch has recently extended this invitation to a select number of
shooters who can appreciate and enjoy this setting.
Rob & Alice Leese
YT Ranch Dove Hunts
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Send mail to: ytranchdovehunts@hotmail.com with
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