Stellman Ranch

 

Location

Stellman Ranch is located along the Texas Gulf Coast on the Live Oak Peninsula and Port Bay.  The ranch is situated in Aransas County near the town of Rockport.

The ranch and the Live Oak Peninsula area are part of a network of Coastal Protected Areas that include three units of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, five State Wildlife Management Areas, and thousands of acres of private preserves and conservation easements. Stellman Ranch is adjacent to Port Bay Club with over 100 years of outdoor heritage.  A million acres of state and federal waters for hunting, fishing and recreation connect them all.  Two words come to mind… Habitat and Wildlife!

Acreage

1,108± Acres in Aransas County

Description

Stellman Ranch is a one-of-a-kind combination of a working cattle ranch and a resource-rich recreation property; with its extensive coastal prairie, intact wetlands, expansive bayfront, and a variety of fishery habitats. The combination of these natural habitats has provided for a huge diversity of wildlife alongside a continued ranching heritage.

Proximity to the beloved coastal towns of Rockport, Fulton, Aransas Pass and Port Aransas makes the ranch accessible and convenient, while also offering completely private waterfront access in a serene and natural setting. The 600ft canal with covered lifts and boathouse gets you out on the water with ease and speed. A 475ft private wooden pier with fish cleaning station also provides effortless enjoyment of the Port Bay waters.

Ranching livestock has been the traditional use of this ranch for over 100 years and the property is set up with excellent infrastructure fences, lanes, wells, and troughs.  Through a series of roads and mowed lanes there is great access to much of the ranch.

Habitat

Stellman Ranch lies within the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes Ecoregion. Many say the habitats at Stellman are very similar to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and with the network of similar protected areas in the immediate vicinity, a wildlife mecca.  This system is characterized by a diverse complex of soils, and habitat associations including tallgrass prairie, sand barrens, freshwater marshes, and freshwater pothole ponds.  Tidal bayous and brackish emergent marshes further enhance the ranches’ biological diversity. This broad soil diversity supports a unique assemblage of native grasses, forbs, brush and trees.

Wildlife

Hunting, birding, photography, and just enjoying the array of wildlife is easy to do within this diverse assemblage of habitats.  Fresh and Coastal waters are home to a wide array of wintering waterfowl, shorebirds, and waterbirds such as ducks, geese, cranes, stilts, plovers, egrets, bitterns, and herons.  Sandy soils, prairies and motts provide habitat for bobwhite quail, and native whitetail deer.

Motts and shrubs provide exceptional fall-out habitat for neotropical songbirds during spring and fall migration.  At times the diversity of warblers, oriels, vireos, tanagers, and hummingbirds foraging and resting in the trees are unbelievable.

Fishing on the ranch and in adjacent waters is world class.  Redfish, trout, flounder, and drum are all part of the fishery that makes this region a fishing destination.

Improvements and Water      

The ranch is set up as a working cattle ranch with new, excellent fences defining 6 main pastures. Fenced lanes and gathering areas make moving and rotating cattle easy. A quality 30′ x 100′ metal barn near a set of working pens is the base for the cattle operation and a covered, two-lift Boathouse on the canal provides the ground floor of a dream coastal lodge and house complex. Multiple water troughs and storage from a network of wells provide water for livestock, wildlife, and future headquarters areas.

Conservation and Management       

The ranch is made up of 3 main tracts that were placed under Conservation Easements as part of a comprehensive plan to implement a wildlife and landscape Conservation Strategy.  The Easement provides for significant homesite development and usage of each of the 3 properties both individually or as a whole. A 4th tract of about 34 acres is centered around the canal and boat dock, this area is completely unrestricted and is a blank canvas for any type of development, lodge or infrastructure a new owner envisions.  Each of the 3 larger tracts and easements allows for the ability to improve with building sites for homes, lodges and recreational infrastructure.

Hand in hand with the conservation strategies on the ranch, significant improvement has been made in habitat management, infrastructure, and wildlife management. Prescribed burning has been an ideal tool for coastal prairie management and regular use of it has had significant impact on the health of the native range. Ranching livestock has been the traditional use of this ranch over past generations and is still a part of the management and use of the ranch today.

Disclaimer

This Ranch offering is subject to prior sale, change in price, or removal from the market without notice. While the information above was provided by sources deemed reliable, it is in no way guaranteed by the broker or agent.