Buying Hunting Land in Texas

[Char-Gar]

Smokeywolf...Most of the makers of manufactured homes make many of their models as "modular home". These set down on a slab and are as strong or stronger than site built homes.

Beekeeper...I lived in Pampa from 1973 through 1977. I was Pastor of St. Pauls United Methodist Church there as well as the Methodist church in Lefors.

[rockrat]

When I was going to school in Norman, OK (GO SOONERS) we used to call Texas by another name, Baja Oklahoma

Big rivalry during the days of Barry Switzer. Still a big rivalry. Dad went to UT so we always had a bet going on that weekend.


Seriously, before you Texans get all ruffled feathers, know I do have Texas blood in my veins, Grandfather and 2 Great Grandmothers were from Texas also. My niece was born in Texas.

Was tempted to move to the hill country about 20 years ago but the humidity was the drawback. I still have some friends in Texas.

I still think Texans are the salt of the earth, but I still like to poke fun at you now and then!!! Mainly during a certain time of the year.

Ok, I apologize for hijacking the thread

[tonyjones]

rockrat,

If you look at the Sooner's player roster you'll know why we Texans refer to them as the University of Texas at Norman!

Regards,

Tony

[a.squibload]

Was tempted to move to the hill country about 20 years ago but the humidity was the drawback.

Coming from the Houston area we used to think the
Hill Country was nice & dry. Guess that's why it's called
"relative humidity".

I got 5 acres you could buy near Wimberley but it's
residential.

[rockrat]

In Colorado now, when humidity gets above 25%, its humid. Don't think I could stand it down there now, after being here 20+ years, but I do see pics of some areas down there (with trees!) and wonder how life would have been had I moved there.

[gbrown]

Right now where I'm at, it's a balmy 88 degrees with 66% humidity. Kinda cool with thunderstorms in the area. Typical E.Tx day in the summer. You get used to it. Born & raised in these parts, can remember houses and cars with no A/C. I can remember spending time at Ft. Bliss one summer. My body was used to moisture. The wind there comes from the Chihuahuan desert. The linings of my nostrils, sinuses and lips all dried and cracked. Yuck. Send me back to Se Tx.

[Char-Gar]

Back in the mid-80s, we were living in El Paso. We took a week's vacation in Bandera and were suffering from the humidity. At dinner we met a couple from Houston, who spend a week in a month in Bandera each summer to get away from the humidity. Humidity is indeed in the eyes of the beholder.

[smokeywolf]

a.squibload,
Thanks for the offer. We're holding out for a little bigger piece of Texas.
I'm hoping to establish a family home that might be passed down for generations to come.
We're holding out for a bare minimum of 11 acres in unincorporated area, hopefully with an AG or wildlife exemption already in place.

I remember spending a night in Fort Worth some 38 years ago. I was driving a tractor-trailer rig cross-country. I was a little surprised to find myself in a cloud which seemed to be just laying on the ground. It was early September, 10:00 PM, and about 72 degrees. That was the first time for me to experience what my mother referred to as humid weather. She grew up in the South.

smokeywolf

[longhorn]

I'd be looking around San Angelo area, maybe a hundred mile radius; I live within that circle. The land bargains exist, but you give up easy access to metropolitan services (think health care). Not much winter, which I hate (grew up in the panhandle) but plenty of summer. It's 102 right now with 23 per cent humidity; maybe it'll cool sometime in September. As a native, my comment is this: make sure you and spouse understand what summer is like in Texas-I've seen it run numerous folks off. Good luck.

[crabo]

It was so humid today that if you swung a machete through the air, it left a puddle of water on the ground.

[hackberry]

for my 2cents worth,east of 100th meridian is the wet part of texas or so the saying goes.ive been in "hole in the donut" with just under 8" rain since Oct 2010 so it can get a little dry.also had over a 100 days over 100 degrees last year. something to consider

[smokeywolf]

It's not going to be easy finding what we want for what we can afford. Like everything in life, we will compromise. We want to end up with a well plus either a large pond or well plus live water. We would like to be in hills or foothills. We'd like to be somewhere around the 100th meridian or somewhat west of it. Prefer not to be in the north. I'm surprised to see some pieces of acreage as large as 30+ acres classified as residential. Therefore, ineligible for ag or wildlife exemptions. It seems that many folks have cleared their land of most of the trees. Lots of parcels with 80% open space/pasture. We'd kind of like it the other way around. Other than for the sake of fire prevention or traversing the land (preferably on foot or horseback) or maintaining the health of the existing flora and fauna, I like to keep my impact on or interference with nature to a minimum.
We would like to be able to hunt on the property just to supplement our own freezer.
Our former 11 acre minimum has now grown to more like a 16 acre minimum.

I read recently about Oak wilt which is known to exist in Hill Country. Also starting to read up on the types of plants, grains, and legumes that the wildlife need and prefer.
It's important to me to be a good neighbor. Not just another airhead, California Yankee.

Thanks again to all you Texans for all your advise and input.

smokeywolf

[skeettx]

Bruce, David and I went out for doves at 4 this afternoon

Bruce shot a 410 BSA side by side

David shot a Rem 1100 in 410 and an American Arms O/U in 24 gauge

I shot my Charles Daly in 410

The three limits of doves have been cleaned and are in the fridge soaking

Mike

[smokeywolf]

I've never eaten Dove. Grouse, Quail, Chuckar, all good! Like most small birds, I'm sure they're lots of work but really tasty.

Are you saying I should reconsider the Panhandle?

smokeywolf

[smokeywolf]

I should never have named this thread "Buying Hunting Land in Texas" What I'm actually trying to do is get the heck out of LibLand (California) and retire and relocate my family and future lineage to Texas.

[ilcop22]

I've never eaten Dove. Grouse, Quail, Chuckar, all good! Like most small birds, I'm sure they're lots of work but really tasty.

Are you saying I should reconsider the Panhandle?

smokeywolf

Dove are great flyers, sometimes hard to shoot, but are super easy to clean. Snip off the wings, get your finger under the rib cage, pinch, and lift. Body comes apart. Pull off the head and you got yourself a nice breast ready for trimming.

[square butte]

Always better with Bacon.

[crabo]

Always better with Bacon.

and a piece of jalapeno between the two halves before you put them on the grill

[Char-Gar]

There is a small native pepper in South Texas called the chili piquin. For generations we have been rubbing some of these on the inside of game birds from turkey to dove before cooking. It gives a delicious flavor, but is hotter than the hinges of hell. Jalapenos are marshmellows by comparison.

[rockrat]

Chili piquins= good stuff. Nice mild flavor!!

Grandparents lived in SA. Used to pick up a jar of the piquins now and then. A little goes a long ways.

Hope you find what you are looking for. Something many of us dream about.