2980 State Hwy 304, Gonzales, TX 78629 - Gonzales County

The 184-acre 4 Gunn Ranch, located 7 miles north of Gonzales in Gonzales County, is ideally suited as a weekend retreat, working cattle ranch or both. The property, which has been in the Gunn family since 1866, is an hour east of San Antonio, an hour south of Austin and three hours west of Houston.

For the majority of its history, 4 Gunn Ranch has been a working cattle ranch. In 2019, the family celebrated the 100th anniversary of its "Closed 4" Brand by being recognized through Texas Family Land Heritage Program. Generations of stewards, have managed the rolling terrain, which has been selectively cleared, and fertile soil to produce beef and hay. The working ranch qualifies for an agricultural tax valuation.

The majority of the low-fenced ranch is native rangeland, but there is a 30-acre dryland Klein grass hay field. Another 35 40 acres of mixed brush including mesquite, huisache, cactus and oak trees, provides habitat for white-tailed deer. Feral hogs and doves are regularly spotted. Through the years, hunting has been limited to the family and they have used it lightly.

Highway 304 bisects the property providing premier access. The east pasture encompasses 107.9 acres while the west pasture includes 76.3 acres. On the south end of the ranch, a "crossover" makes moving cattle across the highway safe and convenient, so continuing the family's tradition of well-managed rotational grazing is easy. City water service is available on both the east and west sides of the highway.

The east pasture features a half-acre (approximate) stock tank that is about 22 feet deep in the middle and has been stocked with bass, catfish and pan fish. A single-wide mobile home overlooks the pond and is flanked by a pole barn used for equipment storage.

The ranch's wooden working pens, located in the east pasture, are situated to give convenient access to the highway. The pens, which include three holding pens and a squeeze chute as well as steel gates that swing both directions and water, are well-designed, functional and user-friendly. A hay barn with a 50-roll capacity and an attached equipment lean to and a working water well round out the ranch infrastructure in the east pasture.

The west pasture is home to the original 2-bedroom/1-bath ranch house built in 1954. In recent years, the plumbing, electrical, sheet rock, fixtures and other elements have been replaced and upgraded. An implement barn with an attached weaning corral is located near the house and two small existing stock ponds could be developed to provide additional surface water.

Throughout history, the 4 Gunn Ranch has offered fertile opportunities for agriculture and life on the land. Those opportunities still exist today for modern pioneers who want to stake their claim in the historic heart of Texas.

To explore the opportunities 4 Gunn Ranch offers contact Howard W. Hood at (830) 739-3815. The property is available for $1,350,000.