Buffalo, TX 75831 - Freestone County

The raw natural beauty of the 2,169-acre Richey Ranch in the rolling sand hills and hardwood bottoms of Freestone County offers unlimited opportunities to create the ranch of your dreams.

Located about seven miles north of Buffalo, the ranch is a 75-minute drive from both Houston and Dallas. It offers the sweet silence of isolation with easy access.

The diverse native vegetation that provides exceptional wildlife habitat reflects the diverse soil types that range from red clay and silty sandy loam to red iron ore and black gumbo bottomlands. The majestic hardwoods include water oaks, post oaks, pecans and sweet gum; some timber could be harvested. Several of the well-worn ranch roads carry you under arched tree canopies where you can experience one of Mother Natures most serene and beautiful settings.

In the spring, the hills burst into a colorful display of wildflowers. While the ranch is primarily native habitat, there are two improved pastures that could be used as hay meadows.

For the past 9 years, Richey Ranch has been managed solely as a wildlife operation with an emphasis on trophy white-tailed deer. In 2010, the ranch was high-fenced and the existing deer herd removed. In 2011, the ranch was stocked with bred does with fawns at side from selected genetics.

Since then, the property has been managed as a private family hunting retreat under Texas Parks and Wildlifes MLDP 3 program that is now known as the conservation program. The goal has been to keep the herd numbers in balance with the landscape to maximize habitat and herd health. And the family has concentrated its harvest on management bucks and excess does in order to create majestic trophies.

In addition, the ranch has a deer breeding operation with about nine acres of breeding and soft release pens. The 2,500 square foot working house has nine holding rooms. An attached breeding barn is in final stages of construction.

Infrastructure dedicated to the deer herd includes 8 protein feeders, 8 10 corn feeders, a 3-ton feed cart and a 28-ton capacity silo. A total of 12 hunting blinds, a mixture of box and tree stands, will transfer with the sale.

Browns Creek and Self Creek traverse the property, which also has 9 stock ponds.

A wide variety of ducks take advantage of the plentiful water. The family limited its duck hunting to conserve the resource but have harvested wood ducks, mallards, hooded Mergansers, blue and green teal, widgeons and mottled ducks.

In addition, the ranch is home to feral hogs, varmints such as bobcats and coyotes, as well as a host of small and non-game species.

Building sites that showcase beautiful views suitable for a memorable ranch house abound. Currently, a single-wide mobile home with a kitchen/dining room combination, 2 bathrooms and 2 bunkrooms, which sleeps 12, is the primary lodging. A 1,200-square-foot metal equipment barn with a concrete floor rounds out the infrastructure.

The ranch has a single water well to supply the house and pens. There are four additional capped water wells on the property; they have not been inspected

For those looking to live a dream on a large tract of land with unlimited possibilities for an exceptional life built around natural beauty, wildlife, livestock (or both) and family and friends Richey Ranch should be the place you call home.

To experience the possibilities for yourself, call Howard W. Hood at (830) 739-3815. The ranch is available for $3,250/acre.