213 acres in Hardeman County

The Big Valley Lake Ranch is a perfect setup for someone looking for a clean, ready to go property with nice lake views, lodging, plenty of year round recreation as well as a great place to raise a cow herd or stocker operation. The ranch is easily accessible and has excellent year round sport and agricultural or livestock opportunities that are ready to enjoy! As you enter the property off of Custer Road, you cross a cattle guard and travel the winding gravel road passing the working pens and through the first improved grass pasture. As you go through the second cattle guard into the house pasture, the huge lake and well maintained headquarters becomes fully visible. The road continues past the ranch home and shop, shortly before crossing the huge lake damn and continuing over to the east side of the ranch into one of the larger ranch pastures. These pastures have an excellent grass base with some more open areas as well as some thicker mesquite thicket parts. If the new owner wanted a strict cattle operation, they could easily remove or spray the small mesquites in these pastures and the grass would flourish. Or, if more hunting land was the goal of the new owner, the mesquites could be left to grow and within a few years would act as great cover for wildlife. The massive natural draw that feeds the lake has plenty of room and runoff to build an additional lake above the existing one if the new owner was interested in doing so.

There is a large natural year round spring above the mouth of the existing lake which also helps to ensure fresh water is supplementing the runoff water when there are periods of minimal rainfall. The lake is definitely the heart of the ranch, providing great fishing opportunities and outstanding waterfowl hunting in the winter months! From the front porch of the house you are only a few feet from the water’s edge! The main part of the lake is deep water, while the part stretching back into the mouth area becomes more shallow and brushy. This area is covered in huge bullfrogs and the soils of the ranch primarily are sandy loam with some clay, but have more tight ground in the natural draw feeding the lake. About 50% of the ranch is comprised of older CRP grasses and various other plants. This is an excellent bedding area for wildlife and could be left alone or converted back into cultivation fairly easy.

The quail hunting in this kind of scrub brush and grass flat areas is outstanding. Several coveys of birds are found on the ranch at all times. Although not too thick with brush, the ranch is surrounded by dense mesquite pastures making the property plentiful with wildlife and well balanced for all types of hunting and recreation. Because of the dense cover surrounding the property and minimal hunting pressure on the surrounding ranches, there is a very good chance to harvest trophy wildlife! There are also multiple cross fences that separate the pastures for concentrated grazing.