Guggenheim Waterfowl Paradise and Ranchita

The Guggenheim Ranchita is a truly unique waterfowl paradise in a specific location with a long and proven history of being the incredible winter home and feeding ground for generations of geese, cranes, and ducks. It has several engineered water units with control systems in place and a very comfortable hunting lodge and cabin to be able to enjoy the ranch all year long. The owner is a very experienced designer and architect of superior wetlands across the country and this property is his flagship. It is a special property that cannot be easily replicated. LOCATION This waterfowl mecca is located on CR 116 just 5 miles north of Haskell, south of Weinert, and west of Hwy 277. The avid waterfowler will know the region, as they have likely spent time all around it. The property is 55 miles from Abilene, 95 miles from Wichita Falls, and 160 miles from Fort Worth. WILDLIFE Ranchita stands as a premier destination for waterfowl hunting enthusiasts. But beyond its renowned waterfowl hunting opportunities, Ranchita also offers extraordinary dove hunts (with annual harvest numbers around 4,000), and other diverse hunting experiences, including quail, sandhill crane deer, turkey, and hogs. IMPROVEMENTS Comfortable accommodations are provided in the main house which is a two-story, 40’ x 60’ metal siding structure that has been transformed to into a very well finished out lodge. It can accommodate up to 15 hunters and has 4 bedrooms, plenty of bunks, and two baths, with plumbing in place to add an additional bathroom if desired. There is also a smaller cabin that is not connected that offers a more intimate setting with one bedroom and one bath. There is also a storage barn for tools, UTVs, and extra supplies. WATER Developed over the past decade through partnerships with NRCS, Ducks Unlimited, USDA, and NWTF, this highly engineered property features custom-built lakes and managed wetland systems tailored specifically for optimal waterfowl experiences. (The property is NOT encumbered by any government programs or conservation easements.) The lakes have been designed to hold water efficiently, with only 2 inches of rain needed to flood them all. The property is surrounded by very large farm holdings that all slope gently towards this one location where two intermittent drainage systems converge which is known to hold the right water at the right time for migrating geese, ducks and other waterfowl. The Ranchita has flood control systems installed to manage water levels, boasting a 0 grade elevation, allowing for efficient water management via the primary 30” flashboard riser intake and a 30” single flashboard riser outflow. Furthermore, it offers the flexibility to move water back and forth between lakes and drain and fill the various embodiments to allow for planting, management, and wet soils management. There are 16 acre and 10 acre main lakes on this property with control valves and culverts, along with levees that capture water from cultivated farmland for additional 20 acre and 15 acre areas. Inside the headquarters mesh-fenced 100 acres there are a 1 acre duck marsh and also a half acre fishing pond. The site is relatively flat with a slight downward elevation fall to the north and a slight upwardly sloping elevation change from the east to the west, adjacent to a significant drainage area providing good volumes of water. The headquarters can be serviced by a water well, but it currently runs primarily from a captured rainwater system. MINERALS A nominal part of the mineral estate is owned and may be available with an acceptable contract. OTHER This property is to waterfowl hunters what a course designed by Robert Trent Jones is to golfers. It is something that cannot be easily replicated. The current landowner is the designer and architect of the wetlands on this site. He is associated with several large organizations such as the National Wildlife Foundation wetlands group and The Natural State Initiative for Arkansas on flooded timber GTR management. This property is his flagship. Experienced waterfowl experts know that building this kind of property is not just as easy as putting a water well next to a lake basin in Haskell County. This property has a long and proven history of being the winter home and feeding ground for generations of geese, cranes, and ducks and this type of unique asset cannot usually be found available on the market.