Wardens' Eagles' Nest Ranch

Jerry and Kiki Warden, co-owners of the Wardens' Eagles' Nest Ranch in Rocksprings, Texas, have been living their dream on 185.6 acres in the Edwards County, which is located 100 miles west of San Antonio. The county encompasses 2,120 square miles of the Edwards Plateau region. The elevation varies from 1,500 feet to 2,410 feet. The average annual rainfall is twenty-two inches. The temperature ranges from 34° F to 62° in January and 71° to 97° in July; the growing season lasts 250 days, beginning in mid-March and ending in late November. The eastern section of the county has generally rolling terrain, with many hills and caves. The western region is typically flat. The county is situated upon a major limestone deposit surfaced with dark, calcareous stony clays and clay loams that principally support oak, juniper, persimmon, mountain laurel, plum, sotol, mesquite, agarita and cedar, as well as prairie grasses such as curly mesquite, wintergrass and grama grass. Edwards County has more than fifteen natural springs that flow year-round; the headwaters of the Llano, Nueces, and West Nueces rivers are in the county. The vegetation, temperature, and abundant water supply make this an ideal area for many types of game animals, including white-tail deer, javelina, turkey, and quail. The area is rich in iron ore and sulfur and has some silver deposits, though these have not been mined or developed. The Warden’s revamped the ranch with a remodel of the home and addition of a barn and storage buildings, then began building their herd of exotics based on superior genetics. The management program involves feeding protein year-round and alfalfa in dry spells. Corn is available during hunting season and peanut hay is utilized when available. WENR offered Spring and Fall turkey hunting, whitetail deer hunts under Texas Managed Land Deer Permits as well as Fallow, and Blackbuck Antelope. Axis deer hunts are offered year-round with varmint hunts on an arranged basis. Hunts include overnight lodging and meals, ranch transportation, comfortable blinds, electric skinning rack and a walk-in cooler. The Wardens cater to trophy and/or meat hunters and offer non-hunting visits to the ranch. There are 5 feeders and 5 blinds, strategically placed, throughout the ranch. A stock tank is kept full with well water serving as a dependable water source for wildlife. The owners are constantly improving the ranch and recently have pushed cedars that will be burned and did dirt work to enhance the capture of rainwater in the shallow draws. Improvements to the ranch include a spacious 3 bedroom, 3 bath home with additional bunk room and bath and a full bath in the adjacent equipment barn. The home has a kitchen complete with electric stove and oven, dishwasher and microwave plus a large island and two areas with dining tables and available seating. The living room opens to two porches: a screened side porch, offering great views of the countryside and mountain range and a front porch offering incredible views of the countryside and mountain range. A wood burning fireplace adds warmth on cool nights. The primary bedroom is spacious with sliding barn doors opening to a private bathroom. The second bedroom has a private bathroom, and the 3rd bedroom has a bathroom across the hall. The expansive, screened-in back porch is the perfect place to watch animals come in for feed and water. Cabinets and a sink along one wall and ample seating and dining make the back porch the perfect hangout. The laundry room is located at one end of the porch and the other end houses a new bunkroom with full bathroom. A private 250’ water well and septic tank are in place. A Generac generator will run the ranch improvements for 1 month…solar or propane. Other improvements are the 2100 SF metal building for storage and vehicles. This building has 4 roll-up doors and 2 walk-in doors for easy access. The barn also has a full bathroom and washer and dryer. There are 3 sheds on the ranch near the headquarters for storage, feed, and combustibles. One of the sheds offers covered parking for equipment or an RV. Some fun icing on the cake is the “concrete swimming pool”! This deep container of water is the perfect place to cool down on a hot day. There are two landing decks, one of which is covered. Steps inside the tank make getting in and out much easier! Throw your floaties in, grab a beverage and gaze at the scenery. Life is good in Rocksprings…a great place to hunt, hike, 4-wheel or do nothing! The ranch is about 15 minutes from Rocksprings (the county seat of Edwards County) via Hwy 377 to FM Rd 674 to SD 55000. Rocksprings has a hotel, grocery store, several convenient stores, several cafes, hardware store, schools, retail, and Edwards County Airport (KECU) with a 1 mile long, paved runway. You can get away from here but you can’t get lost! There is so much to do in this region with the Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area, Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Texas Iron Rally, Stuart Bat Cave, Devil’s River Natural Area, Nueces River. Great area for motorcycles, biking, touring with the Three Sisters scenic route through the Texas Hill County, crossing rivers and streams and experiencing mountainous terrain, expansive ranches and charming towns like Leaky, Campwood, Utopia, Vanderpool and stopping off at Garner State Park. At the Wardens' Eagles' Nest Ranch everything is in place. You do not have to spend years improving, the hard work is done…just fill the feeders, put the steaks on the grill and enjoy!