Altman Lake Ranch

Description

Location: The property is located 10+/- miles west of Hico, Texas, on Erath County Road No. 293, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes southwest of Fort Worth, 2 hours southwest of Dallas, and 2 hours 15 minutes north of Austin.  

Description: The Altman Lake Ranch is a manicured high fenced recreational property featuring a 17+/- acre trophy bass lake, native and exotic wildlife, exceptional wildlife habitat, multiple seasonal creeks, a nice mix of thick hardwoods and open rolling native pastures, seclusion, and privacy. The property has been meticulously maintained, but not overly improved. This picturesque acreage is a blank slate in terms of structural improvements and offers a new owner several excellent potential building sites to choose from where you can create your very own recreational retreat or full-time residence in the country.   

History: Named after what was believed to have once been the site of the Altman post office, general store, and church, today the ranch holds just a few remnants of the past. It is thought that Altman may have declined and essentially vanished due in large part to the MKT Railroad and its effective growth of Hico and its cattle and cotton markets in the early 1900’s. Just a little over a ¼ mile down the road west of the property, the Altman Cemetery remains as a reminder of this small farming community and those who called the area home.

Terrain: Ranging in elevations from a high of ~1,300’ in the most westerly northwest pasture of the ranch to a low of ~1,180’ near the southeast corner, the landscape offers 120’ of scenic rolling topographical relief with distant scenic views across the property and surrounding countryside. Extensive brush management has been carried out by the owner, clearing underbrush from around and opening trails within dense stands of live oak, post oak, and elm, while leaving other areas undisturbed for excellent wildlife habitat. Sandy loam is the predominant soil type across the property, with some areas of Bosque, Wise, and Topsey loam, along with pockets of clay and clay loam in the east portion of the ranch.       

Bass Lake and Additional Surface Water: The ranch offers an abundance of surface water for recreation, wildlife, and livestock. Anchored by a 17 +/- acre bass lake fed by Wolf Prong Creek, there is no shortage of opportunities for outstanding bass fishing or riding your choice of recreational watercraft. Wolf Prong Creek winds its way through the property for over a mile and is a significant tributary of the Bosque River watershed. There’s a covered boat dock near the dam, where you can escape the sun and relax in the shade while you wet a line, or simply kick back and tune into the sounds of nature.  In addition to the lake and creek, there are 5+/- small stock tanks scattered through the ranch.  

Wildlife and Hunting: This sportsman’s paradise is loaded with trophy whitetail and turkey, along with a mix of black buck, fallow deer, sika, and oryx. For someone who has always dreamed of owning a high fenced recreational ranch, this would be an easy property to take on and get your feet wet. The current wildlife management practices are not overly intensive and allow ownership to be enjoyable, not a full time job. The wildlife habitat is prime with plentiful forms of native browse and forbs, excellent cover, abundant water, and the terrain offers hunters a variety of options to create hunting setups for either rifle or bow. The lake is also a seasonal stop for a wide variety of waterfowl.

Fencing and Roads: The ranch consists of 448+/- contiguous acres with approximately 400 acres under high fence, with fences in great condition. A ~50 acre heavily wooded pasture was intentionally left out of the high fence to offer the owner opportunities to also hunt native whitetail and hogs, and would be extremely well suited for the avid bowhunter. The property fronts along County Road 293 on the south end for approximately 4/10 of a mile, with a gated entrance near the center. A good system of unimproved pasture roads and trails provide easy travel in and around the ranch.

Easements: The ranch is about as clean as you’ll find and is not encumbered by pipeline easements, large transmission line easements, or access easements to neighboring properties. 

Minerals: Owner will consider conveying some minerals with an acceptable offer. Buyer will assume responsibility and expenses associated with a mineral ownership report if one is desired.

Utilities: United Cooperative Services provides electrical service with utility lines in place to a wonderful potential building site west of the lake.  

Property Taxes: The property is ag-exempt and annual property taxes were believed to be ~$513.39 for 2023.   

Price: $6,700,000

 Contact: Bret Polk, Broker Associate 254-965-0349 mobile, bret@hrcranch.com

Broker & Commission Disclosure: Buyer’s Agent/ Broker must be identified upon first contact with Listing Broker/ Listing Agent and Buyer’s Agent/ Broker must be present at the initial property tour in order to participate in the real estate commission. Commission splits will be at the sole discretion of Hortenstine Ranch Company, LLC.