Lazy CK Ranch

Overview:  The Lazy CK Ranch showcases the natural beauty and unique land features characteristic of the enchanting Texas Hill Country. Standing as a testament to the owner’s stewardship and management practices, the property is in impeccable condition, its water, infrastructure, and amenities have been thoughtfully developed leaving no stone unturned. Its picturesque rolling landscape plays host to an impressive collection of trophy game animals which include both native and exotic species, making the Lazy CK Ranch truly distinctive in an area known for its large acreage high fenced legacy ranches.  

Location:  Situated in southwestern Kerr County, the Lazy CK is located approximately 36 miles southwest of Kerrville, 24 miles southwest of Hunt, and 24 miles northeast of Leakey, the Lazy CK Ranch offers direct access to 12,500’ of road frontage on State Highway 39 with 4 automatic entrances, as well as automatic gate-controlled access from US Highway 83, via Bobby Shelton Ranch Road. The ranch is approximately 2 hours northwest of San Antonio, 2 hours 50 minutes west of Austin, and 4 hours southeast of Midland/Odessa.                  

Lazy CK Ranch Operations/Headquarters: The expansive headquarters at the Lazy CK has been meticulously curated with a host of amenities and structures designed for both functionality and leisure, defining hospitality at its finest. Step into the 2,100 sf lodge and its 1,200 sf dining hall for that pre or post hunt meal. The lodge is fully equipped with a commercial chef’s kitchen and guests will no doubt be talking about the amazing cuisine as part of their experience at the Lazy CK. Located just off the dining area is an adjacent 900 sf game room fully equipped with custom shuffleboard and a pool table to gather around for entertainment.  

Just a short walk from the lodge, you’ll discover four (4) custom guest cabins, each a charming retreat offering a blend of comfort and rustic elegance. The cabins range in size from 900 sf to 1,239 sf, and provide a comfortable place for visitors to reside and experience the tranquility of the Texas Hill Country. Other nearby amenities include a fitness facility/workout room, custom swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, large entertainment pavilion, horse shoe pits, custom bow range, office, ranch merchandise/outfitter store, and a laundry facility. These improvements as well as the shop and 4 RV hookups are backed up with a 100KW generator. 

The 4,000 sf shop represents the heartbeat of ranch operations for tool/equipment storage, and also provides an attached 1,700 sf lean-to processing shed with two (2) walk-in game coolers. A 4,000 sf implement barn is also nearby catering to the operational needs of a ranch in housing its larger pieces of equipment. 

A short drive away is a 1,200 sf pavilion serving as a multifunctional space for various shooting activities with a 600-yard rifle range, 5-stand, and regulation trap setup; all providing first class shooting opportunities for guests. 

Other unique accommodations include "39 Cabins" (named such due to its proximity to highway 39), a 7,500 sf metal building on concrete that houses five individual small cabins. Three of which are dedicated to lodging, one for kitchen/dining, and another for laundry. This facility also offers two bathrooms and a walk-in game cooler.  

The Lazy CK has the staff covered including a 1,936 sf rock ranch manager’s home, as well as four (4) manufactured homes for additional staff/employee housing. All employee housing is on an aerobic septic system. 

The Lazy CK isn’t just a ranch; it's a lifestyle. A celebration of Texas hospitality, rugged charm, and the boundless beauty of the Hill Country. Come, be a part of this extraordinary retreat where the legacy of ranching and hunting meets the comforts of modern living. 

Owner’s Home: Experience Texas Hill Country living in the 4,500 sf custom built owner’s home. Nestled just a short drive into the property from State Highway 39, this well-appointed four (4) bedrooms, four and a half (4.5) bathroom residence blends seamlessly with the live oak covered landscape. Step inside to find the heart of the home, a spacious living area with an open concept kitchen, all under vaulted ceiling. This portion of the home offers simple elegance, comfort, and functionality making it the perfect place for family gatherings, entertaining, and/or relaxing. The kitchen features a large island with seating, custom cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless-steel appliances including a double oven and large gas range. A cozy dining area rounds out the space with exterior windows providing views of the native terrain. Just off the entry a dedicated home office allows work and leisure to be integrated. Escape to the master suite or one of three guest bedrooms, each with ensuite and uniquely finished.  The 4.5 bathrooms offer spa-like features where premium fixtures and thoughtful detail can be found. A large back porch beckons you to unwind, entertain, and savor the beauty of the surrounding Hill Country, while an attached four (4) car garage offers plenty of room for your vehicles. Amenities and structures located near the home include a lap pool, where you can begin or end the day with a swim, and a detached 1,000 sf carport with enclosed storage. An impressive water supply system ensures the home is well supplied with a 400’ deep water well, pump house, and 2 – 1,000 gallon storage tanks. An aerobic septic system is in place as well as a 35KW backup generator. Whether utilized as your permanent residence, or seasonal retreat, this collection of features combined with the owner’s forward thinking and preparation, harmoniously come together in this beautiful home.   

Note: While care and consideration have been taken in collecting and compiling this information, all structure square footages and measurements should be considered approximate, and are not warranted by Hortenstine Ranch Company.  

Terrain: The natural rolling Hill Country landscape found at the Lazy CK provides approximately 200’ of topographic relief, ranging from a low of ~2,200’ above sea level near the most northerly northeast corner of the ranch to a high of ~2,400’ above sea level near the southwest corner of the property. Scenic vistas abound from the many hilltops, rock outcroppings and ridgelines. There are also many unique geologic features to be explored that include rock shelf caves and a unique hill side covered with moss rocks and post oak trees.  

Land Management: Standing as a testament to the owner’s land stewardship, ongoing pasture management practices include cedar/juniper and prickly pear control/eradication efforts. Cedar/juniper trees are sheared and raked into rows and prickly pear are mechanically removed in a surgical fashion before being burned.  

The ranch is blessed with an abundant covering of live oak and live oak motts, as well as post oak and cedar elm. Shin oak grows densely in some pastures providing outstanding wildlife habitat and is actually so dense in some areas that the owners have begun to clear and thin the shin oak as part of the ranch’s ongoing land management practices. Annual prescribed burns help to keep invasive and unwanted vegetation at bay and promote the growth and proliferation of native forbs and grasses.  The prescribed burn program is also in place to enhance native pasturelands, creating stronger grasses, and promoting better overall wildlife habitat. Approximately 15-20% of the ranch is burned annually. Grasses are in excellent shape and the property is not grazed down. 

Surface Water: In addition to the extensive system of water wells, storage tanks, and freshwater troughs, the property offers numerous surface ponds and runoff catches that are scattered throughout. Many of these have water piped to them as a supplemental source for dry conditions. The Lazy CK also has a picturesque 2+/- acre bass pond located near the headquarters that provides great fishing. The bass pond has a fish feeder, is stocked with baitfish and largemouth bass, permitted grass carp and algae is treated annually.  

Wildlife and Hunting: The Lazy CK Ranch offers owner and guests hunting experiences like no other. With archery focused hunting in mind, the ranch is fully equipped with ~39 unique hunting setups that offer both bow and rifle hunters an array of trophy native and exotic wildlife to view and potentially harvest. These include Whitetail Deer, Rio Grande Turkey, Hog, Aoudad, Axis, Blackbuck, Fallow Deer, Japanese Sika, Dybowski Sike, Mouflon, Scimitar Oryx, Texas Dall, Gemsbok, Nilgai, Hybrid Ibex, Nubian Ibex, Corsican Ram, Black Hawaiian, Painted Desert, 4 Horned Jacob’s, Red Sheep, Rhea, Markhor, Père David's Deer, Addax, Wildebeest (Blue), Waterbuck, Bison, Thompson’s Gazelle, and Dama Gazelle.  

The ranch is operated under MLDP Harvest Option providing a longer hunting season for whitetail. The landscape of the Lazy CK naturally provides an abundance of beneficial browse, forbs, and grasses for its wildlife herds and there are also three food plots (~2.16, 2.42, 6.47 acres)  that are annually plowed and planted providing additional forage crops. Protein and corn are fed year-round from high quality stationary feeders. Ranch is certified CWD free by the state of Texas and there is no additional testing, currently for whitetail deer. 

Roads and Fences:  Another great feature of the Lazy CK is the well-thought-out network of roads, cross fencing, automatic gates, and cattle guards. You can easily drive the ~18.5 miles of improved interior ranch road that runs through the property without having to get out of the pickup or side-by-side to open one gate, as each crossing is either equipped with automatic gate openers or cattle guards. The main road system ranges from asphalt paved and/or chip sealed to compacted limestone/gravel, all are exceptionally maintained. Numerous concrete crossings have been constructed in wash prone areas to ensure safe and reliable all-weather travel through the ranch.  A system of pasture roads and trails lead to and away from the main arterial road system providing excellent interior access throughout the property.  

Encompassed within approximately 14 miles of exterior high fencing, the Lazy CK Ranch is also cross fenced into seven (7) separate high fenced pastures, with fences ranging in condition from fair to excellent. High fenced pasture sizes are approximately 3, 50, 300, 600, 1350, 2100, and 2500 acres in size.        

Water Wells, Water System, & Water Rights:  The owners of the Lazy CK Ranch have been very forward thinking in their assessment, conservation, and utilization of the property’s abundant underground water availability. Currently there are believed to be twenty (20) total water wells on the ranch with 7 having direct power and 13 being solar. A majority of the wells are in the Edwards Aquifer and range in depth from 180’ to 400’. Solar wells produce 1-5 gallons per minute and direct access electric wells provide 5-10 gallons per minute. There is one (1) permitted Trinity Aquifer well that is reportedly just over 1,000’ deep and producing 150 gallons per minute. The permitted well is electric and primarily utilized to keep the bass lake full. Current annual usage is approximately 6-7 million gallons. Many of these wells are equipped with and are piped to one of the eleven (11) storage tanks and/or twenty-nine (29) freshwater troughs that have been strategically placed through the property, increasing the ranch’s water supply and holding capacity. The Lazy CK Ranch also owns water rights to an additional 15 million gallons of water procured through the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District. 

Utilities:   Electric utility service is provided by Bandera Electric Cooperative and Central Texas Electric Cooperative.  

Backup Generators: Seeking to ensure uninterrupted operations, safety, and comfort, the self-sufficiency of the property has been planned with onsite water storage tanks and backup generators. There are 5 Kohler generators to keep the lights on with sizes being 25kw (two), 35kw, 80kw, and 100kw. The 25kw generators are on trailers with one servicing the “39 Cabins” and the other servicing the ranch manager’s home. The 35kw generator is in place at the owner’s home, the 80kw generator is utilized for the employee homes, and the 100kw generator services the lodge, cabins, shop, and 4 RV hookups.  

Internet: Fiber optic is in place and provided by Hill Country Telephone Cooperative. 

Easements:   A natural gas pipeline crosses the north end of the Lazy CK with minimal impact to the ranch. The right of way is maintained and in good condition.      

Airports:   From the south ranch gate on TX Highway 39, the nearest public airport is Kerrville-Kerr County Airport located south of Kerrville, Texas, and approximately 45 miles from the ranch. This airport provides two asphalt runways measuring ~6,000’ and ~3,600’ in length respectively, and averages 143 aircraft per day. 

From the north ranch gate on Bobby Shelton Ranch Road, the nearest public airport is Kimble County Airport located north of Junction, Texas, and approximately 43 miles from the ranch. This airport provides one asphalt runway measuring ~5,000’ in length and one turf runway measuring ~2,255’ in length, and averages 117 aircraft per week. 

Lazy CK Ranch Commercial Use: The Lazy CK Ranch is currently operated by the owner and 6 fulltime staff members as a world-renowned Hill Country hunting destination and retreat. As part of its commercial hunting operations and business model, “CK Worldwide” is a premier hunting outfitter and gateway to international hunting opportunities that range from the savannas of Africa to the rugged Scottish Highlands. Subject to buyer providing proof of funds and a non-disclosure agreement, business financials may be made available upon request. More information is available at the following link: Lazy CK Ranch 

Property Taxes:   The property is under a wildlife exemption and property taxes for 2023 were $25,879. 

Contacts:   

Blake Hortenstine – Broker, (214) 616-1305 mobile, blake@hrcranch.com 

Cash McWhorter – Broker, (469) 222-4076 mobile, cash@hrcranch.com 

Bret Polk – Broker, (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.