MT7 Pendleton Pasture

Description

Overview: MT7 Pendleton Pasture is 1,065 high-fenced acres in the Cross Timbers and Prairies of Stephens County. This prestigious ranch is part of the MT7 Ranch, which has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2024 Texas Leopold Conservation Award, the highest conservation honor a ranch can receive in Texas. The MT7 Pendleton Pasture is turnkey and ready to hunt for trophy-class exotics and whitetails. Superior wildlife and ranch management make this one of the most impressive ranches in the region.

Location: MT7 Pendleton Pasture is situated in a desirable area just one mile west of Caddo, Texas, on the south side of State Highway 180. The ranch offers excellent accessibility to nearby towns and attractions—only 15 minutes from Breckenridge and about 20 minutes from Possum Kingdom Lake. It’s also conveniently located approximately one hour northeast of Abilene, three hours from Midland, and roughly 100 miles west of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex.

Access: The property offers 2.25 miles of Highway 180 frontage, providing easy access through four gated entrances, two of which are inset with double gates, dry-stack stone pillars, and pipe accents. One entrance features an electric gate for added convenience. Additionally, there are 8.25 miles of improved caliche roads across the ranch that provide access to all parts of the property.  

MT7 Ranch History: The MT7 Ranch was acquired by the Terry family in 2008, who began a significant restoration and conservation program. Their efforts have included revitalizing native grasses through rotational grazing and prescribed burns, restoring wetlands, removing invasive species, and implementing sustainable cattle operations. Over the years, the ranch has become a model of land stewardship, earning the Lone Star Land Steward Award in 2024 as well as the Leopold Conservation Award in 2024.  Don Pendleton, the ranch namesake, was also awarded the Lone Star Land Steward Award back in 1996 for his ranching operations.   

Area History: MT7 Pendleton Pasture is located just west of the community of Caddo, Texas—a town with a rich and storied past. Established in the 1870s on a former Caddo Indian campsite, Caddo had grown by 1880 to include around sixty residents, two churches, a school, and a post office.
The town experienced a population boom in the 1920s during the Ranger oil boom. Oil was first discovered on a family farm near Caddo in 1916, followed by another strike on a nearby property. These discoveries fueled excitement and foreshadowed the Breckenridge oil boom of 1917. Today, the town’s legacy endures through its historic cemetery and the still-operating post office.

Terrain: Post Oak Creek, Sow branch of Caddo Creek and several other unnamed creek drainages meander through the ranch with rolling hills and scenic views. Other areas include deep soils for wildlife food plots, ridgelines, and productive pastureland. Overall, the terrain is diverse and scenic.

Vegetation: Generally described as oak country with cedar elms, mesquite, cedar, and other trees common to the area. There is an excellent diversity of forbs and browse such as elbowbush, skunkbush, bumelia, and lotebush which are beneficial to wildlife. Elm mottes can be found near the creek drainages and post oaks and live oaks are the predominant oak species. Native grasses are in excellent condition with the assistance of grass restoration practices.

Water: The ranch features 13 stock ponds ranging in size from 0.25 to 1.5 acres, all of which have held water over the past 10 years. It also includes two miles of Post Oak Creek drainage, along with an additional mile of an unnamed creeks that flow into Post Oak Creek on the property. Sow Branch of Caddo Creek cuts the far southeast corner of the ranch for approximately 75 yards.

Fisheries: Stock ponds provide good fishing opportunities.

Wildlife: Deer, turkey, dove, quail, ducks and other wildlife species are plentiful and provide great viewing/ hunting opportunities. There is a quail population which fluctuates depending on rainfall and overall conditions. Turkey are abundant in the spring and Spring turkey hunting can be exceptional. The ranch is also populated by several exotic species including fallow, blackbuck, and red deer.

Whitetail Deer Population: The ranch has a FIRST class all NATIVE Texas whitetail deer population. Deer population surveys show approximately 55 bucks and 50 does currently on the ranch. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, 10 native does from the Temple Ranch in South Texas were released each year to bolster the genetics of the herd. The past four years, four 200” native whitetail have been harvested off the ranch with multiple deer in the 170’s, 180’s, and 190’s. The standing crop of deer is outstanding with several trophies that will score in the 180” plus range. There are outstanding bucks in each age class that will be mature trophies once they reach the 7 and 8-year-old class.

The first trophies were harvested in 2020. Since then, there have been four 200” deer, one 190” deer, three 180” deer, nine 170” deer, and five 165”+ deer. All of these deer are 6 to 9+ years of age at harvest. The population is age-managed and in excellent condition.

Exotic Population: Exotic species on the MT7 Pendleton ranch include fallow, blackbuck, and red deer. The fallow buck sires have all been provided by So La Fe Ranch over the years, with the sire named Red Man on the ranch for 4 years, as well as descendants of Mighty Moose and others. The male blackbuck are from Flying A Ranch in Bandera, Tx. The bulk of the exotics are red deer with several males in the 350” and up class, with the largest stags being right at 400”. Overall harvest on exotics has been very low sans red deer females. There are approximately 100 exotics on the ranch, with fallow and red deer being the most populous. CWD testing has occurred over the last 8 years on the red deer harvested females, along with a few males... all with no detection.

Quail Management Areas (QMA): There are 5 QMAs on the ranch to benefit the Bobwhite Quail population totaling 135 acres. Brush has been sculpted in these areas that are thriving with native grasses.

Land Management: With a full-time staff, the MT7 has spent the past 12 years improving and managing the ranch habitat and wildlife populations. Brush has been sculpted and motted with an excavator, cedar sheared with skid steers, and native grass planted. Most of this work has taken place on road edges and at deer blind locations. Attention to detail and excellent land stewardship are very apparent everywhere you look.

Awards: MT7 Ranch was the winner of the Lone Star Land Steward Award for the Cross Timbers and Prairies in 2024. Additionally, the ranch was also recognized with the Leopold Conservation Award by the Sand County Foundation, American Farmland Trust, and Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2024. It's the highest conservation honor a ranch can receive in Texas. Furthermore, the MT7 Pendleton Ranch produced the 2nd best typical in 2022, the 2nd best typical in 2023, and the 3rd best typical and 3rd best nontypical bucks in 2024 for the high fence release division of the statewide Texas Big Game Awards.

Wildlife Food Plots: There are four fields / food plots on the ranch that have been planted to winter wheat the past 12 years to provide a supplemental food source. The fields range in size from 1.75 to 7 acres.

Equipment: All infrastructure listed below is conveyed with the sale. 

Blinds- There are 10 deer blinds on the ranch, 7 Atascosa Wildlife supply blinds and 3 Ranch King insulated blinds. All blinds are 5x7 or 6x8 floor plans with 4 of them on 10’ towers and the remainder on 4’ or 5’ towers. 

Feeders- There are 5 Outback 2,000 lb protein free choice feeders on the ranch as well as 9 400 lb capacity Lamco spin corn feeders.

Shelters- There are 3 brand new 10 x 30 shelters from Black Star Pipe in Stephenville that are 3 sided with a opening to the south. These are creosote sides with metal frames and are designed to provide shelter for exotic animals in extreme cold / wind / heat.

Fencing: The 8’ high fence perimeter is 6.5 miles with a drivable fire lane adjacent to the fence. All fencing around the perimeter is in good to excellent condition. There are no cross-fences within the property. There is a set of cattle pens and a scale in the SW corner of the property. 
Improvements: Other than fencing and wildlife feeders, blinds, and shelters, there are no structural improvements on the property. Build your home / headquarter structures of choice with the utility infrastructure already in place.

Utilities: Electric service is provided by United Cooperative Services, and water is supplied by the Stephens Regional Special Utility District (SRSUD). The ranch has an SRSUD water meter in place, with a 4-inch water line running from Highway 180 to the old headquarters location. Electricity has been installed underground to a potential home or headquarters site, and the water line also extends to this location.

Surface Leases: There are no grazing or hunting leases. 

Easements: There is an Oncor Electric transmission line and small sub-station and a couple gas pipelines crossing the ranch.

Minerals: No mineral interests owned. There is some oil and gas production, which is common for the area. All wells but 1 are currently on the RRC orphan well list. 

School District: Breckenridge ISD.

Property Taxes: The property is agriculturally exempt and taxes are estimated to be $1069.21 annually

Price: $9295 per acre ($9,900,000)

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 Listing Broker.

Contact:

Blake Hortenstine- Broker/Partner
(214) 616-1305 mobile
blake@hrcranch.com

Jack Fauntleroy- Broker Associate
(940) 550-4432 mobile
jack@hrcranch.com

Directions: Directions: From Weatherford, travel west on Highway 180 past the community of Caddo in eastern Stephens County. The ranch entrance is located on the south side of Highway 180, about one mile west of Caddo.From downtown Breckenridge, travel east on Highway 180 for approximately 12 miles. The main entrance will be on the south side of Highway 180, just before you reach the community of Caddo.