Tom Fields Century Ranch
This North Texas ranch was founded in 1896 and has been under continuous operation by the same family for the last 124 years. Once holding thousands of acres, the Fields Ranch has dwindled down over the years to its current size. 417.31 surveyed acres are now available for purchase, and this is the first time the land has ever been listed on the market.
LOCATION:
Located in central Clay County, the ranch is 1.8 miles north of the town of Bluegrove on Fields Rd. This county maintained road has an all weather graveled surface, and the property has a half mile of frontage along it. Distances to nearby cities and major highways are as such:
- Henrietta: 11 miles (Hwy 287)
- Jacksboro: 30 miles (Hwy 114)
- Wichita Falls: 30 miles
- Fort Worth: 95 miles
- Dallas: 125 miles
TERRAIN:
The land has a gentle roll to it, changing some 70' in topography. You enter the ranch on its east side...
The land has a gentle roll to it, changing some 70' in topography. You enter the ranch on its east side, where two seasonal creeks wind through the property until converging. These creeks are branches to the Dry Fork of Little Wichita River. They are lined with tall elms the whole way, creating lots of meadows perfect for bowhunting. A nice home or cabin site is near the road entrance too, which overlooks the creek bottoms.
The land rolls to a bottom after this, where a large slough is that will back up over an acre of surface water. The slough would be perfect for duck hunting, and also provides additional water for cattle. It appears to be spring fed from a creek draw that flows most of the year and has cattails along its banks.
After this the property ascends westward through a pasture with thick mesquite tree cover. A bluff ridge here is the highest point of the ranch and provides scenic views across the slough and tree-lined creeks. It would be a great place to call up predators or set up a blind with multiple staging areas below it in the pasture.
WATER:
In addition to the seasonal creeks and slough mentioned above, the ranch has two deep ponds for watering livestock & wildlife. Both of them would make good dove hunting tanks.
HUNTING:
From calling toms in the Spring to chasing bucks in the Fall, this ranch has year round hunting opportunities. The Bluegrove area of Clay County is known for producing monster whitetail bucks; native 200" bucks have been harvested just a few miles from here. The Fields Ranch is surrounded by miles of native pasture land of similar landscape, and deer here have plenty to graze. This property has not been developed for hunting yet and is prime for a management plan with food plots and feeders. The ranch's varying timber and terrain allows for both rifle and bowhunting. Clay County is a five deer, two buck county.
Other game includes turkey, bobcat, coyote, feral hog and seasonal birds/waterfowl. There does not appear to strong hunting pressure around the ranch. Most of the neighbors are large; three of them are between 800-1,000 acres in size.
IMPROVEMENTS:
The ranch has a good perimeter fence, and, while it has some cross fencing, the cross fences need work so it is ran as one cattle pasture. A large set of pipe pens with working chute and a 2.6 acre trap are in the far northwest corner. A water well is there, and electricity too, to run its submersible pump.
In the middle of the ranch is a 20 acre fenced off pasture that has improved grasses in it. This soils are a fine sandy loam and could be used for a food plot, or would take coastal for a hay field. Just off of this pasture is a metal equipment shed, 30' x 60'. Electricity is in place at the shed as well.
MINERALS:
The seller is willing to convey 50% of any owned mineral rights. Two pump jacks are on it right now, but the lease was just bought out, and the seller believes the wells will not be operated anymore. The land has two sets of tank batteries and an injection well that will remain on the land, for which the lease operator pays $400 per month. This agreement will be conveyed to the buyer at closing with the surface estate.
EASEMENTS:
Another Fields family member owns land bordering this ranch on its west side, and he has an access easement along the south border of the property to get to his. This easement is surveyed and deeded of record. There are also various pipeline easements that cross the land, pertaining to the oil activity mentioned above.
LIST PRICE:
The Fields Ranch is being offered for $2,384/acre, or $995,000 total.
CONTACT:
For more information or to see this property in person, contact listing agent Beau Byars at cell phone (940) 357-9940.
