Travis Stein
Associate
Ask Travis Stein
Rancho Paloma is a 189 acre turnkey hunting ranch in Frio County, Texas - positioned on the doorstep of the South Texas Golden Triangle, one of the most legendary whitetail hunting regions in North America. The kind of setting that speaks equally to a working ranch and a private retreat, the property is anchored by a fully appointed barndominium with ample lodging space, a large lined pond with floating dock, a dedicated outdoor entertainment pavilion, three food plots, and a serious shooting range complex. Everything needed to run this ranch from day one is already in place - this is as turnkey as it gets in South Texas.
Rancho Paloma benefits from dual road frontage on both County Road 4700 and County Road 4728 in Frio County - providing flexible access and logistical convenience for a working hunting operation. Dilley is 17 miles away, Pearsall is 23 miles out, and San Antonio is approximately 77 miles to the north - close enough for a weekend run, far enough to feel genuinely off the grid.
The 1,500 sq ft barndominium serves as ranch headquarters with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and sleeping capacity for up to 16 guests - not counting the master suite. The bunk room offers built-in bunk beds that are configured with 12 XL twins, making this a genuine group-hunting facility. The open-concept kitchen and living area is finished in a warm rustic lodge style: knotty alder cabinetry with dark hardware, granite countertops, a stainless steel built-in refrigerator and range, a tile backsplash, and a large center island with granite top and bar seating. The dining area sits between the kitchen and living room beneath a wrought-iron chandelier, under vaulted ceilings with exposed white truss-style beams, recessed lighting, and a ceiling fan. Plantation shutters, stained concrete floors, and a covered front porch overlooking the lake complete the picture. A black pipe fence surrounds the manicured, treeshaded yard, cleanly separating the home compound from the open ranch beyond.
The Cow Shed is an open pavilion on slab - wired for electric and outfitted with an outdoor kitchen, ice machine, two picnic tables, a sink, and storage cabinets. A fire pit patio sits just outside the pavilion bays, extending the gathering space into the open air and providing a natural setting to unwind after a day in the field.
Three barns cover the working side of the ranch: a 30'x60' lighted pole barn with a game cleaning station and walk-in freezer, a 16'x36' equipment shed on slab, and a 24'x24' tool shed on slab. A highfenced garden with a greenhouse, four raised garden beds, and water and fans provides a dedicated growing space. The Armory - a climate-controlled Conex container - offers secure storage for gear and equipment.
A dedicated shooting shed serves ranges at 100, 200, and 600 yards, each with a backstop, plus a shooting table - a serious on-ranch marksmanship facility.
Water is supplied by a Queen City aquifer well with an RO system in the well house, feeding both the pond and the small tank. Two 3,000-gallon water storage tanks are in place and run off the well. An additional 3,000-gallon water storage tank serves as a rainwater collection system off the pole barn. Two Generac generators, one dedicated to the house and one to the Cow Shed, run off a 1,000-gallon propane tank. A 500-gallon diesel tank is also on site.
A large pond anchors the ranch compound - 22 feet deep, fully lined, and fed by the on-site well. A floating dock outfitted with a water ladder makes this the natural gathering spot at the end of the day. In addition, a smaller pond and several wet-weather draws cross the property.
Rancho Paloma is perimeter fenced, with high fencing on the north and west sides and low fencing on the south and east. Scattered mesquite and native brush frame the property line, giving way to open South Texas rangeland. Well-maintained senderos allow easy access to the blinds and feeders, with a main road running around the boundary of the property providing additional access. Three food plots are strategically laid out across the ranch: a 3.5 acre northern plot managed for deer, a 3.6 acre middle plot planted for dove, and a 3.6 acre southern plot used flexibly from season to season. All three food plots are completely fenced to keep hogs out.
Frio County South Texas brush country produces world-class wildlife, and Rancho Paloma reflects it. Wildlife on the ranch includes whitetail deer, turkey, dove, quail, and hog. Three hunting blinds - two 3-man and one single - and four feeders, including a protein feeder and a cotton seed feeder, are in place and convey with the sale. Two hog traps also round out the hunting and wildlife management infrastructure.
A wildlife exemption is in place. Rancho Paloma conveys fully equipped: both Generac generators and the 1,000-gallon propane tank, the 500-gallon diesel tank, the Armory Conex, all blinds and feeders (including protein and cotton seed feeders), two hog traps, the ice machine, Cow Shed furnishings (tables, sink, and cabinets), the bunk room's built-in beds, and the washer/dryer. Furnishings inside the home are excluded from the sale. A buyer of Rancho Paloma is acquiring a fully operational South Texas hunting ranch - not a project.
