📕 History & Sustainability 📕
History & The Cattle Drive Era
Hickok Ranch was founded by SA Hickok (cousin of the notorious Wild Bill Hickok depicted in our logo) in 1878. SA Hickok settled in Karnes county and set up a major cattle operation spanning tens of thousands of acres. Since then, the lands had mostly been sold off, but The Hickok name and part of the ranch remained in the family. Located on the Chisholm Trail, Karnes City was once a hot spot for cowpokes, cattle barons, rustlers, and gamblers.
Our 1870's Cow Town 'Hogg Plum'
As an homage to this era, we have built a modernized (air conditioned and plumbed) cow town we call 'Hogg Plum'. Interested in visiting? Contact us on our hunting and accommodations page www.hickokranch.com.
Sustainable Practices
Our cattle live a simple life and eat nothing but grass and native plants. In South Texas, where the grass takes a while to grow back, it takes a special kind of operation to achieve this goal.
Our main herd of cows (we call the Mob) are given three to four small pastures a day. This is called ' intensive rotational or 'total' grazing. This allows the grass to completely grow back and fully germinate before it is grazed again... usually months later!
By packing many cattle in small pastures for just a few hours, more nutrients are returned to the soil. Manure, urine, and stomped grass are compacted densely in these areas that helps to create very healthy soil.
From the Mob we move steers and heifers that don't reproduce to our feeding program. We relocate them to an area set aside to graze and roam freely with ample abundance of grass. Here, they will fatten up within months and be ready for the butcher.
See our consultant's page for more information click here.
Total Grazing at a Glance
In the picture, it's clear to see what has been grazed, and the abundant grass waiting to be grazed. For more photos and general day to day media, check out our instagram and facebook pages here:
Meet the MobFather
Mark Gotthardt (Katy's dad) AKA the Mobfather, has raised cattle for thirty years, and practiced rotational grazing for the last fifteen years. His family has owned the ranch since 1878! Through regenerative grazing and soil management techniques, Mark has cultivated the pastures to rebound quickly after grazing with with little rain!