Summer 2025 - 4R Ranch Newsletter
As I write this years dispatch we have just shy of 650 round bales in the field, our cows are all slick and fat, all of our creeks are flowing and the springs behind the lodge are bearing more and more water with each rainfall. What a wonderful spring and summer! We were lucky to get enough rain to bring the creeks down and fill our tanks, but avoided the destruction that happened just to our north. We have been on the receiving end of a 24” rain over a 24-hour period and it is unbelievable what water can do when it is in a hurry. A tornado in the form of water, or total chaos is how I would describe.
I have to admit, the news from Kerrville put me in a bit of a funk for a period of time. Having lost a son at the age of 4, the tragedy from the camps rekindled some memories and emotions that I had stored in a quiet corner of my mind. Where were the people in charge(?), was all I could keep asking of the situation. I am sure those questions will be answered in time, but the loss of life is permanent and those answers will most likely just bring up more questions and linger like echoes for those parents and families. But enough of that….
Jill just returned from New Mexico with our most recent litter of 7 English Cocker pups. She stayed in the mountains so mama and babies could be active outside versus fighting the Texas heat. Equally, we kept the little rascals as far away from South Texas and Chagas bugs as possible. Yes, we are still battling Chagas Disease and will be doing so for the foreseeable future. Until they come up with a vaccine, testing and treating will be only viable means to keep dogs Chagas free. Jill was a trooper this summer. I don’t know how she managed to stay away for 3 months in a climate that got down in the 40s at night and 60s-70s during the day. I know I am laying the sarcasm on pretty heavy, but it is mostly out of jealousy….
Nate and his crew would have given Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox a run for their money this summer in the “felling of trees department”. The number of dead oaks in our part of the world is staggering. Some oak wilt is responsible, but 90% of the trees they are putting to the axe is due to drought. Nate, Adan & Gabby should have negotiated their summer pay on the price of each tree they cut down. I asked Adan how much money I would have to give him if he charged $5 for every tree he cut down. His response was quick and specific. He said he would take the 5 acres on the creek in the Lodge Pasture as payment.
Dead trees, of many varieties, are all part of Mother Natures plan. What we see as troubling and sad is good for the country. In wet periods, there is plenty of water to keep most vegetation and trees going. But when there are not enough teats on the sow to support all the piglets, that’s when there is a problem. Plus it is job security for me in the confines of an air-conditioned skid steer!
Last years leap from English Pointers to GSPs was the most fun I have had in years, on many levels. The GSPs are a more social, loving & biddable animal. All my previous biases & prejudices were proven false. Even though I am late to the game, I am most pleased to have made the conversion.
In an average year, most of our rookie pointers were 3 years of age. Very seldom did we introduce a dog less than 2 years old in the starting rotation and I can name those dogs on two hands. Last season we had 4 dogs that were 1.5 years old in the starting rotation at the start of the season. By the end of the season, we had 7 dogs in the starting rotation that were just shy of 2 years old. They hunt just as big, have just as good a nose & equal hunting IQ as any dog I have hunted behind. Use my mistake as a lesson: If you cannot change your mind, you will never change anything & never lose the ability to surprise yourself!
As much fun as Jill & I had this summer, I thoroughly enjoy this time of year. As the days get shorter, there is a natural order of activities on the ranch that happen each year. The crops are harvested, the spring calves are weaned, and the courses are all manicured for the upcoming season. It is a legacy I feel abundantly blessed to be a part of.
As someone much smarter than me once noted; tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of the fire. We look forward to keeping the fire a blaze with all of you this fall & winter.
We appreciate each of you for carving time out of your schedule to come visit our family and shoot a bird.
Adios for now,
DM
Posted in: News
