Their need for survival created a new enterprise called ranching. Ranching history here began long before the early development of the state of Texas. The ranch land and the name El Coyote date back to the Mexican land grant of 1835.
El Coyote and its sister ranch La Paloma sprawl over the counties of Brooks, Hidalgo, Kleberg and Kenedy here at the tip of the Coastal Bend of Texas near the historic King Ranch in Kingsville.
The ranches are located in a semi-arid region known as the Wild Horse Desert. Although in a rainfall belt of 24 to 26 annual inches, the area does not consistently get ample moisture. Despite frequently arid conditions, the ranches are teeming with wildlife that is intensively managed. To avoid degradation of the habitat, the ranches use a prescribed course of burning, brush control, rotational grazing and supplemental feeding as well as creation of water sources while monitoring and controlling the population of cattle and wildlife. These practices ensure the optimum habitat for wildlife. El Coyote's wildlife program specifically targets Rio Grande Turkeys, White Tail Deer and Bob White Quail, while providing benefits to numerous other species which are indigenous to the area or are transient residents during their migration.
Overview of El Coyote Ranch -- History with Texas Longhorns
In 1931, Sid Richardson stepped up to help save the Texas Longhorn Breed from extinction. He financed the purchase of a group of traditional Longhorns gathered by J. Frank Dobie and Graves Peeler and gave them to the state of Texas.
Today, Mr. Sid's great nephew, Lee Bass, and his wife, Ramona, are preserving that same history in their stewardship of El Coyote Ranch. Their efforts extend much further than the boundaries of ranch land, Texas Longhorns, indigenous wildlife, the natural environment of South Texas, ranch names and ranch brands. El Coyote combines the origins of ranching tradition with today's technology to make the past come alive.
Today, El Coyote Ranch is represented by an elite herd of Texas Longhorns. They are functional cattle bred in the old tradition using today's ideas and technology. This blend of past and present is proof that Longhorns can fulfill the demands of today's cattle market.
