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Circle Ranch in West Texas

Experience From the High Deserts of Texas to the Rocky Mountain West.

For 20 years, our family owned and managed Circle Ranch, 32,000 acres of high desert located in the Sierra Diablo Mountains of far-West Texas. Our goal? Leaving the land more diverse, and therefore healthier, than we found it.

Our Philosophy

Wildlife and habitat only prosper when their ecosystem is in balance.

A pronghorn herd in desert grasslands of West Texas

Our Resources

The objective of biodiversity conservation is to maintain viable native animal and plant populations of all kind.

a native Elk roaming the desert grasslands of West Texas

Elk Removals Featured

Are Elk Native to Texas--Historical and Archaeological Evidence for the Natural Occurence of Elk in Texas

This paper began as an effort to persuade Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) to cease its efforts to eradicate elk on the state lands which it manages in far-West Texas. Our assumption was that TPWD was acting out of a sincere misunderstanding of science, which could be corrected.

Texas Game Wardens Seize 18 Illegally Spearfished Black Bass at Lady Bird Lake

Wildlife & Hunting

Texas Game Wardens Seize 18 Illegally Spearfished Black Bass at Lady Bird Lake

One person was snorkeling and spearing the fish with a pneumatic speargun — which violates state fishing regulations

Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #8 - Using an Eroded Gulley to Recreate a Wet Meadow

Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #8 - Using an Eroded Gulley to Recreate a Wet Meadow

Like roads, wells and power lines, the irrigation system requires monitoring and maintenance, approached as just one of a body of holistic practices being applied together.

America’s Most Beloved Bear is Dead. Here’s Why Grizzly 399 Mattered

America’s Most Beloved Bear is Dead. Here’s Why Grizzly 399 Mattered

The oldest known grizzly mother in history, the 28-year-old bear was often photographed with her cubs in Grand Teton National Park before she was killed by a car in October 2024.

Why Are Wildlife Crossings Crucial For Animals And Humans Alike?

Wildlife Overpass

Why Are Wildlife Crossings Crucial For Animals And Humans Alike?

To create secure pathways for animals to move safely across the landscape, engineered structures and designated zones are constructed over and under roadways. These are wildlife crossings, and they reduce vehicle-animal collisions.

The Overlooked Danger That’s Massacring Wildlife

Wildlife & Hunting

The Overlooked Danger That’s Massacring Wildlife

Road ecology is bleeding into the public consciousness at a moment when we can still act on its lessons.

circle_ranch_west_texas_ranch_fall_sunset

Gulleys for Desert Grassland Restoration #2

Using a gulley to create a riparian meadow in the desert

These Rare Whales Had Never Been Seen Alive. Then A Team In Mexico Sighted 2

Wildlife & Hunting

These Rare Whales Had Never Been Seen Alive. Then A Team In Mexico Sighted 2

The search for a ginkgo-toothed beaked whale had taken five years, when a thieving albatross nearly ruined it all

Sunny Hancock Performs "The Horse Trade"

cattle ranchers

Sunny Hancock Performs "The Horse Trade" at the 1989 Cowboy Poetry Gathering

Sunny Hancock was born and reared on a ranch outside of Williams, Arizona. He was either in or close to the cow business for most of his life.

pronghorn_circle_ranch

Hunting Is Conservation - Hunting is Sustainable, Helps Species Thrive

When you take a step back and look at the big picture, it's more than evident that Hunting Is Conservation.

Screwworm Update - NWS Update Shared, Implications, Preparedness And Response Plan

New World Screwworm

Screwworm Update - NWS Update Shared, Implications, Preparedness And Response Plan

As of November 5, Senasica, Mexico’s counterpart to USDA, reports that there are 757 active NWS cases in Mexico.

Energy Development Abuse Threatens Port Aransas and Texas’ Bays and Estuaries

Energy Development Abuse Threatens Port Aransas and Texas' Bays and Estuaries

The idea of lessening regulation to achieve energy independence is a good one until it is catastrophically abused as it is in South Texas’ coastal estuaries.

Photo Credit: Colorado Department of Transportation

Wildlife Overpass

Largest Wildlife Overpass In North America Now Ready For Use By Elk And Other Critters In Douglas County

It’s the last piece of a wildlife crossing system that covers about 18 miles and includes underpasses and fencing that's been in progress for nearly a decade.

Henrys Fork Caldera: Yellowstone's Last Caldera Eruption Completely in Idaho

Caldera Eruption

Henrys Fork Caldera: Yellowstone's Last Caldera Eruption Completely in Idaho

This eruption was the second most recent of the three big Yellowstone eruptions over the last two million years.

Colorado Has Wolves Again For The First Time In 80 Years. Why Are They Dying?

Colorado Has Wolves Again For The First Time In 80 Years. Why Are They Dying?

A controversial reintroduction program is off to a messy start.

Why Were Canadians Warned Not to Let Moose Lick Their Cars?

Wildlife & Hunting

Why Were Canadians Warned Not to Let Moose Lick Their Cars?

The warning was similar to park rangers’ trying to stop campers from leaving food at campgrounds lest it encourage bears to keep coming back to the site.

Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #4: Los Cuates Canyon at Circle Ranch

Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #4: Los Cuates Canyon at Circle Ranch

Gulleys for Grassland Restoration #4: Los Cuates Canyon discusses specific gulley problems and treatments in a mountain canyon at Circle Ranch in far-West Texas.