Pitchstone Waters

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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.

A Deadly Parasite's Return Threatens US Ranchers

New World screwworm

A Deadly Parasite's Return Threatens US Ranchers

After being eradicated in the US in the 1980s, the screwworm could be back as soon as this summer.

mule_deer_jasper

Tribute to Mule Deer

A wonderful video from the Mule Deer Foundation. NOTE: this post was originally published to this site on June 11, 2018 and again on April 21, 2022.

Scientists Put Motion Cameras Along the US-Mexico Border To Spy on Wildlife. The Footage is Spectacular — And Telling.

Scientists Put Motion Cameras Along the US-Mexico Border To Spy on Wildlife. The Footage is Spectacular — And Telling.

Videos reveal the hidden lives of animals in the borderlands and how the wall affects them.

Allan Savory: Planned Cattle Grazing Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Animal Development

Allan Savory: Planned Cattle Grazing Where the Rubber Hits the Road

In this 45-minute video, the Dean of holistic range science – Allan Savory – discusses on-the-ground application of holistic planned grazing. West Texas and New Mexico ranchers will find many helpful insights, observations and suggestions in this wide-ranging discussion of range and wildlife practices. NOTE: this post was originally published to this

In Jackson, Snow’s the Deepest It’s Ever Been

In Jackson, Snow's the Deepest It's Ever Been

The previous record was set in 2008, when the town climate station recorded 18 inches of snow.

This National Park Is One of the Least Visited in the U.S.—but It's Home to the Tallest Mountain in Texas

This National Park Is One of the Least Visited in the U.S.—but It's Home to the Tallest Mountain in Texas

Guadalupe Mountains National Parks may be one of the most remote in the U.S., but it's also one of the most unique.

The Little Brown Bird

The Little Brown Bird

Once down to only 80 in the wild, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow is at risk of extinction.

Migrating Elk at Pitchstone Waters Ranch

Migrating Elk at Pitchstone Waters Ranch

This video discusses the annual elk migration across Pitchstone Waters Ranch, on the upper Fall River, 5-miles southwest of Yellowstone Park, in Fremont County Idaho. NOTE: this video was originally published to this site on December 13, 2021

Like Seeing Polar Bears in Texas”: A Moose on the Loose Has Become an Internet Sensation

Like Seeing Polar Bears in Texas”: A Moose on the Loose Has Become an Internet Sensation

Nobody is sure how Rutt ended up hanging out in harvested cornfields, but it’s rare to see a moose in a prairie environment, said Todd Froberg, the coordinator of the big-game program at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Baby Penguins Brave a Deadly Storm

Baby Penguins Brave a Deadly Storm

A special look at the new series Secrets of the Penguins from National Geographic

Hailing From the Primordial Realm, Meet Mother Nature: Goddess of Earth’s Ecosystems

“Cows and other livestock once roamed across pastures, grazing on native grass and depositing their manure to help fertilize the ground. As they roamed, Mother Nature’s cycle of fertilization, resting, and restoring supported a sustainable food system.”

Enhancing the Ecosystem of Soudah Peaks

Artificial Beaver Dam Videos

Enhancing the Ecosystem of Soudah Peaks

"Discover the Soudah Development Project" is dedicated to preserving and enhancing this unique ecosystem.

Screwworm Eradication Program and History

Screwworm Eradication Program and History

Bottom line, the screwworm eradication program has been nothing short of a huge success story which for all practical purposes enabled the ranching community to eventually push the screwworm from their mind.

Cattle herd in desert grasslands of West Texas

The Circle Ranch Herd Moving to New Pasture

The WMA’s and the Big Bend National Park, are under total rest and drastic removal regimes intended to ‘protect’ the land and plants from overuse by animals, and the animals from ‘competition’.

Mandatory Screwworm Reporting

Mandatory Screwworm Reporting

Now that the screwworm is real threat again, Texas A&M is working with other state partners to launch some trainings around the state.

Chupacabra Nesting Area National Wildlife Refuge

Chupacabra Nesting Area National Wildlife Refuge

San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney’s take on the legendary creature of Northern Mexico.