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Ranch Manager
(830) 285-8753
ssranch@star-s-ranch.com
PO Box 1765
Mason, Texas 76856
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Star S Ranch Private Airport
The Star S Ranch Private Airport was completed in 2013. Its design has won awards and may be used by clients.
Runway Information:
5,000’ X 50’ asphault runway
Location at N.30*34’10”, W.99*23’35”
Elevation: 1800’
From Llano VOR 242 degrees@34DME
From KT92 Mason County Texas airport 219 dgrees @ 14nm
Ranch Story
Star S Ranch is a short chapter in a long book of Texas’ history. The ranch is bordered by six miles of the James River and The Blue Mountains. It is located on the edge of the Texas Hill Country with elevations ranging from 1700’ to 2200’. You will find a variety of uniquely rich and diverse geology in this region, which is the key to Star S Ranch’s varied habitat.
The James River and Blue Mountains soil is composed mostly of red sand, mimicking the conditions one would find in Africa. It’s fertility is composed of numerous types of acacia bushes, mesquite, and thick native grass. This region has been used for travel since the early 1500s as a route to reach Santa Fe from San Antonio.Based on the vast amount of middens, it is evident there were buffalo, bears, and other species roaming the area.
The area surrounding the James River was first inhibited by Captain Charles Armand Schneider, who purchased what became James River Ranch where he raised cattle and later added sheep and angora goats to the ranch. The Scott Family purchased part of James River Ranch in 1996 to fulfill their love and passion for the Texas Hill Country, the outdoors, and wildlife.
The Scott Family started breeding herds of superior Whitetail deer and African exotics.Through their time spent traveling and hunting around the world, they recognized how species were becoming more scare in their native habitats. Considering the similarity in habitats of Texas and the middens that had been found over the years, they knew it was possible to successfully raise and breed these African exotics on their Texas ranch. The Scott Family took a very tedious approach to their breeding methods. They spent time researching breeding tactics and processes in South Africa and applied these principles to building herds of bongo, sable, kudu, gemsbok, dama gazelle, roan, and nubian and alpine ibex. With their offspring they created very large pastures to release the animals into, following both a natural and responsible manner. Star S Ranch also continued to breed and large traditional trophy whitetail deer. Today, it is not uncommon to see a 250”+ deer roaming in the brush, providing some of the best hunting in the world.
The ranch continues to focus on producing the best quality wildlife in Texas utilizing the South African tactics The Scott Family has learned over the years. The family wanted to create a ranch they would want to hunt on. Exhibiting high-quality wildlife in a natural setting is the goal they achieved. A hunt will require a combination of preparation and utilization of our skilled guides to be successful, whether hunting a whitetail deer or a Cape buffalo. Star S Ranch has become a prominent hunting destination for many people around the world without world class facilities and amenities and the tremendous amount of wildlife we have raised and continue to breed.
The Authentic Texas Safari
Star S Ranch is a true Texas Safari. Starting in 1996, the Scott family started with a vision of creating a ranch that incorporated the best of their Texas and African hunting experiences. They currently have acquired 14,000 acres of land along the James River in Mason and Kimble county known for superior grazing and browsing. In short, the goal was creating a place they would want to hunt on. Where the success of the hunt was a measure of skill, knowledge, and patience.
It starts with the wildlife. Dedicated to breeding first, the ranch started acquiring herds of superior Trophy Whitetail Deer genetics and African Wildlife. That means slowly acquiring and breeding the largest animals and releasing their young into pastures of 4,000 acres or more. Currently, more than two decades later, the ranch is home to over 30 species including herds of over 100 Sable antelope, Kudu, and Gemsbok as well as sizeable herds of Markhor, Scimitar Horned Oryx, Dama Gazelle, Alpine and Nubian Ibex, Bongo, Nyala, and Sitatunga just to name a few. These animals roam four pastures from 1,000 acres to over 4,000 acres. It is truly fair chase hunting.
Except for in the Trophy Whitetail Hunting area, the animals solely survive on native browse and grass that mimics much of the vegetation in Southern Africa due to the red, sandy soil found in the James River valley. We believe the reason we are starting to break records is this combination of habitat, allowing animals to live naturally in a natural environment, only breeding to the largest sires, and patiently allowing trophies to grow out to reach their full potential.
The land is the second part of our success. With over 6 miles of the James River running through the ranch in addition to native springs throughout the ranch, water is abundant. As you head west through the ranch, valleys lead to miles of a red, sandy plain covered with native grasses and brush. As you get to the western part of the ranch, the Blue Mountains rise above the plain with hidden valleys of Walnut, Shin Oak, and Live Oak until you reach Monument Mountain, the highest point in Mason County at nearly 2300’. This variety of habitats offers each species both food and cover they would find in their native lands. The Whitetail Deer, Kudu, Bongo, and Nyala prefer the thick brush both for browse and cover from predators. In the open grasslands, you will find herds of Gemsbok, Wildebeest, and Blesbok where they can graze and take advantage of their herds to keep an eye out for danger. As you move into the bluffs and steep valleys along the James River and in the Blue Mountains, you will find brush for Nubian Ibex, Markhor, Aoudad, and Alpine Ibex as well as a vantage point that would make it difficult for a predator to scale.
Lastly are the facilities. Our Hunter’s Lodge, Star S Ranch Airport, and a system of roads and trails were designed for comfort and exclusivity. The Hunter’s Lodge overlooks a water hole where it is common to see herds of Sable Antelope and Kudu drinking water. There are 4 casitas, each with two rooms which has three queen sized beds and an on-suite bathroom with 12-foot ceilings, and are wheel chair accessible to both the main lodge and the land by ramps so all can enjoy the surroundings and facilities.
