Our family, owners of the Carter's Country Outdoor Stores in Houston, Pasadena and Spring, Texas purchased 4000 acres of the Sombrerito Ranch in 1978 which was a part of a 12,000 acre Spanish Land Grant until the 20th Century when it was purchased by some folks from out-of-state for it's beauty and Quail Hunting...Sometime around 1970, Brown Oil Tools Company purchased the property to raise cattle and for a company deer lease.  They also hired notable Wildlife Biologist, Murphy Ray, to implement a state-of-the-art Whitetail Management Program.  Several great bucks were harvested including a 228 Gross B&C non-typical buck taken by a Brown Oil Tools guest, Travis Kelly, of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Soon after we purchased the Eastern 4000 acres, 2000 acres more became available and we added two more thousand acres to the Sombrerito.  A custom supplemental feeding program was implemented in 1980.  The results were amazing.  Combined with fully mature whitetails, the supplemental program produced high scoring B&C bucks on a regular basis.

The Western 4000 acre portion of the ranch was incorporated into the Sombrerito Ranch in 1984, putting the Old Spanish Land Grant back together again.

A guided hunt program was underway by 1982...One of the first guides was Jerry Tkac of Texas City.  Jerry still guides at the ranch and some of the very first hunters still return to hunt and photograph the big bucks of the Sombrerito Ranch today.

The Sombrerito became an ideal place to photograph big, high-scoring, mature bucks and many outdoor writers and famous photographers wrote stories and published photographs.  One of their favorite subjects was a huge non-typical buck called "Stickers", who caused quite a stir in the 1980's.  You can still see some of those photos in the famous photographer, Mike Biggs', books and also, in Acco Feed ads in the Texas Trophy Hunters Magazine.

Putting the Sombrerito Ranch back together and managing those beautiful 11,000 acres has been a dream come true for me.  Walking the river break hills and lush creek bottoms is a stroll a few thousand years back into history.  I am just as excited today by the secrets of the Brush Country as I was when I first set foot on it over 25 years ago.  As old-time Vaquero, Tomas Reyes, told me back on my first visit to the ranch in '78..." She's a Muy Bueno Rancho for a few cows and mucho Muy Grandes...She needs a little rain and a good Patron to love her.

Jerry Tkac...
Texas City, Texas  Hunted Whitetail Deer for 50 years...guided on Sombrerito Ranch for 25 years...has extensive hunting experience in Africa, Canada and Alaska, collecting several record book trophies. Jerry says guiding for Whitetail Deer on the Sombrerito and Apache Springs Ranches is still his favorite. Jerry is a certified scorer for the Texas Exotic Wildlife Association, the Texas Big Game Awards and the Boone and Crockett Club.

BOBBY McCONAL...
KERRVILLE, TEXAS  26 years guiding experience in mountain states, South Texas, and Hill Country including 15 years guiding experience on the Sombrerito and Apache Springs Ranches. He has extensive personal hunting in the mountain states, Canada and Alaska. Bobby is a certified Texas Big Game Awards Measurer for Texas Parks and Wildlife. When not guiding or hunting, Bobby flies as Captain for Continental Airlines

SCOTT AVANT...
LAREDO, TEXAS  Lifetime resident of South Texas...started guiding at age 16 in Cotulla, Texas...has guided on Sombrerito and Apache Springs Ranches for the last 15 years. Scott has had a lifelong closeness to South Texas Whitetail Deer. His father, Darwin Avant, is the founder and former owner of the famous Los Cazadores  Deer Contest at Cotulla, Texas.

MIKE THIELE...
SPRING, TEXAS  Has hunted whitetail Deer since age 8...worked as firearms specialist for Carter's Country during his High School and College years...Mike is a certified Texas Big Game Awards Measurer for Texas Parks and Wildlife. He has hunted and guided on Sombrerito and Apache Spring Ranches over for 10 years.

"DEE" SMITH...
HUNT, TEXAS  25 years ranching, wildlife management and guiding experience in West Texas and the Hill Country.  As full-time Ranch Manager at Apache Springs Ranch, "Dee" has extensive year around knowledge of the quality Deer Management Program there.

BILL CARTER...
SPRING, TEXAS  has 60 years hunting experience in Africa, Alaska, mountain states and Texas. He has many award-winning trophies...the Founder and CEO of Carter's Country Outdoor Stores...Bill says "I made my last African Safari the year I first set foot on the Sombrerito Ranch. Not because I was tired of Africa, but because the Sombrerito gave me the challenges of being the steward of a timeless and pristine piece of the Brush Country...Now, 28 years later I still treasure and learn from those challenges".

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