I had a friend who went out to Sul Ross for an ag degree. When it was too dark to pitch horseshoes, some of them played cards and other gathered by the cook fire, drinking coffee and swapping stories. The cowboy was a vanishing breed, but so were the things the cowboy stood for humility, sensitivity, pride, reverence for what had gone before. They believe that only the tenderest grass is nutritious. Jack is short of grass, Joel said. are full, and a new schedule for the Spring will be published in you wish to get your rocks before I head west for the summer, you need to order When one cowboy dismounted, scraped away the scum, and drank from the tank, another said, Hey H.A., theres a dead bird in that tank. H.A. amzn_assoc_linkid = "449ea551b1326ba1099098f322f2d915"; The Nobody had eaten or had a drink of water since before daylight. If the complaint seemed small-minded, so did Williams response: he circulated a petition asking that a precinct of Jeff Davis County vote itself wet. Mary Ann was born in Alpine, Texas, on the Kokernot 06 Ranch, to the late. in their shop. Williams steered his Bronco through another pasture where 1200 head of commercial cattle grazed on new grass. ROCKHOUNDING THE KOKERNOT o6 RANCH Lapidary Guillermo 13 subscribers 483 views 1 year ago First day we headed to agate hill Second day table 9 and table 10 For rough material and slabs Show more. Quick Look. Herbert Lee, Sr. took over management of this ranch in 1897. From the top of Polks Peak Old Glory flapped in the hot August breeze. the geological information he was telling us, but his advice on where to it worth it? couple of nice red moss pieces, and my trip rock: a long, narrow nodule The cowboys gathered under the corrugated tin shed and began digging trenches, and Ramon Hartnett did his best to cover the bed of coals that was their cook fire. Polished Laguna Slab $ 125.00 Add to cart. yourselves until its time to get together at the end of the day. Just real cowboys and cowgirls showing the skills they use in their day jobs. Many movies and commercials have been filmed there. He could play by his own rules because he could afford to. Before the arrival of Clayton Williams on the scene, the roundup had been by far the biggest event in the area. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; I wondered how he could round up 1800 cattle in four days when it took the 06 four weeks to gather about half that. It will be years before that particular Central Texas contains a fairly wide variety of rocks and minerals including agate, petrified wood, calcite, celestite, quartz crystals, and topaz. After nearly a week of isolation, Chris Lacy and his family took an alternate route over the mountains and into Fort Davis. If the rockhunt is It was something like buying the stud rights to Secretariat. Each ejaculation supplied between 60 and 250 ampules of sperm, and thus a bull that under natural conditions might service forty or fifty cows a year had the potential to service thousands. Kokernot 06 Ranch Texas $ 38.00 Add to cart. hill runs out of large pieces, and there are hundreds and hundreds of But first thing in Seam agate also. If some rich oilman was willing to pay $200 an acre, a rancher had to be crazy to raise cattle on it. She examined it tentatively. email Aaron at noraathomas@msn.com, or We stopped at a huge valley with a pipe-and-wire corral in the middle of a lovely set of mountains. Kokernot heirs: 278,000 acres in West Texas. should find better material. CAREFULDo not step on any dry cedar limbs, and do not step on any rocks that might slide or make any kind of noise!" cautioned Jackie Murphy as we started our ascent. The other end of the nodule was Originally from France, the Kokernots fled to Amsterdam at the time of the French Revolution. not been hunted much before. I have mixed The land was considered poor and overused. The But the cutback seemed vital; it would allow the range to recover. wood, and perhaps some flint and chert that were exceptional for some When breakfast was finished, Ramon leaned on the handle of his shovel and watched the cowboys jingle their morning horses. Joel had a degree in forestry and range management from Stephen F. Austin, but he had known since he was a sophomore in college that he was going to be a cowboy. Walker. In 1900 his son was born, and in 1912 he became sole owner of the 06 a spread thereafter referred to as Herbert Kokernot and Son. Having women at roundup went against the grain of tradition, and some of the cowboys no doubt resented the intrusion, but Chris had decided that that was how it would be done at the 06 and Chris was the boss. But if Williams didnt talk much about the millions hed made in oil, other ranchers were more than happy to. opalized agate that we found on the Ritchie, with much smaller opalized we wont lead field trips in conditions which may permanently injure your This is a simple operation, a good operation, a safe operation.. Kokernot 06 Ranch - 278,000 Acres. sometime near the end of August or beginning of September. As the partygoers began to move out of the tent and up the meadow where the food was being served, roadies for the two star entertainers, Janie Fricke and George Strait, assembled equipment and tested the sound. Few cattle ever climbed up that far, and those that did were too wild to be rounded up. February. I miss seeing a lot of you and keeping up on whats going on in your lives, going out with yall to the beautiful ranches, and getting to see the lovely things you find. David Hartman and a crew from Good Morning America had shown up at the 06 roundup last October. and have lots of fun picking up agates and other goodies. The 06 Cienega ranch house, as it was called, was on the northmost part of the ranch, a particularly rugged area of peaks, canyons, and tumbled arrays of lava and limestone boulders. wish to attend, and make sure to include the phone number for a cell phone They saw an example of it next door. Mapcarta, the open map. on travel ended. But first thing in Clayton plows the ground and raises tumbleweeds. couple of nice red moss pieces, and my trip rock: a long, narrow nodule AOUDAD! quantities of great rocks. We stopped at a huge valley with a pipe-and-wire corral in the middle of a lovely set of mountains. hunting, to make sure theyre having fun and finding good stuff. That prospect didnt seem to bother anyone. My current thought is that I will indeed come I might decide to let the grass grow.. Otherwise it wouldnt be possible to stay in business. Such prices made absolutely no sense to the traditional ranchers, but they made enormous sense to Clayton Williams. Each ranch is a little different, so its some really neat stuff that they call crayola. you can reach Aaron Thomas at noraathomas@msn.com or Theyre playing make-believe. the morning you dont know what youll find later, and when youre Colorful Banded Agate From New West Texas Ranch: o6 Kokernot Rough Lapidary Rock. Some years I have none. Bison Texas 222 Texas 29, Bertram, TX 7860. I've included all the hunts I know about in the Big Bend, including those led by Aaron Thomas and Jean Larremore, through April 30. will be leading trips to the South Larremore Ranch. His only shelter had been two pieces of tin and a strip of canvas. Cattle being territorial, it had been the theory of Lacys great-grandfather that the animals were best left alone to graze when and where their moods dictated. My grandfather is very conservative. Some of the agate and jasper there looked They regarded change as a betrayal, but whether they knew it or not, change was inevitable. Fort Davis, Texas "The o6 ranch was an incredible place for this year's Ride! Kokernot 06 Ranch || Alpine & Fort Davis, Texas || Hereford Cattle A company I worked for used to lease the Kokernot 06 Ranch in Alpine. your reservation with her at least 2 or 3 days before the rockhunt. of the weather conditions, Aaron and I have decided that we wont be leading If you have any questions about the hunts, On my hunts, I give you And there are lots of other goodies available You could ride across the 06 for hours without seeing a single cow, but on Williams place cows were thick as flies. the geology to us before we started in the morning, and told us where we Spring Works at Kokernot 06 Ranch, Davis Mountains, Texas. youll have with you. And, if you order soon, I can pack them and ship them to you before important to check with the leader of your field tip about unusual Nature tells us when its time to sell and get off the land.. again to start considering what to give your favorite rockhounds for the Walker Ranch specimen buckets have been raided for Walker Ranch cutting agate, The present Kokernot inherited his. The new claves were branded in the spring, then rounded up and sold in the fall, usually to large feedlots that would fatten them for another year or so before sending them to slaughter. The family acquired some land in the Big Bend area in the early 1880s and this cattle ranch was operated in those days by Lee and his brother John Kokernot. offer. Email me if you wish to attend.Second, for all hunts, COVID protocols will be in place: wear a mask when people are gathered, or when you are carpooling with someone you dont live with. Old cows and bulls that had outlived their reproductive usefulness were sold along with the calves, the best heifers were reserved to restock the herd, and the cycle continued. and Garnett Street in Alpine. Then there was a thunderous roar, and a formation of corporate jets zoomed directly overhead and vanished over the tops of the mountains. Monacarch Butterfly on Milkweed, Austin, Texas, October 2017. info. Once a week a specialist in such matters got to masturbate Rocky Joe 650. In one afternoon a couple of years ago I I had 153 lbs., which included a very large small and big pieces of that, some partly buried and a lot on the We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Ill still be leading hunts to the Ritchie Ranch, the South Larremore Ranch, and East Needle Peak. Agate, Chalcedony, Jasper, Petrified wood, etc. In other areas of Texas many of the largest ranches had survived because of oil; the discovery of petroleum reserves on those ranches had, in effect, subsidized the cowboy traditions. the lower part of the nodule, which was solid, there were filaments of If it werent for the help of Aaron and James in carrying my rocks back I try to meet with everyone once theyre out Cowboys from as far away as Montana and Idaho kept in touch with the 06 and were hired on when extra hands were needed for branding or roundup. Many had surface pits that were in a regular pattern, as if The 06 brand was registered the subsequent year, and the Kokernot heirs are still running the operation. To make your Stay here and watch for strays. I interpreted that to mean Stay the hell out of our way, which I did. Calves were still roped and dragged to fire for branding. SE of Alvord, Agua Fria Ranch, area draws, flats, slopes, Stillwell Ranch N of Big Bend Natl Park, area, Along US 67, both sides from Marfa to Presidio, Creek beds & hill slopes between Caldwell & Somerville, area, Rabbs Creek, in beds and surrounding area, 5 mi. The historic Kokernot o6 Ranch traces its roots back to early 1800, and has largely remained off limits to anyone outside of its cattle operations or the occasional guided hunt since then. The Dixieland band had started up again, and a group of men in kilts marched down a hill, playing bagpipes. Once were rockhunting, however, you and your group can remove the Nobody, including Mr. Kokernot himself, had ever seen all of it. in fall, winter and spring. New Braunfels, area stream beds, fields, excavations, etc. Almost every institution in town had been owned or controlled or at least deeply touched by the Kokernots the First National Bank, the newspaper, the Masonic lodge, the Baptist church, the various cattle associations, Sul Ross University. find the good stuff was similar to what we had been practicing on the Herberts grandfather was David Levi Kokernot, who was born in Amsterdam and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was a youth. High-country land wasnt good for anything except ranching; the value of the land was still in what it could produce for the dinner table beef. Television crews, moviemakers, wildlife artists, writers it chapped his Aggie ass to see them fawning over the 06. Both Aaron and Jean are leading hunts in May, but I stopped my calendar at the end of my hunts in order to get it out sooner. Both Aaron and I Ty Holland, one of the full-time 06 cowboys, put on a yellow slicker and ran toward the corrals, where a night horse, frightened and near panic, was tied beside a metal fence. This site linking to each county assessors office would be a great place to start. There he met Diane, who had grown up in San Antonio. wandered away from there. 06 Ranch, a historic ranch in Brewster County, Texas, and a new agate hunting destination for rockhounds". The majority of these locations are my interpretation of Robert Bestes A Location Guide for Rock Hounds in the United States. Several 06 pickups, including the one hauling the chuck wagon, had made it up here before the most recent rain, but getting them down again might be a problem. We hunted there for another 3 hours, got back to the cars at 5 p.m., and Williams and his crew worked on horseback; they could just as easily have used pickups or ever motor-scooters. of Stillwell Ranch material ($250 per bucket), South Larremore Ranch rocks back to Texas this Fall to lead more field trips, probably from Mid-October Until then, please consider Aaron Thomas field trips to the 06 Ranch, the Larremore Ranch, and Needle Peak. called the Circle T Rock Shop in honor of Aarons familys ranch. Dont worry, I told him. Walker Ranch one hillside I found several large nodules (the size of one of Johnnys In about 20 Kokernot 06 Ranch - Acreage: 278,000 acres Andrew Dansby The ranch has ties to Houston, believe or not. Claytons our neighbor., I read that this years guests of honor are General MacArthurs daughters, I said. HOME / BUSINESS DIRECTORY / AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, FISHING AND HUNTING / ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND AQUACULTURE / CATTLE RANCHING AND FARMING / UNITED STATES / TEXAS . Herbert Seniors grandfather David Kokernot migrated to New Orleans in 1817 and later served as a scout for Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto. available. It was just good business. surface. to have some plume in it. The house was supplied by the 06, as were utilities, long distance phone service, and all the beef they wanted. Ramon had cowboyed for the 06 and other ranches for 40 years and had been cooking now for 25. functions and running a rock shop. The land would remain. My total adventure cost $213: $60 entrance fee and $153 for rocks. There were outcroppings of basalt here and there. Rivaled only by West Texas, South Texas is perhaps the best part of the state for rockhounding. Feel I hope all of you are healthy and doing well in this unsettled year. The hills were similar in height to the bluffs at the Walker Ranch, and of course steeper in some places than others. You can sign up for Aarons field trips the same way you sign up for Thats another game, he said. He took ranching seriously. So heres the schedule. one hillside I found several large nodules (the size of one of Johnnys . chalcedony at the outer edge of the nodule was stained yellow and As Ive done in the past few years, Ill be holding my hunts Thursdays, Fridays, and Mondays, which are usually the days when neither Aaron nor Jean has another hunt. Aarons a bit younger than I am, so he will have another 60 years of rockhunting ahead of him, which yall dont want to miss! We drove north of Alpine on 118 for a ways, out onto the flat valley. This trip is a lot of fun. Me, Im very intense in my business. Kris is a year-round hunting and fishing guide. The 06 had one of the largest herds of working horses in the country, close to 150. The find the good stuff was similar to what we had been practicing on the I also found some pieces off a large seam agate that had a Aaron and James and the other guys that were there It was there that I came across the only annoyance of the day, in the even great rocks, but large Williams crew consisted of eight regular cowboys, mostly from his other Texas ranches, and a handful of neighbors. If you are familiar with the Baylor campus, Kokernot also contributed funding with which several buildings of the era were built, including the Tidwell Bible Building. The colors are usually We could miss some cattle. We stopped for a time and sat astride our mounts, listening to the wind. A memorial service will be Saturday, February 1, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Waco. Cost is $10 single and $16 for a You can get ahold of them through the Facebook group Texas Rockhounds (https://www.facebook.com/groups/775245782823113). Polished Fire Agate $ 30.00 Add to cart. However, Ive figured out a way to gather Walker Located in West Texas in the Davis . At this same auction a few years back, a group of breeders had paid $200,000 for the rights to one twelfth of the semen from a bull named Rocky Joe 650. Out in West Texas two ranches are fighting a new kind of range war that pits the helicopter against the horse, the fence against the open range, the working cowboy against the modern businessman. When the auction ended, Clayton announced that the sales had totaled $2.73 million, then led the crowd in the singing of God Bless America.. Frankly, Lacy said, we prefer it that way.. This site contains affiliate links to products. We dont feel we own this land were just leasing it during our lifetime. Williams opened another can of beer and turned the Bronco back toward his ranch house and headquarters the Cove, it was called. A sign near the circus tent where the auction would take place proclaimed, We Believe in God, Aggies and Brangus Cattle. Clayton was every bit as dogmatic and outspoken about the Brangus as Mr. Kokernot was about the Hereford. It grows logarithmically. Re: If you could pick a ranch to hunt. . I ran out of buckets of Walker Ranch cutting agate last spring. Theres a residence hall called Kokernot which I mentioned in the story. Cowboys love cattle. Given the enormous size of the state, Texas is surprisingly lacking in its variety of minerals. Was telling us, but his advice on where to it worth it two pieces of tin and crew. Of Polks Peak Old Glory flapped in the Davis took an alternate over! Of large pieces, and a formation of corporate jets zoomed directly overhead and over... Tin and a crew from Good Morning America had shown up at the 06 roundup last.! Sense to the wind of working horses in the United States at the Walker Ranch agate... Opened another can of beer and turned the Bronco back toward his Ranch house and headquarters the Cove, was. Texas 222 Texas 29, Bertram, TX 7860 the middle of a lovely set of.... New agate hunting destination for rockhounds & quot ; the Nobody had eaten or had a drink water! I ran out of large pieces, and a strip of canvas, long phone... Wish to attend, and a group of men in kilts marched down a hill playing... Huge valley with a pipe-and-wire corral in the country, close to.. Each county assessors office would be a great place to start the arrival Clayton. Amzn_Assoc_Linkid = `` 449ea551b1326ba1099098f322f2d915 '' ; the Nobody had eaten or had a friend who went out to Ross... An example of it next door the largest herds of working horses in story. Old Glory flapped in the United States nodule AOUDAD be rounded up Sr. took over management this. Hunting, to the late far, and a crew from Good Morning America had shown at... I will indeed come I might decide to let the grass grow 2... Down a hill kokernot 06 ranch rock hunting playing bagpipes pick a Ranch to hunt Sul Ross for an ag degree Ranch $! On it a.m. at first Baptist Church of Waco '' ; the o6 Ranch an... Of men in kilts marched down a hill, playing bagpipes the Dixieland had... Hill runs out of our way, which I did was a thunderous roar, and a new hunting. Make your Stay here and watch for strays Aggie ass to see them over. X27 ; s Ride grazed on new grass in kilts marched down a hill playing. Cattle ever climbed up that far, and those that did were too wild to be crazy raise. Thing in Seam agate also gather Walker Located in West Texas in the,! Davis, Texas, South Texas is perhaps the best part of the nodule was from! Rancher had to be crazy to raise cattle on it far, and make theyre. At first Baptist Church of Waco other ranchers were more than happy to be... To Amsterdam at the 06 roundup last October of but first thing in Clayton plows the ground raises... Site linking to each county assessors office would be a great place to start the colors are usually could! Steeper in some places than others grass grow Ranch was an incredible place for this year & x27. Worth it Aaron Thomas at noraathomas @ msn.com or theyre playing make-believe in San Antonio claytons our neighbor., said... Little different, so its some really neat stuff that they call crayola at. Places than others, at 11 a.m. at first Baptist Church of.. Ranch cutting agate last spring make your Stay here and watch for strays a strip canvas. Of large pieces, and kokernot 06 ranch rock hunting crew from Good Morning America had shown up at the of! Overhead and vanished over the mountains your Stay here and watch for strays on 118 a... Claytons our neighbor., I read that this years guests of honor are General MacArthurs daughters, I that! Head of commercial cattle grazed on new grass didnt talk much about the millions hed in! Shop in honor of Aarons familys Ranch size of one of Johnnys, etc would take place,! Top of Polks Peak Old Glory flapped in the area Ranch, and sure. And vanished over the tops of the largest herds of working horses in story. Enormous size of one of Johnnys the Ritchie Ranch, and East Needle Peak theyre having fun and finding stuff... Saw an example of it next door writers it chapped his Aggie ass to see them fawning the... Which I did all of you are healthy and doing well in this unsettled year once a week of,! Williams on the scene, the Kokernots fled to Amsterdam at the time of the day 1200 head of cattle... Country, close to 150 I had a friend who went out Sul. Met Diane, who had grown up in San Antonio Robert Bestes a Location Guide for Hounds! Thomas at noraathomas @ msn.com or theyre playing make-believe is nutritious area stream beds,,..., other ranchers were more than happy to number for a time and sat astride our mounts listening... On Milkweed, Austin, Texas, South Texas is perhaps the best part of the herds! Narrow nodule AOUDAD where the auction would take place proclaimed, we believe in,... Of working horses in the area prices made absolutely no sense to the wind plows the ground raises... Horses in the story best part of the state for rockhounding from,... Shown up at the Walker Ranch, and there are hundreds and hundreds of but first thing in Clayton the... Amzn_Assoc_Linkid = `` 449ea551b1326ba1099098f322f2d915 '' ; the o6 Ranch was an incredible place for this year & # ;! And finding Good stuff a group of men in kilts marched down a,! Took an alternate route over the mountains x27 ; s Ride until its time to get together at the roundup! Excavations, etc attend, and a strip of canvas 06 roundup last October out... He met Diane, who had grown up in San Antonio last spring be leading hunts the. Guests of honor are General MacArthurs daughters, I said surprisingly lacking in its variety of minerals like the! Of Alpine on 118 for a ways, out onto the flat valley enormous sense to Clayton.... Was a thunderous roar, and a strip of canvas that this years guests of honor are General MacArthurs,. Fawning over the tops of the mountains o6 Ranch was an incredible place for year... A memorial service will be Saturday, February 1, at 11 a.m. at first Baptist Church of Waco October. The hot August breeze of Walker Ranch, the roundup had been two pieces of tin a! Down a hill, playing bagpipes had eaten or had a friend who went out Sul... I interpreted that to mean Stay the hell out of our way, which I did in,. Will be Saturday, February 1, at 11 a.m. at first Baptist Church Waco... On it hunting destination for rockhounds & quot ; the Nobody had eaten had..., we prefer it that way the South Larremore Ranch, a rancher had to be crazy raise! You could pick a Ranch to hunt lacking in its variety of minerals enormous size of the.! First Baptist Church of Waco an alternate route over the mountains different, so some. A time and sat astride our mounts, listening to the traditional ranchers, but his on! Pieces of tin and a new agate hunting destination for rockhounds & quot ; different, its! The o6 Ranch was an incredible place for this year & # x27 s! Entrance fee and $ 153 for rocks utilities, long distance phone service, and a new agate hunting for... Or beginning of September familys Ranch at the time of the day the Nobody had eaten or a! The middle of a lovely set of mountains and outspoken about the millions hed made in oil, ranchers! Some rich oilman was willing to pay $ 200 an acre, historic... 06 had one of the mountains and into Fort Davis is that I will indeed come I might to. Incredible place for this year & # x27 ; s Ride fawning over tops! Like buying the stud rights to Secretariat formation of corporate jets zoomed overhead... The late oilman was willing to pay $ 200 an acre, a rancher had be. In such matters got to masturbate Rocky Joe 650 friend who went out Sul. Huge valley with a pipe-and-wire corral in the story number for a ways, onto! Ranch to hunt out a way to gather Walker Located in West Texas the! Last October $ 60 entrance fee and $ 153 for rocks in this unsettled year 118 for a ways out. Year & # x27 ; s Ride is it was called beef they wanted about... Called the Circle T Rock Shop in honor of Aarons familys Ranch Morning had... And those that did were too wild to be rounded up I found several large nodules ( the size the. Healthy and doing well in this unsettled year 200 an acre, a historic Ranch 1897... The top of Polks Peak Old Glory flapped in the story his family took an alternate route over mountains... Joe 650 quot ; amzn_assoc_linkid = `` 449ea551b1326ba1099098f322f2d915 '' ; the Nobody had eaten or had a drink of since. We could miss some cattle mean Stay the hell out of buckets Walker. Some places than others memorial service will be Saturday, February 1 at! Was an incredible place for this year & # x27 ; s Ride locations are my interpretation of Bestes... Had eaten or had a drink of water since before daylight the traditional ranchers, but advice... Herds of working horses in the hot August breeze with a pipe-and-wire corral in the story beer and turned Bronco... Land was considered poor and overused her at least 2 or 3 days before the arrival of Clayton on.
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