# I have an awesome opportunity



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I will soon be inheriting several hundred acres of native river bottom in east Texas. There are artesian springs, spring fed ponds that have never gone dry, a small river, several creeks running though the acreage and even a small swamp that is solid reeds and cattails. For the most part this is all native plants with some cleared areas planted in coastal interspersed with woods. There are lovely blackberry tangles(technically dewberries I think), wildflowers, wild fruit trees like plums, etc. Pretty much bee paradise. I plan on leaving it as it is except for maintaining fence lines and putting in one mammothly huge garden :grin:

Now for my background. I'm retired, but I'm in my 40's. I've been keeping bees since I was 20 years old. Nothing major, usually 2-10 hives. I'd like to get into raising and selling bees. I'd of course be producing honey too, but I'd like my main focus on selling nucs and maybe queen rearing. That's the part of beekeeping that interests me. LOL...I think we all justify beekeeping with honey production, but are in reality just fascinated with bees!

I'd like to spend lots of time doing my planning rather than end up wasting money. I'm not really looking to make a lot of money from this, of course it would be nice if I did. I'd like for this venture to pay for itself at least. I plan to go fairly slowly...after all, I am retired and not in a hurry. 

I'd appreciate y'alls opinions and advice.


----------



## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

I'd say "Go for it"

Don't have any advice as to how to go about it though. LOL... 

Good luck!


----------



## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

I know a lady that is what she does. I can see if she would mind me giving you her email address if you like.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

That would be wonderful homemaid! Please. Thank you.


----------



## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

I will send her a quick email and see what she says. She has a 2 yr old and expecting in November so it may be a few days before I get a response.


----------



## BanTam (May 11, 2013)

I can't answer about the bee business, but I am in love with the sound of your property!!

We are so DRY here (east of Austin) and your place sounds like a paradise!


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

It really surprised me during that horrid summer a couple of years ago. The river dried up and some of the springs. I was able to drive a truck where no vehicle had ever made it through before...at least not in my life time. However, several of the spring fed ponds held their water level. That is an awesome feeling of security! I did loose a lot of huge old oak trees that were growing along the river and were shallow rooted









This is a pretty rare property. So much of east Texas has had the native plants killed out and folks have planted coastal or bermuda grass and then fertilized it so that there are almost no other species. It makes good hay pasture, but not much good for anything else. The ones that haven't done that have planted everything to these new generation pine trees planted so close that they shade out the native vegetation.

I'm very fortunate. I grew up with this land and I've seen it in years of drought and years of flood. I know what to expect from it. I'm familiar with the plants and animals that live there. Well, all except back in the swamp...some things I'm just not curious enough to fight the mosquitos and the alligators to find out about!

My biggest challenge is going to be keeping the feral pig population knocked down. A few years ago, a young man did intensive trapping on this piece of property and harvested over 350 pigs in 1 year! The heck of this is....I'm a vegetarian!


----------



## BanTam (May 11, 2013)

If you are looking for ways to make your property earn it's keep....and if it doesn't go against your principals (my sister is a Vegan so I have learned to walk on egg(less) shells when talking about eating meat...) and since the property sounds large enough, why not lease it out for hunting (deer/quail) and/or trap and sell the piglets to restaurants. I've heard free range young pigs are quite the "in food" right now.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Not to worry. Though I tend towards the vegan-ish side of vegetarianism....I do it for health reasons rather than that I am trying to save Bambi.

I have thought about leasing it for hunting, but frankly I don't want most hunters on the place. I've been a hunter for most of my life and I've taken lots of conservation courses. Most folks think nothing of shooting a yearling buck. I want to let him get a couple of years on him and see what kind of genetics he can pass along before he is harvested. Though I am a vegetarian, I see no reason not to properly manage the deer population on my place.

Unfortunately I've got some poachers taking deer now. Idiots thought it would be cute to cut the head off of the young doe they shot and hang it on the county road sign. I intend to teach them some manners and a little something about private property and respect if I can ever get my hands on them!

I might consider leasing for duck hunting. The swampy area is ideal for ducks.

I've considered trapping and selling pigs. There is a good market for them and several buyers in the area. Heck I may have to do it in self defense! 

I'm not really looking for the place to 'make money'. If it will pay the property taxes, which unfortunately are pretty steep even with an ag exemption, I'll be happy. If I were to make a profit, I'd just have to pay more income taxes than I am now. Actually it might be of benefit to me to 'lose' money on the farm.


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

TxMex said:


> Not to worry. Though I tend towards the vegan-ish side of vegetarianism....I do it for health reasons rather than that I am trying to save Bambi.
> 
> I have thought about leasing it for hunting, but frankly I don't want most hunters on the place. I've been a hunter for most of my life and I've taken lots of conservation courses. Most folks think nothing of shooting a yearling buck. I want to let him get a couple of years on him and see what kind of genetics he can pass along before he is harvested. Though I am a vegetarian, I see no reason not to properly manage the deer population on my place.
> 
> ...


..................Do you have gators in your ponds ? The illegal deer hunters maybe harvesting them for their skin ! , fordy


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

fordy said:


> ..................Do you have gators in your ponds ? The illegal deer hunters maybe harvesting them for their skin ! , fordy


Not in the ponds, but there might be some back in the swamp. That is the one part of the place that I've not ever been. When I was a kid my horse wouldn't go back in there because it was too boggy. I sure don't want to wade back in there on foot. Might be able to get an airboat back there, but not much else.

That particular poaching practice has some mighty steep penalties attached to it. I have an idiot ex nephew that found that out the hard way.


----------



## Breezy833 (Jun 17, 2013)

Sounds beautiful we need pictures. Being from the north when i think of Texas, all i think is HOT. Show me some scenery!


----------



## homemaid (Apr 26, 2011)

I think of Texas as hot also...LOL it must be our Michigan thinking...LOL we would love pictures... TxMex isn't Lisa a wonderful person to get bee knowledge from??


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Lisa is AWESOME!!!! I have had an absolute blast corresponding with her. Maybe one day she will join the forum here and share her knowledge. 

Y'all are both correct....it is danged hot in Texas. Texas is huge. I just traveled across the width of Texas and it took me 2 days mostly driving on the interstate. When most folks think of Texas they think of the west Texas desert. The central area is the 'hill country' and covered by scrubby little oak trees. The part of east Texas that I'm in is part of the 'big thicket' and more commonly referred to as the 'piney woods'. I'm going over there today and I'll try to remember my camera.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Ok, I finally remembered the camera and got enough internet speed to upload them. Lots and lots of coastal pasture....soon to be interplanted with clover.


----------



## SashayXP (Apr 26, 2008)

Wow TxMex...made me homesick big time. East Texas is my very favorite part of the great state.


----------



## jnstephens (Nov 13, 2013)

What part of east Texas are you in? I live in Heaven as well.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Northeast Texas around Tyler/Longview. 

Long about August it begins to feel a lot more like heavens opposite...lol.


----------



## jnstephens (Nov 13, 2013)

I live outside of Elkhart/Palestine area, very familiar with the area.


----------



## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

Grand Saline Texas here.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Don't suppose any of you in this area have a source for buying packages or nucs?


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I am absolutely bouncing up and down in glee the more I explore. There is a wealth of native tree and plant species. I have even found a lot of native holly trees. I am going to do a bit of planting for the bees, well mostly because I've never been able to leave well enough alone :grin: I'm working on raising some bee bee tree seedlings. I'll also be planting little weedy pockets with borage and planting the field closest to my main apiary with white clover. I'm planting a big hill to thorn-less blackberries. There are acres of native dewberries and wild plums.

The swamp area got mowed this year and I finally got back there for the first time. I have great hopes of that area being a large producer of pollen and nectar. Didn't see any gators thank goodness. No shortage of snakes though.

I stopped by the bee supply the other day and bought 50 hives, bottoms, tops, inner covers, etc., a new smoker, and other accessories. My wallet is now much, much lighter! I bought some smoker fuel just to see if it works as advertised. As far as I can tell, it seems to be about the same thing as you'd use in a pellet stove. Oh boy do I need a big workshop to work on this in!

So far it looks like my biggest challenge is going to be tresspassers. Nobody has really been keeping people out for the last 15-20 years. I'm working on improving the fences to aid in that. I have a lot of work ahead of me.


----------



## CrossCreek Mom (Aug 21, 2007)

Your post makes me smile. My Ddad spent some of his childhood around Tyler. I remember some of his stories & the strong Texas loyalty and pride.

That's some great looking land. Look forward to updates in the future.


----------



## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

There are a lot of good people in our area who would love to hunt would help out on the place. The more responsible people coming and going the less chance troublemakers coming on the property. If you put up no trespassing signs then it becomes criminal trespassing.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Liability is far too great to allow folks access. The days when a property owner could permit that are gone. Not to mention that I like my privacy. Had a fellow trespass this morning trying to go duck hunting. It is so bad that if I'm on the farm, there is a pistol on my hip. Now won't that be a sight! Me with my bee suit on and a pistol strapped over it! 

I'm currently trying to decide what kind of big outside dog I need to get. Danged thieves hit me before I even got moved in. East Texas has greatly changed from what it was when I was a kid and we never locked our doors.


----------



## sleeps723 (Sep 10, 2006)

Rottweiler and German shepards are good reliable dog breeds.


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Get a good catahoula or blackmouth cur. They're good at rounding up feral hogs and cattle when needed. They also function quite well as property guard dogs. Get a female. They have a less big urge to roam and stuff.


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

My cousin that has most of my place leased for cattle might object to a dog that wanted to chase his mama cows. So I probably won't be going with a livestock oriented dog. I have thought about a rottweiler. I've known too many german shepherds that had issues with hip displaysia to chance getting one. I'm hoping to be able to get another mastiff(the ex got mine in the divorce). Awesome dogs. I'm hoping to get a full sister to the one that I lost if I can.

I'm getting things done steadily. I have a huge garden tilled up. I'm waiting for a bit better weather to get 100 thornless blackberries planted. I am about to start raising seedlings of borage, vitex and bee bee trees to plant in the edges of the woods. I'll be propagating honeysuckle and planting it along fence lines. So if my bees don't have enough to eat it certainly won't be my fault!

A friend of mine that is a welder if making up bee hive stands. I need to start scouting around for used linoleum or something similar to go under the hives to suppress grass. I'm painting beehives as quickly as I can. I have 40 nucs coming in April. I'm hoping to have 100-150 hives by this fall


----------



## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

TxMex said:


> My cousin that has most of my place leased for cattle might object to a dog that wanted to chase his mama cows. So I probably won't be going with a livestock oriented dog. I have thought about a rottweiler. I've known too many german shepherds that had issues with hip displaysia to chance getting one. I'm hoping to be able to get another mastiff(the ex got mine in the divorce). Awesome dogs. I'm hoping to get a full sister to the one that I lost if I can.
> 
> I'm getting things done steadily. I have a huge garden tilled up. I'm waiting for a bit better weather to get 100 thornless blackberries planted. I am about to start raising seedlings of borage, vitex and bee bee trees to plant in the edges of the woods. I'll be propagating honeysuckle and planting it along fence lines. So if my bees don't have enough to eat it certainly won't be my fault!
> 
> A friend of mine that is a welder if making up bee hive stands. I need to start scouting around for used linoleum or something similar to go under the hives to suppress grass. I'm painting beehives as quickly as I can. I have 40 nucs coming in April. I'm hoping to have 100-150 hives by this fall


 .............So , who makes profit from sales of round bales and the cattle market which is an absolute gold mine ! Maybe you should purchase 30 or so bread cows and claim your share of the gold cattle market . Your land , now you're the BOSS , and maybe he needs to move over and let you utilize the full capacity of YOUR land ! Interesting thought is it not ? , fordy


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

fordy said:


> .............So , who makes profit from sales of round bales and the cattle market which is an absolute gold mine ! Maybe you should purchase 30 or so bread cows and claim your share of the gold cattle market . Your land , now you're the BOSS , and maybe he needs to move over and let you utilize the full capacity of YOUR land ! Interesting thought is it not ? , fordy


This has been suggested to me before, and it's not like I didn't grow up working cattle, so I would know what I'm doing. Yes he is making money off of leasing my place. I do not have the facilities to work cattle here. He has working pens on his property that adjoins mine. I'm single and have no help. If I had a husband or even a cooperative boyfriend that would put a different complexion on things. Maybe in the future I may consider running my own cows. For the time being while I am getting everything set up....it at least pays the property taxes.

Frankly I have all I can do with a large garden and a large apiary operation. The main reason I lease it out for cattle at all is so I don't have to spend all of my time mowing. Another consideration is that I do like to travel and while I can do that with a garden and bees....I couldn't do it with cows.


----------

