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Just saw this on the Hunting Report;

Fair Chase Cape Buffalo Hunts In Texas

(Originally published in the August 2006 issue.)

Here’s an interesting find. Correspondent Ray Sasser tells us there is a place in Texas that has set its sights on creating an American version of the experience of going on safari in southern African. This company even intends to offer hunts for Cape buffalo. He writes:

“The Crown X Ranch is a 37,000-acre property in the Chinati Mountain Range 34 miles south of Marfa, Texas. It is owned by a wealthy German named Howard Schwerdtfeger, who, enamored with the American West, began putting the Crown X Ranch together some 28 years ago. In 1997 Schwerdtfeger started collecting exotic animals. He game-fenced about 7,000 acres, including one 6,000-acre pasture and numerous smaller enclosures for breeding pens. He currently has 30 species of mostly African game on hand, including kudu, gemsbok, sable, eland, waterbuck, nyala, addax and even Cape buffalo.

“The Crown X currently has three Cape buffalo bulls, and Schwerdtfeger is shopping for cows and more bulls. He plans to offer fair-chase hunts for all this game, including the Cape buffalo. In fact, he is currently enclosing three sides of his 37,000 acres with game-proof fence. The fourth side is the mountain range, which creates a natural barrier that will keep most of the animals from leaving the Crown X. Mountain species like aoudad and ibex will come and go at will. The elevations on the Crown X range from 4,200 feet to 7,700 feet.

“‘What I’m trying to create is an environment similar to a very large South African hunting ranch,” Schwerdtfeger told me. ‘The animals will be free-ranging, self-sustaining herds that interact with one another. We have at least 1,000 animals now, and they are reproducing well.’

“That is basically what sets the Crown X apart from other Texas exotic operations I have visited. The animals to be hunted on the Crown X are going to be animals that were born and raised on the property, and most of the hunts will be for free-ranging animals on 30,000 acres unbroken by additional game fences.

“Many Texas exotics operations may have several thousand acres overall, but are divided into smaller pastures, each contained by a game fence. Other hunting operations also typically buy animals from dealers and release them just before the hunt. Some of those animals are not particularly afraid of people and are not familiar with the terrain of the property where they are released. Many ranches have only a handful of animals mature enough to be considered trophies.

“Schwerdtfeger has brought in veteran Texas hunting outfitter Jim Roche to help with the operation. Roche has now run a couple of exploratory hunts on the Crown X Ranch, and his enthusiasm for the place is through the roof. The Crown X will be offering hunts this year and is in the planning stages of building its own hunting lodge. Clients this year will have two lodging options. One is to stay in a portable camp that Roche has previously used for Alaskan moose hunts. He describes it as a very comfortable hunting camp located on the ranch. A second option is to stay at the neighboring Cibolo Creek Ranch, a 4-star resort that regularly hosts the rich and famous, including actor and Texas resident Tommy Lee Jones. Cibolo Creek Ranch is a 25-minute drive from the Crown X and has a 5,300-foot paved runway that’s ideal for most private aircraft.

“The price structure is not yet complete, but the basic hunting fee is $250 a day (based on double occupancy) with trophy fees added on. Roche said some of the ranch’s more common animals carry relative bargain prices — $4,500 for eland, $1,950 for aoudad, $1,750 for purestrain mouflon. The Crown X also has native North American game such as Rocky Mountain elk, desert mule deer, Carmen Mountain whitetails (a subspecies of whitetail similar to Coues’ deer) and javelina.

“The Schwerdtfeger family believes its investment and dedication to creating a South African-style hunting preserve will benefit from concerns about worldwide terrorism, airline woes and trophy importation problems. They expect most of their clients to be Americans, but hunting African game in Texas may appeal to a worldwide clientele, especially those who travel to the Southwest on business. For more details, contact Jim Roche at 325-853-1555, or visit his web site at www.magnumguideservice.com.”

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