in southwest Florida, offers guided hunts for quail, turkey and alligator conducted with efficient professionalism by knowledgeable guides and the finest field dogs around. and lies on the outskirts of the town of LaBelle, in central Florida's Glades County. Before arrival of permanent settlers in the late 1800s, the region was originally populated by the Caloosa tribe, who gathered for religious
ceremonies under the oak hammock on the shores of the nearby Caloosahatchee River. Francis Asbury Hendry named the area for his daughters Laura and Belle: LaBelle ("the beautiful" in French). More than 100 years ago Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes and his seven sons expanded a cattle and citrus operation at their family's Florida homestead which by 1910 formally registered as Lykes Bros., Inc. Today the Lykes Ranch encompasses 337,000 acres which sprawl across Glades and Highlands counties on one of the largest contiguous pieces of privately held land in the state. Lykes employs multiple land-use practices to make the most efficient, economical and appropriate use of the many different land types on the ranch. Higher-income crops such as sugar cane are planted on the richest soils, while the plantation forests, grazing pastures, and wildlife management operations comprise other acreage. Stewardship is an important component of Lykes' management philosophy. The success of this practice can be seen in the Lykes Ranch's diverse wildlife. Game animals such as deer, quail, and turkey populate much of the property. Silver Lake Preserve is a pristine 1,876 acre tract of land which served for generations as the Lykes Family private quail hunting grounds. Today, guided hunts are conducted with efficient professionalism, offering a truly pleasurable experience for those who wish to enjoy the natural beauty of the Florida landscape.
