Las Lajas Ranch

10/26/2025

This podcast series on Antonio Zapata, the namesake of Zapata County, Texas, offers a vivid glimpse into the deep and consequential history of our region.

Las Lajas Ranch, like several of our neighboring ranches, traces its roots back to the founding families of Revilla (now Zapata) and Laredo. The South Texas communities if the Rio Grande Valley are known for their traditions of expert horsemanship and animal husbandry. They are also the birthplace of American cowboy culture and of the legendary cattle drives that reached as far north as the states of Wyoming and Montana, and even Calgary in Canada.

But life in the Rio Grande Valley has never been easy, and this podcast series captures just how dangerous it once was. In fact, it begins with an episode on the death of Antonio Zapata’s grandfather, Francisco Rocha, in an ambush by Lipan Apaches.

From the constant threat of Apache and Comanche raids (which wiped out entire settlements such as the town of Palafox, upriver from Laredo) to the harsh terrain and brutal climate, the unforgiving land we now call South Texas forged a tough, brave, and fiercely independent people.

But these communities were also strong because they embraced equality early on. In a place where danger was everywhere and did not discriminate, a person’s worth was measured by their character and what they did for their community, rather than by their station at birth. This is why Antonio Zapata himself was able to thrive here, eventually becoming one of the wealthiest and most admired ranchers in the area.

Antonio’s maternal grandfather, Francisco, arrived in Revilla as a ranch hand sometime in the late 1700s. He was from the state of Nuevo León, then the interior of New Spain, where Spanish law would have barred Francisco from owning or even riding horses because of his social class.

At the edge of the empire, however, in the so-called “warrior settlements” of the Rio Grande, such baseless restrictions held no weight and were never enforced: what mattered was hard work, honor, courage, and strength of character.

These qualities continue to define the people of the Rio Grande Valley to this day, including of course the residents of the county that now bears Antonio Zapata’s last name.

Podcast Episode · A New History of Old Texas · S4 E1 · 25m

09/20/2025

🤨🤔😮🤯 *reaches for the camo paint*

08/31/2025

Nights at Las Lajas are a symphony of wildlife under the moonlight. 🌕

08/02/2025

Exciting news! We've just revamped our website, as we prepare to launch our direct-to-consumer beef and game operation in the next few months. Check it out, let us know what you think, and stay tuned for more information on how to get premium quality beef and game delivered right from the source to your door!

Please note that our domain ends in DOT-US, not dot-com.

Established in 1774, Las Lajas Ranch offers premium beef, extraordinary hunting, and unforgettable stays.

07/30/2025

A new resource to keep Texans informed and prepared is now available. Developed by 13 leading landowner, livestock, equine and wildlife organizations, ScrewwormTX.org compiles reliable resources including the latest updates, guidance and event info to keep you informed about New World screwworm.

Learn more about the Screwworm Coalition of Texas and the new resource: www.screwwormtx.org

Texas Wildlife Association - Conservation Legacy | Texas Big Game Awards | Texas Youth Hunting Program -TYHP | Texas Brigades | Texas Parks and Wildlife | Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service | Texas Agricultural Land Trust | Texas Outdoor Writers Association | Texas Fish & Game Magazine | Lone Star Outdoor News | DSC | Texan by Nature | Texas Dove Hunters Association | Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute | Texas Animal Health Commission | U.S. Department of Agriculture

07/19/2025

𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐘𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊?

We’ve all seen the posts showing a pile of dead coyotes to “save the fawns.”

In our view, this isn’t a viable management strategy, and it often does more harm than good. Why?

Glad you asked! Let's break it down:

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✅ Trying to kill all the coyotes tends to make predation worse.

Indiscriminate coyote killing has been shown over and over (and over!) to increase their populations. Coyotes are territorial. When you remove a dominant resident, new ones quickly move in—and they often breed younger and have larger litters.

✅ Coyotes are important to a balanced ecosystem.

They keep mesopredators like raccoons and skunks in check—creatures that love raiding turkey and quail nests. Remove coyotes and you tank your game bird population. And guess what’s next on the menu for displaced predators? Yep. Fawns.

✅ Want more fawns? Improve your habitat.

Open, overgrazed land is a predator buffet, no matter how many you shoot. Thick brush and quality cover do much more to protect fawns than any rifle can.

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But what about the calves? Let’s do the math.

A mama cow weighs about 1200 lbs. A full grown male coyote weighs about 40 lbs.

If a mama cow wont defend her calf against a predator 3% her size, then as a matter of herd management and genetics what you really have is a cull cow, not a predator problem.

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🐑 🐐 🐔AND NOW A HAT TIP TO OUR FRIENDS WHO RAISE SHEEP, GOATS, AND POULTRY:

We’re cattleraisers, but we hear you and we get it. Predation losses are real. Coyotes can be a serious threat to small and medium ruminants, and more so to flocks. And yet, we've noticed that even among our herding and poultry raising friends, the ones who seem to be doing best do not typically reach for a rifle as their first solution either. What seems to work better and last longer?

✅ Livestock guardian animals with proper training and coop integration—dogs, donkeys, llamas, and even roosters
✅ Secure nighttime penning, especially during lambing, kidding, or laying seasons
✅ Tight fencing and wire mesh on all six sides (not chicken wire, but hardware cloth)
✅ Motion-triggered lights or alarms
✅ And yes, targeted lethal control on specific problem animals—but only when used sparsely and in conjunction with other methods

Combining these tools works better, costs less over time, and doesn’t destabilize the ecosystem.

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BOTTOM LINE:

We are a predator-friendly ranch because we believe the evidence shows that, rather than stopping predation, shooting every coyote we see makes it worse.

Others might have different experiences. We respect that and are always learning from our rancher friends and colleagues, so we are willing to be convinced that coyote stacking works.

But one thing we frequently challenge ourselves on is whether we are relying on unverified or anecdotal data—and if so, whether it really disproves the many controlled studies on these issues carried out by the amazing agricultural research programs our nation is blessed with. We'll post a few specific research articles on these topics in the comments.

Good land and wildlife management requires thoughtful, integrated, site-specific planning. If we want more deer, birds, lambs, and kids, we have to start working with the land.

Have you tried any of the alternatives to predator control above, and if so do they work for you?

07/10/2025

US Secretary of Agriculture Rollins has closed the southern ports to livestock trade once again, after a new case of world screwworm was detected in Veracruz. Both the US and Mexico are working hard to combat this terrible parasite.

https://bit.ly/4nH5lLKe

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07/08/2025

Calf Preconditioning Series, Part 1: Branding

Calf preconditioning is an important part of herd management, designed to optimize animal health and reduce stress at weaning. It ultimately results in higher-quality beef. This post kicks off a short series explaining what “preconditioning” really means, starting with one of the most recognizable (and most misunderstood) parts: branding.

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So what’s in a cattle brand?

At Las Lajas Ranch, preparing our calves for healthy and productive lives starts early, and our calves are branded when they are about sixty days old.

Cattle brands are registered marks of ownership with real legal and economic significance. They deter theft, ensure that stray or stolen cattle return to their rightful owner, and allow for traceability in disease control. Agricultural lenders also rely on cattle brands to secure livestock loans.

Finally, cattle brands often include identifying information specific to a particular animal, including the year it was born, its birth order and sometimes its sire (a single numerical digit for each). This helps with herd management, record-keeping, health monitoring and genetic control.

Unlike ear tags, cattle brands can be read from far away, do not fall off, and cannot be removed. Brands are strictly regulated, and their design and location on an animal has to be registered. It is illegal to use an unregistered brand.

📖 Want to dig into the fascinating history of cattle brands? Smithsonian Magazine has a great article on the subject, linked below.

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While this post and and the Smithsonian Magazine article below discuss branding in general, in the next post we will talk about freeze branding—a type of branding that we are transitioning to which is proven to reduce animal discomfort.

Later still we’ll take a look at other aspects of preconditioning—including vaccinations and weaning—and the best practices we rely on to raise healthy, resilient cattle at Las Lajas Ranch.
https://bit.ly/4lc5MMj

Venture into the highly regulated and fascinating world of bovine pyroglyphics

07/04/2025

Happy Independence Day from Las Lajas Ranch!

07/01/2025

Bright and sunny days are great and all, but today it’s been cloudy and drizzly with a 100% chance of green, healthy pastures and for that we give thanks! 🙌

06/25/2025