Director of Operations
Josh Koch
Runs day-to-day operations, leads the hunt program in the field.
Est. 1905
The Ranch
Six generations on the same land. A working hunting and cattle operation in central Texas.
From the Beginning
Three Hundred Acres in 1905
Arthur MacArthur Monteith of Belton bought the first three hundred acres in 1905, just west of Salado. He and Hyde raised the family there. The ranch grew to about a thousand acres before they passed it to their son, Walter Embree Monteith.
Walter served as Mayor of Houston from 1928 to 1933. He registered the -V- brand for the family cattle, named for his wife Vera, and expanded the cattle operation further.
Their only son, Walter Morey Monteith, was set to inherit. He died in a plane crash in 1941. When Walter and Vera passed in 1953, the ranch went to their niece and nephew, Carolyn Monteith Clarke and Edgar Monteith.
Carolyn and Edgar acquired the neighboring Willingham tract, refined the cattle program, and began opening the land to friends and family for guided hunts. That was the start of today's hunting program.
Today the ranch is owned and operated by Edgar and Carolyn's children and grandchildren. The sixth generation.
The -V- Brand
The Brand
The -V- has marked Monteith cattle since the Walter and Vera Monteith era. It still runs on every animal we put on the ground.
The Work
Today
One ranch, two complementary uses.
About 3,000 acres of central Texas pasture and brush — 1,200 of them game-fenced. Forty-five minutes north of Austin, just west of I-35.
We manage the land for the hunting and the cattle both. One pays for the other, and we've never been in a hurry to change that. Native and exotic game share managed habitat. Cattle move on a careful rotation across the same pastures.
Hunting season runs fall through winter. The annual beef harvest follows in its own time. The rest of the year is fences, water, brush work, and waiting for the cold front.
1905
— Est —
3,000
— Acres —
6
— Generations —
The Team
The Crew
Operations Coordinator
Monique Koch
Hospitality logistics across hunts: meals, lodge operations, guest services.
Hunting Guide
Jarrett
Hunting Guide
Brent
Part-time Ranch Hand