A historic hunting ranch in the heart of Texas’ Rio Grande Valley that was previously owned by the family of former Senator Lloyd Bentsen has hit the market.
The Arrowhead Ranch, an almost 10,000-acre swath of high-fenced brush pastures filled with quail and a private jet runway, is listed for $29.75 million.
From the 1950s until the 1990s, Arrowhead was owned by the family of Lloyd Bentsen, a four-term U.S. senator from Texas and Secretary of Treasury under President Clinton. Bentsen, who ran as Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis’ running mate in 1988, is famous for his remark, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy,” to Senator Dan Quayle during the vice presidential debate.
Under the ownership of the Bentsen family, the ranch’s 5,000-foot landing strip and on-site airplane hangar were used by both foreign and domestic dignitaries. The senator, who was fond of the area and active in the local community, was a founder of the Sharyland School District in Mission, Texas. When Bentsen retired from Clinton’s Cabinet in December 1994, Arrowhead was the first flight he took out of Washington.
“I think the buyer will be an avid outdoorsman with a passion for quail and an appreciation for the historical significance of the ranch,” said Chad Foster, Founder and Broker of Foster Farm & Ranch. “Someone who would enjoy easily flying in and out of the ranch and take advantage of the private jet runway on a regular basis.”
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For the past 20 years, owners Homer and Linda Gomez have cultivated a sprawling brush habitat throughout the 15-square-mile ranch to make it an ideal home to tens of thousands of Bobwhite quail. Today, Arrowhead’s quail population is flourishing, with tens of thousands of healthy birds across multiple fields on the ranch that are solely dedicated to quail hunting.
“We’re ready to head up north to the Hill Country,” the Gomez family told The Real Deal. “Most of our extended family is in Austin and San Antonio, and after all we’ve done for Arrowhead, it’s time to be closer to the people who matter most to us.”
The main house spans 9,500 square feet with 360-degree views of the pastures. Outside the main house is 5,000 square feet of outdoor space designed for entertaining, complete with paved patios, a pavilion, TV, wet bar, grill, and fireplace. The property also features a historic four-bedroom lodge originally built in the 1930s that has since been fully restored with a commercial kitchen and large den.