Wildlife flourishes at Tacubaya Ranch in Brooks County

Jeff Chavez knew very little about photography when he moved to the Rio Grande Valley, and now it’s his job.

Sylvia Chavez, Jeff’s aunt, owns Tacubaya Ranch, a piece of property which spans more than 3,000 acres in Encino, about 60 miles north of McAllen.

The land, which has been in their family since 1873, was formerly used as a cattle ranch. Sylvia had another plan though.

She saw a PBS special featuring John Martin, a founding member of the nonprofit Valley Land Fund, which works toward conservation of some of the Rio Grande Valley’s native habitats, and had an idea for her family’s ranch, her nephew says — photography.

“I was living in Waco and she asked us to come down and start this photography business, so we came down and that’s what we’ve done,” Jeff, 35, says.

Two years ago, Jeff and his family moved to the ranch and he began using a long lens and shooting from blinds.

“At first, I did get some great shots due to luck; however, it was not until the fall when I really learned about photo composition and what it takes to get a pleasing image,” Jeff says.

Now the Chavezes focus on offering a destination for hunters, photographers and nature enthusiasts in the Rio Grande Valley.

Hunting of javelina and hog is a year-round draw at the ranch and the fall and winter features plenty of white-tailed deer and birds, including turkey, dove and quail.

The ranch has hosted photography workshops and competitions in the past, including a contest which pitted visiting photographers at Tacubaya against those at the Santa Clara Ranch in McCook.

Nine photography blinds are set up in various locations throughout the property. A guide will drive guests to the location of their choice and leave them to photograph until they’re ready to switch locations or leave for the day.

Photographers who visit Tacubaya are usually there for the birds but the ranch offers opportunities to snap photos of other subjects.

“You can focus on the plants here with macro photography, and night photographers will come out and shoot the Milky Way,” Jeff says.

Other species spotted on the vast land includes bobcats, tortoises, rabbits and mountain lions.

One of the biggest advantages the ranch has over McAllen is the relatively low light pollution, so stargazers can study the night sky.

Soon the ranch owners will offer packages for those who want to have “star parties.” Amateur astronomers will be allowed to gather on the land with their telescopes and binoculars and spend the evening exploring the stars and planets.

A pavilion with picnic tables and a grilling pit are located near one of the ponds on the ranch. There have been many parties hosted at the location.

“A few months ago we had a gentleman from McAllen come out, I can’t remember his name, with a group of people and filmed an episode of something on ranch cooking,” Jeff says.

If you’re staying the night, the ranch has two options on site: an apartment which can accommodate up to four people and a house which can sleep six people. Both little houses have bathrooms, a kitchen and an outdoor grilling area.

The owners are also considering other packages to offer nature-lovers, such as hiking.

“We even thought about doing the geocaching type of thing out here,” Jeff says.

Geocaching is a bit like a game of hide and seek or treasure hunting, but players use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to track containers that are buried in various places.

Natural treasures can always be found among the wild brush for hunters, photographers and animal lovers at Tacubaya Ranch.

Amy Nichol Smith covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4420.