Frequently Asked Questions
Our FAQ provides an overview of the details of our unique approach to ranching, science, and education.
Ranches, Land, and Legacy
Where are your ranches?
How is the East Foundation related to the King Ranch?
Alice Gertrudis King Kleberg, who married Tom East Sr., was the granddaughter of Captain Richard and Henrietta King. At various times, portions of the current East Foundation ranches were part of the King Ranch holdings.
What is land stewardship and Why is it important?
Stewardship is the responsible and sustainable management and use of resources for the benefit of current and future generations. At East Foundation, we have been entrusted with caring for more than 217,000 acres of South Texas rangeland.
Our decisions are based on sound science, and we work hard to ensure that our ranching and wildlife management operations work together to conserve and improve healthy native rangelands. As land stewards, we strive to make good decisions on our lands and provide quality education programs and opportunities to inspire our students, other landowners, and managers to continue to practice good land stewardship.
What are the biggest benefits of Private Land?
Private land in South Texas and elsewhere provides a number of important benefits. It provides large unfragmented tracts of native rangeland and wildlife habitat largely unimpacted by the human development that typically takes place in more metropolitan areas of the state, such as in the Rio Grande Valley.
This allows for the conservation of many unique plant and wildlife species, as well as environmental benefits like water conservation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. Private lands also provide recreational opportunities, including hunting and wildlife viewing, and they help preserve the ranching heritage and traditions that make Texas so unique.
Hunting
Do you allow hunting?
Hunting on East Foundation properties is a component of both our wildlife research and population management programs. Because hunting is an important component of wildlife systems in our region, it is important as an experimental condition. We conduct projects at a landscape scale to better define the role of sustainable harvest on population dynamics, and to compare systems with and without harvest from hunting. Harvest also serves as a critical data collection opportunity, allowing us to understand complex issues of wildlife disease and life history that enable better decision making by land managers and by agencies responsible for management of wildlife.
Why do you allow hunting?
Because hunting is an important component of wildlife systems in our region, it is important as an experimental condition. We conduct projects at a landscape scale to better define the role of sustainable harvest on population dynamics, and to compare systems with and without harvest from hunting.
Can I hunt for deer or nilgai at your ranches?
If you are interested in nilgai hunting opportunities, we partner with outfitters as one part of our population management and data collection efforts on our ranches.
At El Sauz, we partner with Wildlife Systems. At Santa Rosa, we partner with Santa Rosa Outfitters.
Do you sell hunts?
There are no hunting opportunities available, except for managed nilgai hunting. Hunting fees are used to directly support our science mission.
If you are interested in nilgai hunting opportunities, we partner with outfitters as one part of our population management and data collection efforts on our ranches. At El Sauz, we partner with Wildlife Systems. At Santa Rosa, we partner with Santa Rosa Outfitters.
Tours and visiting
Can the public visit or stay at the ranch?
Our ranches are private properties and are not open for public access, including visits or tours, except by invitation. We conduct partnered research and host many educational events on our ranches throughout the year. These events are typically for K-12 students and their teachers, for university graduate students, and for research partners.
Organization and Business
How can I volunteer or help?
How can I do business with East Foundation?
Are you hiring?
Public Policy and Issues
Do you advocate for private landowner rights?
As a large private landowner and Agricultural Research Organization with a mission to promote the advancement of land stewardship through ranching, science, and education, we investigate, advocate for, and promote issues that are important to our fellow landowners and managers.
What is your position on the Endangered Species Act?
Through our commitment to being good land stewards, we work with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and other partners to monitor and manage threatened and endangered species on our ranches. By doing so, we hope to improve the status of the threatened and endangered species that occur on our ranches, while also demonstrating that threatened and endangered species efforts on private lands can be done cooperatively and effectively while also protecting normal and traditional land uses and landowner rights.
What is your position on beef production? Is it ethical and sustainable?
Rangeland livestock production systems are an important foundation of a sustainable food system. In our case, cattle grazing converts an abundant and renewable resource (forage) that is otherwise inedible to humans into a high-value source of protein and other nutrients. Land management practices that aim to sustain or improve the system’s capacity to capture sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water ensure that this system can provide for future generations. Our ranching enterprise works hand-in-hand with our science program to “manage by experiment,’’ constantly seeking improvement in grazing strategies and animal husbandry to increase the capacity of our resources and ensure the health and well-being of our livestock and those who care for them.
Wildlife and Vegetation
What kind of wildlife habitat and rangeland do you have?
Our rangelands and wildlife habitat characteristics vary significantly from ranch to ranch. From the San Antonio Viejo, consisting of two major ecoregions; the Tamaulipan Thornscrub, and the Coastal Sand Plain; to El Sauz, which intersects the sub-ecoregions of the lower Rio Grande Valley and Laguna Madre Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, our land is home to abundant and diverse flora and fauna that inhabit these South Texas regions.
How do you manage your habitat and rangeland?
The ongoing scientific research we conduct with our many university and agency partners provides important data used to inform our management decisions for our rangelands and for our cattle and wildlife populations. Management tools we use to improve rangeland condition include prescribed fire, mechanical or herbicide treatments, cattle grazing (timing, duration, and rotation), and use of fencing and watering structures, to name just a few.
Do you take or rehabilitate injured animals?
We do not.
Do you have feral hogs or a feral hog problem?
Feral hogs are abundant on portions of some East Foundation ranches, which is typical for ranchlands in South Texas.
What are you doing for ocelot recovery?
The current estimated population of ocelots in South Texas is approximately 80 to 100 animals.
We have the largest known population of ocelots, having photo-documented over 40 individual ocelots on El Sauz near Port Mansfield. The remoteness, lack of paved roads, and associated infrequent vehicle traffic help provide secure space and habitat for one of only two known breeding populations of ocelots in Texas.
Together with our research partners, we collect data on ocelot population size, survival and mortality, movements and activity, prey abundance and food habits, habitat use, and competition with other carnivores to solidify recovery strategies. We use a suite of research tools such as live trapping, radio, and GPS telemetry (tracking collars), camera trapping, small mammal prey monitoring, and scat (dung) collection and analysis to populate critical knowledge gaps related to ocelot conservation on private lands.
Are there other threatened or endangered species on your ranches?
Yes, in addition to the ocelot, there are several state and federal listed species that have been documented on our ranches. These include:
- Northern Aplomado Falcon
- White-Tailed Hawk
- Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
- Texas Tortoise
- Texas Horned Lizard
- Scarlet Snake
- Northern Cat-eyed Snake
- Black-spotted Newt
- South Texas Siren
- Sheep Frog
- Mexican Burrowing Toad
Do you have Jaguarundis, mountain lions, or bears on your ranches?
Historically those species have occurred in South Texas. There are occasional sightings or reports of mountain lions and jaguarundis in South Texas, although we cannot confirm those species on our ranches.
Ranching and Cattle
What breed of cattle do you have?
Our cattle herd can vary in size depending on the time of year, under normal conditions we carry approximately 5,000 animal units, including about 3,000 breeding cattle. Our herd varies in size across our six ranches depending on the time of year as well as on range and market conditions.
What kind of cows do you have? What kind of cattle operation do you run?
We are primarily a cow-calf and supplemental stocker operation. Our cattle herd is comprised primarily of Red Angus and Santa Gertrudis crossbred cattle. We aim to stabilize our genetic mix at approximately 75% Bos taurus and 25% Bos indicus.
Do you have a farming operation?
We do not have a farming operation or own or operate any cultivated land. We stock our cattle on the native rangelands found on our ranches, utilizing supplemental feed and minerals needed.
How do you gather cattle?
We most often utilize watering locations (stock tanks or troughs) as a low-stress way to move cattle within pastures. We also utilize traps, which are fenced areas our cowboys use, working horseback, to herd cattle toward and into working pens when needed.
Science and Research
What is an Agricultural Research Organization?
East Foundation was the first organization in the United States to be officially designated as an Agricultural Research Organization (ARO). We are directly engaged in the continuous active conduct of agricultural research and collaborate with land grant systems, agricultural colleges, and universities, including the Texas A&M University system. Our research partners include the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, the King Ranch® Institute for Ranch Management (Texas A&M University – Kingsville), as well as the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, the Range, Wildlife & Fisheries Management, and Animal Science Departments at Texas A&M.
Do you have research on coastal or marine wildlife?
Our research is focused on the native rangelands found on our ranches, and on the habitat, forage, and species those rangelands produce and support. We do not study marine species, although we do study species and habitats found along the Gulf Coast of El Sauz near Port Mansfield.
Education and Outreach
Can my school participate in Field Lessons?
Do you need volunteers for education events?
What do students learn on your Ranches?
Students learn about history and culture, cattle ranching, native rangelands, wildlife biology, conservation and management, the values and resources of ranches and rangelands, and about the people who live and work on ranches.
How do you measure the success of the education program?
We test students before and after our education experiences to evaluate the program’s success. Our education program is TEKS-aligned to help students improve their learning and performance across multiple subjects.
Philanthropy and Partners
Do you donate money or give grants?
East Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity, although we do not operate as a typical charity, but as an Agricultural Research Organization. We partner with like-minded sponsors and supporters aligned with our mission to promote land stewardship through ranching, science, and education. These partners invest with us in our efforts and multiply our reach and impact through their support.
How can I donate to your organization?
Organizations and individuals who share our values and goals can contribute to our mission and programs. Contact us at info@eastfoundation.net for inquiries.
Who are your partners and sponsors?
Check out our supporters here.
