Texas Hunting Lodges

El Sauz Division of the East Ranch (Ports Mansfield)

Located on the edge of the tiny fishing village of Port Mansfield, the El Sauz Division of the East Ranches is interwoven deeply in South Texas ranching history. Tom T. East Sr. was just 23-years-old when he registered the Diamond Bar brand in Brooks County on May 6, 1912, which was before he owned much land. On January 15, 1915, he married Alice Gertrudis Kleberg, the granddaughter of Captain Richard and Henrietta King, the founders of King Ranch. Alice’s cousin Caesar Kleberg was Tom’s best man, foreshadowing a relationship that would chart the course of wildlife conservation in Texas. Prior to his death in 1943, Tom Sr. had ranched across more than 400,000 acres of deeded and leased land throughout South Texas. Today, several of those landholdings remain under the operations of the East Foundation, including the El Sauz Division.

Wildlife Systems, Inc. has been offering nilgai antelope hunts on this property since 2013. With over 28,000 acres that is situated along several miles of Laguna Madre coastline, this unique place is a literal wildlife paradise. Teaming with waterfowl, shorebirds, vast diversity of songbirds, white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkey, javelina, and bobwhite quail, the abundance and variety of wildlife on the El Sauz is stunning. Nilgai antelope are the only commercial hunts offered here as part of their range resource management program.

Our nilgai hunts are set up as a 2.5 day, 3-night package which includes meals, lodging, guide (2x1), and game care. Lodging is provided 1 mile from the ranch entrance in a beautiful lodge in Port Mansfield. This facility has several bedrooms, bathrooms, and spacious living/dining area. Our chef provides 3 meals a day. Hunters should fly into Harlingen, approximately 1 hour away. A caliber restriction of a .300 mag is required, as nilgai are extremely difficult to bring down. We will skin, cape and quarter the carcass, but should hunters want the meat fully processed, we’ll drop the carcass off at a local processor. These hunts begin with an afternoon hunt, so hunters should arrive at the lodge shortly after they grab lunch at a local location. All our East Ranch nilgai hunts are conducted from ~January 20th  – March 20th  and availability is limited. Bayfishing may be arranged through one of the fishing captains located in Port Mansfield, as a possible add-on to your stay.

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