Enjoy a pictorial tour of the ranch

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Enjoy a pictorial tour of the ranch and then
come experience it!
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LA COPITA RANCH
3000 Acres, Jim Wells County
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As you enter the front gate at La Copita one
thing you will notice is the dense brush, one of
the most biodiverse areas in the country! Great
for the wildlife and birds you came to see!
Driving down the road toward the headquarters,
you might be welcomed by this fellow and his
friend Mr. Buttlesour guard Donkey!
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La Copita is a working ranch. Here are a couple
of the barns, sheds, etc. that house equipment
and livestock.
Aerial views of the corral and working pens
Hay! Its David, the Ranch Manager!
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La Copita office and conference area is where
tours trails begin.
Picnic tables are located under shady trees for
catered meals or you can bring your own!
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The guest house is available to rent for
overnight stays, training program etc
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Miles Phillips, Nature Tourism Specialist and one
of your guides for bird watching, wildlife
observation, photography, botany and heritage
tours.
The Cactus Trail the Nature Trail begin just
outside the office and offer a great sample of
local botany and wildlife rent binoculars to
get good looks at specialties on our bird list
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Groups tours generally include a narrated trailer
ride to far flung parts of the ranch to see
livestock wildlife. Lets take a drive down to
the wildlife viewing blind and see what might
come by while we are there! There are
birdfeeders - a watering hole and often so many
birds and critters, you wont believe your
eyes!
Outside the blind
Tour Trailer
Inside the blind
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Also available are Guided hikes across the ranch.
Hear about the history of the area and how
people wildlife have utilized local plants to
survive thrive.
Dont forget comfortable, sturdy shoes and a
camera ! Bring your binoculars or rent ours!
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Keep those binoculars and cameras ready!
Javelina,Cardinals, Greenjays and Audubon
Orioles!
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When we leave the blind, lets head for the pond
area. Notice the different foliage in this area
compared to the blind area. Be sure to look
in the trees for the Great Horned Owl! This is
his favorite haunt!
Sit quietly near this clearing and you may spy
deer, javelina, turkeys, badgers, and maybe a
bobcat!
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Just because the sun sets doesnt mean your day
is over! You can schedule hayrides, cookouts
and stargazing in the evening!
Someone always has tall tales to share with you
on the hay rides!
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Glad you came to see us. Yall come back!
La Copita Ranch, Alice Texas A Texas AM
University Facility Lacopita.com 361 265 9203
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LA COPITA RANCH lacopita.com
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Texas AM La Copita Ranch Nature
Tourism Research Demonstration of the
Integration of Agricultural, Wildlife, Heritage
operations for overall feasibility
Texas AM La Copita Ranch Project
Sept 2005, International Ecotourism Society
Presented by Miles Phillips State
(Ecotourism/Nature Tourism/Agritourism/Wildlife
Tourism) Program Specialist Texas Cooperative
Extension Texas AM University
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254 Counties 268,601 square miles 2 time
zones 22 million people 84 Urban
La Copita Ranch
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Bio-Diversity of South Texas

• Lower Rio Grande National Wildlife Refuge 141
  square miles
• 1100 plant species 700 Vertebrates
• 1558 vascular plants within 65 radius of Corpus
  Christi
• Everglades National Park
• 2356 square miles
• 1033 plants species 633 Vertebrates

Source South Texas The Last Great Habitat
Fulbright, Bryant July 2002
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• Fall 2001- Spring 2003
• Began planning for the development of a ranch
  diversification project through Nature Tourism
• Product Development Testing
• Pilot Tours
• 2003-2004 Initial Season Program Testing,
• Guest Evaluation
• 2004-2005 Second Season
• Program Testing, Target Market Testing

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• Operating an experimental nature tourism research
  program provides advantages over research of
  private operations due to the ability to control
  variables share data.

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56/225 1st season 71/250 2nd season
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• ?How many times have you paid for a nature
  experience in the last 12 months. - - 20 had
  not paid for any other nature experience in the
  last year.
• 59 stated Word of Mouth as how they heard
  about La Copita

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• 40 of visitors were over 65,
• 40 were 51-64 and
• only 7 were 35-50.
• Guests stated it was the proximity to the birds
  provided by the blind that made the experience so
  fantastic.
• Also important was number and quality of bird
  sightings we were able to provide, example 14
  life birds on a morning tour.

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Integration of agriculture, wildlife and cultural
programming is needed for the majority of
landowner based agritourism operations to
generate sufficient income with quality habitat
management
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Goals for Multiple Operation Revenue Integration

• Goal 65,000 on 3200acres ranch
• Livestock 10/acre 32,000
• Cattle 24,000
• Goats 8,000
• Wildlife 11/acre 33,000
• Hunting 24,000
• Nature Tours 9,000

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Livestock Revenue 10/acre or 32,000

• Cow-calf Operation Entire ranch (minus 50
  acres in experimental exclusions)
• 1cow/40acres (half the density of local ranches
• Meat Goat Operation 250 acres 175 goats

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Hunting Revenue

• Winning Bid 8.75/acre or 27,000/season
• Lease entire ranch to one group for 3yr period,
  maximum 7 hunting at same time
• Bid system after add in newspaper
• Electric and water RV
• parking provided
• Not provided - Lodging,
• meals, guides, feeders,
• blinds etc

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Products Prices Non-Hunting
General Ranch Tour ½ Day - 15 Birding Tour ½ Day
- 15 Motor Coach Group 50people 500
Stargazing Party 15/person Overnight stay with
meal and tour 60 Plant/Cactus Tour 15
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• Wildlife Photography Blind Rental
  100-150/Day/Person

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Revenue Goals

• Goal of 3.00 per acre or 9,000 per year --once
  the operation was fully operational.
• 600 guests _at_ 15
• Expect 3-5 years to be established as fully
  operational.

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• Nature Tourism Operation
• Revenue
• Season 1 2,500
• Season 2 4,500
• Expenses
• Pre Season 9,000
• Season 1 3,500
• Season 2 3,200

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• Guided interpretive programming is required to
  overcome tourist perceptions regarding
  recreational opportunities.

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Increasing Product Value
Personal, meaningful, funnot only facts The
role of the Interpretive Guide
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• What percent of the value of the experience was
  due to the guide?
• Response was an extremely high 89 percent of the
  value.
• What did you like best about the experience?
  30 specifically mentioned the guide and staff.

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• Only 40 said they would pay to explore the
  ranch on their own. The price varied greatly,
  both more and less than for a guided tour.
• Many people had trouble answering the question
  What would you pay to explore the ranch on your
  own
• This suggests a low commitment and suggests they
  would be unlikely to attend a non-guided
  activity.

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Conclusion

• Texas AM La Copita Ranch nature tourism
  operations have proven beneficial in providing
  useful information specific to area ranchers and
  similar projects across the country will be
  important in development of US based Ecotourism
  assistance programs