LA COPITA RANCH lacopita'com

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LA COPITA RANCH lacopita.com
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Enjoy a pictorial tour on-line and then come to
the ranch to experience it!
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LA COPITA RANCH
3000 Acres, Jim Wells County
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Entering the front gate at La Copita one thing
you notice is the dense brush, one of the most
biodiverse areas in the country! This is a great
habitat for wildlife and birds!
The welcome committee (on the right) is here to
greet you along with his friend, Mr. Buttlesour
guard Donkey!
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La Copita is a working ranch housing equipment
and livestock in barns, sheds, corrals, etc.
Aerial view of the corral and working pens
Hay! Its David, the Ranch Manager!
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Tours and trails begin at La Copitas office and
conference area.
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 programs, etc
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Enjoy programs for bird watching, wildlife
observation, photography, botany and local
heritage.
The Cactus Trail the Nature Trail begin just
outside the office and offer a great sample of
local botany and wildlife. Binocular rental is
available for viewing our specialized bird list.
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Group tours generally include a narrated trailer
ride to far flung parts of the ranch to see
livestock wildlife. Stop at one of the wildlife
viewing blinds 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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Guided hikes across the ranch are also available.
Hear the history of 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.
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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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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Median1
Median2
Median2
Median 50
Median 35
Median 40
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• 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
• 52 on Birding Tour, versus General Ranch Tour
• Of those that would pay for non-guided trip 45
  claimed they would pay more than for guided tour

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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 3 yr 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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• Guide was rated as 89 percent of the tour value.
  
• 30 specifically mentioned the guide staff as
  best part of trip
• 64 would not pay for non-guided visit
• Of those that would pay Median 15, Average
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• Interestingly those that would pay for self
  guided tour still rate the guide value extremely
  high with extremely high satisfaction rate with
  tour

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• Only 36 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 This will be
  important in development of US based Ecotourism
  assistance programs.