Dear Ranch

Welcome to Dear Ranch Homepage

Mike and Frances Dear of Slocum, Anderson County, Texas, are raising registered Texas Longhorn cattle, commercial Brahman cattle, and fullblood Boer Goats. Our longhorn cattle are our 'homeplace" cattle that provide us with an ongoing sense of pleasure as we feed, care for, and generally just enjoy being with them as they go about their business of raising colorful calves. The longhorn calves hit the ground running. This ability comes from the survival of the fittest selection process during the breed's early development. Over the years we have bred and raised Angus, Beefmaster, Santa Gertrudis cattle. A few years ago we came to the realization that the Brahman momma cow handles our heat, humidity, predators, insects, etc. better than any purebred we had previously experienced so.....when the opportunity came our way to purchase some older bred quality females during a drought in south Texas we couldn't resist. They are kept a couple of miles from home and do a good job of calving unassisted, fighting off buzzards and coyotes, and always come a runnin' when they hear the sound of our pickup. As you will discover in other sections of this website, we have had a longtime association with goats. Our boer goats were selected with a primary focus on serving the demand for replacement does for the breeder market. Due to the severe drought of the past couple of years we have let our goat numbers fall to the point that although we still have a few goats to keep the brush in check, we no longer have goats for sale.

Ranch Brand

The Anderson County, Texas ranch holding brand is the Quarter Circle D located on the left shoulder. For years we ran cattle in Cherokee County, Texas using the Seven H Connected brand that was started by my grandfather in the forties. When we moved to Anderson County, Texas, that brand was in use so we registered the Quarter Circle D.

Location

We are located near Slocum, Anderson County, Texas, about 15 miles South Southeast of Palestine. We are in the transition zone between the Piney Woods of East Texas and the Post Oak Savannahs of the nearby black lands. Our deep sandy soils provide a good growing medium for the native and adapted grasses that feed our livestock. Our cattle are intensively grazed and rotated through pastures of bahia, crabgrass, and coastal bermuda. Crimson and arrowleaf clovers are providing early season grazing as well as adding nitrogen to the soil.

Goat Herd sire and bloodlines

Our herdsire, Balcones GM, is a classy, long-bodied, big-butted son of Del Rio out of a daughter of Pipeline. Our does carry the Ennobled bloodlines of Kaptein, Renoir, Ubora, Downen Big 85, Mojo Magic, Rambo, Frances, Dello, Concho, Top Gun 2, Tsjaka, Eggstreme, Hilltop 16R, Johaan, and African Amy. In general, they are big-framed, high capacity does.

Color and markings

The majority of our goats are redheaded and white bodied. The white color does help us locate their whereabouts when they are in the thickets and woods. The few paints that are in our herd are there because they are exceptionally good goats and not because they are, or are not, a particular color. We admire good goats whatever their color scheme.

Philosophy

We raise goats in a natural setting. We believe in letting goats be goats. Although our does are closely watched as they near their kidding time, our goal is for the kidding to take place without our interference or assistance. We expect our does to stay with their young, dry them off, and get them up and nursing within a reasonable period of time. In general, we give them the opportunity to be the good mamas they are bred to be.

Medications and worming

We worm on an as needed basis with Cydectin drench. We are finding that as long as the goats are browsing above their heads they don't generally experience a worm load that interferes with their development. At seasons when the browse is unavailable and the browsers turn into graziers, worm problems seem to worsen. The normal-year wetness of East Texas contributes to the conditions that allow worms to thrive to the detriment of the graziers.

Livestock Guardian Dogs

We are currently using two Anatolian Shepherd dogs. They have done an excellent job of guarding our goat herd from the ever present coyotes. Some evenings the coyote singings seem to be coming from every direction as they make their plans for the upcoming darkness. The goats come to the pens each night on their own as they recognize it as a place of relative safety. Before the days of guardian dogs, the coyotes felt no qualms about making off with a young kid when the opportunity presented itself. Now such daring comes with a very high price as the livestock guardian dogs are very protective of their herd.

Thanks for your help

LONGHORN CATTLE: Thank you, Darol Dickinson and Dickinson Cattle Company, for breeding and selling Savvy Scam and the Paintbrush D heifers to us for our starter herd. Your contribution to the Texas Longhorn breed through the great animals you have bred and owned is a debt that can never be repaid. We are members of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America as well as the International Longhorn Association. Thanks to the officers and directors of both organizations for the time and talents you contribute to the betterment of the breed. BRAHMAN CATTLE: Thank you, Pat Tackitt of Rocking T Brahmans, for allowing us to purchase the females that formed the nucleus of our Brahman herd. The cattle are a continuing source of enjoyment to us and although they are several generations removed from our original herd, the beef qualities are still there. GOATS: We are grateful to the help that others have given to us as we went about the job of putting together a herd of goats that matched our vision. Renae Mueck of Diamond V Boer Goats was generous in her time and advice as well as giving us the opportunity to purchase several does that are excellent examples of the breed. Judy and David Muska of Lazy J Boers allowed us to pick top individuals from their wonderful goat herd. They were there to answer our every question, even after the sale. They also supplied us with one of our amazing Anatolian Shepherd dogs that we so desperately needed for the safety of our herd. Roy and Lisa Sanders of Harper, Texas (Sanders Boer Goats and Sanders Farm and Ranch Center) have for sale some of the best goat feed troughs, covered hay feeders, creep feeders, portable trimming stands, etc. available. We try to make it a point to stop by their metal-forming shop every time we are anywhere close to their area. They ranch test their products before they make them available for sale. They also listen to your needs and thoughts and often are able to transform the ideas into reality. We also appreciate the officers and members of the East Texas Goat Raisers Association for putting forth the extra effort to hold sales that give their members an area opportunity to purchase and market their animals. The East Texas Goat Raisers Association website and forum are most helpful for putting one in touch with others who are experts in goatology. KELPIE DOGS: Thanks Jim Fraught for making our first experience with Kelpies a pleasureable one. Our Jim teaches us something every day. He is the most athletic animal I have ever been around. The natural instincts of the breed shine through.

How to Contact Us

Michael B. Dear 919 North Mallard Palestine, Texas 75801 (903) 729-6597 fax (903) 729-5522 mbdear@yahoo.com Frances Ann Dear 529 FM 2022 Elkhart, Texas 75839 (903) 478-3970 fadear@yahoo.com