4R Ranch - Blog

May 07, 2024 by Deryl McKinnerney

Abundantly blessed. I use that term often, and not merely as a statement that sounds good in casual conversation. 

When Jill and I started this venture over 20 years ago, I called it “The Big Experiment”, much to Jill's chagrin. I called it the big experiment because I had never guided a quail hunt for anyone other than family and friends. We hadn’t renovated the building in what is now the lodge, and Jill had never prepared a meal for anyone other than friends and family. Moreover, we only had 6 dogs and no kennel to put them in. Yes, I grew up hunting quail and never passed up a chance to go hunt them. I had a few bird dogs when I was in my 30s and hunted every chance I had, but that was the extent of my knowledge as it pertains to the hunting industry.

August 20, 2023 by Deryl McKinnerney

I will forego the weather update, as anyone living in Texas has felt the toasty conditions we have experienced the past 2 months. However, the first few months of spring and summer did supply us with much needed rain. We were fortunate to raise several hundred round bales of hay, so we will have ample supply to get our reduced herd through the winter.  Even more important, we have good cover in our courses, and with just a shower or two in September & October our cover will be optimal for the coming season.

August 10, 2022 by Deryl McKinnerney

Hot and dry! This is no new news for those of you who live in the great state of Texas, but wow!  Living on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert can be humbling at times, and this is one of those times. Back in 2010-2011 when the last drought broke, a wise old man (my father) told me that if I were lucky, I’d live long enough to see another drought. He was right, and so goes life in the Texas Hill Country. 

June 21, 2020 by Deryl McKinnerney

Hello to all our friends in the 4R Family!  I trust this note finds you healthy, safe and enjoying your summer. Jill and I are currently in New Mexico where you would be hard pressed to be any farther away from madness of The Three "Ps": Pandemic, Protests and Politics. The greatest asset any small community possesses is independence. Independence in this sense is from all the chaos that is ensuing in the larger urban areas of our Country. Masks are minimal, tourists are flocking to the mountains in droves and spirits are high.

April 24, 2020 by Deryl McKinnerney

Hello to all our friends in the 4R Family. I trust this letter finds all of you healthy and safe. I have been sending out newsletters for 16 years and I can safely say the timing of this letter finds all of us in a common harbor of uncertain times. As I discussed with my father earlier this week, we are living in 24-hour windows. Not by design, but by the daily reporting of numbers. Are there more cases, less cases, flattening curve or still moving upward? All these questions lead to further questions and at the end of that line of questions, we still revert to the first question, what are the numbers saying? None of us have been here before and we are all looking at this through a different lens based on our life situation.

October 15, 2019 by Jill McKinnerney

The best gift you can give or receive sometimes comes from the kitchen. This recipe is no exception!
Whether planning an intimate dinner for 2, or a great family dinner, this is one of my favorites!  This flavorful meal will light up your taste buds and be ready to serve in less than 40 minutes. I serve mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped asparagus as side dishes. Then to compliment this flavorful dinner I finish with Pecan Cobbler for dessert.  Enjoy!

August 13, 2019 by Deryl McKinnerney

As decorated historian David McCullough most thoughtfully said History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are. The hay is in the barn, the cows are fat and we still have good cover in our pastures entering the hottest stretch of summer. Yes, Mother Nature has been kind to us in 2019 and for that we are most thankful.

May 16, 2019 by Deryl McKinnerney

Going to buy Pointers in Tennessee is one of the weeks I hold in high anticipation each year. Injecting young dogs in our kennel is a necessity and I simply love looking at young talent. I am fortunate these days. I have been purchasing my Pointers from the same source for several years. Ross knows what I like, I love what he has, so the feeling out process between the two of us has long run its course. Now when I show up to look at dogs, Ross has culled hard and has only the crème of the crop to show me.

January 29, 2019 by Deryl McKinnerney

Warp speed. That is the only description for how fast the time flies during quail season. That is not a negative statement, but a positive one. The four and a half months of our peak season are when the team here at the 4R is at its most efficient. There simply is no time to play catch-up, so time management and staying on task are essential. And yes, Jill will crack the whip if you shirk a task.

October 20, 2018 by Deryl McKinnerney

Every quail season is unique unto itself. The cover in our courses, the weather leading up to the season and the weather we are served when the season starts are all embedded in our memory banks as a reference to prior years, and years to come. This season is starting out as being uniquely unique.

August 26, 2018 by Deryl McKinnerney

Burley was a handsome Labrador Retriever. His coat was a slick yellow, covering an athletic frame of 65 pounds. Even among a group of good-looking dogs, Burley stuck out. His looks were impressive, but his cocktail personality shined as bright as his coat and he was also a fine bird dog.  Then one day, like everyday before that day, Burley made his rounds in the kennel yard, but he didn’t return to his kennel. Instead, he was lying under a pecan tree gasping for air. In two days time, he passed. Burley has the unfortunate label of being our first dog lost to Chagas Disease.

August 06, 2018 by Deryl McKinnerney

The term I would rather be lucky than good takes on a completely different meaning when you depend on Mother Nature to assist in your livelihood. In our little corner of the world, the grass is green, the cows are fat and our hunting courses could not look any better at this time of the year.

July 09, 2018 by Deryl McKinnerney

4R Ranch has just launched a new website thanks to the professionals at 3plains. We appreciate you taking the time to read the happenings at the 4R Ranch website and hope you will sign up depending on your favorite platform.

January 09, 2018 by Deryl McKinnerney

Quail hunting at 4R Ranch was the subject of a great article by our local paper in Texas. Thanks to Jim Darnell of the San Marcos Record.

January 01, 2016 by Deryl McKinnerney

I am sure many of you made it through college using CliffsNotes, so let me rekindle some old memories and give you the CliffsNotes of our summer at the 4R Ranch... it rained, then it rained some more, then it quit raining as abruptly as it started.