got two of them on my place in hays also. one doe and one spike/hopefully buck this year,but he has yet to show up on the game cam this year. was just at my buddies feed store talking about the hunting back there on the old BIiss Spillar place.

Landpirate do you know anything about that city owned 400 acres back there behind Marbridge?

My best friend growing up (2nd grade on and to this day) was the son of the foreman to the Spillar Ranch. They lived on the ranch so we spent every spare moment we had hunting, fishing, camping, trapping and just running through that ranch. Yeah, I know it very well. B. Spillar's widow died back in the late 80's or early 90's. Her kids opted to sell the ranch. It was bought by the City of Austin to control development in the area. My understanding is that it cannot ever be developed. It's roughly 3500 acres.

The city also bought the 400 acres between Bliss Spillar Rd and Shady Hollow out of the old Barker Ranch. I suppose it's under the same restrictions. The City of Austin also bought 3500 acres out of the Rutherford Ranch between FM 967 and FM 150. I understand they also bought property on the headwaters of Barton Creek, near Dripping Springs.

My understanding is that the city bought all of this property because it's in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and for the protection of Onion and Barton Creek.

They say that they don't allow hunting but I know for a fact that high ranking officials from various city departments have been hunting these properties.