U Bar U Retreat & Conference Center

Wildlife in Gillespie County include whitetail deer, turkey, squirrel, bobwhite quail, dove, cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, numerous kinds of non-game birds, raccoons, foxes, ringtail cats, skinks, opossum, bobcats, and coyotes.  Although imbued with grace and beauty, the deer present certain problems.  The Quakers were deer-neutral.  They neither encouraged deer nor allowed their destruction.  They noted in their web site that where deer are encouraged, “they become like marauding gangs, devastating the landscape.”

Although a dry creek, fed by the western slopes, runs during flood times, generally the only open water source at U Bar U is a stock tank.  While water-loving ducks and geese do migrate through the area, they are rare sights at U Bar U except in-flight.  The only large birds visiting the stock tank are hot work party volunteers taking a quick dip to cool off.

No tigers, lions, and bears, oh my, but yes, we have creepy crawly things.  Lizards, spiders, and scorpions abound.  However, there are few flies and mosquitoes.  The visitor is forewarned to take notice that this is, after all, the Hill Country.  The natural predator of field mice is the western diamond back.  U Bar U is the habitat of one venerable old rattler we call “Slide.”  He seems to be a very private and solitary fellow.  If you wonder why we don’t get rid of him, query either Bill Gibson or Eric Kay.  Oh yes, we have fire ants.  This is Texas.  Fire ant control is part of our Wildlife Management Plan.

One might conclude that it would be better to wear boots than sandals at U Bar U.  We would do nothing to discourage such discretion, especially in what the Quakers called the Wildlands—now known as Rivendell, Mirkwood, and Barrow Downs.  While something short of a wildlife refuge, these areas (especially Rivendell) are to be restored and renewed to make them suitable wildlife habitat for native and migratory wildlife.  This is a consistent theme and commitment through the Quakers’ watch and runs so through ours.