A Harris’s Hawk and a Horny Toad: A South Texas Story of Survival

Life at TheRanch at Camp Ka Hui ‘Ana keeps us close to the rhythms of South Texas wildlife. Some days it’s whitetails easing through the brush; other days it’s a raptor doing what raptors do. Either way, we see real stories of grit and survival play out right here on our senderos—reminders of why we care for the land, manage habitat, and welcome guests to experience an exclusive hunting ranch that’s still wild at heart.

The Story

I was walking a sendero one afternoon when I noticed a Harris’s hawk perched on a half-dead mesquite. The bird had something clutched in a single foot and was pecking away with that laser‑focused raptor look. About the time I started looking at the hawk, the hawk started looking at me looking at it—and apparently decided its business was, well, for the birds.

It lifted off and, in the commotion, dropped whatever it had into a tangle of mesquite and catclaw acacia along the sendero edge. Spooked or just uninterested, I couldn’t say—but I was plenty interested. I eased over to see what lunch had been. What I found wasn’t a snack. It was a survivor.

A Mid-Air Drop on the Sendero

Wedged between two thin, thorny branches sat a horny toad—alive, tough as rawhide, and stuck tighter than a boot in gumbo mud. Now, we don’t make a habit of interfering with nature, but sometimes you do what you can for a neighbor. I carefully worked the little fella free. He barely struggled, either worn out from handling a Harris’s hawk or maybe grateful for the lift.

Horny Toad Survival

Here’s the kicker: not a scratch. No punctures, no missing bits, nothing. If I hadn’t watched him take the 25‑plus‑foot sky‑dive, you’d never know he’d just bailed out of a hawk’s talons into a thorny bush. His face had that John Wayne swagger and Clint Eastwood squint—the kind that says, “my feet smell from kicking so much keister.”

After a quick once‑over and a few photos, we set him down at the road’s edge. He ambled off like he had a tale to tell: from who‑knows‑what, to getting grabbed by a hawk, to a mid‑air escape, to parachuting into a mesquite mess, to getting man‑handled by a human, and finally riding off into the sunset. One heck of a South Texas survival story.

Stewardship

Encounters like this are why we manage habitat with intention here in La Salle County. Our mesquite, huisache, and native grasses support everything from Harris’s hawks to trophy South Texas whitetails. At TheRanch at Camp Ka Hui ‘Ana, we balance access with stewardship—welcoming guests for trophy whitetail hunting while protecting the wildlife community that makes this country special. If you’re new to the region, the Texas State Historical Association’s overview of the South Texas Plains f you’re new to the region, the Texas State Historical Association’s overview of the South Texas Plains and the entry on La Salle County are great primers on our landscape.

Learn more about Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations to plan your hunt responsibly.

Ready to experience the thrill of South Texas dove hunting? Contact TheRanch at Camp Ka Hui ‘Ana to plan your visit.