Property Description
Recreational Ranch,Home with AcreageEast Texas Hunting Tract with Cabin Shop and Two Ponds
This 47.79-acre Van Zandt County tract sits north of Ben Wheeler on FM 314 and hands a hunter or outdoorsman a turnkey recreational base most weekend properties never deliver. A one-bedroom cabin built in 2008, an insulated 1,200-square-foot shop with three garage doors, two stock ponds that held water through the recent drought years, and a year-round creek running through clustered hardwood bottoms primed for whitetail hunting. Forty percent of the tract is hardwood timber, the rest is improved pasture in Coastal Bermuda and Bahia that keeps an active agricultural exemption in place. Hunt the back, run a few head out front, or lease the grazing and let the property pay part of its own way.
Two-Tract Divide Option Available from Seller
The seller will divide the property into two tracts of approximately 24 acres each, giving buyers flexibility to match the property to budget and use. Buyers can purchase the 24 ± acre tract with the improvements as a turnkey weekend retreat or hunting basecamp. Buyers wanting a more affordable entry point into Van Zandt County hunting and recreational land can purchase the 24 ± acre tract with no improvements, giving them raw acreage to build a cabin, set up a hunting camp, or hold as long-term recreational ground. The full 47.79 acres remains available as listed for buyers who want the whole property.
Whitetail Habitat in the Hardwood Bottoms and Creek Corridor
The clustered hardwood timber across roughly 40 percent of the tract and the creek bottom that crosses the property make up the kind of mixed habitat whitetail deer thrive in across East Texas. Hardwoods produce mast, acorns, hickory nuts, and persimmons, which drive deer movement through the fall rut and into late winter, while the creek serves as a natural travel corridor and water source through the cover. Pasture edges meeting hardwood timber set up the transition zones deer key on for browsing and bedding. This tract is primed for whitetail hunting. A hunter can bring in their own stands, blinds, and food plots, and manage the back acreage for self-guided hunting from the day they take possession.
Two Stock Ponds and a Year-Round Creek
A small creek crosses the property and feeds two stock ponds that held water through recent drought years. Reliable surface water is the single feature that drives wildlife concentration on a recreational tract, especially through the dry late summer months when neighboring properties run dry. The creek bottom also provides shaded loafing areas during the hottest stretch of summer and creates the natural cover that brings deer through the back acreage.
1,200 SF Cabin Built in 2008
The 1,200-square-foot cabin built in 2008 lives larger than the one-bedroom layout suggests. Vaulted ceilings open up the main living area, a freestanding wood stove anchors the room for cool East Texas evenings during deer season, and central electric heat and air handle the warmer months. Concrete-based siding holds up against weather and requires minimal maintenance. Use it as a hunting camp during the season, a year-round weekend cabin, guest quarters while building a larger home, or a primary residence for a buyer looking to keep overhead low. The cabin is move-in ready with infrastructure most rural cabins of this size lack.
1,200 SF Insulated Workshop with Three Garage Doors
A 1,200-square-foot insulated-metal workshop sits adjacent to the cabin, with electric service, water, three garage doors, and rough plumbing for a future bath. For hunters and outdoorsmen, this is storage for ATVs, side-by-sides, boats, and hunting gear, plus space for game processing, gun cleaning, and equipment maintenance. The rough-in for a bath opens the door to converting part of the shop into bunk space for hunting parties or a guest area for friends and family during deer season. A separate smaller storage building handles overflow.
47.79 Acres of Mixed Habitat and Improved Pasture
Roughly 60 percent of the tract is improved pasture in Coastal Bermuda and Bahia grasses, with the remaining 40 percent in clustered hardwood timber. Sandy loam soils and gentle rolling terrain produce the kind of mixed habitat that supports diverse wildlife, open pasture for forage and visibility, hardwoods for cover and mast production, edges for browse, and ponds for water. The eastern Post Oak Savannah eco-region delivers a longer growing season than ranches further west, keeping forage and natural food sources active longer into the fall.
Cross-Fenced Pastures and Working Cattle Pens
A barbed-wire perimeter and cross-fencing support rotational grazing across multiple pastures, and an existing corral with loading pens makes cattle work more efficiently. For a recreational buyer, the cattle infrastructure is a tool. Lease the grazing rights to a neighboring rancher, run a small herd yourself, or partner locally to keep the agricultural exemption active without taking on a full-time cattle operation. The property runs primarily as a hunting and recreational tract with the ag-side infrastructure available as an income or tax-management option. The property currently runs cattle and carries an active agricultural exemption through Van Zandt County, keeping property tax obligations at a fraction of full market valuation.
FM 314 Frontage and Property Utilities
A gravel drive leads from FM 314 to the cabin, shop, and storage buildings. Conventional septic and community water service handle the residential utilities, and electric service runs to both the cabin and the shop. Frontage on county-maintained FM 314 means clean year-round access regardless of weather, and US Highway 64 sits 1.2 miles south of the gate for fast connections to Tyler, Canton, and Interstate 20.
Van Zandt County Location and Nearby Recreation
Van Zandt County sits in the heart of East Texas hunting country, surrounded by some of the region’s strongest outdoor traditions and rural communities. Canton, the county seat, hosts First Monday Trade Days, the largest free flea market in the United States with up to 100,000 visitors flooding the grounds Thursday through Sunday before the first Monday of each month. Ben Wheeler, just south of the property, was named one of the coolest small towns in Texas by Texas Highways Magazine and hosts the annual Feral Hog Festival each October. The neighboring community of Edom is known for its art galleries, daylily farms, and the popular Shed Cafe. Tyler — the Rose Capital of America — sits 35 minutes southeast and offers the Caldwell Zoo, Tyler State Park, and the spring Azalea Trail. The DFW metroplex stays close enough for weekend hunting trips without putting the property in commuting range, giving owners the rural quiet of southern Van Zandt County with the option to reach city resources within a couple of hours.
Drive Times to Nearby Cities
McKee Farm sits in a strong location for hunters and outdoorsmen, close enough to DFW and Tyler for easy weekend trips, far enough to feel like a real escape into East Texas. Owners are minutes from sporting goods stores, gun shops, feed stores, and ranch supply outlets in Canton and Tyler.
- Van, Texas — approximately 8 minutes north
- Canton (First Monday Trade Days) — approximately 20 minutes northwest
- Tyler, Texas — approximately 35 minutes southeast (25 miles)
- Dallas, Texas — approximately 1 hour 15 minutes via Interstate 20
- Shreveport, Louisiana — approximately 2 hours east
Regional and International Airport Access
The property sits within reach of multiple airports for out-of-state hunting parties, family arriving for the season, and owners flying private aircraft into the area. Tyler Pounds Regional offers daily commercial connections through DFW, and Dallas/Fort Worth International is close enough for international travel without sacrificing the rural setting of the property.
- Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR) — 25 miles southeast, approximately 35 minutes
- East Texas Regional Airport, Longview (GGG) — approximately 60 miles east
- Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) — 95 miles northwest, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes
- Dallas Love Field (DAL) — approximately 90 miles northwest
- Shreveport Regional Airport (SHV) — approximately 110 miles east
Who This East Texas Tract Fits
This property speaks to the hunter looking for a private East Texas tract with established whitetail habitat, surface water, and a cabin already in place; the outdoorsman who wants hardwood bottoms, pasture edges, and reliable water within reach of DFW and Tyler; the family building a multi-generational hunting and weekend retreat; the buyer who values the seller’s two-tract divide option for matching purchase price to actual needs; and the recreational owner who wants the agricultural exemption working in their favor while the land delivers what they bought it for — hunting and time outdoors.
Property Details
Key Features
- 47.79 Acres in Ben Wheeler TX
- Whitetail Hunting Tract
- Hardwoods + Live Creek
- Two Stock Ponds
- 1,200 SF Cabin + Shop
- 24± Acre Divide Option
- Ag Exemption in Place
- 35 Min to Tyler TX