To restore bottomland hardwoods, the Reeds planted more than 15,000 oak and bald cypress trees and have improved wetland habitats for waterfowl and crawfish. The ranch rotates cattle grazing and manages deer populations through hunting. In the 1950s, Harold Schmidt began informal land management to correct overgrazing. Over the years, his efforts became more formal and innovative. Today, his land shows new growth of Texas oak and native big blue stem grasses that are better for livestock and resist drought.
Deer are now heavier and produce more fawns.
He was among the first in the area to use prescribed burning to encourage the spread of big blue stem grasses. An unexpected benefit is the proliferation of crawfish, blue crab, alligator gar and catfish, which the Womacks recently began harvesting for sale. Large counts of ducks, geese and other waterfowl visit the wetlands on annual migrations. The ranch's upland acreage contains croplands and pastures. For this area, the Womacks apply prescribed burning, rotational grazing and reduced herbicides.