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A rustic-looking serving bar frames the tavern's elite kitchen. Gourmet pots sit on top of a stainless steel commercial stove. The matching refrigerator-freezer compliments the industrial coffee-maker and other modern appliances lining the custom countertops.
"My uncle did this!" Madison McConaughey makes it clear that his Uncle Matthew McConaughey, co-owner of the LP Ranch, is a big part of the family- operated business.
The LP headquarters ranch sprawls across several sections just outside of Mertzon, Texas. It has the typical breeding pens, horse stables, conservative family homes, ranch equipment and a bunkhouse. The Angus cattle, horses, deer and Tess, a playful ranch pup who loves nipping at your heels, roam the Mesquite- shaded land.
Now and then a retreat for celebrity Matthew, the LP Ranch primarily breeds registered Angus cattle. The McConaughey name usually raises an eyebrow or two. For Matthew, the LP Ranch is just as important as his next film. A native Texan, Matthew loves being on the ranch as much as the rest of his family, but he leaves the daily ranch and cattle management up to his nephew Madison. The west Texas terrain is perfect for the Angus, and Madison knows his cattle.
"Ah yeah, they eat it up out here. We raise hard cattle."
Madison says he loves ranching. When his father, Mike 'Rooster' McConaughey, and Uncle Matthew bought the ranch a few years ago. Madison was more than willing to manage the place.
In 2002 the McConaugheys started a cow-calf operation of mainly Black Angus. The herd shared the hills and grasslands with a variety of other wildlife, in a wry Texas accent, Madison admits it took a few not so successful attempts before finding their "niche in the market."'
"We traded the goals for deer," he says.
At one time the ranch had 200-300 goats. Goat ranching is profitable, because they do well in the West Texas environment and climate. In the long run though, competition for food and space between goats and the indigenous white-tailed deer population outweighed the profits.
For the McConaugheys. il is more prof- itable to support a strong while-tailed deer population by feeding the deer year round than il is to run goats. Over the lasi seven years the ranch's hunting operation...