T. Boone Pickens to Sign Copies of Mesa Vista Book

DALLAS, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary oil and gas entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens will be signing copies of Mesa Vista Ranch: Boone Pickens' Oasis in the Panhandle, a coffee-table-style book that chronicles the rich history and development of his 68,000-acre spread in the far northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 at the Collector's Covey in Dallas.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111010/DA83458)

Proceeds from the sale of the book, written by longtime Dallas Morning News outdoors writer Ray Sasser and illustrated by renowned photographers Wyman Meinzer, Michael Partenio, and Thomas Roberts, will benefit Park Cities Quail, a wildlife conservation initiative whose mission is "to sustain and restore huntable wild quail populations, to encourage and educate interested youth and to celebrate our quail hunting heritage in this region." The 189-page book sells for $75.

Pickens produced the book after receiving repeated inquiries about the ranch's history, conservation practices, and the architecture of its structures. It explores one man's love and passionate vision for the rolling hills, bluffs, and creek beds he first explored during quail hunting trips in the 1950s.

Prior to Pickens' first Roberts County land purchase of 2,926 acres in 1971, the area had suffered from years of overgrazing. He immediately began a multi-step program to help the land recover, over time investing millions for wildlife management programs and facilities, installing water sources, food plots, and replanting native grasses. Over the years, he added to the property while restoring it to the pristine prairie-like environment that had once prevailed in this region for centuries. Today, outdoors writer Sasser calls Mesa Vista "the Wild West equivalent of a southern gentleman's hunting plantation, arguably the finest quail-hunting spot in the known universe."

"Quail hunting is a life-long passion tracking back to my father, who always kept two bird dogs in a pen out back of our home in Holdenville, Oklahoma," Pickens explains. "Eastern Oklahoma was big, open, country. I shot my first quail when I was thirteen years old. Today, I am driven by a desire to conserve and reclaim over-grazed land for quail habitat, and to develop long-term wildlife management plans that can be used to improve values through an expansion of recreational opportunities."

That passion, fueled by decades of extraordinary business success, has helped transform Mesa Vista into a model of conservation and habitat management for the bobwhite quail, a species under serious threat from changing agricultural practices and urban encroachment.

During a period of 10 years, Pickens directed the construction of 20 lakes of varying sizes over 20 miles of creek that provides the property with 400 acres of surface water. In January 2003, Pickens called his old friend and architect Tommy Roberts and told him he wanted to construct a "small weekend cottage" on his ranch. The Mesa Vista construction morphed into a grand design of modern-ranch structures with Italian influences.

The living and guest quarters hold many visual treasures beyond the dramatic architecture. During his life, Pickens has collected an eclectic cross-section of the some of the most important representational art created in America from the mid-19th century to the present. The Mesa Vista Art Collection reflects not only Pickens' lifelong fascination with the rich history of the American West and his keen interest — both as a sportsman and a conservationist — in its magnificent wildlife, but also his passion for the romance and spirit of adventure that the West embodies.

The ranch compound was designed to accommodate multiple purposes, as both a family respite and business venue. Pickens has hosted the world's most influential business, political, and entertainment leaders there.

Collectors Covey, which has represented the finest wildlife and sporting artists, sculptors, and authors for over 28 years, is located at 5550 Lovers Lane at Inwood Village in Dallas.

To order online, visit www.collectorscovey.com.

SOURCE Collector’s Covey