BARRY HOGAN

By Jason Shipman

Barry Hogan is a pioneer of our hunting heritage. He’s a visionary of sorts, and as such has been successful in many aspects of life. He built an industry-leading company as well as an outstanding ranch and wildlife program, which he has selflessly shared with many other aspiring hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.

A lifelong love affair with wildlife began at an early age for Barry. “I grew up in the southwestern suburbs of Houston in a sea of suburban brick homes and hardly a place reminiscent of the outdoors,” Barry said. “It was my father and uncle who instilled in me a passion for hunting and fishing. My uncle took me bass fishing and my father taught me at an early age to shoot and took me dove and duck hunting. These experiences created a foundation for me, but it was the stories they told during our holiday gatherings of their outdoor exploits that really lit my fire!”

The recollected stories detailing youthful outdoor adventures were contagious. As a young teenager, Barry would ride his bike, and later a motorcycle, to nearby creeks and bayous where he would wander and explore with a BB gun or .22 at his side. “Later I developed close relationships with friends whose families operated cattle ranches in the South Texas brush country. Our friendships centered around our mutual love of the outdoors,” Barry said. “It was there I acquired my introduction to deer hunting and although we mostly hunted for does, I remember rattling up and killing my first buck, a nice 10-point.”

Not only did his South Texas friends introduce Barry to whitetail deer and quail hunting, they did even better when they also introduced him to a lovely young lady named Liz in 1974. Liz had grown up in the Rio Grande Valley. The two hit it off instantly and Liz became Mrs. Hogan.

Around the same time, quite a bit was happening in Barry’s life. “My father had a business of fabricating small modular crude refineries. In 1977 he and I built a small refinery in South Texas that specialized in recycling petroleum waste sludges,” Barry said. That business led Barry to a long career of developing and operating petroleum waste recycling and reduction technologies culminating in DuraTherm, Inc., which operated the largest facility in the United States for the treatment of refinery hazardous wastes. “My brother and I operated that company until 2008, when we sold it to retire early and refocus the priorities in our lives. In other words, we wanted to slow down and live life a bit while we still could,” Barry quipped.

“During the course of building the business, a shared love of the outdoors led my father and I to purchase two tracts of land combining to 135 acres in an area of red clay hills near Luling that was known as the ‘Iron Mountains,’” Barry said. “The rolling iron-oxide hills were covered in pines, post oaks, native grasses, and had developed a thick yaupon understory. There were few deer around and our first efforts focused on cattle. We began acquiring additional acreage and quickly changed our focus to managing the wildlife.” In 2000, the Hogans high-fenced their ranch and not long afterward, began to intensively manage the property.

Since selling the business and subsequently retiring, Barry and Liz continue to split their time between Sugar Land and the ranch. Both agree that conveniences of the city are nice, the solitude of the country atmosphere is preferable. Enjoying retirement, Barry has redirected his attention to his passion for the outdoors at the ranch for the past 15 years. He has worked on projects too numerous to list, but some have included lodging, infrastructure, and wildlife management. During the course of management, he has conducted botanical inventories and added 42 plants to the Caldwell County plant database.

After its initial acquisition and following intensive management, deer hunting on the ranch has gone from nonexistent to spectacular. Eye-catching bucks are routinely observed and hunted on a sustainable basis. Throughout the years, Barry and Liz have hosted numerous hunts for family, friends, and guests. The ranch has become a special place of serene beauty to many visitors.

Countless newcomers to the sport of hunting have taken their first deer on the ranch. People from all walks of life have visited the ranch including doctors, surgeons, bankers, CPAs, engineers, home builders, construction and factory workers, taxidermists, game processors, and even Taekwondo instructors.

The Hogans are friends to many, including Texas Trophy Hunters, as they have hosted numerous hunts supporting

TTHA sponsored events. Barry explained his concerns and sharing his ranch in detail. “Our largest threat to hunting and wildlife preservation is the immersion of our children in modern entertainment and social media technologies. We need to get them to put the phones down and computers away and get outside to enjoy hunting, fishing, and the outdoors!”

Love of the outdoors led Barry and his wife Liz to become stewards of the land and conservationists in every sense of the word. Additionally, their willingness to share it with others is unprecedented. Presently, Barry and Liz continue to manage their diverse spread of Post Oak Savannah woodlands known as the Hogan Wilderness Retreat. Aside from fantastic hunting and fishing, visitors enjoy the opportunity to observe the many wonders of nature.

“The fantasies of my youth are now the realities of my adulthood and are due in part to our collective efforts to create a diverse wilderness experience out of the Iron Mountains understory,” Barry said. “It is our greatest joy to share our outdoor retreat, the Hogan Wilderness Retreat, to help nurture the spirits of our guests.”

Because of his lasting efforts to introduce friends and guests to the wonderful outdoors of Hogan’s Wilderness Retreat in the Iron Mountains of Caldwell County, and his devotion to the stewardship of the land, Texas Trophy Hunters is proud to honor Barry Hogan as a pioneer of our hunting heritage.