Love of the land is encoded in Charles Davidson’s DNA.
“As a kid growing up in Houston, I spent every minute I could playing in the woods nearby and dreaming of owning a ranch,” Davidson, a former Texas Wildlife Association (TWA) president and San Antonio-based partner in Republic Ranches, said. “My high school classmates were pretty sure I’d be living by myself on a mountain somewhere shooting something.”
Once Davidson and his friends got old enough to drive they spent every free moment at a friend’s ranch located along the Brazos River in the vicinity of Brookshire. They hunted dove and ducks, fished a lot and built a log cabin by hand. Davidson also spent summers working on that prairie ranch as well as a family friend’s ranch Montague County in north Texas.
“From the beginning, it was clear to me land and outdoor pursuits were part of who I am,” Davidson said.
When it came time for college, Davidson chose to attend Washington and Lee University in Virginia. One of the primary reasons was upperclassmen got to live in the country. His last two years of college, he had a trout stream in the front yard and big game trails out back.
“Loving the land and the outdoors is in my genes, but I’m not sure where it came from,” Davidson said.
While the rest of his immediate family enjoys the outdoors, they are also content to watch sporting events on television. Given the opportunity, Davidson would much rather wet a lure or try to rattle up a buck.
“My mother, father and brother appreciate the outdoors, but they’re not into it,” Davidson said. “I’m into it. Whether I’m hunting, fishing or just looking at cows, the outdoors is where I find my sense of place and sense of peace.”