Our November program will be presented by Stephen Blyskal, a Rockhound and Retired Geologist, who will describe collecting in the wonderful agate areas of the famed Kokernot o6 Ranch in Texas.

The ranch was founded many years ago and at one time was over 500,000 acres. It currently covers almost 110,000 acres across two counties. It has always been a beef cattle ranch, and now features wild sheep hunting as well as rock hunting.

Prior to 2020 the ranch had never been open for rock hunting. Currently there are guided trips there almost every weekend in the fall and spring that are organized by Take a Hike Texas. They have documented over 125 separate locations where agates can be found with some locations covering areas up to 3-4 miles.

The talk will discuss the geology of the region, current topography and surface geology and will touch on agate formation. The speaker has visited the ranch 4 times in two years and collected over a 1000 lbs of agate. In addition he has researched the geology and discussed agate genesis with the main trip leader, a retired petroleum geologist.

Steve has been collecting minerals since 1964, and agates since 2009. He is a member of the Houston Gem and Mineral Society, where he helps run the Annual Show, chairs the Mineral Study Section, and manages the School Collections mineral/rock kit distribution to teachers. H e specializes in collecting prehnite from worldwide locations, Mexican minerals, New Jersey minerals, Calcite and other minerals from the Midwest, Fluorite, Texas minerals, Stilbite, Heulandite and Apophyllite.