A deer hunter on the O2 Ranch in Far West Texas picked up the trail of far bigger game when he discovered what turned out to be an ancient mammoth tusk in a dry creek bed. The discovery, which was verified by a team of researchers under the auspices of the Center for Big Bend Studies (CBBS) at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, was announced on March 11.

After being informed of the find, O2 Ranch Manager Will Juett contacted Dr. Bryon Schroeder, director of the Center for Big Bend Studies, and CBBS Archaeologist Erika Blecha. The two researchers enlisted Haley Bjorklund from the University of Kansas, a CBBS collaborator who specializes in environmental archaeology. Bjorklund and anthropology professors Dr. Justin Garnett and Dr. Devin Pettigrew journeyed to the Trans-Pecos landmark to meet Juett, Schroeder, and Blecha.

“When they confirmed what they had uncovered, I couldn’t believe it,” Juett said.

The 272,000-acre O2 Ranch is owned by Lykes Bros. Inc., which ranked No. 16 on the 2025 Land Report 100. The O2 brand was first registered in 1888. The Lykes acquired the Chihuahuan Desert landmark in 1942. Located in Brewster and Presidio Counties, the ranch’s diverse topography ranges from 3,400 to 5,500 feet above sea level and features numerous geological formations.

“The tusk was located in the drainage area of a creek bed,” Schroeder says. “We realized pretty quickly there was not more to the skeleton. It was just an isolated tusk that had been separated from the rest of the remains.”

“Seeing that mammoth tusk just brings the ancient world to life,” Juett said. “Now, I can’t help but imagine that huge animal wandering around the hills on the O2 Ranch. My next thought is always about the people that faced those huge tusks with only a stone tool in their hand!”

Erika Blecha, Haley Bjorklund, Justin Garnett, and Bryon Schroeder encase the tusk with strips of plaster-covered burlap prior to transporting it.
© Devin Pettigrew / Center for Big Bend Studies