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Sevilleta Hills Elk Ranch

Posted on: November 2nd, 2023 by

Boasting significant water rights, and surrounded on 3-sides by the 230,000-acre Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, Sevilleta Hills Elk Ranch presents a unique hunting and investment situation. Besides a strong population of 360+ class bulls which I will elaborate on, the ranch’s farming element holds very valuable water. New Mexico’s State Engineer has already recognized 252 diverted acre-feet associated with the 84 acres of irrigated ground, which the seller is confident is pre-1907 water. And seller expects more valuable water rights to be confirmed. Then, there are tangible solar rights to consider here; there is geothermal underground water presenting opportunities; and the mineral rights should also be intact. Seller would consider some owner carry with large down payment.

230,000 acres is a big piece of open space to adjoin. A survey is underway to determine the exact acreage of the fee simple land, but an NRCS map shows 1074, and that is the reference we are using currently. The 85-acre farm in the middle is irrigated by underground pipe with water from the Alamillo ditch. The fields are currently planted in alfalfa and tall fescue for the elk. The house is supplied by the San Acacia Water Association. The livestock drinkers (six) are fed by a well that feeds to a storage tank at the top of the property and then gravity feeds back to the drinkers. The landscaping at the house is also supplied by the well. Improvements are modest with a 2 bed, 2 bath adobe home that sleeps 6, and a storage barn and equipment carport.

That said, outstanding Mule Deer and Trophy Elk lead the appeal of this property. Located in GMU 13, a mostly “primitive” hunting-only unit, the ranch is in the secondary zone, which allows all weapons (rifles). Landowner tags are unlimited! Last year (2022) the owner sold 12 tags securing 12 for 12 bulls with 4 of those bigger than 350. This harvest did not dent the visiting bull population. This year the owner has sold 17 tags for $15K to $17K each. The seller does feed and house the hunters. 5 hunters can easily hunt the ranch at the same time. Archery Hunts are from September 1st through September 24th. Then Any Weapon hunts are from October 1 thru December 31st. An-any-weapons-hunter chooses 5 days for their license. An elk license can coincide with the deer season and a hunter could hunt both at the same time.

Big game hunting is not allowed on the wildlife refuge and will never be. Covenants were established when ownership moved to the Nature Conservancy and on to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With limited water on the wildlife refuge, the drinkers and farm crops on this ranch are wildlife magnets. The broker assumes that New Mexico Game and Fish appreciates the help controlling the population of this growing elk herd.

Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest wildlife refuges in the lower 48 states, and it is the biggest in New Mexico. Four different biomes intersect here and support a wide array of biological diversity. What a great neighbor!

Sevilleta Hills Elk Ranch is co-listed with Robert Martin of Fay Ranches.

Sowards Chavez Creek at Chama

Posted on: September 1st, 2023 by

695 pristine acres, heavily watered by live creek and feeder creek. High elevation with open meadows mixed among good timber. This is where Aspens quake and Grouse coveys flee herds of Elk grazing toward them. Hungry Trout take grasshoppers floating on smooth stream topwater. And yes, this is heavenly, superb hunting! Have you heard of the Mundy Buck? Just google it.

For the 2024 season, sellers are offering 2 Bull tags (at $5000 each) to prospective buyers of the property. GMU 4 Elk Hunting in the EPLUS program has a September Bow season with open season for rifle any 5 days between October 1 and December 31st. This 695-acres expects to be awarded 2 Bull Tags, 1 Antlerless Tag, and 1 Bow Tag each year going forward. These are ranch-only authorizations. Otherwise, landowners tend to draw their choice of deer hunts with applications entered by March 1st each year. There are also huntable populations of Bear, Turkey, and Grouse.

The gorgeous property sits at an average elevation of 10,500 feet, protected from people pressure by a long, pretty road and several locked gates. Many of the meadows “seep” and feel sub-irrigated. Flowing streams, colorful wildflowers, and exotic mushrooms reward a visitor and bring out the explorer in anyone. And the variety of terrain and the elevation changes make the property feel huge. You can’t cover it all even given a few days of walking. NO CONSERVATION EASEMENT. NO COVENANTS OR RESTRICTIONS. Some of the boundaries are fenced but not all. Historically a grazing lease has included this acreage with other adjoining lands and a buyer might want to continue that; or one may want to fence the other boundaries and fence out cattle.

In the broker’s Suburban, it is about an hour, picnic-style ride from blacktop highway (just south of the town of Chama) onto the property. In the broker’s Polaris side-by-side, the ride in is a good 20 minutes shorter. The wildlife viewing on the approach road going in often starts ones blood pumping, and the vast views back at Heron Lake will drop your jaw as well.

Some other private property owners do have legal passage across the main two-track road crossing the northeast side of the property, but there is no public land accessed here. This is large-parcel, private-landowner territory. The subject lies northeast of the Mundy Ranch; its northernmost point touches 30,000+ acres of Jicarilla Apache Land; and its character is wild and free.

As a ranch broker, speaking again to the wildlife factor, it is all here like no place I’ve ever been! Are you a solitary angler? Do you prefer to control your hunting grounds? Do you wish to build an off-the-grid cabin in the most private of places? Well, someone’s search ends here. Someone’s dream come true.