Spreading over 45,000 contiguous acres in Southeast Colorado rests the Cimarron Valley Ranch, located between Elkhart, Kansas and Keyes, Oklahoma. Over 70 square miles of cattle ranch includes approximately 22 miles of the historic Cimarron River running from Oklahoma into Colorado, coming within two miles of bridging the Comanche National Grasslands to the Cimarron National Grasslands in Kansas. These two national grasslands, along with state land in Oklahoma, connects this ranch to almost a million acres of public land. The Cimarron Valley Ranch truly offers incredible diversity in regard to terrain, wildlife, livestock grazing, income opportunities and more.Overview: This is an extremely rare opportunity to own a ranch that currently supports 1,600 mother cows while managing some of the best hunting in the country. The river bottom on this ranch averages just under a mile wide for the entire length of the ranch (22 miles) providing excellent soils, water, rotational grazing, excellent habitat and grass. This mega-ranch is very diverse with wild game and is inhabited by Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, White-tailed Deer, Rio Grande Turkeys, Bobwhite Quail, and Blue Quail. It is not unlikely to hunt bugling elk with over-the-counter licenses the same day as working dogs on large coveys of bobwhite and blue quail. Cattle Operation: Currently the ranch has over 1,600 mother cows and there is abundant grass and excellent water. The cattle operation is under excellent management and the program is about stewardship and balance between the improvement of wildlife habitat and the management and improvement of cattle grazing resources. The ranch is very well-watered, and the fences and working facilities are in good condition. The river bottom and the diversity of the landscape allow for rotational grazing at its finest. With an excellent mix of grasses during all seasons and access to running calves on wheat pasture and triticale, this operation will put excellent pounds of gain on cattle. The turn-key headquarters has good holding corrals, ranch manager facilities, barns, sheds and cattle working facilities.Water: The ranch is rich in water and provides sustainability for game and livestock alike. Currently 13 pivots are in place with quality water supply. Over 40 stock tanks are littered throughout the ranch and The Cimarron River runs underground through most of the property, with watering holes and ponds littered along the river bottom.Game Management: With over 18 square miles of tree covered river bottom, wildlife has year around protection, excellent nesting cover, ample water and plenty of room for habitual movement. The well-managed property has over 780 acres of food plots in the river bottom with 14 high quality shooting houses. The plots are planted with wheat, triticale, milo, sorghum and some turnips. This acreage is accretion ground and has excellent soils that make up almost 10,000 acres of very fertile grass and cropland in just the river bottom. Big Game Hunting: This area is famous for excellent quality animals with respect to mule deer and white-tailed deer, but also offers a resident herd of elk year around! It is expected that the next state record white-tail may come from this area or the Arkansas River drainage to the north. It is not uncommon to have free range white-tails over 175 inches and much larger. The ranch has world class animals with many mule deer over 180 inches and an elk herd that is improving each year with great crop and habitat practices. The ranch receives a good number of deer tags as vouchers in Colorado and Oklahoma allows for two buck licenses. Elk tags for bull elk are over the counter and the season runs from September to January with any legal method of take. In Colorado, the elk licenses are classified as "C Tag", which means you can harvest a bull and buy another tag! This works very well for game managers as this tool helps on taking inferior animals out of the herd. Elk quality in this area varies, but with such a large tract, some management can improve quality. There have been bulls killed on the ranch up to 370 inches. In a nutshell, this property holds excellent numbers of fine animals and the game laws in Colorado and Oklahoma for this area lend well for the serious hunters. Quail: The quail populations on the ranch are World Class. Blue Quail or Scaled Quail inhabit the hillsides on the upper sides of the river bottom and present excellent sporting opportunities for wing shooting. Bobwhite Quail are prolific along the river bottom and are currently in record numbers on the ranch. It is not uncommon to bust 20 plus coveys of 25-35 birds per day on the ranch. The mixed bag of Bobs and Blues and two states to hunt make the opportunity even better. Pheasants: There are pheasants finding the great habitat planted along the river. A great spring will offer excellent hatches next fall! There are over 600,000 acres of public land adjacent to this ranch with excellent wildlife populations. Believe me when you plant food and provide water they show up! Waterfowl: Waterfowl hunting on the ranch is undeveloped, but the land is located in a good area for traffic of waterfowl. Improvement of sloughs and some ponds could greatly enhance the waterfowl hunting. The Lesser Prairie Chicken: The Lesser Prairie Chicken can be found on the southern portion of the ranch. This area of Colorado, Oklahoma and adjoining Kansas Cimarron National Grassland hold and grow a good number of Lesser Prairie Chicken. This area is considered one of the premier spots to observe the birds. The lesser prairie chicken is listed on the endangered species list so hunting is not allowed. Locally, the Lesser Prairie Chicken primarily inhabits sand-sage prairie south of the Cimarron River, a strip about two to five miles wide.The Lesser Prairie Chicken is similar in appearance to the Greater Prairie Chicken, although it is slightly smaller and its air sacs on its neck are red-orange in color, whereas the greater has yellow-orange air sacs. Lesser Prairie Chickens are dependent upon rangeland conditions. Sand-sage prairie, with its mixture of short and mid-grasses, sagebrush, and yucca components, provides the birds with nesting and brood rearing cover, and food.The Lodge: There is a 7,000 square foot lodge, which was built in 2005 and has 7 bedrooms and 7 baths and is in first class condition. The lodge offers a commercial kitchen and excellent open floor plan with high ceilings and an indoor wood burning fireplace. There is an exciting trap range just out the back door for owners' enjoyment. The main lodge sits overlooking the Cimarron River and some low water ponds in the river bottom. Privacy is at its best on the Cimarron Valley Ranch offering good access with only one road in and one road out. Cimarron National Grassland: The Cimarron National Grassland, located just 2.5 miles east on the river, is one of twenty National Grasslands administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Located within Morton and Stevens Counties in southwestern Kansas, the Cimarron National Grassland contains 108,175 acres.Comanche National Grassland: The Comanche National Grassland includes over 440, 000 acres in southeastern Colorado. On the Comanche National Grassland, you can explore southeastern Colorado's rich history. The Grassland has many stories to tell, from dinosaurs roaming the shoreline of a vast lake 150 million years ago, to Mexican and American traders traveling the Santa Fe Trail 150 years ago.The Santa Fe Trail: The Santa Fe Trail goes through immediate area and across the ranch. This rich historic trail offers many tails of long ago. It truly signifies that the West is and was a great place! This ranch, with its ability to connect two large national grasslands, is very rare. We may never see another time to accomplish such an important task.Ranch Landscape: Rock cliffs, cottonwood groves, grassy fields, yucca and sage brush are scattered throughout the land. Elevation ranges from 3,150 to 3,540 feet. Seasonal variety is provided by native grasses and riparian vegetation along the Cimarron River. The geology of the area includes sandstone, shale, limestone, sand and gravel.Area Climate: The climate here is characterized by mild winters, hot dry summers and cool evenings. Spring and Fall seasons have moderate temperatures accompanied by an occasional windy day. Precipitation, usually less than 19 inches per year, is concentrated from April to September. Snowfall is minimal and short-lived. This ranch has such diversity it is hard to explain. Twenty-two miles of highly productive river bottom within 2.5 miles of connecting the Cimarron National Grassland with the Comanche National Grassland is truly amazing. Grazing, hunting, history, improvements, irrigation, cattle and wildlife! The production potential and sheer vast amounts of highly productive land on this operation make it a very rare offering. Please give us a call for a private showing of this fine ranch. *Listing excludes Cattle, Equipment & Land Minerals.
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