14,640 Acres in Quemado, NM - $5,942,000

Corrals: There are working corrals scattered throughout the ranch. There is a large set of steel corrals with scales and a squeeze chute at the headquarters for working and shipping cattle, steel working corrals at the Palmer place, and steel panel working corrals at Cat Well. At Rodriguez Well, there are working corrals constructed of lumber and mesh wire.

Houses and Other Buildings: Residential improvements are modest. At headquarters, there is a two-bedroom, 1 1?2 bath home that the owner stays in when at the ranch working. Also at headquarters, is a large steel shop/feed barn and a metal two car garage. At the Palmer place, there is a three bedroom, two bath home that the hired man lives in and a shop building constructed of metal and shipping containers.

There is a historic cabin, which serves as a reminder of those that appreciated this life on the land in the past. The cabin is very sound, and has power, but would need a remodel. Power is accessible in the ranch, and access is via an all-weather county road.  The HQ is purposefully and thoughtfully located so as not to interfere with your hunting. The HQ always maintains power & water, and would easily accommodate a mobile home, a modular or custom home, and additional outbuildings should one wish to improve the property further.

Recreation

Trophy Hunting 

Being a family holding for over a century, the ranch has been a traditional working cattle ranch.

Of course being a fully stocked working cattle ranch for 100+ years, leaves the full recreational aspect of the ranch yet to be tapped. While producing world class bull elk , book class antelope, and some exceptional mule deer the ranch is one of the nations best candidates with very little actual adjustment, revising the current cattle production focus to a trophy elk hunting ranch, while maintaining low ag tax status and enjoying cattle income.

Hunting 

With nearby Arizona receiving +-18,000 more big game tag applicants than last year, and neighboring Colorado receiving over 60,000 more applicants for the 2021 season, the +- 6 mature bull elk tags, one ES archery, and one cow elk tag received annually are an incredible dividend for the ranch holder. Awarding a client, family member, kids, and grandkids an outdoor experience harvesting their very first bull elk and a limit of largemouth bass in the very same day is an experience not seen often. One can count on one hand and have fingers left over to count the properties that can provide such a treasured event. Antelope and Mule deer tags are over the counter for the landowner. Opening day of 2021 archery season filled a nice bull elk archery tag. Harvest percentages annually have come close to 100% .

Agriculture

The ranch is divided into four larger pastures, and nine smaller pastures. Each of the large pastures has a smaller trap or pasture that can be used when gathering and working cattle during branding, weaning, etc.  Rodriguez is a smaller pasture that is used for calving heifers. The other smaller pastures are generally situated along the creek where the irrigated and sub-irrigated land is located.  Fencing is considered good and the entire ranch has 30-miles of accessible trails and roads.

Water/Mineral Rights & Natural Resources

Water 

The hidden jewel of Rito Springs is the water. Blessed by close to a mile of springs, the State of New Mexico’s engineers’ office records  + -200 irrigated acres and at least that many acres sub-irrigated. The spring-fed + – 15 acre lake , stocked with largemouth bass, bluegills, yellow perch, and monster blue catfish, flows year round across a waterfall, irrigating the valley.  Up to 200 head of elk are in the irrigated fields each night and one has push an elk out to let an antelope or mule deer in! +- 7 water wells complement the ranch.

General Operations

Of the + – 6699 deeded acres, + – 2800 acres of grazing land are enrolled in a conservation easement that allows hunting, grazing, and building envelopes, while prohibiting commercial development or subdivision. + – 3900 deeded acres are not enrolled in conservation easement.

(Note: income has been historical and not representing how new owner would run the ranch)

Cattle +/- $117,000 annual

Hunting +/- $33,000 annual

Water sales +/- $25,000 annual

Gravel – no contracts in place currently but averaged $50,000 per year.

Region & Climate

Located +- 3 miles east of Quemado New Mexico, the ranch is remarkably private, and one never realizes the secret oasis that exists just beyond the buffer provided by canyons, creek & 15-acre spring fed lake! From the ranch gate, Phoenix is 4 1/2 hours, Albuquerque is 2.5 hours and Springerville, Az is 55 minutes with a jet-capable airport.

History

With water being the gold standard today, and free range trophy elk tags being one of the most sought after hunts in North America,  Rito Springs Ranch priced at $887 per deeded acre has no equal.  With several un-improved New Mexico ranches closing in 2021 at over $2000 per acre and over and New Mexico Fish & Game Dept receiving 90,000 applicants in 2021 than the previous year looking for tags, Catron County’s Rito Springs Ranch just might be the ticket you’ve been looking for!  Currently, hunting rights and tags for 2022 season convey with the ranch. Minerals owned by seller negotiable.

Location

The ranch is easily accessible from US Highway 60, about half way between the incredible Pie Shop of Pietown and the home-cooking cafe in Quemado, New Mexico.  With approximately 7-miles of highway frontage, the holding is remarkably private.  From the highway, one never realizes the beautiful oasis that exists just inside the fence provided by the canyons, springs, lake and creek.  Phoenix is 4 hours & 30 minutes, Albuquerque International airport is 2 hours & 30 minutes, the closest jet-capable airport is Springerville, Arizona at 55-minutes and Socorro, NM is 90 minutes.

Call or email today for more information and to schedule a qualified showing. Co brokers welcome from all states.