Wolf Mountain Ranch

The Wolf Mountain Ranch is truly a western big-game hunter’s paradise situated in an incredibly scenic mountain setting. The property is comprised of approximately 9,280 deeded acres, located in the heart of the Little Wolf Mountains in southeastern Montana.

Six Shooter Ranch

At over 36,000 contiguous deeded acres, Six Shooter Ranch is a vast and beautiful intermountain hunting/recreation/wilderness property located just a short drive from the renowned charm and sophistication of Bend, Oregon.

JE Canyon Ranch

With over 46,700 deeded acres, the JE Canyon Ranch represents one of Colorado’s largest private ranches and wildlife preserves on the market today. Situated in southeastern Colorado’s canyon country, the property includes unique red rock canyons that rival those in southern Utah.


Saturday, January 25, 2014

How to Buy a Ranch

Owning a ranch can be a very rewarding experience. If you’re new to ranch buying, the list below should help you get started:
  1. Decide what kind of livestock you’d want to raise and check them against zoning restrictions at the local Resources and Management office.
  2. Obtain information about the maximum number of animals the property can support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service office.
  3. Check that there is a working road to the property you plan to buy. If a road to the property does not exist, you will need to obtain an easement from a neighboring property owner, to allow you to cross their land to get to yours.
  4. Check if your deed includes the right to use any body of water on the land or that runs through the property. If riparian rights are not included, you will have to secure a separate deed for this.
  5. Check that your property can support a septic system, or that a system exists to move biological waste and waste water away from the property.
  6. Check the water quality of any wells in the area. Ensure that the extracted water can be used in your ranching operations.
  7. Test the soil to determine whether it will be able to support a reasonable crop.
  8. If you can’t fork the entire price of the land upfront, find a lender who can help you cover the cost of ranches or rural properties.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Popular Cattle Breeds for Crossbreeding

In the pursuit of the perfect beef, cattle producers have crossed certain cattle breeds to produce offspring that might inherit distinct advantages from their diverse genetic lines. While the specific pairing that leads to the perfect beef has yet to be found, crossbreeding has brought forth many desirable new cattle breeds into the world, with some even becoming mainstays in the US beef industry.

Crossbreeding is a science. Scientists have different ways of calculating the type of calf that is likely to result from pairing up different breeds.

Angus

It would make sense to start with the reigning king of beef Angus cattle are known for their incredible efficiency or the ability to turn what it eats into meat. In addition, the marbling of Angus beef is nearly perfect.

Charolais

Charolais is often used to crossbreed beef cattle because the breed is known for yielding the highest percentage of sellable cuts of beef. In addition, Charolais are known for high growth rates and calving rates.

Gelbvieh


The Gelbvieh breed is often used for crossbreeding because of its stellar growth rate, amazing fertility, and its calving ease. In addition, the birth weight of Gelbvieh calves are among the heaviest in the industry.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Beginner’s Guide to Popular Beef Cattle Breeds

If news reports from the last few months are to be believed, then global demand for US beef will soon surge. Seeing as the US beef industry is likely to see a boom in profits, many investors are looking to purchase ranches for sale and starting their own beef cattle operations.

Sadly, not all cattle breeds are created equal. Certain breeds are better suited for beef production than others. For the benefit of beginner beef cattle ranchers, here are some of the most popular cattle breeds:

Angus

Angus is highly regarded in the beef industry for having the best quality meat by virtue of its incredible graze-to-weight ratio and superior marbling. Angus beef consequently commands high prices, both locally and abroad.

Gelbvieh

Gelbvieh cattle are popular because of their stellar growth rate, which allows beef ranchers to sell the meat within a shorter time. Gelbvieh also possess great fertility and superior calving ease, so any cattle ranch that raises Gelbvieh cattle will always have cows for the following season.

Hereford


Herefords are known for their docile and low-maintenance nature as well as high-quality meat. In addition, Herefords are known for yielding great offspring, especially when cross-breeding. Many beef ranchers like to cross-breed Herefords with other cattle types in an effort to create superior-quality meat.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Choosing the Best Cattle Breed for Your Ranch

It’s no secret that Americans love their steak, which explains why there’s such a huge market for beef production in the country. If you recently bought a ranch with the intention of raising cattle, one of the biggest decisions you have to make is which breed to choose. While cattle is generally low maintenance, the proper breed will boost the profitability of your ranch. Here are a few tips to remember:
Consider Your Ranch’s Environment

Different breeds are suited to specific temperatures and terrain, so make sure to choose one that will thrive in your ranch’s environment. If your ranch experiences cold winters, breeds like the Beefalo would be suitable.

Choose a “Multi-purpose” Breed

Waiting for a cow to give birth and raising the calf to maturity is time consuming, so you won’t be seeing a return on investment for some time. Thankfully, dual-purpose breeds like the Brown Swiss and Shorthorn can make suitable choices. The cows can be used for milk production, while the young can be raised for beef production.

Go for Breeds with Low Calving Difficulty

The easier your cow gives birth, the less likely you’ll lose the mother, the calf, or both during birthing. As such, you may want to choose cattle breeds that are known to have “low calving difficulty” to minimize risk and maximize carcass yield.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Of Cattle and Cash: Profitable Ranches

City living has its advantages, yet quite a number of people these days are also looking to acquire ranch properties in rural parts of the country to experience a different way of life and even make a profit. For those with the right disposition and perseverance, ranch ownership can prove quite lucrative.

Ranches can be classified as for-profit ranches or guest ranches. The former can be likened to farms in that they make profit through the sale of produce such as dairy products from cows. On the other hand, a guest or dude ranch gives paying guests an opportunity to experience the ranch life firsthand, and thereby make money as vacation destinations. Through proper planning and management, it is possible to combine both models in a single ranch property.


It takes some business acumen to realize what a ranch can and can’t do, and play upon those particular strengths. In any case, it pays to formulate a thorough ranch plan beforehand that will chart the course of the property and guarantee its success and sustainability. Interested buyers would also do well to work with a reliable ranch real estate company that can help them look for prime ranch properties with natural resources in abundance.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

How to Buy Ranch Properties

Ranch ownership can provide a fresh start for those planning to settle down in a calmer, rural part of the country. One can also raise cattle and profit from the sale of produce and dairy products. While folks may think they can purchase ranches as they would houses, the process works a lot differently.

Buyers can’t just decide on a whim that they want to acquire a ranch; careful deliberation is required before one even obtains financing. Aspiring ranch operators should, among other things, create a business plan that details the ranch category, scale of the operations, projected income, and other factors. Once the specifics of the ranch have been determined, buyers can then move to the process of taking out a loan.

Those buying ranch lands should understand that they’re not just taking out a loan to acquire the property; they also need the initial capital to purchase equipment and livestock. Lenders typically have specialized farm loans for this purpose, so buyers might want to iron out the specifics of the loan before closing any deal.

Ranches are unlike regular real properties, so folks should do their homework first before committing to a purchase to ensure a smooth process.