Ranch Marketing Associates

New Mexico - Catron County - Quemado

New Mexico Cattle Ranch with recreation, hunting, fishing & development opportunities:
El Caso Ranch is totally surrounded by the Gila National Forest nestled in the mountains of western New Mexico. Located approximately 148 miles southwest of Albuquerque, the 70,000-acre (3,250 deeded) ranch offers an array of agricultural, development and recreational opportunities. El Caso is a working cattle ranch, with polo and roping arenas, outstanding hunting and fishing, a lifestyle ranch with development and investment potential. The expansive and private ranch features a well-designed main residence and guest house, nine pastures, three sets of working pens, store-gas station, boat marina, restaurant and bar, five private spring-fed trout lakes, 46 new lots in a master planned gated community with water, electricity and phone along with 17 acres for commercial use.

Location and Area:
New Mexico is rich with a complex tapestry of arts and culture and is famous for its amazing natural beauty and its ancient past. Located within a beautiful mountain landscape where ranching and simplicity are still a way of life, El Caso Ranch lies south of U.S. 60 in west-central New Mexico between the towns of Quemado and Reserve. Quemado is a service center for the surrounding ranching community and the 250 inhabitants of the town offering a post office, dining, motels, retail, grocery stores, medical/professional services and the only high school in the northern part of the county. Reserve, the county seat of Catron County, is 42 miles south. White Mountain Communities Hospital is located 68 miles west in Springerville, Arizona and Cibola General Hospital is 72 miles north in Grants, New Mexico. The ranch lies within the Quemado Lake Recreational Area - featuring New Mexico’s scenic 131-acre trout fishing lake offering fishing and water sport activities. The ranch is in the north end of the Gila National Forest which runs south past Reserve, the Cibola National Forest is to the north, Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the west. El Caso Ranch is accessible by commercial and private airports: Albuquerque International Sunport is 130 miles northeast and Las Cruces International is 158 miles southeast. For private aircraft, an airfield in Reserve is 42 miles south. El Caso Ranch is ideally located, offering reasonable proximity and short day-drives to many desirable destinations of the Four Corners states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

Acreage and Climate:
Situated around 131-acre Quemado Lake, the ranch has a variety of terrain from creek bottom and grass-covered meadows to sharp buttes and tree-covered mountains. There is an endless supply of ponderosa pine and pinon pine trees with meadows covered in blue gramma grass and other native grasses. The ranch has three creeks that run year around, Lago Creek, Aqua Fria Creek and the spring-fed Sawmill Creek. The ranch has 3,250 deeded acres all of which is bordered by national forest. The El Caso forest service allotment covers over 100 sections and surrounds the deeded land. At elevations from 7,600 to 9,900 ft., El Caso Ranch experiences a four-season climate tempered by the high altitude. The climate is mild and dry with warm days and cool nights in the summer and cooler days and nights in the winter. Temperatures average from the 20’s to the 40’s during the winter months to the 80’s and 90’s during the summer months with over 300 sunny days per year. Average annual precipitation is 10”-18”, depending on elevation, with the majority of rainfall occurring in July. Average snowfall is approximately 10”-15” per year.

Operational Considerations:
El Caso Ranch offers numerous opportunities including a working cattle ranch, hunting and fishing/recreational ranch, trophy ranch, residential development or commercial opportunity. The ranch currently runs 400 head of cattle per year - more if yearlings are run on a seasonal basis. Historically, El Caso Ranch has been operated as a high-end hunting ranch with several celebrity names on the guest list. The area is known for its abundant game population of deer, pronghorn, javelina, bear, mountain lion, wild turkeys, along with world-class elk hunting. Five private, spring-fed trout lakes on the property provide excellent fly-fishing opportunities, along with Quemado Lake and three creeks. There is currently a residential subdivision on the ranch with 46 lots to be sold at an average of $55,000 each, 10 lots at $50,000 each and room for expansion. El Caso Ranch operates its own store, bar, restaurant, gas station, retail store, and offers potential for future development on 17 acres of commercial land.

Improvements and Water Resources:
The property includes a 2,000 sq. ft. Spanish-style main house with three bedrooms and three bathrooms and a guest house which can accommodate 12 guests. The ranch has over 110 miles of fence, nine pastures, and three sets of working pens, barns, hay storage, scales and working facilities. The ranch also boasts a spectacular Polo arena along with a separate roping arena and is a club member of the United States Polo Association. El Caso Ranch is located in a deep water basin. The ranch surrounds Quemado Lake and has three year-round creeks which flow through the ranch, Lago Creek, Aqua Fria Creek and Sawmill Creek, along with five private trout lakes, springs and several domestic and irrigation wells.

Recreational Opportunities:
The opportunities for outdoor sports and recreation in New Mexico are as varied as the state’s terrain. New Mexico enjoys six of the earth’s seven climatic zones and is blessed with the towering mountains that rise above its high desert plains. With thirteen national monuments and parks, twenty-nine state parks, and five national forests, an outdoor adventure awaits any avid adventure seeker. Hiking, fishing, camping, climbing, biking, horseback riding, bird-watching, hunting and much more is available throughout the year right at El Caso Ranch.

The ranch is located in one of the most remote and least developed national forests in the southwest - the Gila National Forest. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, which begins in Mexico and ends in Canada, reaches the rugged, forested mountains of the Gila National Forest offering spectacular backcountry experiences along the nation’s Continental Divide. Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest encompasses over 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country extending from east-central Arizona to west-central New Mexico where El Caso Ranch is located. The 1,625,542-acre Cibola National Forest stretches from western Oklahoma to western New Mexico with much of the forest resting to the north and east of El Caso Ranch in Catron County. The three closest mountain ranges to El Caso Ranch are the Gallinas Mountains (elevation 8,637 ft.), Datil Mountains (elevation 7,500 ft.) and the San Mateo Mountains (elevation 10,145 ft.). All three are home to elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer, turkey, black bear, and a variety of raptors, migrating water fowl and song birds. In the fall and winter, hunting for elk, deer, bear and wild turkey is extremely popular. Winter activities include a variety of cross country, down-hill and snow-shoeing opportunities at one of New Mexico’s ten ski areas – most located north of Albuquerque - with the Sunrise Ski area just 1 1/2 hours west of the ranch.

Terms:
El Caso Ranch is available for $9,825,000 inclusive of all real estate - ranch, commercial and residential - improvements, inventory, water rights, mineral rights (subject to prior reservations), and Seller's cooperation to transfer the leased land permits.