At the end of the day,
our reputation stands.
–John D. Pearson, Broker

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then,
is not an act, but a habit.
– Aristotle

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DESCRIPTION

WYOMING RANCH FOR SALE

An old-line cattle ranch with a good balance of irrigated hay meadows and range lands.  Two creek drainages with excellent shelter and water - for both cattle and wildlife.  A good hunting ranch with coveted landowner tags for antelope and Area 7 elk.

LOCATION: ~5 MILES FROM GLENDO, WYOMING
12,141± ACRES DEEDED | 14,181± ACRES TOTAL
400 COW RANCH | EXCELLENT RANCH FACILITIES
* LIVE WATER VIA HORSESHOE AND SPRING CREEKS | CAVE SPRING *

THE LOCATION

The MacNichol Ranch is located along the banks of Horseshoe Creek in northwestern Platte County approximately 5 miles from Glendo, 29 miles from Douglas and 42 miles from Wheatland, the County Seat. Horseshoe Creek Road provides good access to the ranch headquarters.  The ranch looks up towards Laramie Peak and the surrounding range, a beautiful and massive mountain. 

THE WORKING RANCH

The entire MacNichol Ranch reflects excellent care and management.   The ranch is cross-fenced into eleven (11) pastures.  Sixteen (16) stock wells, springs and reservoirs provide ample stock water throughout the pastures.  Horseshoe Creek, Spring Creek, Pollard Creek, Whiskey Gulch and Cave Springs flow through various portions of the ranch adding additional seasonal and intermittent stock water.  The areas along these drainages provide excellent grazing forage as well as natural livestock protection. 

The terrain on the ranch is vast and varied – from rolling hillsides dotted with Ponderosa Pine to near level meadows and pastures along the creek drainages.  An abundance of native and introduced grass species provide excellent grazing.  The woodland species consist of cottonwood, some aspen, chokecherry and wild plum.  Ponderosa pine is found in the higher elevations.

Acreage: The MacNichol Ranch enjoys a large percentage of deeded acreage.  Of the 14,181± total acres, 12,141± acres are deeded.  The lease acres include approximately 1,840 acres of State of Wyoming lands and 200± acres of BLM lands.  Historical use and existing fences include land exchanges of small parcels with several contiguous neighbors.

Irrigation and Hay Production:  The 350± acres of irrigated hay meadows on the MacNichol Ranch typically yield two cuttings of alfalfa/grass hay annually.  In certain years, some hay is harvested from dryland meadows. In 2008, the lessee inter-seeded one 30± acre grass meadow with Sainfoin and the results have been positive.  

Irrigation water, adjudicated by the Wyoming State Engineer, is drawn from Horseshoe Creek and a well (with diesel powered pump) and delivered by ditches and a wheel line system.  The 500' well is an excellent source of irrigation water.  Cased in steel and cemented for the top 200', the well produces 700 gpm.  An enlargement filed in 2009 increases the adjudicated production to 900 gpm. 

Livestock Operations: The MacNichol Ranch is currently carrying 300± cows, replacement heifers, bulls and horses.  The owner rates the ranch as a 400 AU ranch.  The ranch is well suited to the annual rotation of cattle through the various pastures.  Water is scattered throughout the pastures by natural drainages, developed artesian wells, and solar wells. Shelter is excellent throughout the ranch.

RANCH IMPROVEMENTS

The ranch is well equipped with improvements including a recently built log home,  2 older homes, and a vacant homestead-era home.  Livestock facilities include a horse barn, shop and attached Quonset, calving facilities, excellent pipe corrals, livestock scales, various garages and hay stack yards.  Three water wells provide domestic and stock water at the headquarters.  The improvements are all in excellent repair.

WILDLIFE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

The MacNichol Ranch provides many opportunities for the hunter.  Mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope and elk typically frequent the ranch.  Wyoming Game & Fish Department hunt areas on the ranch include Mule Deer Hunt Area 64, a general hunt area that covers most of the property; Antelope Hunt Areas 30 and 103 are limited quota hunt areas; and Elk Hunt Area 7 which is well known for its large trophies. The ranch has been receiving Area 7 landowner tags for elk which, in addition to providing hunting opportunities every year on the ranch, provide the coveted opportunity to hunt elk every  year throughout Area 7.  There is also a 30-day, ‘cow only’ elk hunt season beginning September 1st that is closely supervised by the Wyoming Game & Fish Department. 

Upland birds and turkeys are also present on the ranch.  The creek bottoms and drainages create excellent habitat, nesting cover and food resources for the birds.  The ranch also supports many other species of wildlife, both predators and non-game. 

Horseshoe Creek is a year-round stream with headwaters high in the Laramie Range.  The creek supported trout until recent years when the severe drought took its toll.  While the trout fishery has not yet returned, there is potential in the future.  Other sources of live water, springs, and artesian water are Spring Creek, Pollard Creek, and Whiskey Gulch.  Spring Creek is an intermittent stream with spring-fed pockets of water at the surface year-round.  Shelter and grass throughout the Spring Creek drainage are abundant.  Pollard Creek is generally a dry drainage.  The contour of the drainage and the trees which it supports creates more shelter in the northern parts of the ranch.  Whiskey Gulch is another typically dry drainage. An artesian water source has been developed in the upper reach of the drainage.  The lower end of Whiskey Gulch pools large quantities of water at Cave Springs and below.  In addition to the abundant live water, solar-powered wells and livestock tanks have been developed throughout the ranch.  Together, the combination of live water and solar wells make for a highly reliable, low-labor water system.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Estimated real estate taxes for 2009 are $6,693, according to records provided by the Platte County Assessor.  The elevation at the headquarters is approximately 4,816 feet above sea level and rises to 5,300 feet to the south and 5,643 feet to the northwest along Ridge Road.  Annual precipitation, according to the NRCS 30-year records, averages between 12” and 14” for this part of Platte County.  The average growing season is 155 days.

Underground pipelines and above-ground electric transmission lines cross the ranch in a corridor that runs from the northwest to the southeast. The pipeline companies routinely travel the right-of-way to inspect and maintain the pipelines. All active leases and operating agreements will transfer with the property.

 Price reduced 8% - Was $5,956,000 ....... now offered at $5,495,000.

The ranch is being sold to settle the estate of Mr. George P. MacNichol.  Mr. MacNichol loved the west and the ranching way of life and regularly enjoyed the ranch to hunt in the fall. He entrusted the ranch to long-term lessees and the ranch has been well-stewarded.  The ranch provides an excellent opportunity for either the owner-operator or for an absentee owner.  

Please see the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the 2010 Resident and 2010 Nonresident license application booklets.

SUMMARY PROPERTY FEATURES

OUTSTANDING WORKING RANCH  |  400 ANIMAL UNIT (AU) RANCH  |  MILES OF SHELTER  |  ARTESIAN WATER  |  SOLAR WELLS  |  LIVE WATER  |  ABUNDANT STOCK WATER  |   IRRIGATED MEADOWS  |  HAY PRODUCTION  |  HORSESHOE CREEK  |  SPRING CREEK  |  WHISKEY GULCH  |  POLLARD CREEK  |  MOUNTAIN VIEWS  |  AREA 7 ELK HUNTING  |  LANDOWNER ELK TAGS  |  DEER HUNTING  |  ANTELOPE HUNTING