Overview
After more than three decades, the Midbar Ranch is now on the market and available for purchase. Spanning an impressive 7,120 contiguous deeded acres and accompanied by a 14,521 acre 300-head year-round U.S. Forest Service grazing permit. This ranch is in the captivating Bootheel region at the southern tip of Hidalgo County, New Mexico. It is a truly exceptional and unique property that excels as both a highly productive operation supporting 450 head year-round and a prime hunting destination.
What sets the Midbar Ranch apart is its remarkable location. To the west, it is embraced by the Coronado National Forest, providing a stunning natural backdrop. Its northern, eastern, and southern boundaries are adjoined by a ranch protected by stringent conservation easements. Notably, the Midbar Ranch stands as the sole remaining property in the Cloverdale area that has yet to be encumbered by a conservation easement.
Midbar Ranch is available as a semi-turnkey operation, featuring an inventory of two ranch horses and a comprehensive array of equipment, encompassing vehicles, trailers, ATVs, a skid steer loader, and more.
The ranch has earned the distinction of being New Mexico Beef Quality Certified and holds certification as a New Mexico trichomoniasis free herd, conducting trichomoniasis testing annually. Furthermore, the calves are tracked for their source and age verification through the Red Angus Feeder Calf Certification Program.
Topography and Vegetation
The ranch occupies the open grassy savannah within the Upper Animas Valley, characterized by distinct plant communities, including Blue Grama Grass, Sideoats Grama, Buffalo Grass and Sand Dropseed, where elevations average 5,200 feet. The mountainous areas reach 6,400 feet and include pinon, juniper and oak.
These native grasses play a crucial role in the ecosystem of the ranch, providing forage for wildlife and livestock, stabilizing soils, and contributing to the region’s unique biodiversity. They have adapted to the area’s climate and are essential components of the local ecosystem.
Hunting
The ranch is situated on the eastern slopes of the Peloncillo Mountains, which serve as a crucial corridor connecting the Rocky Mountains to the north with the Sierra Madre Occidental Range in Mexico. This geographical feature creates a vital migratory pathway for neotropical migrating birds and terrestrial animals, resulting in a rich and diverse wildlife ecosystem. Notably, Guadalupe Canyon, located at the southern extremity of this mountain range, has earned designation as a Zoological/Botanical Area by the Forest Service.
The Cloverdale area supports a diverse array of wildlife species, including at least 318 different bird species, with fifteen of them being various hummingbird varieties, comprising a significant portion of the total hummingbird species found in the United States.
The region is home to ninety species of terrestrial mammals, with occasional sightings of the elusive jaguar, as well as eighty-nine species of amphibians and a multitude of invertebrates.
In addition to its biodiversity, the ranch offers exceptional hunting opportunities, particularly for mule deer, whitetail deer and antelope. A notable achievement on the property includes the harvesting of a muzzleloader mule deer with an impressive score of 238. In addition to these coveted species, the ranch is also home to thriving populations of turkey, javelina, mountain lion, and black bear, further enhancing its appeal as a diverse and outstanding hunting destination.
Improvements
The ranch features an adobe ranch house that dates back to the 1940s. It underwent renovations in 1993 and received a new metal roof in 2013, ensuring its functionality and durability. The home itself offers comfortable living spaces, including four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It also includes a spacious exercise room with a dry sauna, a substantial mudroom/utility room, two office spaces, a well-appointed kitchen, and a supplementary kitchenette with a pantry. To ensure comfort and climate control, the house is equipped with a wood burning stove, propane heater, swamp cooler and refrigerated air conditioning.
In addition to the ranch house, there is a well-maintained 2014 Solitaire mobile home, offering two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
For effective communication and ranch operations, the property boasts its own private 2-way radio system, equipped with both handheld units and truck-mounted units. This system greatly aids in ranch work and facilitates seamless communication.
Additional improvements include a barn, a workshop, certified livestock scales, shipping/working corrals, and range corrals.
Water & Infrastructure
The ranch features an extensive network of twenty-five miles of pipeline interconnecting storage tanks and watering troughs, ensuring a reliable water supply to all the deeded pastures and forest pastures. This strategically designed pipeline system provides approximately 71,000 gallons of livestock water storage. This setup not only benefits wildlife but also enables livestock to thrive in the higher elevations.
Adding to its water abundance, the ranch has four livestock wells strategically positioned within the Upper Animas Basin, all equipped with submersible pumps. Notably, a grand reservoir graces the property. Furthermore, the land includes twelve man-made dirt tanks on the deeded acreage, and an additional 15 dams and dirt tanks are located within the forest allotment, registered with the New Mexico State Engineer. These well-placed dams and tanks play a pivotal role in water collection, with the majority consistently replenishing their water levels on an annual basis.
The ranch benefits from the presence of the Foster Draw and Clanton Draw, both of which traverse the property. These, along with numerous tributaries, contribute to the water supply, primarily during the winter months.
