Monarch Ranch - Rio Arriba County, Dulce, NM
Monarch Ranch - Rio Arriba County, Dulce, NM
Monarch Ranch is a sportsman’s paradise, but also close enough to mountain towns of Chama, NM and Pagosa Springs, CO to be a year-round destination for your entire family. This spectacular ranch has trophy elk and mule deer in Northern Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, yet is close to the Colorado border. Being located one ridge over from the famed Jicarilla Apache Reservation with a superb reputation for outstanding wildlife stewardship greatly benefits this ranch. Also, within the migration corridor for both mule deer and wintering grounds for the Southern San Juan elk herd, the wildlife is abundant. Just east a few miles from the ranch lies the W.A. Humphries Wildlife Management area, the broken butt and quinlan ranches all famous for their wildlife. If you have thought about owning your own ranch you should do yourself a favor and take a look at the Monarch Ranch.
Location
The ranch is located about 7 minutes east of Dulce which is the main city for the Jicarilla Apache Nation. With a full grocery store, casino, and gas you don’t have far to go from the ranch to grab some necessities. Should you desire for fine dining, Pagosa Springs is a short 35-40 minute drive from the ranch and Chama is about 25 minutes. With all-weather access and frontage on Highway 64 you can use the ranch even in the winter and snowmobile on the ranch or drive to Wolf Creek ski area which is just over an hour from the ranch.
Topography, Rangeland & Habitat
Monarch Ranch has a diverse habitat with the lower levels dominated by piñon and juniper with sage flats which are a favorite of both elk and deer. As you head up the mountain you see more and more large ponderosa pines and oak motts. The soil is a clay loam with outcroppings of sandstone as you rise. Once on top of the mountain, the southern and southwestern edge of the ranch is a large rim with views of the continental divide north of Pagosa all the way to Chama and on a clear day the mountains above Durango are visible.
Wildlife
Elk, mule deer, black bear, turkey, mountain lion and coyote are all present on the property.
Agriculture
Improvements
There is a small hunting cabin that has recently been remodeled. A downstairs basement is used for storage but could also be finished out if desired.
Water
A water well was drilled and completed a few years ago and the log shows it at 25gpm. There are an additional 4 ponds on the ranch that catch rain and snow runoff. There are also multiple wallows the elk have developed.
Electricity
Power is supplied to the cabin and water well via Northern Rio Arriba Electric.
Area History
Trophy Mule Deer: Monarch Ranch is located at ground zero for large mule deer with many large bucks seen on the ranch this past season. You don’t have to look far in the record books to know that Rio Arriba County has the most entries in New Mexico for mule deer. Unit 4 where this ranch is located is simple to draw a tag for a private land mule deer. The state also has a special Mule Deer Landowner Incentive Program which if a new owner desires to apply the ranch, it could allow for extended seasons and additional tags with the top tier tag during the rut.
Trophy Elk: The ranch has historically qualified for 4-5 elk tags per season, several of these are either sex tags. During the 2021 season, an 8×8 Trophy Bull was harvested. While you have a very active rut on the ranch, the late-season hunts in December can be outstanding as the large herds from the high alpine herds migrate down and winter on the ranch.
Other game: The ranch has turkey frequently on the ranch and both bear and lion will come through.
Listing associate owns the property.
