Hobo North Ranch

6,220 +/- Deeded Acres
   840 +/- New Mexico State Lease Acres
7,060 +/- Total Acres

We are proud to announce our exclusive listing of the HOBO North Ranch, offering the best of both worlds in a recreational big game hunting and grazing unit.

The HOBO North Ranch is in the scenic mesa highlands of Northeast New Mexico, approximately 32 miles east of Las Vegas, New Mexico and 92 miles east of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Access to the property is off paved State Highway 104 and County Road C53A.  This county road forms the north boundary of the HOBO North Ranch and provides year-round access along 10 miles of the north end of the ranch.

Average precipitation for the area is approximately 14 to 16 inches per year with 10-20 inches of annual snowfall.

There are several large ranches adjoining the HOBO North Ranch property.  These ranches are both livestock production and hunting ranches.  Adjoining the HOBO North Ranch to the south is the recently closed south 8,943 acres of the larger 15,111-acre HOBO Ranch. This portion of the HOBO was purchased by a conservation organization and is proposed for annexation into the newly created Sabinoso Wilderness.  The Sabinoso Wilderness Area was designated by Congress in 2009. The Sabinoso Wilderness is to limited foot/horseback public access only.  We believe we kept the best portion of the larger HOBO Ranch for multi-purpose of recreational hunting and grazing. Additionally, and most importantly, the HOBO North Ranch controls a significant part of the access to the entire proposed annexation area.

The HOBO North Ranch has a diverse terrain that is best suited for livestock and wildlife.  The property is a combination of elevated mesa tops along the north and west portions of the ranch and the ranch’s southern portion is mostly piñon, juniper, ponderosa pine, oak brush and other varieties of shrub. There are scattered springs along the mesa walls and bottom of the mesa walls that provide an excellent water source for wildlife and livestock.

It is estimated that approximately 60% of the ranch is comprised of open grama grass grazing. The remaining approximately 40% of the property is a combination of canyon headers, moderate to rugged ridgelines and lower canyon bottoms.  The upper portions of the elevated mesas have a gently sloping and rolling terrain, with elevations running from just above 6,300 feet to over 6,500 feet.  Well-engineered switchback roads provide access from the upper mesa country to the canyon bottoms.  The mesa top country is accessed by well-maintained caliche roads and two track roads.  The ranch has a large caliche pit near the northeast corner which has been used to construct and maintain many of the roads on the ranch.  Roads have been constructed on some of these mesa fingers creating lookout points offering spectacular canyon views.  Some areas of the mesa tops are relatively open with scattered amounts of cholla and moderate to the sometimes-dense canopies of juniper, oak, and piñon.  A controlled burn program has been in effect on the upper mesa country for several years.  Dense juniper cover is systematically being burned in order to open these areas of unusable country, creating productive native grass parklike areas capable of producing desirable forage for livestock and wildlife.  The controlled burn program has definitely improved, not only the appearance of the upper mesa country, but also the productivity of this area of the ranch.

Cottonwood trees are scattered all along the canyon bottoms.  Clusters of cottonwoods indicate areas of live springs or pools of water that remain much of the year.  Juniper, piñon pine, mountain oak brush and scattered ponderosa pine are found throughout the canyon sidewalls and bottoms.

In the past, a Savory Grazing Cell System was in place over a significant portion of the upper mesa country.  This system utilized electric fencing, with numerous smaller pastures coming to various water lots.  While all the electric fencing has been removed, the water sources remain, primarily for wildlife use.

The HOBO North Ranch has a manager’s home with shop and other outbuildings.  The manager’s home is 3 bedrooms and two baths.  This home, as well as other improvements on the ranch, are very well maintained.  Additional improvements include a pipe roping/training arena, a wood frame with metal siding set of stables (six horse stalls), tack room and workshop, and a covered fifth wheel parking area that is wood framed with a metal roof.  This site also has full power from the solar system along with its own septic tank.  All these improvements are powered by solar panels with battery backup system and generators for emergency backup.

The cattle working facilities on the HOBO North Ranch are in good condition.  There is a good set of pipe corrals and shipping pens on the north end of the ranch near the manager’s home.  There is also a rock shop/barn with a hayloft that is used for storage and supplies.  This barn is also in good condition.

The current owner acquired the HOBO North Ranch in 2004.  The range conditions, water, and infrastructure were all in poor condition when the ranch was purchased.  The property was initially operated as a cow/calf ranching operation until 2012.  The cattle operation utilized the Savory Grazing System.  Using this rotation system and by stocking the ranch at a bare minimum, range conditions improved considerably.  After 8 years of operating the property as a cattle ranch and horse training facility, the owner decided to focus on wildlife and wildlife habitat improvement, rather than cattle ranching.  The current ranch manager took over in 2012, and he has established the controlled burning program that has benefited the ranch by thinning the juniper infestations, which ultimately improved the forage for cattle and wildlife.  Over the last 6-8 years, the owner and manager have focused their efforts solely on improving the habitat for wildlife.  These efforts have noticeably increased the population of elk, deer, and other wildlife on the HOBO North Ranch.  

The HOBO North Ranch has good fencing on portions of the north, west and southwest boundaries, all along the upper mesa country portion of the property.  Little to no fencing is utilized on the remainder of the ranch.  

The HOBO North Ranch is considered to have average water facilities. The ranch is currently watered by wells, dirt tanks and scattered springs. Developed water sources include three windmills, one combination windmill and solar pump, and one solar well. The water quality is reported to be good.  Water wells depth information is estimated to be 150 to 300 feet.  Storage reservoirs with drinkers have been constructed in specific areas of the ranch.  There are four storage tanks with capacity ranging from 15,000 gallons to 30,000 gallons. 

Canyon springs are typically used by elk, deer, bear, mountain lion, pronghorn, turkey and other forms of wildlife that live within the ranch borders.  The ranch manager has recently developed and piped water into cleared areas where wildlife are not as easily hunted by predators. Controlled burns and water improvements have enhanced the wildlife on the ranch.  No hunting was allowed on the ranch for over 6 years prior to 2019 and native wildlife is now abundant.  The HOBO North Ranch is in New Mexico Big Game Unit 42.  

The HOBO North Ranch is over 88% deeded land.  The state lease acreage is found in three remote blocks and is not accessible to public hunters.  The annual state lease cost is approximately $1.15 per acre.

If you are in the market for a unit that provides both good grazing and hunting opportunity, the HOBO North Ranch will fit your needs.  The property has been very well managed for wildlife and should offer outstanding hunting experience. The HOBO North Ranch is realistically priced at $575 per deeded acre.  Please understand that brochure pictures do no truly capture the magnificent and rugged features of the HOBO North Ranch.  This is a property you have to actually see to truly appreciate.  To schedule a showing, or for additional information, please contact Dwain Nunez or Jim Welles.