Y-6 Ranch

from Texas LAND Summer 2023

by LAND Magazines

Texas LAND Markets

Y -6 RANCH

113,650± Acres

JEFF DAVIS & PRESIDIO COUNTIES, TEXAS

Encompassing 113,650± acres in Jeff Davis and Presidio counties, the sprawling Y-6 Ranch is home to a rich history, rugged desert beauty, diverse wildlife and legendary elbow room.

This Texas original was created by combining seven ranches including the famous Means Y-6 Ranch established near Valentine in 1894 and the Vieja Pass Ranch, once owned by the pioneering mountaineer Evan Means, where Pancho Villa stayed in the early 1900s. The Butterfield Trail, the established route connecting San Antonio and El Paso, crossed over the north portion of the ranch for miles. Travelers used the landmark Y-6 Hills to confirm their course.

Its history precedes Anglo settlement by millennia. The Mean Cache of 1,250 arrowheads, which is now on display at Sul Ross University, was discovered on the ranch in 2002. Like the Livermore Cache, it was constructed by the peoples of the Livermore phase, a nomadic culture of hunters and gatherers who inhabited the region around the Davis Mountains from approximately 800 to 1350 AD.

The ranch is home to a variety of topographical features that define the landscape north and south of Highway 90 including the Valentine Grasslands, Y-6 Hills, Sierra Vieja Mountains, Vieja Canyon, Soldier Mesa and Wild Horse Draw. The views of the mountains are breathtaking.

Within its fences, you’ll find an excellent cross-section of various habitat types found in the high-, mid- and lower elevation of West Texas from rock outcrops and montane woodlands to oak savannahs, spring cienegas, rolling yucca grasslands to tobosa flats and desert canyons and scrublands. The vegetation is dominated by Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of cane bluestem, blue gramma, green sprangletop, tobosa, black gramma and side oats gramma. A diversity of native trees including Emory oaks, Gray oaks, juniper, desert willow, soapberry, hackberry and Mexican walnut dot the landscape.

The convergence of grassland and desert habitats creates some of the best hunting opportunities in West Texas. Pronghorn, aoudad, mountain lion, elk and mule deer call the ranch home. The habitat grows big muleys as confirmed by a 223 gross B&C buck taken in the Y-6 Hills in years past. The Valentine Grasslands support javelina, fox, ringtail cat, coyote, dove, Gambel’s quail and abundant, large coveys of blue/scaled quail. Despite its vast remoteness, the modern Y-6 Ranch is just 30 minutes from Fort Davis and Marfa. It is divided into three major operations—the Means Y-6 Ranch, the Chispa Ranch and the Vieja Pass Ranch—each with its own unique combination of improvements, history and management.

Means Y-6 Ranch (68,900± acres)

This offering combines the original Y-6 Ranch, a portion of El Muerto Springs Ranch and a series of irrigated farms along Highway 90. The original Y-6 Ranch, north of Highway 90 next to Valentine, includes all the Y-6 Hills centered in the middle of a broad Chihuahuan desert grassland at the foothills of the towering Davis Mountains. The ranch has been managed by descendants of the Means family for over 125 years with a focus on livestock production and wildlife.

Highlights include:

• Headquarters' historic adobe home

• Second rock owners’ home with several courtyards, garage, and attached bunk house, cantina, green house and covered garden

• Tack room, horse stalls, pens and turn outs

• Large work barn with electricity and concrete floors

• Several outbuildings including a historic bathhouse and icehouse

• Large set of shipping pens at the headquarters and several sets of working pens

• Excellent road system

• 14 water wells with numerous elevated storage tanks and more than 50 water troughs

• Several surface water tanks

• Older irrigation wells at fallow farms along highway

• Numerous pastures and traps all set up for a working cattle operation with average stocking of 550 animal units/year

• Old hunting lodge up in the Y-6 Hills

Chispa Ranch (10,000± acres)

The Chispa Ranch, once owned by the White family, fronts on the south side of Highway 90 in the Wild Horse Draw Valley. Wide sweeping tobosa and gramma grasslands transition up into scrubland and rise high into and include the Sierra Vieja Mountains. Today, it is operated by the Brite Ranch heirs as a cattle and hunting ranch.

Highlights include:

• Headquarters compound with main house under huge shade trees

• Air conditioned and heated dog breeding kennel

• Large barn with several outbuildings

• Bunkhouse with kitchen

• Shipping pens at the headquarters with two other pasture pens

• Four water wells with large storage capacity and more than 15 water troughs

• One large seasonal natural lake

• Two excellent dirt tanks

• Excellent road system

Vieja Pass Ranch (34,750± acres)

The third operation, which is below the rim, is a combination of several ranches including Evan Means’ historic Vieja Pass Ranch, Soldier Springs, Van Horn Creek and several other smaller ranches. As the most scenic part of the larger ranch it features national park quality vistas, deep canyons, towering cliffs, jagged bluffs and exotic geology.

In addition to being breathtakingly beautiful, the ranch offers excellent recreational hunting along with a productive cattle operation and topquality road network. Waterers are working on most of the ranch. Vieja Pass Complex of adobe and rock homes and rooms with extensive patios sits under pecans, oaks and pomegranates.

Highlights include:

• Vieja Spring once called Bear Spring runs through the Vieja Pass Complex

• Numerous solar wells and elevated poly tanks with pipelines provide extensive watering capacity

• Recently maintained internal road system with great access through the ranch

• Airstrip (in need of repair)

• Several dirt tanks, springs and live water creeks

The Y-6 Ranch brings the best of far West Texas into singular focus. Within its fencelines, discerning buyers and modern pioneers will discover some of the best grasslands, mountains, canyonlands and outright beauty found within this ruggedly majestic region.

The Y-6 Ranch is available as a single unit (113,650± acres at $80,701,500) or divided into two exceptional ranches (Below the Sierra Vieja Rim 34,750± acres at $540/acre or $18,765,000 and Above the Sierra Vieja Rim 78,900± acres at $785/ acre or $61,936,500).

The Y-6 Ranch brings the best of far West Texas into singular focus. Discover some of the best grasslands, mountains, canyonlands and outright beauty found within this ruggedly majestic region.