J O H N DAY R I VER R ANC H Antelope, Wheeler County, Oregon $5,150,000 | 6,397.27± Acres
John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
INTRODUCTION Set along the banks of the mighty John Day River lies the historic John Day River Ranch. You will never get tired of the expansive horizons and towering vistas of this amazing landscape! You will forever marvel at the majestic cliffs which tower above the rolling plateaus and lonely canyons as they fall, sometimes gently and sometimes steeply, to bottomlands along the free-flowing John Day River. The ranch encompasses 6,397.27± deeded acres, plus BLM grazing permits covering an additional 2,663± acres. The John Day River winds along and through the ranch for approximately 4.5± miles, which includes 2± miles of deeded river frontage, with the balance of the frontage predominately along BLM lands which are grazed by the ranch. Plus, the ranch joins additional BLM lands that are grazed by the neighbors which encompasses 3,741± acres and borders an additional 4.5± miles of John Day River frontage, accessible only from the river or adjoining private lands. If you are an avid hunter or angler, this ranch is for you. It is one of the few ranches that boasts the rare combination of quality upland game bird, waterfowl, and big game hunting, plus fly fishing for steelhead and smallmouth bass!
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LOCATION The John Day River Ranch is in Central Oregon and, as such, is centrally located to the significant area recreational opportunities! The ranch headquarters are located a few miles east of Antelope, near Historic Clarno, on the John Day River, 46 miles, or 50 minutes NE of Madras, OR.; 56 miles, or 1 hour and 11 minutes SE of Maupin, OR and the Deschutes River; 72 miles, or 1 hour and 28 minutes NE of Redmond, OR and just 89 miles, or 1 hour and 49 minutes NE of Bend, OR. The Dalles, the County Seat of Wasco County, OR., is located 96 miles, or 1 hour and 54 minutes NW of the ranch, and Fossil, the County seat of Wheeler County, is located just 19.6 miles, or 29 minutes NE of Clarno. Portland, Oregon’s major population center and Portland International Airport (PDX) location are just 161 miles, or 3 hours and 15 minutes NW of the ranch.
GETTING THERE The ranch is accessible off paved Oregon State Highway 218 at Clarno, approximately 14.8 miles, or 22 minutes east of Antelope, Oregon, or approximately 19.6 miles, or 29 minutes southwest of Fossil, Oregon.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
AIRPORT INFORMATION Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM—www.flyrdm.com) (a.k.a. Roberts Field) is approximately 1 hour and 28 minutes SW of the ranch. RDM provides commercial air service for all of Central Oregon with 14 departures each day to Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. The convenience of the Redmond Municipal Airport assures that you stay well connected with the region and the world. For the private pilot, Madras Municipal Airport is just 50 minutes away. According to Wikipedia, Madras Municipal Airport is at an elevation of 2,437 feet (743 m) above mean sea level. It has two asphalt paved runways: 16/34 is 5,089 by 75 feet (1,551 x 23 m), and 4/22 is 2,701 by 50 feet (823 x 15 m). More detailed information can be found at www.airnav.com.
Map courtesy of http://www.flyrdm.com
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ACREAGE According to the Wheeler County Assessor, the John Day River Ranch consist of approximately 6,397.27± deeded acres. Interwoven with the deeded lands are an additional 2,663± acres of BLM lands with grazing rights allocated to the John Day River Ranch, for a total domain of 9,060.27± acres! 4
John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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AGRICULTURE Since the 1970s, the John Day River Ranch has been operated as a year-round cow/calf ranch, utilizing the abundant, native grasses interspersed throughout the sage and juniper-covered hillsides. The varied terrain and abundant native feed produce a “hard grass” range calf, hardy and favored by yearling and feeder operators, which annually purchase the calves. While annual carrying capacity is highly dependent upon winter snowpack, spring/summer rains, management, and government grazing policies, the John Day River Ranch has an estimated carrying capacity, as currently operated, of 128 Animal Units (AUs) with the operator purchasing and feeding an average of 1 ton of hay per AU. If the croplands, now meadows, were to be reestablished to hay production, the capacity could be further increased by producing the ranch’s own winter feed requirements, plus providing additional pasture or aftermath grazing. For ease of management, the John Day River Ranch is divided into the River Field, plus two main pastures: The Dugout and The River Pasture, which include deeded lands that bear the names of the original homestead owners, or other area/use features such as The River Pasture, School Section, Dugout, Knox Place, and Pentecost. Elevation ranges from 1,240± feet along the John Day River at the Knox Place to just under 3,900± feet at the Northernmost BLM range above Iron Mountain, providing a good seasonal range of forage. The lower elevations lend themselves to late fall, winter, and early spring pasturing, depending upon the winter weather, allowing a lower-cost winter feeding advantage. The topography lends itself well to suitable protection and cover for cattle. Of the deeded lands, 168.85± acres have water rights certificates. These are lands at lower elevations, predominately along the John Day River, and include lands along Willow Branch Spring and an unnamed stream. Of these lands, 164.6± acres are in the River Field, 4.0± acres at the Knox Place, and .25± acres in the Dugout Pasture. The River Field can pump water from the John Day River from two diversion points and are capable of crop production. All fields were originally flood irrigated from dirt ditches. For a time, portions of the River Field were under wheel and handline sprinkler irrigation. Current management has not been farming the meadows, preferring to purchase winter feed. Winter feed requirements typically range from .5 tons to 1.5 tons per cow.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
The ranch is currently leased for cattle grazing to a reputable, neighboring cattleman. Opportunities exist for a purchase of this ranch to negotiate a continuation of the lease with the tenant, or should a purchaser wish to run their own cattle on the ranch, there are two annual opportunities to sever the lease. John Day River Ranch is abundantly blessed with several springs, some developed and some undeveloped, which provide good stock watering distribution for the ranch. Willow Branch Creek and Cove Creek, plus several drainages provide seasonal stock water as they course toward the John Day River. John Day River Ranch is an operating cattle ranch with outstanding recreational amenities! Nevertheless, there is opportunity here to improve on what nature has provided, both in agricultural production and recreational development!
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CLIMATE Courtesy of http://www.city-data.com/city/Madras-Oregon.html
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
IMPROVEMENTS Ranch improvements are minimal, leaving a new owner the opportunity to build just what they want! There is power to a domestic well, housing, and corrals at the River Field. Wasco Electric Cooperative provides power. • • • • •
A 2002-year mobile home provides housing There are corrals at this site Good area for wintering A well provides domestic water Livestock shelters and outbuildings www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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RECREATION Rarely does a ranch come on the market that offers such a range of sporting activities. You are likely to see chukar, turkey, quail, pheasant, dove, ducks, geese, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and Pronghorn antelope in one outing. In addition to these common sightings, you might run across California Bighorn sheep! Other wildlife common to the area includes cougar, bobcat, coyote, rabbit, badger, ground squirrel, and rock chuck (Yellow-bellied marmot)! Add to this the fishing opportunities afforded by the John Day River, which runs through the ranch for miles! John Day River Ranch is a true sportsman’s paradise!
T he J ohn D ay R iver The John Day River is Oregon’s longest, undammed river, heading at 9,000 feet in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness of Oregon’s Blue Mountains, south of the town of John Day, and culminating in the Columbia River; it flows for approximately 281 miles!
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
H unting & W ildlife Hunting opportunities on the John Day River Ranch abound! There is a significant chukar population, quail, dove, and even a few pheasants for the upland game bird hunter! The ranch’s plentiful water sources support a significant population and provide excellent habitat! Ducks and geese populate the river corridor, utilizing the ranch’s meadows. Big-game species include Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and California bighorn sheep. The John Day River Ranch is within Oregon’s Biggs hunting unit No. 43. Per the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the John Day River Ranch deeded land base should qualify the owner for 5 Landowner Preference Tags (LOP Tags) for all hunts, as defined by the ODFW. However, these tags are subject to annual limitations in some areas and for some species. A prospective purchaser should verify the availability of these tags and also hunting and fishing seasons and regulations with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), phone 503-947-6000, or go to their website, https://www.dfw.state.or.us/.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
F ly F ishing This stretch of the John Day River is most noted for its smallmouth bass fishing, with May/June being the peak season, also picking up again in October. It has been commented that the smallmouth bass fishing on the John Day River is “off the charts!” Hopper patterns, woolly buggers, and poppers all work well! Reportedly swinging streamers in the faster, rockier stretches or using a full sink tip in the bigger holes works well for the larger fish. Early and late, some bigger fish can be taken near the surface on poppers. Crayfish patterns also work well! According to Perfect Fly: Although it is best known for its smallmouth bass fishing, the John Day River is famous for its wild Steelhead. The system has one of the last all-wild runs of anadromous fish east of the Cascade Mountains. The Steelhead average about 6 to 8 pounds, with larger ones caught frequently. There are not any hatchery fish released in the John Day River. Steelhead enter the lower section of the river in October and will continue to enter the river throughout the Winter. Late October through mid-December is the prime time. Unlike many other steelhead rivers, the John Day River is never crowded. The river can be waded and fished with both single-handed and Spey rods. Drift boat fishing is the most popular method of fishing the river. The Steelhead run on the John Day River starts to pick up shortly after the water rises. The water is used for irrigation of the high desert country until the first of October, but when it is shut off, the river flow increases and the fish start to show up. The Steelhead fish are in the river through February.
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O ther R ecreation : R iver F loat T rips The river is popular with rafters, drifters, kayakers, and canoers, with the peak season being May through June, depending on annual flows. The stretch of the river through the ranch is predominately considered a Class II float, but for the Upper Clarno Rapids, Class III/IV and the Lower Clarno rapids, Class III, both located adjacent to the Ranch’s BLM grazing permit, just upstream from the Knox Place.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
NEARBY ATTRACTIONS & ACTIVITIES J ohn D ay F ossil B eds N ational M onument Just East of and adjoining the John Day River Ranch lies the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. According to the National Park Service, The Palisades are the most prominent landform and are volcanic lahars or mudflows. Tiny four-footed horses, huge rhino-like brontotheres, crododilians, and meat-eating creodonts that once roamed the area are now found in the Clarno Unit rocks as a diverse range of plant life and petrified wood. Bones and fossils of these ancient earth inhabitants have been found on the John Day River Ranch!
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WATER SOURCES | WATER RIGHTS Under Oregon law, all water is publicly owned. With some exceptions, cities, farmers, factory owners, and other users must obtain a permit or water right from the Water Resources Department to use water from any source, whether underground or from lakes or streams. Landowners with water flowing past, thru, or under their property do not automatically have the right to use that water without a permit from the Department. The waters of Oregon are administered by the State of Oregon under a “priorappropriation” doctrine; first in time, first in right. John Day River Ranch has 168.85± acres of Certified Water Rights of record. A certified water rights examination by a licensed professional is recommended for further clarification of the ranch water rights.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
MINERAL RIGHTS All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the Buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company or qualified attorney.
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CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP Each of us at Fay Ranches has a love of the land and a desire to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting the use of thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitat and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, the landscape on which we work has been significantly enhanced by the conservation ethic and land use practices of our clients. Should a purchaser have interest, we believe that this ranch possesses outstanding conservation easement qualities.
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • •
6,397.27± deeded acres, plus 2,663± BLM permit acres 4.5± miles John Day River frontage; 2± miles deeded frontage Historic, operating cattle ranch-mild wintering area Water Rights Certificates for 168.85± acres Numerous springs, seasonal creeks Joins the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Outstanding sporting opportunities: smallmouth bass and steelhead fishing, upland gamebird hunting, waterfowl hunting, big game hunting • Qualifies for 5 LOP Tags (Buyer to verify with ODFW) • Abounding recreational opportunities: river floating, hiking, horseback riding, fossil hunting, photography, bird watching, horseback riding
SUMMARY Rarely does an opportunity like this come along! An opportunity to acquire a ranch with access to 4.5± miles of the free-flowing John Day River that offers numerous recreational and sporting amenities just does not come along every day. The John Day River Ranch offering is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Rich in history, jaw-dropping vistas, amazing geology, and miles of raw, natural beauty, the John Day River Ranch has all the right ingredients to make this your Legacy Ranch!
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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PRICE $5,150,000
TERMS Cash, Conventional Financing, 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange
ALSO AVAILABLE The John Day Breaks Pasture, located just 1.55± miles southwest of the John Day River Ranch, offers a purchaser an additional opportunity to expand their grazing operation, hunting, and recreational opportunities, or can be purchased separately from the John Day River Ranch. John Day Breaks Pasture consist of 4,354.69± deeded acres, plus 557± acres of BLM lands permitted for 21 AUMs of grazing. The John Day Breaks Pasture has historically supported 143 AUs annually with the supplemental feeding of approximately 1 ton of purchased hay/AU. Price: $2,375,000 Terms: Cash, Conventional Financing, 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange
CONTACT Please contact Scott Hawes at (541) 419-0770 | shawes@fayranches.com or Alex Robertson at (541) 4202394 | arobertson@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.
NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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John Day River Ranch | Antelope, Oregon
SCOTT HAWES Principal Broker Licensed in: ID, OR c. 541-419-0770 shawes@fayranches.com
FAY RANCHES INC. (800) 238.8616 info@fayranches.com www.fayranches.com
ALEX ROBERTSON Broker Licensed in: OR c. 541-420-2394 arobertson@fayranches.com