Bob and Elaine Gose have for a lifetime, owned and operated outstanding ranches in the Wyoming Black Hills. These ranches have involved the best of ranching and recreation in the area. The Goses have worked for many years to bring several different ranch properties together to assemble the Houston Creek Ranch in its present form. As the Goses move toward semi-retirement, they have reduced their ranching operations and now offer what they believe is one of the best properties from their overall holdings. With abundant water for livestock and wildlife, splendid scenery, productive meadows, excellent wildlife habitat, and its central location the Houston Creek Ranch is one of the finest ranches available in the northeastern Wyoming.

The Houston Creek Ranch is situated in a picturesque Black Hills location between Sundance, Wyoming and the Devils Tower National Monument. Houston Creek, a year round live stream runs through the middle of the ranch flowing from north to south. This spectacular northeastern Wyoming ranch is midway between Interstate 90, which is south of the property and Highway 14 just one mile north of the ranch entrance, accessible by a private road easement. The property is within easy driving distance to many recreational getaways including our Nation’s first National Monument, the Devils Tower which is about 17 miles. Other area sites like Keyhole Reservoir & State Park, the Bear Lodge Mountains with access to thousands of acres of Black Hills National Forest, Sand Creek, and Cook Lake offer unlimited outdoor recreation throughout the seasons.

Approximate mileage to nearby Black Hills communities and areas of interest include:

Sundance, Wyoming – 12 miles
Spearfish, South Dakota – 43 miles
Gillette, Wyoming – 73 miles
Devils Tower National Monument – 17 miles
Hulett, Wyoming – 27 miles
Deadwood, South Dakota – 60 miles
Rapid City, South Dakota – 90 miles
 

Commercial airline service is available at Gillette, Wyoming, and Rapid City, South Dakota. Hulett offers a jet-capable airport and an award winning 18-hole golf course. Visit devilstowergolf.com/airfield.html for more information on the Hulett airport.

ACREAGE
3,389 +/- deeded acres
280 +/- State Lease
40 +/- BLM Lease

The ranch is in one contiguous block with the leased lands adjoining the deeded lands. The leases are fenced in together with the deeded lands. According to Farm Service Agency data there are 359.05 acres of tillable land. Most fields are currently planted to alfalfa/wheat grass hay. Some of the fields are being summer fallowed. Under normal weather conditions the fields produce about 400 ton of alfalfa and wheat grass hay. Some of the meadows are sub-irrigated. The property is cross-fenced into about ten pastures of differing sizes.

The acreage figures have been obtained from Crook County Court House records. This property has not been recently surveyed.

The ranch has historically been operated as a commercial cattle operation and horse ranch raising foundation Quarter Horses from bloodlines going back to the renowned King Ranch, with the lands being carefully managed to increase the wildlife habitat and preserve the natural setting. Now semiretired the Goses run cattle for summer grazing, horses year round and harvest the hay crop themselves. They also utilize the property as a family retreat, with many wonderful memories and days spent relaxing on the ranch.

LEASE INFORMATION
State of Wyoming Lease 2-5494 240 acres $279.18/year
State of Wyoming Lease 2-5509 40 acres $25.85/ year
BLM Lease 40 acres $9.36/year

Upon successful closing the owners will relinquish the leases in favor of the new buyer. The new owner will then have to make application to receive the leases. Owners have preferential positions for leasing. The annual grazing fees are set by the government and may fluctuate.

Houston Creek with year round live water winds through the middle of the ranch for several miles with beaver dams, and natural springs. Water wells, dug outs, reservoirs, and other smaller creeks and drainages are scattered throughout the ranch. Existing water supports the division of the ranch into the present configuration of pastures, and would support multiple building sites throughout the ranch.

Houston Creek enters the northeastern portion of the ranch and flows southerly through the heart of the ranch for over three miles, with the centerpiece of the ranch being Macumba Dam. Macumba Dam is located south of the former headquarters location and is approximately 8 acres in size and is a wonderful spot to stock for your own private fishing. There are many springs, beaver dams, and ponds on Houston Creek and its tributaries scattered throughout the ranch. The creek flows continually year round through the ranch in normal rainfall years.

Spring Creek and Little Houston Creek in the southeast part of the ranch run seasonal water in normal rainfall years. There are more than seven dependable stock water dams throughout the pastures on the ranch. Several more dams could be improved to hold more water throughout the year.

There are three drilled water wells on the ranch. Two of these have fully functional electrical pumping systems. Pumps, PVC tubing, cables and electrical components have been replaced in recent years. There are five active transformers and meters throughout the ranch providing power from Powder River Energy.

A private preserve with magnificently diverse terrain best describes the landscape on the Houston Creek Ranch. Topographical attributes range from deep canyons with secluded habitat for game, high divides with never ending views, fertile fields, and timbered hills with ponderosa pine forest intermingled with quaking aspen, cedar and bur oak trees, to open parks edged with trees, rolling valleys, and creek bottoms with lush vegetation. The landscape is enhanced with a plethora of wildflowers, native berry bushes, productive grasses, and underbrush that produces excellent wildlife habitat. Wild plums, chokecherry bushes, buffalo berries, service berries and currants compliment the scene. The ranch is a photographers dream with interesting topographical characteristics throughout from the top of Newman Divide to the creek bottoms on Houston Creek.

A variety of outstanding building sites that would be perfect as a private retreat, lodges, hunting camps, cabins, or year round residences are offered throughout the ranch. The old headquarters location overlooking Macumba Lake is a naturally inviting spot. With an expansive view down the valley and across the dam, excellent wildlife viewing possibilities, southern exposure and access to utilities, it is one of the many natural places to build your dream home. Electricity and telephone are already in place at the previous homestead site.

Vistas from many points on the ranch include not only the remarkable nearby features, but also long distance views such as the broadside panorama of the higher elevations of the Bear Lodge Mountains and Warren Peak to the northeast, Inyan Kara, and Sundance Mountain to the southeast and Keyhole Reservoir to the West. Elevations on the ranch range from 4,450 to 4,850 feet above sea level.

The pine forest has been managed under a stewardship program with great attention given to managing timber to reduce the vulnerability to wildfires, which are usually started by lightening. Stewardship of timberlands has also significantly increased grass production and growth of commercial timber.

A wide variety of recreational opportunities are offered in Northeastern Wyoming and the Black Hills of Western South Dakota. Whether you enjoy a hike around Devils Tower, boating on Keyhole Reservoir, camping in the mountains, swinging a club at a world class golf course, casting your line in a premier fishing stream, digging up bones at a mammoth site, cross country skiing, snowmobiling or just seeing the history of our nation come alive, you’ll find it here. This area offers many opportunities to travel a couple of hours to discover different aspects of the Black Hills and surrounding communities, with many of the spots only a 30 to 45 minute drive. If you are up for a farther trip from home the Big Horn Mountains to the west or the Badlands to the east.

Please visit the following web sites for information on recreation and area destinations:

www.Hulett.org                                                 www.DevilsTowerGolf.com
www.SundanceWyoming.com                           www.VisitRapidCity.com
www.GilletteChamber.com                                 www.BlackHillsBadlands.com
www.WyomingTourism.com                              www.Wyoming.gov
http://nps.gov/deto/   (Devils Tower)                    www.Deadwood.org
http://fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/  (Black Hills National Forest)
http://gf.state.wy.us  (Wyoming Gas & Fish)        www.SpearfishChamber.org
www.CityOfDeadwood.com                              www.TravelSD.com
www.DevilsTowerGolf.com                                www.SturgisMotorCycleRally.com
http://nps.gov/muro  (Mount Rushmore)               http://sdgfp.info  (SD Game Fish & Parks)
www.CrazyHorse.org                                         www.CusterStatePark.info   

With the creek flowing through the middle of the ranch, all of the numerous beaver dams and water holes, plentiful cover and feed, wildlife thrives on the property. The Goses have devoted a great deal of time to managing the property with an emphasis on preserving the habitat and increasing the wildlife numbers. Hunting in recent years has been limited.

The Goses where thrilled when a herd of the elusive Rocky Mountain Elk began frequenting the ranch. Early one winter morning in viewing across the fields on Newman Divide they spied over twenty bull elk with at least five and six points on a side, along with about forty cows, calves and spike elk eating hay with their horses. In the past two years the elk have taken up year round residence on the property. The elk move through and around the area near the ranch. The elk are very wary and a unique challenge. Trophy Whitetail Deer, that Crook County is known for, take advantage of the habitat as well. You’ll also find Mule Deer, Merriam Turkey, Beaver, Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Bobcats, Mountain Lion, Coyote, and Fox. Game birds have also begun to discover the ranch with Sharp Tailed Grouse, Duck and Geese arriving. If fishing is what you love, look no further than Macumba Dam and Lake as a place to stock for your own fishing preserve. Interested parties may wish to visit the Wyoming Game and Fish website at gf.state.wy.us for more information on hunting and fishing seasons, areas and regulations.

Typically fences are put in for convenience and may not follow the legal description. The Seller is making known to all potential buyers that there may be variations between the location of the existing fence boundary lines and the legal description of the deeded property. Seller makes no warranties with regard to the location of the fence lines in relationship to the deeded property lines, nor does the Seller make any warranties or representations with regard to the specific acreage contained within the fenced property lines. Seller is selling the property in an “AS IS” condition, which includes the location of the fences as they exist.

Boundaries shown on the accompanying maps are approximate, based on the legal description and may not reflect the actual fence lines. The maps are not to scale and are for a visual aid only. The accuracy of the maps is not guaranteed.

The Seller will transfer all of the mineral rights they own pertaining to this property. The Seller has not had a mineral right search done and makes no representations or warranty with regard to actual mineral interests that will be conveyed. Prospective Buyers may wish to have a mineral right search performed.

The 2007 real estate taxes were $2,686.34. Typically the county reassesses the real estate taxes when a property is sold. Interested parties should consult with the Crook County Assessor’s Office regarding property taxes.

All water rights appurtenant to the subject property will be transferred to the Buyer. Prospective Buyers may wish to have a water right search performed.

Annual precipitation according to the USDA 85-year average is over 18 inches. The accompanying graph shows the 85-year average annual profile of temperature, precipitation, and snowfall by month recorded near Sundance, Wyoming.

The ranch is a very private setting with locked gate entry. The Goses have requested that the property be shown by appointment only. Please call ahead to make showing arrangements. Your cooperation and consideration is greatly appreciated.

The Houston Creek Ranch is a premier offering with live water, quiet seclusion, panoramic views, privacy, abundant wildlife, fresh mountain air and unspoiled Black Hills scenery. From the pretty creek bottoms and pristine valleys to the timbered hills and rocky canyon rims this picturesque location is a special place to be enjoyed in all seasons. A place you’ll want to spend a lifetime.

OFFERING PRICE
The Houston Creek Ranch is offered for $9,200,000.00.
(nine million two hundred thousand dollars) US currency

The Seller reserves the right to effectuate a Section 1031 tax deferred exchange in accordance with IRS regulations. The Buyer will not incur any liability or expense relating to this exchange.

If just a portion of the ranch is all you need, the Goses have agreed to sell the ranch in smaller units. The parcel configuration would be at the discretion of the Goses, who wish to maintain the integrity of the ranch and make sure parcels being sold and remaining lands are viable units. Parcel sizes would start at a minimum of 160 acres. If the ranch sells in parcels certain restrictions may be placed on the property to assure that no tract can be divided into smaller parcels for high density developments.

Arnold Realty, Inc. recommends that every item of interest to the purchaser (i.e. water laws, mineral laws, easements, boundaries, use regulations, state, federal and private permits) be independently verified by the purchaser’s attorney. Inspect to the extent deemed necessary.