Van Horn, TX 79855 - Hudspeth County

Location

Located west of Van Horn, Texas in the fifth highest mountain range in Texas, the Eagle Mountains, the ranch is easily accessed by two county roads off I-10, Scotts Crossing Road on the east and Hot Wells Road at Allamore exit on the west. The ranch is a mere 1.5 hours from El Paso International Airport ad just 30 minutes from Van Horn Airport which can land jet aircraft. Large well-established landowner neighbors and excellent game management programs makes Pion Ranch the perfect grazing, hunting and recreation property. Tucked away into an isolated part of the Eagle Mountains where you have ease of access along with extreme privacy. Ranching heritage abounds as the Overland Trail passes through this ranch where stagecoaches used to stop at Eagle Spring located on the ranch. Today it is the Union Pacific Railroad where there was once a stop called Hot Wells.

Acreage

47,700 in Fee Ownership

Description

Pion Ranch is a well-oiled working cattle and hunting ranch located within and on the slopes of the Eagles Mountains which are part of a chain of sky island mountains that stretch from New Mexico through West Texas and into Old Mexico. With the Quitman Mountains to the west, Sierra Blanca Mountain to the north east, and the Diablos Mountains to the north, the Eagles are a mountain island in a desert sea, creating unique high elevation habitats and stunning landscapes and views. There is a paved private road through the middle of the ranch for miles that access a FAA and cell tower array at the summit of the Eagles making access within Pion Ranch a breeze.

This ranch is the combination of the old Espy Ranch on the west and the Pinon Ranch to the east and has been managed and lived on by the current owners for several decades creating a pride of ownership in the infrastructure, headquarters, roads, pens, waters, and improvements. Cattle infrastructure is all there and for hunting an amazing hunting Lodge up in the higher elevations is perfect for guests and paid hunters.

This high Chihuahuan Desert ranch has elevations ranging from 4,150 feet to 6,700 feet and is a series of canyons, peaks, valleys, rolling flats, and arroyos creating rugged yet accessible terrain. The higher elevations of Pinon Ranch are just to the south of the 7,484-foot summit. Goat Canyon, Carpenter Canyon, and Horse Canyon creates extraordinary geology and rock outcrops. One mountain, Panther Peak, towering over the ranch looks down on the rock and adobe ruins and the historical marker set in 1936 marking the Eagle Springs Stagecoach stop and the site of many Indian skirmishes with the US Calvary. Hidden basins, rugged canyons, rolling hills, overflow draws and yucca grassland flats, Pinon Ranch has it all!

Habitat

This mountain range functions as a habitat island, with intermountain ridge lines and valleys serving as corridors for wildlife migration, especially between Texas and Mexico along the Rio Grande. Numerous bird species that are normally associated with the Rocky Mountains and/or Mexican Highlands are known to occur within this island of montane habitat. The climate and soils support a mix of desert and mountain vegetation from scrublands to grasslands, to juniper and oak uplands. Grasses include sideoats, blue, black, hairy, and chino grama as well as cane bluestem, green sprangle-top, tobosa, tangle head, and many others. Along the canyon floors, and especially on the north facing slopes, there are large giant yuccas, pion pine, alligator juniper, oaks, madrone, cottonwoods, and willows. A variety of flowering plants and cacti provide habitat for migrating and resident birds, bats, and butterflies.

Wildlife

This is big mule deer country, and the ranch has been carefully managed over 14 years with a Texas Parks and Wildlife MLD Permit to improve the deer herd and maximize the potential for growing large mature bucks. Harvest has been between 15-20 mature bucks per year. Blue quail, Gambles quail, and dove populations are tremendous and create great hunting opportunities as do Aoudad and other game species such as the Rocky Mountain Elk herd which has flourishes here since its introduction in the 1970s. Native trees, brush, and grasses, along with a desirable mix of mountain browse provide excellent habitat for these game species and many native birds and other non-game animals. A huntable natural population of Desert Big Horn Sheep are on the ranch and in 2019 a shared Permit was secured paving the way for a growing number of permits in the future. This ranch has habitat, slope and the animals. An 8-year-old Ram scoring 178 was taken recently as the first permit was issued in October for the Eagles. There were over 80 Sheep observed in the Eagles during October securing a solid future for this property as a Big Horn Sheep hunting ranch.

Improvements

Pinon Ranch is owned and operated by a ranching family who have spent a great deal of time and money

improving the infrastructure on the ranch including waters, roads, barns, livestock pens, headquarters, and

hunting lodge. The following is a summary of some of the improvements and infrastructure on the Pinon

Ranch:

1. Headquarters

Block construction 3 bedroom/ 1 bath home. All updated with modern kitchen, porches under a canopy of large shade trees. Nice landscaping and outdoor entertainment area.

Large 40x60 2 bedroom/2 bath mobile home.

Large 30x40 Shop.

Tack room.

Several other usable outbuildings, storage, and barns.

Main shipping pens.

8 covered horse stalls and large horse corrals.

2 roping arenas.

2. Lodge

5 bedroom/ 3 bath Spanish style Hunting Lodge with vaulted ceilings.

Great room has large fireplace

Kiva fireplaces in bedrooms.

Two outdoor porches for cooking and entertaining.

Dry stacked rock walls.

Storage and work shed.

Landscaped with trees.

3. Camps

Hot Wells Adobe Trappers Cabin

Streetcar Camp 3br/1 bath mobile home with 20x40 shop, hay shed, and 2 storage containers.

4. Wells

16 water wells many with solar pumps.

One hot well at 103 degrees.

24 water storage tanks from 4,000 to 30,000 gallons.

47 water troughs many which are new tire troughs with remote floats.

15 dirt tanks provide additional water.

5. Roads

FAA concrete and paved road through ranch to towers on adjoining ranch pays $40,000 per year.

Numerous improved roads throughout the ranch provides easy access even into the high canyons and mountains.

6. Leases and Taxes

$13,000 per year in Property Taxes

Minerals

34 Sections or 22,100 Acres are State Mineral Classified which are minerals owned by the state of Texas and the surface owner participates by acting as executor on signing any Lease but also receives 50% of any mineral bonuses and royalty payments. Owner believes that they own other fee minerals and will negotiate the sale of these owned minerals.