Marsing, Idaho
$3,500,000 1,796± Acres
COW CREEK RANCH
INTRODUCTION
Cow Creek Ranch offers an exceptional opportunity to own a highly productive cattle operation with unparalleled hunting and recreation in the rugged and remote Owyhee Mountains of Idaho. Spanning 1,796± deeded acres with an additional 5,000± acres of adjacent BLM lease land, this expansive property provides a well-balanced blend of irrigated pasture, open rangeland, and prime wildlife habitat. Located just two± hours south of Boise, about a mile from the Oregon border, and 10± miles from Jordan Valley, the ranch enjoys a secluded yet accessible location in one of the most pristine landscapes of the West.
At the heart of the property, Cow Creek flows for over three miles, joined by Jackson Creek, supplying 192± acres of irrigation rights that sustain livestock and local wildlife. The ranch supports a 250-head cow/calf operation, with ample water and forage to carry cattle through the winter. Additionally, the property benefits from a 160-head BLM lease running from June 1 to December 1. With 500 to 550 tons of hay harvested annually, the operation is well-equipped for year-round productivity.
Beyond ranching, Cow Creek Ranch is a premier hunting destination. The Owyhee Mountains are renowned for their trophy mule deer and elk, and this ranch delivers prime big game and upland bird habitat. Surrounded by vast public lands, it offers endless opportunities for hunting, horseback riding, and outdoor recreation.
Improvements include a 1,846± square foot home with three bedrooms and two baths, a newly built 42’ x 75’ shop with a separate two-floor housing unit, and additional barns, outbuildings, and high-quality working corrals. With perimeter and cross-fencing throughout, reliable water sources, and a mix of aspen groves, sagebrush, and productive grasses, this ranch is well-suited for both livestock and wildlife.
Cow Creek Ranch is a rare and valuable opportunity for those seeking a turnkey cattle operation with exceptional hunting and recreation in one of the last truly wild regions of the Lower 48.
1 Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
QUICK FACTS
• 1,796 ± deeded acres
• Cow Creek flows through the ranch for over 3 miles
• 192 ± Acres of water rights
• Big game hunting along with upland birds
• Water rights from Cow Creek and Jackson Creek
• 250 cow/calf operation
• 160 head BLM lease
• June 1 through December 1
• 500 to 550 ton of hay harvested per year
• One home and large shop
• New corrals
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
ACREAGE
• 1,796± deeded acres
• 5,000± leased acres
• 6,796± total acres
The ranch has perimeter fencing and cross-fence pastures. The cattle numbers grazed have been around 250 for the past few years with the use of private grazing and BLM land. The deeded land is completely perimeter fenced. Forage for elk and mule deer is still very good with plenty of water. Approximately three miles of Cow Creek flows through the ranch from east to west, along with Jackson Creek joining Cow Creek on the 320± acre home place. Cow Creek and Jackson Creek are the sources for 192± acres of irrigated land and more subirrigated ground. Again, this is fenced and cross-fenced.
The upper portion of the ranch has a total of 1,476± deeded acres and is surrounded by BLM on all sides. A beautiful variety of grasses, sagebrush, bitterbrush, aspens, and conifers create an ideal grazing scenario. Springs have been developed and fenced off with troughs below.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
IMPROVEMENTS
The Ranch has a comfortable remodeled manufactured home, built in 1998 on a foundation, with three bedrooms and two baths. The concrete patio on the north side of the home overlooks the irrigated pastures and the high plateaus in the distance. The shop is new and has a “framed out” separate, two-floor housing unit on the east end of the building.
• 1,846± square foot home, three bedrooms and two bathrooms
• Shop - 42’ x 75’, with concrete floors
• Other barns and outbuildings
• Corrals
• Chicken coup that is first class
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
RECREATION
The Owyhee Mountains are a favorite with horseback riders with wide-open spaces and very few neighbors. All throughout the area of the Owyhee’s, the backcountry trails on motorbikes and four-wheelers are pretty amazing.
HUNTING | WILDLIFE
The Cow Creek Ranch is located at the lower elevations, as you climb into the Owyhee Mountains and has a wonderful variety of wildlife, but elk and mule deer are the coveted big game species in the area. It can be challenging for many hunters to get a tag, although, for the landowner, there are options to getting tags. The Owyhee elk herd has produced some amazing trophy elk from the area: 350-class bulls are not uncommon. Less pressure and big country allow them to grow old. The ranch is very elk and deer friendly because of the food source available and the privacy that comes with it.
If not the number one game animal sought after, Mule deer hunting is a very close second. Classic mule deer country is exactly what the Owyhee Mountains are! The ranch is located in unit #40, and IDF has made this unit a trophy hunt with limited
• Chukar
• Huns
• Elk
• Mule deer
• Antelope
• Hunting Unit #40 tags
AREA HISTORY
In the days gone by, the Owyhee Mountains were known for gold and silver mines and are referred to as the Silver City Range, which started in the late 1880s. West of Silver City is the De Lamar ghost town on Jordan Creek. The area was active in the late 1880s. In the 1970s, mining began again in some form with the development of the gold mine on De Lamar Mountain.
The Owyhee Mountain Range was named after a group of trappers from the Hawaiian Islands who disappeared while on an exploratory trapping expedition. They were hired by Donald Mackenzie, who worked for a Montreal fir trading company based out of Canada.
View of the Owyhee Mountains Looking Towards Silver City
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Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
INCOME OPPORTUNITY
The 250 cow-calf ranch, along with hay production, can make for an ideal ranch or a wonderful income producer with a cattle lease for the summer and fall months, along with selling hay or just used for irrigated pasture.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
CLIMATE
The area receives an average of just over 20 inches of precipitation a year in the high country and just over 10 inches in Jordan Valley, 10 miles to the west. July through September is the drier part of the year, with summer temperatures that can be in the ’90s with the average at 85 degrees. Many sunny days with the occasional thunderstorm make up the summer months. Winter temperatures range from the 20s to the mid-30s, with snow of up to a foot on the ground this past year.
Climate charts courtesy of https://www.city-data.com/city/Marsing-Idaho.html
www.fayranches.com | 800.238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
LOCATION
The ranch is located 10 miles to the northeast from the small town of Jordan Valley, Oregon, and 35± miles to Marsing, Idaho (population 1,440). Owyhee County encompasses an area of 7,696± miles with a density of just over one person every mile, meaning there are lots of open and private areas across the Owyhee’s. There are many more chukar, mule deer, and elk than humans. The ranch sits just four miles east of Highway 95 and 72± miles from Boise. The area first became populated because of the historic gold towns such as Silver City and Del Lamar, which thrived in the late 1800s, now ghost towns of the past. Today, ranching is the main economic driver along with diverse recreational aspects and hunting.
AIRPORT SERVICES
The closest commercial airport is 72± miles to the north of the property in Boise, Idaho. It is served by Alaska, Allegiant, Southwest, Delta, United, and American Airlines. The closest landing strip is in Marsing, Idaho, and is an asphalt surface at 2,900 feet.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
WATER RIGHTS
The ranch has 192± acres of irrigation rights along with additional acres of sub-irrigated land, totaling approx. 240± acres. Rights also include stock water rights for up to 400 head. Water rights are surface rights with water out of Jackson Creek and Cow Creek with numerous springs on the deeded land and leased land along with one well at the home place supplying water for multiple purposes.
• 192± acres of water rights
• Surface rights out of Jackson Creek and Cow Creek
• Stock water rights out of springs and one well
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Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
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.
CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP
Each of us at Fay loves the land and wants to see it remain a productive agricultural ground and a quality fish and wildlife habitat. Through promoting thoughtful land stewardship, Fay has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethics and land-use practices have significantly enhanced our work landscape. At present, there are no conservation easements encumbering the ranch.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
SUMMARY
The Cow Creek Ranch is a wonderful 250 head operation that can check off many boxes in evaluating a cattle operation with good water rights and adjacent BLM grazing rights. The diverse habitat along the Cow Creek drainage running through the ranch and the eastern border consisting of timber and large aspen forests makes this ranch a wildlife haven and a fantastic property for recreation and hunting. From horse bike riding to 1,000s of miles of back roads through the Owyhee’s, this can be your playground and only two hours from Boise and much closer to other small towns.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
Please contact Dave Halgerson at (208) 869-8807 | dhalgerson@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay 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.
$1,658
$3,500,000 Cash
Conventional Financing 1031 Exchange
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.
Cow Creek Ranch | Marsing, Idaho
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