New Mexico Hunting Ranches: The Irish Harp Ranch, located between Chama, New Mexico and Pagosa Springs, Colorado, lies in the heart of some of the Rockies’ best trophy mule deer and elk hunting. Deer hunters have long recognized the nearby Jicarilla Reservation as home to some of the finest trophy mule deer on the continent (many in the 190- to 200-class), and the ideal habitat of the Irish Harp Ranch attracts these quality deer as well. Add in strong populations of elk, black bear, turkey and mountain lion, and the ranch adds up to a readily-accessible, yet private piece of hunting paradise hard to find anywhere else south of Alaska. Hunters looking for a large, diversified hunting preserve for private or possible commercial use will be hard-pressed to locate a finer piece of property.
Situated just south of the Colorado border, the Irish Harp Ranch covers 3000 deeded and 450 leased acres of towering ponderosa pine, scrub oak, Douglas fir and grasslands at an elevation of about 8000 feet. Mesas and canyons break up the landscape and provide numerous hideouts for mule deer and elk to reach trophy proportions. Springs and year-round Webb Creek provide ample water for wildlife. Privacy is a valuable asset here, as the ranch is almost entirely surrounded by other large ranches and has no public access. The landowner receives a liberal 19 bull elk tags annually and qualifies for landowner deer tags, making a commercial hunting operation here a serious possibility.
As a comfortable hunting retreat, the ranch is a turnkey operation, featuring a spacious 3800 square-foot log lodge at the ranch headquarters. You can watch wildlife from its large covered deck, lounge with a good book in the attractive Great Room, or prepare a gourmet meal in its excellent kitchen. This beautifully-designed building complements the New Mexico mountains perfectly, winter and summer. Nearby, a three-bay, heated steel garage and machine shop gives all the space you’ll need to keep the ranch running in top form.
