|
Working
Ranch
&
Guest Ranch
~
Crawford, Nebraska
Mule Deer &
Merriam Turkey
Hunting Paradise ~
Gateway
to Crawford Hill |
|
|
Nestled in the
s cenic
Pine Ridge of Northwestern Nebraska, our
 working
cattle ranch & guest ranch offers mule deer and Merriam turkey hunting,
the ultimate
working ranch vacation,&
horseback riding
vacation,
and
railroad photography.
We offer
guests of various experience levels the opportunity to ride and experience ranch life,
for a day or a week, on a beautiful, timbered high-country Nebraska working cattle ranch. Whether
hunting or horseback riding, tell us about your experiences and desires and
we will help you create the ranch vacation of your dreams!
Ponderosa Ranc h, our 3300 acre Nebraska
working cattle ranch,
is located 70 miles south of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Our ranch
boasts of a rugged beauty in its diversity; spectacular views in every
direction, open rolling grass meadows, steep hills, ridges studded with
Ponderosa
pine trees, canyons with
Green Ash, Hackberry and
Cottonwood lining the creek bottoms.
This makes a challenging terrain for
the hunter or horseback rider but a haven for mule deer and Merriam
turkey. This same terrain provides excellent opportunities for archery,
muzzleloader and rifle hunters. |
We offer
guests the opportunity to be a cowboy for a day or a week: to ride
and
fully experience ranch life on a scenic,
timbered high-country Nebraska working cattle ranch. We offer a
relaxed atmosphere, solitude for those who desire it, ranch broke quarter horses, comfortable,
cozy, clean cabins, beautiful
country and wide open spaces!
You decide what day of the week to arrive and to
leave, and how long you want to stay. Rustic lodging, meals served family
style, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, fresh air, star-gazing, a serene and
peaceful retreat from the urban hustle and bustle...You
will come as a guest and leave feeling like part of our family. We
strive to provide rural down home hospitality for our vacation and
adventure seeking guests! Come immerse yourself
deeply in a vanishing lifestyle, and see why cattlemen and pioneers made
Nebraska their destination long ago....
Because our ranch
is a working cattle ranch we do require that guests have
some prior riding experience. We do not ride nose to tail,
but spread out when the terrain allows and you need to be able to control
your horse at a trot or canter outside of an arena if you wish to work
with the cattle or help move cattle. Our guest horses are very gentle
quarter horses. You are welcome to bring your own horses.
We can custom tailor your riding and
vacation time to match your experience level
and desires. We can do pleasure riding
only if you do
not feel comfortable working with the cattle. The speed will be set by you, there will always
be a little trotting involved but we do not need to canter/lope if you
are not comfort
able with that. You will have our undivided attention as
we only take small groups of 5 people or less.
If you are unsure
about your experience level being adequate, please
contact us
and we can talk about it! Your safety is very important to us as we
strive to make this the ultimate horseback riding vacation for you and
your friends or family.
If you wish to have the working ranch experience, you will ride,
help round up and drive the cattle herd of 200 cows
and calves, plus
bulls, to new pastures. Also join us as we ride through the herd daily to
check on them, checking fences, water, and minerals. Experience the thrill
of bonding with your horse through the adventure of working together to
accomplish daily ranch tasks.
In May we normally round up the herd for branding and vaccinating the
calves. In June we put the bulls out to pasture and sort them off and
bring them home in August. We round up the herd again for vaccinating
calves around Labor Day. We repeat this process
again in October for weaning and selling the calves and pregnancy testing the cows.
We sort off the cows who aren’t
pregnant and haul to our local livestock
auction. Then the rest go back out to pasture until we run out of grass
or it starts snowing. They will be moved closer to home then for feeding
hay during the snowy season and calving season in the spring. Then the
cycle repeats itself.
Other tasks that go on through out the year on our working ranch are checking water, filling
salt and mineral bins, gathering strays, fixing fence, doctoring sick cows or calves. Also maintenance and improvement
projects on our tack, well/water system, buildings, equipment, etc.,
trimming hooves on the horses, spraying weeds....We
have about 200 acres of alfalfa that we hay for winter feed.
Enjoy seeing all the wonderful wildlife on the ranch -
mule deer, white tail deer, wild turkey, coyotes, eagles and hawks,
porcupines, raccoons, and many others. Even elk and mountain
lion have been seen on our Nebraska working ranch.
Tuesday July 08, 2008
