3681 N 369 RD , Holdenville, OK 74848(Hughes County)

There is something about these places that have been under the same ownership for half a century. The owners of this property are some of the most thoughtful stewards of the land that we've met. Timber was left in place to stabilize the banks of a 1.5 mile stretch of Bird Creek and the various drainages that feed it. The few areas on the ranch that had steep hillside slopes were left in their natural state for the wildlife. The largest oaks and pecans were left in the pastures for summer shade to give the cattle a place to rest. The pastures are cross fenced for rotational grazing with each pasture having its own source of water for the cattle. The owner has taken innovative steps of constructing frost-free water troughs and pond fencing to protect water quality for the cattle.

When you step back and take a longer look at the property, the true beauty of its stewardship is how the pastures have been managed to create a self-sustaining succession of forages throughout the year. Legumes, such as vetch, various clovers, and birdsfoot trefoil, were established to increase soil nitrogen levels from early spring through late summer. Rye grass and fescue are intermixed to balance the legumes and to boost forage production throughout the coolest parts of the year. Likewise, bermuda grass maximizes the forage yields during the heat of the summer. The result of this design is that the owner only had to feed 12 round bales and a few protein tubs last winter, and that was during some of the worst weather we've seen recently. The rest of the time, the cattle were out grazing all winter long with no supplemental feeding or hay. This was achieved with a minimal amount of spot spraying for weeds, no fertilizer, and a conservative stocking rate of a pair to ten acres. Everyone has their own management style, and based on soil type forage calculations, we think this ranch would run a pair per four acres using a more typical approach of supplemental winter feeding.

Whitetail deer are abundant just like every other property we've seen in Hughes County that has a big creek running through it. The property hasn't been managed specifically for deer, but we feel confident that the expansive stands of clover throughout the pastures are drawing and holding deer. It is not unusual to see deer walking through the pastures or even through the backyard behind the house. Twelve ponds plus the creek provide plenty of swimming and fishing opportunities. Lastly, even though wild turkey populations are down from their previous highs in Oklahoma, we feel confident you could roost some turkeys along the banks of Bird Creek.

We think that the next owner of this property will likely use the existing home with its 4 bedrooms and 2 baths as the initial hang out spot. This structure is in good shape and could certainly be used as is or remodeled. However, there are lots of nice homesites to choose from if you want to build a new home. If you are looking for a beautiful, peaceful, secluded feeling property that has paved road access, then please give Kelly Hurt a call at 580 421 7512.