Nestled in southwest Colorado’s San Miguel County just south of Redvale and 10 minutes from the popular hunting destination of Norwood lies the Buck Fever Ranch. The mule deer and elk sanctuary is less than an hour from Telluride, 1.5 hours from the Montrose/Telluride airport and less than two hours from Moab, Utah, for easy air access, great dining, shopping and world-class winter sports.The property borders BLM land on one side and sits in Game Management Unit (GMU) 70, best known for its quality mule deer. The ranch has produced some world-class bucks, which may be how it got its name, but it also produces quality elk. Ideally situated in a deer migration corridor, it not only holds large numbers of resident deer but gains new deer throughout the hunting seasons as they migrate and as hunting pressure funnels more animals onto the private property. GMU 70 offers over-the-counter elk t...
Nestled in southwest Colorado’s San Miguel County just south of Redvale and 10 minutes from the popular hunting destination of Norwood lies the Buck Fever Ranch. The mule deer and elk sanctuary is less than an hour from Telluride, 1.5 hours from the Montrose/Telluride airport and less than two hours from Moab, Utah, for easy air access, great dining, shopping and world-class winter sports.The property borders BLM land on one side and sits in Game Management Unit (GMU) 70, best known for its quality mule deer. The ranch has produced some world-class bucks, which may be how it got its name, but it also produces quality elk. Ideally situated in a deer migration corridor, it not only holds large numbers of resident deer but gains new deer throughout the hunting seasons as they migrate and as hunting pressure funnels more animals onto the private property. GMU 70 offers over-the-counter elk tags with mule deer tags issued by draw statewide. The ranch qualifies for landowner vouchers where you could get mule deer tags every year. The ranch currently runs +/- 30 pair of cattle. This takes care of the property’s ag requirements without overgrazing.Spanning 3,200 square feet, the main lodge features an open floor plan with vaulted and beamed ceilings, wood floors and a fireplace with a wood-burning insert. The kitchen offers Viking appliances, a gas cooktop and some of the most unique and beautiful granite countertops and cabinetry I have ever seen. An antique-style wood-burning cook stove sits just off the kitchen. A wraparound patio features an outdoor fireplace. The lodge’s huge master suite includes a large sitting area, a spa-like bath with dual vanities and a walkout balcony.A shop with living quarters upstairs boasts two bedrooms and two baths. The ranch grounds also feature a one-bedroom cabin complete with a kitchen and bath. The panoramic views from the lodge are second to none. To the southeast is the San Juan mountainrange just above Telluride, to the south is Lone Cone Mountain, to the west are the Lasalle Mountains of Utah and to the north you’re looking into Colorado GMU 61 and the Uncompagre Plateau. Hunters will appreciate that the balcony off the master bedroom is where the owners have spotted some of the ranch’s biggest bucks feeding in a meadow less than 200 yards away.At approximately 7,000 feet in elevation, the property consists of mostly pinion and juniper with long meadows and abundant feed scattered throughout. There are three ponds that hold water year-round and a spring that typically has an elk wallow at the bottom. The large stands of pinion and juniper are what give the mule deer bucks a sanctuary offering the chance to grow old and mature. All the best hunting spots are accessible by side-by-side.