The Bozle Creek Ranch is situated in the storied and historical Pine Ridge area of northwest Nebraska. The ranch starts on the valley floor with rich agricultural fields intertwined with a wooded creek bottom leading up to the pine-covered ridges with views of the legendary Red Cloud Buttes. The ranch is home to a variety of wildlife, including trophy-quality elk. Not only is the ranch an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, but it is also a viable working cattle ranch sustaining a year-round cow/calf operation.
The ranch has high-timbered ridges that stand out from a distance as you approach the ranch. It is a highly diverse topography ranging from deep timbered canyons with rock outcroppings protruding from the landscape to an elevation drop of 700 feet to the low-lying creek valleys. The timbered canyons give way to the open rolling plains and gentle dryland cropland. The ridges and rough topography are primarily covered with ponderosa pine with deep lush bottoms with mostly deciduous tree canopy and numerous springs and live water. Bozle Creek meanders through the heart of the property, providing water for livestock and wildlife. A part of the ranch was affected by a wildfire two years ago, which has helped diversify the landscape. Beneficial rainfall has healed the fire scar, with wildlife returning and even favoring the burn area. With the burn, it has created an open rough country in balance with the heavily timbered topography to create a wildlife sanctuary.
Bozle Creek Ranch is truly a recreational gem with a strong income-producing livestock aspect. The Pine Ridge area of northwest Nebraska is a hidden gem offering recreational opportunities abound. This is your chance to have a trophy elk/deer ranch in Nebraska and is the only way for nonresidents to secure a bull elk permit in the state. Not only does the ranch have it all, but the area offers much more.
The ranch is located just three miles south of Crawford on the Scenic and Historic Pine Ridge area of northwest Nebraska. The ranch is accessible on Highway 71 and has a County Road that traverses through and around the perimeter of the ranch for easy access. Fort Robinson State Park and Legend of the Buttes Golf Course are within eyeshot of the ranch, and commercial air service is only 23 miles away. Chadron is less than 30 miles east of the ranch, offering all major amenities, and home to Chadron State College.
Northwest Nebraska is predominantly an agricultural landscape but is highly influenced by its rich cultural history, scenic views, and abundant recreational opportunities. It is a rural area but highlighted with the major amenities of commercial air service just minutes away, along with Fort Robinson State Park and Crawford. Crawford offers basic amenities, including a golf course, grocery store, bank, gas stations, and schools. Thirty minutes away is the town of Chadron, which offers all major amenities along with a state college. The ranch also borders the Nebraska National Forest, which offers endless opportunities for hiking, biking, riding, hunting, or scenic drives. It is truly a Western scenic ranch feeling with major amenities just a fingertip away.
Fort Robinson State Park
At 22,000 acres, this is the largest state park in Nebraska. Formerly an active military post, Fort Robinson State Park is now a popular destination for outdoor, recreational enthusiasts and history buffs. The park offers some of the most beautiful scenery in the West, and visitors can enjoy learning about Old West history, hiking and biking, camping, great lodging, and sights of buffalo and Longhorn cattle herds. Fort Robinson was the site of the 1879 Cheyenne Outbreak and the death of the famed Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. Over the years, the fort served the Red Cloud Indian Agency as a cavalry remount station, K-9 dog training center, POW camp, and beef research station. It was established as a state park in 1962.
Get acquainted with the park by taking a ride in a horse-drawn wagon or enjoying the open air on horseback. If you’re feeling more adventurous, tour the buttes in an open-top Jeep. On the popular Fort Robinson Express, visitors can experience the way pioneers and settlers traveled a century ago—by stagecoach. In the afternoon, guests can enjoy a cool swim indoors in the Lindeken Pool, which also has an outdoor wading pool and sundeck. Fishing is available at Soldier Creek or in any of the open ponds. Nebraska history is well-preserved in the many historic or reconstructed buildings at the Fort—the 1887 Adobe Officers’ Quarters, 1906 Blacksmith Shop, POW Camp, and Cheyenne Outbreak Barracks. Evening activities include rodeo games, special shows at the Post Playhouse, and the Chuckwagon Buffalo Stew Cookout with campfire sing-alongs. The Fort Robinson Inn serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily during the summer season.
https://outdoornebraska.gov/location/fort-robinson/
Legend Buttes Golf Course
Legend Buttes Golf Course is a 9-hole course located on the west side of the City on Highway 20 between Fort Robinson and Crawford at the base of the picturesque "Red Cloud Buttes." Designed by Mr. Weiss, it was opened in 1992. The course features 3,178 yards of golf for a par of 36, with the White River meandering through the course. The course is open from April 1st to October 1st, with additional play as the weather permits.
https://crawfordnebraska.net/residents/recreation/legend_buttes_golf_course.php
Rainfall: 17.9 inches
Snowfall: 52.4 inches
Precipitation: 75.8 days
Sunny: 224 days
Average July High: 87.8°
Average January Low: 14.4°
Comfort Index: 7
UV Index: 4.6
Elevation: 3,678 feet
The ranch and surrounding area have a deep connection to the Wild West history of the plains, including many Native American conflicts. Nearby Fort Robinson was operated as a fort from the early days of the Old West until after World War II. Many original buildings survive and remain in use at the park today, and others have been reconstructed. Fort Robinson was the site of the 1879 Cheyenne Outbreak and the death of the famed Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. Over the years, the fort served the Red Cloud Indian Agency as a cavalry remount station, K-9 dog training center, POW camp, and beef research station. It was established as a state park in 1962. The ranch contains several old homesites, from just remnants to standing log cabins. They create a meaningful and unparalleled knowledge of the ranch’s past and homesteaders' struggles.
10,021± deeded acres
1,700± dryland farm ground acres
3,500± rough and timbered acres
4,800± grassland and gentle slope
Livestock Barn: 3,200± square feet | 80’X40’X13’ | Built in 1994
Shop Office: 13,000± square feet | 130’X100’X18’ | Built in 2019
Calving Barn: 3,360± square feet | 70’X48’X16’ | Built in 2016
265 feet of concrete feed bunk and apron, along with pens
Full set of pipe cattle working facilities
Extensive water pipeline and solar wells
The ranch is highlighted by Bozle Creek, which meanders through the heart of the ranch. It provides excellent wildlife habitat and livestock water. There are also numerous springs located throughout the ranch, enhancing the habitat. Livestock water is supplied by a vast pipeline system along with numerous windmills and solar wells. The tanks are dispersed throughout the ranch, providing centrally located water sources. The buildings have their own separate submersible wells that provide good-quality potable water.
All seller-owned water rights will transfer to the buyer.
All seller-owned mineral rights will transfer to the buyer.
Taxes are estimated at $41,361 based upon previous years.
Fall is a special time on the ranch, with a resident herd of elk calling it home. The vibrant bugles of the bulls echo throughout the canyons and timber. The state record bull, exceeding 430”, was killed just a short distance from the ranch, and elk antler sheds pushing 400” have been found on the ranch. Elk hunting pressure has been very limited, allowing for trophy-quality bulls. The ranch is also home to an abundant population of whitetail and mule deer. The diverse habitat, from the high-timbered ridges falling off to the creek bottoms and farm fields, creates a prime habitat for all wildlife. The ranch was also visited by Bighorn sheep from the nearby Red Cloud Buttes. Also calling it home are a diversity of birds, including turkeys and grouse. Let’s not forget to mention the pronghorn antelope on the valley floors. The wildlife is endless, and the ranch is surely a wildlife treasure of northwest Nebraska.
The ranch has an extensive network of trails, whether for horseback riding or ATV. They have been maintained and are more miles than a person could travel in a weekend getaway. They start at the valley floors and meander up to the high ridges, allowing for excellent wildlife and scenic views. Also, the area provides excellent entertainment, with Fort Robinson nearby. The Fort offers trail rides, camping, fishing, hiking, lodging, indoor swimming, and a full-service restaurant. The Fort also is steeped in local and Native American history, all on display at the museum. The post-playhouse has developed a reputation throughout the region as a destination for quality, entertaining theater as well. There is not much in the way of recreation that the ranch does not offer, but all is found within just minutes from the ranch.
The operational side of the ranch is a balanced and self-sustaining Cow/Calf year-round livestock operation. The canyons and rangeland provide summer grazing, and the dryland crop ground is used primarily for livestock hay production. The dry farmland also provides the opportunity for a farming operational entity as well. The facilities are top-notch for livestock operation, including newer steel pipe corrals and barns. The ranch is set up for a spring calving season with plenty of livestock shelter and pen space in livestock buildings for newborn calves. The ranch is unique in the aspect of high-quality recreational/wildlife habitat, but it is also able to sustain a successful livestock operation.
