What is the largest ranch in the USA

[FlaCracker]

You guys seem to be forgetting the number one cow-calf operation in the US is in Florida. It's Deseret Cattle and Citrus in Deer Park Florida, about 45min outside of Kissimmee. It is 300,000 and runs about 45,000 head of mama cows. It's owned by the Mormon Church. It is an amazing place, have been there many times and I know a few people that live and work out there. Here's a link to their website.
Deseret Ranches

 

[jayste]

I think I've mentioned this before....somewhere...but a few years back a few of us went down around Kingsville, Tx. to bowhunt Javelina on the King ranch and as the outfitter was assigning us "pastures" to hunt on I asked him how much area we actually had to hunt and he explained that our's (five of us) had 24,000 acres to hunt! One PASTURE! It's pretty big and I've heard of WT Waggoner ranch's claim of largest under one fence. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the old and now no longer existing XIT was so large they estimated it took 6000 miles of wire to fence it. Red Steagall has a good song about it. Another tidbit of info is that the "Ten in Texas" did stand for counties and was land sold by the state of Texas to investers, back in the 1800's, to fund the building of a new state capital after the previous one burned to the ground.

Jay

 

[Duffster]

. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the old and now no longer existing XIT was so large they estimated it took 6000 miles of wire to fence it.:

6000 miles of perimeter on a square would make it 1.44 trillion acres.

 

[Redneck in training]

I don't know what is the largest ranch in the US but I know the biggest in Australia. It is Anna Creek station which encompasses 9,267 square miles (5 930 856 acres) in the Outback of South Australia. A guy who grew up on a "station" (ranch) told me that when graziers (ranchers) have a party there would be more helicopters on the parking lot than cars.

 

[Redneck in training]

6000 miles of perimeter on a square would make it 1.44 trillion acres.

Assuming 5 wires in the fence and square shape. (6000/5/4)^2=90000 sq miles=57 599 700 acres. That is about twice the size of NY state. Hope I got it right.

 

[Duffster]

Assuming 5 wires in the fence and square shape. (6000/5/4)^2=90000 sq miles=57 599 700 acres. That is about twice the size of NY state. Hope I got it right.

LOL I missed the 6000 miles of "wire" part.

Your pretty close your only off by 300 acres

 

[jayste]

6000 miles of perimeter on a square would make it 1.44 trillion acres.

Duffster, they were figuring on 5 strands. That might get you a closer "gozinta".

 

[Duffster]

Duffster, they were figuring on 5 strands. That might get you a closer "gozinta".

I admitted I missed the "wire" part LOL

Even at 5 strands that would be 57.6 million acres.

 

[elkhunt4fun]

Ted Turners ranch is the largest at about 2 million acres total. he by far beats the king ranch.

 

[MossRoad]

Ted Turners ranch is the largest at about 2 million acres total. he by far beats the king ranch.

I wonder what Ted's largest contiguous piece of property is?

 

[lostbrownwallet]

Ted's largest contiguous piece of property would be Montana.

 

[MossRoad]

Ted's largest contiguous piece of property would be Montana.

 

[howdyd]

The largest privately owned contiguous tract of land in the US is The Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico.
It is 590,823 acre single tract of land owned by none other than Ted Turner.

It is the largest ranch of his Turner ranch empire consisting of over 2,000,000 acres of land.

The King Ranch has more acres, but it is in 4 large parcels/divisions and only 2 of those divisions touch -- and they only touch in a relatively small area.

Although Turner does raise Bison on the Vermejo, I believe most of the acreage is more used for nature and wildlife retreat-- hunting and fishing.
I would imagine a good percentage of the King Ranch is still used as a working ranch.

 

[cbuff3]

The biggest ranch in the U.S. is the ZX in Paisley OR, owned by J.R. Simplot, the potato king. It was founded in the 1880s by James Haggin (who also owned Kern County Land Company, still in operation today). The ZX is 1.23 million acres, most of it leased. 2/3 of Oregon is owned by the feds. None of TX is. And those leases have been in effect since the 1880s.

The biggest ranch ever, in terms of cattle, was the Miller and Lux, Gilroy CA. The deeded portion was relatively "small" -- just over 1 million acres -- compared to the XIT (3 million acres) but they ran over 1 million head of cattle at its peak compared to about 260 thousand for the XIT.

The biggest difference in ranching between TX and CA and OR is water. You can carry 2 AUM per acre is good eastern Oregon ranch, about 5X what west TX land will carry. And yes the Deseret is amazing -- for the same reason

 

[Baranx4]

You can carry 2 AUM per acre is good eastern Oregon ranch, about 5X what west TX land will carry. And yes the Deseret is amazing -- for the same reason

Forgive my ignorance but what is AUM?

 

[schmism]

Forgive my ignorance but what is AUM?

useing my trusty google skills... im going to guess

Animal Unit Month

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex1201

and why is this the "first post ever" thread?

 

[jayste]

and why is this the "first post ever" thread?

That might have something to do with Google as well! Probably searching something on ranches.

 

[shankles84]

XIT ranch was once the worlds biggest at about 3,000,000 acres and over 6,000 miles of fence. however, Mike Smith is now the largest owner in the panhandle with aprox. 250,000 acres between his LS and Quin Sabe ranches. he also owns 3 feedyards in the panhandle and one of the largest ranches in mexico.

 

[FTG-05]

You guys seem to be forgetting the number one cow-calf operation in the US is in Florida. It's Deseret Cattle and Citrus in Deer Park Florida, about 45min outside of Kissimmee. It is 300,000 and runs about 45,000 head of mama cows. It's owned by the Mormon Church. It is an amazing place, have been there many times and I know a few people that live and work out there. Here's a link to their website.
Deseret Ranches

That is a huge place.

And it's also one of the last places in FL that's still like what FL used to look like +40 years ago before the Rat World and all it's tourist crap invade central FL. (At least that was true about 5-6 years ago, the last time I was in FL).

 

[shan lyn]

Vermejo Park Ranch is 590,823 ac, the Amendaris Ranch is 358,643 ac, both in New Mexico & both are owned by Ted Turner. There goes Texas trying to get credit again.