Description Of The Nouque Ranch
The subject properly is a cattle ranch, which incorporates private deeded land with improvements plus grazing leases on public land. The ranch consists of deeded land in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada totaling approximately 2,532 acres. There are slight discrepancies between the legal descriptions and the assessor’s acreages, but these do not significantly affect the valuation. The ranch holds grazing permits on public lands for approximately 381,619 acres, which contributes to its value. The deeded land consists of multiple parcels along an east-west axis with a maximum expanse of 41 miles. The grazing leases surround these lands. Most of the deeded lands encompass natural meadows with springs, and several have small cow camp cabins.
In addition to this, Nouque Ranch leases deeded land and improvements on the 45 Ranch, and subleases public-land grazing permits held by the 45 Ranch. The BLM grazing land is know as the 45 Allotment. Within this are separate lands with grazing leased from the State of Idaho. This lease and sublease are not direct entitlements and therefore do not affect the value of the Nouque Ranch. They are adjacent to the east and northeast of the Star Valley Ranch component of the Nouque Ranch.
The Nouque Ranch headquarters contains 2 houses and extensive outbuildings. One house was built in 1936 and subsequently remodeled and contains 700 square feet of gross living area. The other house was built in 1960 and contains 1324 square feet. Both have deferred maintenance but appear structurally sound and serviceable. (The term "improvements" means anything built upon the land, generally structures. It does not denote alterations/upgrades to those structures.) The improvements on the Nouque Ranch include numerous buildings. The headquarters include a large modem metal shop building of 3244 square feet among others. All of the improvements are described in detail later in this report.
The deeded land includes good hay-production capability on a parcel known as the "English Place." and there is also hay production on some other scattered elements of the ranch. Excluding the subleased 45 Ranch, the Nouque Ranch has grazing leases on public lands for 5,375 AUMs (animal unit months). By definition, the AUM is the amount of forage needed by an "animal unit" (AU) grazing for one month. The quantity of forage needed. is based on the cow's metabolic weight and the animal unit is defined as one mature 1,000 pound cow and her suckling calf. It is assumed that such a cow nursing her calf will consume 26 pounds of dry matter of forage per day (20 lbs for the cow and 6 lbs for the calf). Various other types of stock are assigned AUM equivalents based on Size and consumption. The AUM contribution of the Nouque Ranch deeded lands varies but the total capacity appears to be approximately 10,000 AUMs. This equates to a total potential of supporting approximately 833 head of cattle or cow--calf pairs. Under the former ownership, typical numbers were reported to be closer to 800 head.
The Nouque Ranch consists of widely separated parcels, which will be described individually below.
HEADQUARTERS PARCEL
The Nouque Ranch "Headquarters" parcel is 3.5 miles east of McDermitt, Nevada, with access by gravel county road connecting to the gravel private drive. Headquarters has deeded land spanning the Oregon and Nevada border. The Oregon portion is 276.87 acres and the Nevada portion is 481.03 acres for a total of 757.9 acres. The headquarters buildings are in Oregon.
There are multiple buildings as follows:
Residence built about 1936, subsequently remodeled, with 1700 square feet of living area.
Residence built about 1960 with 1324 square feet of living area. This house is equipped for feeding a crew with a commercial-sized range and a walk-in freezer, and it is the current owner's living quarters.
Barn with 1140 square feet.
Barn with 1166 square feet
Barn with 518 square feet.
Bam with 381 square feet.
Metal shop building with 3244 square feel
Concrete block shop building with 1320 square feet.
Open-sided equipment shed with 2189 square feet.
Detached one-room office with 176 square feet.
Very old bunkhouse. formerly main ranch house of 442 square feet. plus a storage cellar below.
Open-sided woodshed with 246 square feet.
Original homestead residence, very rustic and dilapidated, with 363 square feet. This has historical significance and interest.
The headquarters has several wells. There is a large irrigation well with a 135 horsepower pump. There is a domestic water well, which fills a large storage tank and has a float control. There .is deferred maintenance on all buildings. There are fences of various materials, including wood pole corrals, and some with wood posts and interwoven willow saplings. This type of fence has historical interest and so does the original homestead house.
There is extensive equipment such as tractors and trucks, which are personal property, not rear estate and are therefore excluded from our valuation. Built-in equipment such as pumps are included in the valuation as part of the real estate. The headquarters facilities include at built-in Howe scale with 10 Ton capacity which is tested and approved as of 8/14/07 and is considered part of the real estate.
THE BULL PASTURE
A deeded parcel called the "Bull Pasture,” consists of 133.75 acres according to the Humboldt County Assessors office. It is identified in the tax records as parcel 003-06l-09. It is south of McDermitt 2.5 miles, and it is bisected by Highway 95. There are 4 billboards owned by others on leased sites on this property. These site leases generate rents of $125O per year, which is below the current market. For the ranch valuation, we include this parcel as part of the ranch operation. If this parcel were sold off from the main ranch, the impact would be approximately proportional to its size, and it would not be a particular handicap to the ranch. Its main unique contribution is convenient access, and the Headquarters parcel can provide this.
ENGLISH Place
The "'English Place" parcel is immediately southwest of the Bull Pasture parcel. Its name comes from the surname of an early settler. The English Place consists of 320 acres of very productive hay ground. It is crossed by the Quinn River and much of this parcel sub-irrigates effectively. However, there is a 100 horsepower pump on a large irrigation well, which fills concrete-lined ditches for irrigation on the eastern side. This parcel is reported to produce over 10,000 bales of hay, or over 650 tons. During the past, this parcel was grazed instead of producing hay. Near the center of the parcel, there is a windmill and a well with submersible pump for stock water, a small shed and corrals.
TENT CREEK
The remaining four parcels are within Malheur County Oregon. The most easterly of these is called Tent Creek, consisting of 40 acres according to the Malheur County Assessor, It is parcel 4IS47E200. It has a holding corral, a spring and is fenced and it is crossed by Tent Creek. Outside the deeded ground to the northeast is a former gravel pit, which is now a pond. There is also a camp along the creek to the northeast which has an older travel trailer .and is reportedly used occasionally by local tribal members.
Most of the fences on these properties are barbed wire, usually 4 or 5 strand on wood or metal posts and often anchored by rock cribs at corners and gates. They are typically not on the property boundaries, but are placed for greatest utility.
DEER FLAT
The "'Deer Flat" parcel consists of 240 acres, according to the Malheur County Assessor. It is tax parcel numbers 4OS45E300 and 40S45E200. It has natural meadows, old corrals, pens, and a cabin. The cabin is 526 square feet, sheathed with corrugated galvanized metal and it has propane lights and Stove. There is a spring box. The canyon rim to the northeast provides a natural barrier to livestock and the remaining fences are generally not on the boundary lines.
LONG MEADOW
The next parcel is called "Long Meadow" and it consists of 120 acres, according to the Malheur County Assessor. It is tax parcels 4OS44E700 and 4OS44E800. It has extensive natural meadow ground and natural springs.
THE LARIBEAU
The Laribeau parcel consists of 680 acres according to the Malheur County Assessor. It is two tax parcels 40S44E300 and 4OS44E600. It has extensive natural meadows, springs, good fencing and cross-fences, steel water tank, and an old cock cabin of 309 square feet, which is not presently habitable but has a built-m stove/fireplace and could be easily rehabilitated. There is an earthen dam and reservoir on the adjacent public lands just upstream from the deeded ground. Driving cattle from the Laribeau to the Headquarters involves a long steep descent from the uplands to the valley floor. Some of this is along a primitive roadway, but it is visually dramatic and somewhat challenging. This descent terrain is shown in the photo below. Headquarters is in the valley floor.
Ask for a map showing the approximate boundaries of the grazing allotments. You may notice that Star Valley and the Star Valley Ranch are surrounded by the Tent Creek Allotment, and that Tent Creek runs across the Star Valley Community Allotment. This is potentially confusing and we point it out to assure you that it is correct. Community Allotments are potentially used in common with other ranchers. In practice, on the Louse Canyon Allotment, Kimball Wilkinson brings in about 100 head, and Rand Collins uses the north end, but there is no overlap. The Fort McDermitt Stockmen’s Assoc. has used the Star Valley Allotment.
