Not much hobby ranching or ranchettes in this part of the country...We're in the Great American Desert where its 30 Below in the winter and 100 and dry as a bone in the summer...Most don't want our country- they want the mountains and the trees...Ironically- many of the registered cow outfits that for years operated in the western part of the state in the mountains, have sold out for big $ to developers- and moved to our area to keep breeding their herds...

Currently the majority of the land being bought up by the big money groups is being leased out totally or partially for Ag use...Some are using portions or all for hunting preserves- but still leasing out portions to other ranchers and in production...Some have ranch managers running the place on a lease basis- leaving portions of crops/grasslands/wetlands for wildlife/hunting...

They are also playing all the conservation games- the Ducks Unlimited money, wet lands money, EQUIP grants, CRP, Carbon credits, etc, etc, -- which I've been told by a major USDA-ASCS official will be the Ag subsidies of the future- as the direct payments will be done away with to comply with the WTO and trade agreements...

Maybe these guys saw the handwriting on the wall- and the bust that was coming- and felt their money was better invested into land.....