Whats the story there, is it owned by several families.I believe the Lodge at Chama is located there, but what about the rest of the grant. Can permission be obtained there to hunt, and who do you ask?
I used to guide for the Lodge at Chama... The land grant is about 15 miles south of the ranch and it is not part of the Grant. I have NOOO clue who you would have to ask to hunt it... I am sure it would take an act of god to get on the property... They just don't let outsiders on the grant. Most of that country is leased to outfitters.
The Banded Peaks Ranch is actually three ranches, the lower, middle and upper. Right now, most of the hunting is done on the lower ranch and the upper ranch. But only in limited numbers, at a very good price. We used to guide on the upper ranch, right after Kirt Darner was kicked off. But it's the lower ranch that has the most elk, and the bigger bulls. It's one heck of a hunt, and a great place.
It would probably be a good read. Sounds like there was an uprising in that area not so long ago....
"This is the second edition of a book that attempts to unravel the tangled history of the best-known land grant in New Mexico (besides the Maxwell grant). After reading this book, one begins to understand the grievances that led to the famous Tierra Amarilla Courthouse Raid in 1967. Ebright traces the early history of the grant, its adjudication by the Surveyor General of New Mexico, and its eventual aquisition by the leader of the Santa Fe Ring, Thomas B. Catron. A new introduction covers recent developments on the grant, as well as new evidence of possible collusion between the surveyor general and the original petitioner for the grant. Contains a complete listing of the settlers living in the seven villages on the grant in the early 1860's. "
Kinda sounds like Thomas B. Catron was a land baron in NM just like Mulholland and other's involved in the Owen's Valley Water project for L.A were land barons in California. They were in bed with the powers that be at the time. They got sweetheart deals which resulted in the birth of a holding company (which owned Tejon Ranch (over 400,000 acres) and 100,000's of acres in Souther California.
You can read all about that in: Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
Also, that book has a good history on water development in the west which does affect us as hunters--that all got started by the settlers in Utah who were pioneers in tapping the arid west's waters.
There is not a lot of buggling during bow season so good luck in rifle - which is after muzzy. FYI
Lots of elk though. Some good bulls.
Where is dark timber? On the east side of the main highway in the heart of Chama? Are they the store that also sells souveniers and a shed antlers etc? If so I stopped in there and they were expensive, not to mentioned they charged something like $10 a day to store it after you brought it in! For me that would have been $80 more!
I want to Lance "lobo" owns a taxidermy store on the south end of Chama on west side of main highway.
Dark Timber is across from the High Country. It is kind of expensive. BUT I trust them.. That Lobo Taxidermy is kinda shady, that shop has had problems in the past. I just don't trust them and I do trust Dark Timber.
jason
Thanks Jason, I had someone else say something similiar. Might consider someplace new next time. Elk meat is great, good enough to spend $25 more if that is all it takes. Then again I might try and do it myself - kind of a pain in the middle of nowhere and I still need it frozen but it is an option.
Actually I better worry about getting my elk first!
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