San Juan Silver Stage - Scenic Mesa Ranch

THE NAME IS APT, APPROPRIATE...and vastly understated. Scenic Mesa Ranch, near Hotchkiss Colo., is wildly beautiful, with a year-round, snow-covered vista of the West Elk Mountains to the northeast, a quicksilver flash of the Gunnison River in the canyon far below and rolling meadows of grassland and sagebrush stretching in all directions, meadows populated with grazing buffalo, deer, elk and a wide variety of game birds.

Owner Julie Littlefield is working hard to keep the ranch as true to its origins as possible, restoring grass for her buffalo herd and resurrecting the old buildings and cabins that predate its earlier existence as the Columbine Ranch. Once the Utes used this as a hunting ground for buffalo that crossed from the Plains via Cochetopa Pass.

Today, the 8200-acre Scenic Mesa Ranch, together with adjacent leased BLM and other private lands, hosts a variety of activities unique to the property. “It wasn’t a very successful cattle ranch,” Littlefield notes, “but it is a wonderful setting for recreation.” Topping the activity list are private buffalo hunts led by well-known western artist and hunter Dan Deuter and buffalo manager, Jarod Cotten. The hunts are customized and carried out in the old way, on foot or horseback, and complete with Sharps rifles, buckskin and Indian blanket coats. Guided fishing and rafting on the Gunnison and guided bird hunts, both under the direction of Hunting and Recreation Manager, Alan DeGrange, are also a part of the Scenic Mesa experience for guests and members. (There are about 80 members now, a majority of them from the Aspen area, although members come from all over the world).

Visitors (members and paying guests) can design their own stay, from a day trip or an overnight visit, to a week or more of hunting, fishing, rafting, horseback riding and relaxing while enjoying the rugged scenery. Accommodations range from a rough-hewn cabin—Dan Deuter and sidekick Ed Maddox are refurbishing a number of the one-room, woodstove heated cabins built in the 1890s and are putting them back together from the ground up—to a luxurious lodge with every conceivable amenity, world-class art and a spectacular collection of Indian antiquities and artifacts.

Whatever the choice of recreation or lodging, one constant remains—the visit is accompanied by great storytelling. Tales of hunters and fishermen are legendary, but the expertise of these raconteurs supercedes even the best of them. Julie Littlefield, deadpan with a telltale twinkle, holds her own against Dan Deuter’s bottomless supply of stories. Cotten, DeGrange and the other folks can all hold you spellbound, whether around the table at the lodge or a campfire far out on the mesa. Ask Deuter what it means when the buffalo’s tails go up...or ask Cotten to tell you the story about the snake, his wife, and the kitchen tongs.

As for the wildlife, the buffalo herd is feral, subject of hunts and supply for the custom leather furniture the ranch sells at Raindance Gallery in Durango. The native grasses hold the birds well, creating natural nesting areas. Seeded areas provide winter forage for wildlife, 500 to 1000 deer winter here and hundreds of elk. “We also have a pretty healthy transient lion population,” adds Deuter. “Along with bobcats, coyotes and all kinds of birds.”

“The rafting and fishing are spectacular, too,” DeGrange says. “The Gunnison is one of the most restricted rivers in the United States. We’re limited to a maximum of twelve people per launch, 90 launches per season. And these are gold medal waters, with about 100,000 fish per mile.” The ranch also stocks three private ponds, providing rainbow and brown trout and offers up to three-day walk and wade or float trips through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. (Scenic Mesa owns Gunnison River Expeditions, 23 years under the direction of renowned outfitter Hank Hotze.) The bird hunts involve wing shooting of pheasant, partridge, ducks and doves. Trained dogs and guide service are available.

Hunt, fish or relax, rough it or go for all-out luxury—from pampered with game rooms, private sitting rooms and exquisitely prepared fine cuisine, to a campfire and authentic 1800’s cabin experience, Scenic Mesa Ranch offers a unique experience.(970) 872-3078 or www.scenicmesa.com.

3. Jarod Cotte and Dan Deuter at the end of a successful buffalo hunt. Note the authentic 1800's buckskin clothing both men are wearing ad the Sharps rifles they carry.