A Wyoming family involved in the oil and gas industry as well as ranching added to their land holdings by purchasing the 3,331-acre Cow Creek Mountain Ranch in north Albany County.

The scenic ranch, in southeast Wyoming’s Laramie Mountains, sold for $3.36 million, or $1,009 per deeded acre. This was 6.7% below the asking price of $3.6 million.

The transaction came with 4,125 leased acres from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and state of Wyoming. Also included were a high-end home, guest quarters and bunkhouse.

“It’s a beautiful, first-class log home, and it’s a real pretty property with excellent elk hunting,” says John Pearson, owner-broker of Pearson Real Estate Co. in Buffalo, Wyo. “The buyers were motivated because of the hunting, building improvements and scenic views.”

This is a remote part of Wyoming, about 100 miles northeast of Laramie. Pearson calls it a recreational property with an agricultural component. The ranch has abundant water for livestock and wildlife, and is rated at 110 animal units.

Buying the property were members of the Bonander family, who own other land in the state as well as a pipe and threading company that services the oil and gas, mining, water well and construction industries.

This was an estate sale by members of the Peterson family.

North-central Wyoming
A Texas family used an IRS 1031 exchange to sell commercial property in that state to acquire the scenic 650-acre Tongue River Ranch near the Bighorn Mountains west of Sheridan.

Such exchanges allow ranchers, farmers and other landowners to sell a property, reinvest the proceeds in another property and defer capital gain taxes.

This was a private sale that was not advertised, and the asking price was not disclosed.

The ranch, which has a strong recreation component, has no improvements. It did come with good water rights, though, says John Chase, who co-owns Chase Brothers Properties with his brother, Galen.

The Tongue River runs through the property, which was an added appeal.

Chase says the new owners plan to build a home on the ranch and relocate to Wyoming.

Southeast Wyoming
James Pike sold the 160-acre Pike Farm near Lingle to Turtle Rock Ranch of Glenrock, Wyo., according to Goshen County records.

The land was listed by Clark and Associates Land Brokers. The asking and selling prices were not available.

Goshen County records state that improvements include two homes, a detached garage, an equipment shop, loafing shed, poultry shed and several outbuildings. Land and improvements were valued at $391,100 in 2016.

Lester Grant of Glenrock is listed as the principal of Turtle Rock Ranch, according to state records.