Home Forums Gear Free Classifieds Off-the-grid cabin in New Mexico elk unit 13

I and my hunting partners have hit the age where our bodies are telling us it’s time to consider selling our cabin located in New Mexico’s GMU 13, one of the state’s Quality/High Demand elk units. Unit 13 is an archery/muzzleloader only elk unit. Our cabin sits on a 30 acre parcel that borders Cibola National Forest lands, about 15 miles north of the small town of Magdalena. There is a solar battery system for lights and small appliances, rainwater collection system for non-potable water, propane stove, fridge, heater, grill, and shower. Very quiet and out of the way, lots of wildlife and solitude, and out-the-back door hunting for elk as well as hiking, biking, atv-ing, star gazing, great sunsets and no cell coverage! Cabin is 24’ x 14’ with a covered front porch 24’ x 6’, and a 24’ x 12’ back deck for over 750 sq ft of living surface, plus a 14’ x10’ inside loft. Very tight and well insulated, which means no problems with bugs, mice or rats!
One or more of us have hunted in this area during the October muzzleloader season every year since 2013. Over that period we’ve had 17 individual hunts (some years 3 hunters, other times fewer) and have shot a total of 8 bulls; we’ve also passed on decent bulls while holding out for a real monster. All of the bulls harvested have been in the 250”-310” range, though we’ve seen much larger bulls we just couldn’t connect with. Drawing odds for non-residents aren’t great but on several occasions one of us has drawn a tag in the random drawing process, and we’ve purchased available landowner tags when that didn’t happen. For us the chance to really learn a hunting area and hunt that same area every year (in this era of point systems and one-time hunting opportunities in most western states) made it very worthwhile to buy landowner tags when that became necessary.
We’ve listed the property at an asking price of $75,000, but will consider reasonable offers. We live in northern Utah, which limits our ability to be on-site to meet with interested parties and show the cabin. However, our photos should provide a good sense of what the cabin and setting are like, and we can provide detailed directions to those who might want to take an initial look at the cabin site and surrounding lands on their own. We can then discuss an on-site meeting to show the cabin more fully to those who are prepared to make a legitimate offer.
While I’ll be happy to answer questions (send me a PM with your phone number and/or email address and I’ll be in touch), those who are potentially interested can also contact my hunting partner (Paul Holden, 435-757-1647) for more information. You can also search Facebook Marketplace for Magdalena (87825) Paul Holden off-grid cabin for more pictures.

Unit 13 is an awesome hunt area . I have hunted elk there a few times . Killed two bulls in the 350-360 range . Chased a few in the 380-400. Class range , seem to always get busted by 30-50 cows Good luck with the sell

Thanks Bella1 -- it is indeed a special place to hunt elk, and just to get away from it all. I just wish we had stumbled onto it when we were all in our 30s or 40s rather than in our 60s... this aging stuff is tough on elk hunters!

RSK

Tag

That is a nice cabin. What is the road access like? Four wheel drive only, easements across private property, etc.

Access is about 10 miles of paved highway going north from Magdalena, then 5 or 6 miles of graded county road, then a couple of miles of graded private road into the former ranch that back in the 2000s was subdivided into 30-acre parcels. The private road is closed to general public use (which keeps elk hunting competition down!) but open for use by property owners in what is now called the Abbe Springs area. Very few of the 30 acre lots have had a cabin placed on them, so with a handful of exceptions the area remains quiet and largely undeveloped. Most times access with 2 wheel drive is not a problem, though after major rains a 4x4 can be helpful in places where the county road tends to get soft.

While I am not a co-owner of the cabin, the owners are friends of mine and I have successfully hunted bull elk out of this cabin. They are reliable and trustworthy and the description of the cabin is accurate.

I

Do you receive any SCR authorizations?

Good luck with the sale. Looks like an terrific place. Wish it was a practical option for me.

SLM -- When the NM game and fish department revised the landowner authorization program last year we along with most smaller-acreage landowners were dropped from the program. We were within one point of being included under the newly-revised rules, so going forward it could perhaps be possible to be included again if some habitat improvements were to be put into place on the property.

Tag! I can dream can't I ???

Whats the annual ownership cost?

Tag.

Alwaysoutdoors -- the annual ownership costs include property taxes that are currenty running about $350 and annual Homeowners Association fees for the Abbe Springs ranches area that are about $200.

UP for the start of the work week. Also my hunting partner is off on a fishing trip for the next few days and hard to reach by phone, so feel free to give me a call (Rick Krannich, 435-770-5298) if you have questions and would prefer to discuss directly.

PMs replied to, and up to the top.

RSK

That’s cheap enough for a whole year.

This seems like a good deal especially for a group that has lots of hunting years in front of them.

Now that the holidays are behind us I'm bringing this back to the top for another look. We've received numerous inquiries and several expressions of serious interest, but so far no legitimate offer is on the table.

The New Mexico elk application deadline is in mid-March, so there's still plenty of time to get a deal worked out and then get applications in for your hunt next fall. We're prepared to help a buyer out by sharing our knowledge of hunting areas that surround the cabin, spring locations, access routes, detailed maps, etc. We can also steer you toward options for buying unit-wide landowner tags if not successful in the drawing.

We've now listing the cabin/30 acre parcel at $72,500 (down from the initial listing of $75,000), and still willing to consider legitimate and reasonable offers. PM me with questions, or feel free to call either me (Rick, 435-770-5298) or my hunting partner (Paul, 435-757-1647).

My god I'd give my right nut! Spent time in Reserve, Gila Forrest area, absolutely beautiful.