Male 1: You may be surprised to see marshes in the state of Arizona but they are a vital part of the ecosystem. So are the open grasslands of Northern Arizona there are great places to visit and look for wildlife. Today, the Wildlife Viewing Guide points us north and a little bit east to the Raymond Ranch Wildlife Area. This unique property is tucked away in the pinyon-juniper forest and grasslands of Anderson Mesa in the distant shadow of the San Francisco Peaks.
Allen Zufelt: At the department, the Raymond Wildlife Area back in the early 1940s they have amazing subsequent land acquisitions and currently it sits at about 9,000 private acres and about 6,000 state addressed lease land giving us of a total of about 15,000 acres which is 24 square miles that we actually maintain control over here. It was purchased primarily at the time when the purchasing was done for Antelope Winter Range and then the management was expanded about five years after they had the property to include the buffalo when it came down on the white valley.
Male 1: That’s right, buffalo, if you are going to go on search of wildlife to view, you might as well aim big. Buffalo are the largest mammal native to North America. They stand over five feet tall and weigh about a ton.
Allen Zufelt: They're a relic from the last ice age and they don’t really like the heat. They grew a big wooly coat for the winter time and now in structure, anything that you put up fence, fence post, water tank it doesn’t matter what, they're going to rub on it and rub it to death getting that hair back off of them so they can cool back off.
Male 1: The herd here at Raymond Ranch is currently about 45 animals and they still have the ability to surprise Ranch Manager Allen Zufelt every once in a while.
Allen Zufelt: The biggest thing I've learned about locals that have been here is that they definitely have a mind of their own and they're very unpredictable, when you see them you think that they're just a dozen of hairy cow and the next thing you know they cool some fast look on you and you're completely overwhelmed by them actually as one of the biggest problems that we have with them is their desire to roam.
Just a suggestion to a buffalo, it doesn’t matter how good the fence is they're going to go, if they want to go they're going to go. and much of a dismay of our neighbor sometimes, but they're pretty good about helping us out and letting us know when they're out and sometimes bringing them back to us. Hurting them back can be definitely a challenge.
Male 1: With the edge of a meteor crate in the distance, the herd roams the ranch freely year round. Over the years, the herd has been reduced in size to make it more manageable.
Allen Zufelt: We’ve cut this herd down in size in order to eliminate some of the contention between us and the neighbors when they dig it out causing less damage when they are out. We manage this herd at this time trying to maintain between 40 and 60 animals and of which we have today seven bulls, three of which are belt bulls and 22 cows and rest are yearlings and cows. We have a total of 45 animals today and we’re just about to get to our cabin season we’re hoping that we have 15 to 20 cows maybe this fall.
Male 1: Even thought the buffalo herd is the most popular attraction on the ranch. There are plenty of opportunities to see other wildlife in the area.
Allen Zufelt: Many times, the other wildlife is actually easier to find and easier to see than the buffalo, on the layer of the property here itself. In the winter time we have between 300 and 500 delft. There are some deer out here but they are lesser number. The best suggestion I would have for folks who want to come and visit the area will be to do a little research. Get on the website at the game and fish website get some of the information. If they have an opportunity or a possibility to bring a vehicle with some clearance.
A little passenger car will get you as far as the headquarters but it won’t get you to any of the other back roads where you're more likely to see things. You're going to have diminished opportunity if you have a passenger car. That’s not to say it’s not possible it’s just you're just limited. If you're here feel free to knock on the door and ask and we’ll point directions.
Male 1: If you are in a vehicle or on an ATV you knew the stay on the designated roads. The ranches are also a favorite for hikers and horseback riders who want to get a feel for the open spaces that use to dominate this part of the state. Raymond Ranch Wildlife Area is located about 30 miles east of Flagstaff and seemingly about 100 years back in time.
Allen Zufelt: People come out here and hike and we do have a hiking trail the bigger canyon trail with half of the state porch. People can hike that, you can hike whenever you like to. Horseback riding is encouraged and they can go anywhere they like. Hunting is legal and it doesn’t occur year round on legal species. So usually that’s in the out season and the fall that we usually have a lot of hunters or whenever we needed to manage the buffalo herd, we’ll have a hunt in the spring or the fall. Adding to what people can expect out here.
There's a parking area with a barbeque and for some of the year there is a fire restriction. But most of the year you can use the barbeque picnic tables. There is a public restroom at the headquarters. This is Arizona so make sure you bring enough water. And for most of the part we’re out of cell phone service so it’s sort of a blast of the past.
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