NS 378 , Holdenville, OK 74848(Hughes County)

When you close your eyes and imagine your ideal recreational ranch, what does it look like? Is it large enough that the entire family can enjoy it but not so large that it becomes a maintenance burden? Does it have some amount of oak forest that reliably provides a heavy crop of acorns, open meadows and food plots with an ample growth of forbs for wildlife to graze during the growing season and brushy bedding areas so that they feel secure? Does it have tall ridges with expansive views, explosive sunsets and cool rock outcrops? Does it have a big creek that flows crystal clear water year-round and creates the peaceful sounds that everyone seems to love? What about lakes? Does it have a fishing lake full of monster bass? How about two lakes, both with shallow backwater areas that are great for waterfowl hunting? That would be great. What would really be exceptional is if it had been intensively managed for trophy whitetail and turkey hunting with years of trail cam photos to document the wildlife population. Of course, it would be fantastic if this same place had a new barndominium on it that would provide shelter for your family, secure your belongings and be the stage for a thousand memories made around the campfire. We think that’s the type of recreational ranch that many people dream. Welcome to Pura Vida Ranch.

Pura Vida Ranch is a 470-acre ranch in Hughes County, OK located just north of Calvin, 140 miles from the northern edge of DFW and 100 miles from OKC. The ranch is approximately 60 percent hardwood forest and 40 percent open with meadows, pecan flats, food plots and brushy edges. The west ridge of the property features 100 ft of relief to the meadow below and sits 140 ft higher than the lowest elevation of Cindy Creek as it leaves the property. The ridge is blanketed with post oaks while the 3000+ feet of Cindy Creek bottomland grows larger species of red oaks, white oaks and pecans.

In terms of water resources, Cindy Creek captures 11 square miles of drainage and has an average annual flow of almost 1.4 billion gallons of water. A live creek full of crystal-clear water is a fantastic thing to have and it’s even better with an all-weather, steel bridge crossing it. This bridge has a foundation of drill stem that was driven down to bedrock with thick steel beams, pipe crossmembers and sucker rod runners welded to the top. In short, it is built to last.

The ranch also features a 10-acre lake that has been partially drained for dam repairs. This lake is now ready for many more years of fishery management and still harbors the same large bass as before. One interesting aspect of lowering the lake levels is that we get to see the creek cuts, timber piles, humps and flats that have been hidden beneath the surface for decades. Having firsthand knowledge of this structure will help the next owner learn how to fish this lake once a big rain or two refills it. Just downstream is a 4-acre body of water that also has great fishing and a very nice spot to hunt waterfowl in the shallows. This pond also features a nice stump field and curving dam.

The deer and turkey have been managed and improved for years with a supplemental nutrition program and an extremely selective approach to hunting. We have been provided with a very nice set of trail cam photos of trophy bucks, young bucks that soon will be trophies and some massive gobblers. There are years of pictures that can be requested and reviewed if you’d like to see the improvement in quality over time. The photos of bucks taken on the ranch give you a good indication of the top end quality that the property can produce.

Lastly, a very nice barndominium designed for hosting family and friends was built on the property in 2022. You enter the home through the front door into the living room that comes complete with a large fireplace and cathedral ceiling. Just beyond the living room is a dining area with a half bathroom located to the right. Continuing forward, you enter the kitchen and see the pantry to your right. Just to the right of this area is the laundry room and an entrance to the garage. Here you will find a handy overflow space featuring a bar area as the main attraction. The garage also offers plenty of space for storing all your equipment and supplies. The upstairs sleeping area is accessed by an attractive set of steel-railed stairs that terminate just to the right of the bunk room located on the balcony. A shared full bath connects this area to an enclosed bedroom with two beds. Lastly, the master bedroom and bathroom are on the southwest corner of the second floor. The wrap around porch offers great spots to relax and enjoy the view and the fire pit is the ideal place to end the day and enjoy the sunset and starlit night skies. If you have always wanted a dream ranch but don’t want to spend years creating one, then give Kelly Hurt a call at 580 421 7512 .