Davis Ranch

Davis Ranch is one of the largest prairie landscapes in the Missouri Coteau. It is a mosaic of high-quality northern mixed-grass prairie studded with ephemeral and semi-permanent wetlands. This 7,017-acre remote preserve is home to some of the best waterfowl breeding habitat and a diversity of grassland birds. 

Davis Ranch is part of the Prairie Pothole Region, an area renowned for its production of waterfowl. The preserve includes some of the best waterfowl breeding habitat in the region. Visitors can often see marbled godwits, black terns and willets, among other shorebirds. In addition to waterfowl, Davis Ranch is home to a high diversity of grassland birds, including bobolinks, meadowlarks, Sprague's pipit, Baird's sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, Swainson's hawk and chestnut collared longspur. The vegetation at Davis Ranch consists of high quality examples of northern mixed grass prairie. Shortgrass prairie species are found in the shallow soil areas on the tops of hills, midheight species on hillsides and flat uplands, and tallgrass species on deep soils of lowlands. Dominant shortgrasses include buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis). The dominant midheight grasses include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and the introduced smooth brome (Bromus inermis). The tallgrass dominants include big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) and cordgrass (Spartina pectinata).

Since acquiring the preserve, The Nature Conservancy has been developing a grazing system where domestic cattle are used to mimic the historic grazing patterns of bison. The entire preserve is leased to local neighbors for cattle grazing. Please leave all gates as you find them and take care to avoid damaging fences.

There are no visitor facilities or designated trails at the preserve and it is located in a remote location. Bring everything you will need including adequate water and other supplies. The nearest facilities and supplies are in McClusky or Goodrich.