Ross Hammock Ranch
Levy, Florida⁞1223± ACRES
One of Florida’s Most Iconic High Fenced Ranches
- 1,223+/- acre recreational ranch in Levy County, Florida
- World-class high fence hunting preserve
- Whitetail deer, Axis, fallow, Red Stag, Blackbuck antelope and more
- Exceptional Osceola Wild Turkey and Waterfowl
- Beautiful palm hammocks, cypress ponds, hardwood forests, coastal cabbage palm, live oak hammocks, food plots
- 20 miles of roads and trails and strategically placed food plots and stands
- Cypress Log Lodge 5BR/3.5BA (sports bar, media room and billiards)
- Log Cabin 3BR/2BA
- Equipment Barn
- Pole Barn and garage
- Game cleaning station and two walk-In coolers
- Numerous stands and feeders throughout
- 200-yard rifle range & elevated archery practice range
- Just 1.5 miles to 3,600-acre Lake Rousseau and world-class bass fishing
- Just 5.5 miles to Withlacoochee Bay and world-class Flats fishing
- Just 30 min to Cedar Key and its fishing guides
- Crystal River’s private airport just 15 minutes away
- Just over an hour to Gainesville's amenities
- Currently not under a conservation easement
Nestled in the heart of Florida's Nature Coast, Ross Hammock offers a rare opportunity to own one of Florida’s most iconic high fenced properties. The property bestows everything that is so great about North Florida’s hunting culture and the Nature Coast itself. Spread across 1,223 acres, this turn-key operation is renowned for its combination of premier hunting experiences, accommodations, and natural beauty. The wildlife and hunting program that has been perfected here over the last 30+ years is bar none.
"This property is Old Florida. It reminds me of everything that is right about these lands that I love." - Jon Kohler
"The vision behind Ross Hammock Ranch was to make this a family operation so that when people come here, they enjoy the hospitality, and the nature found on Florida's Nature coast. It's all pristine shoreline here in this area because there's no beach, there's no condos, there's no high rises, there's no big development on the water. Once you go out the river here, it's just like the Indians left it. It's pristine. That's why we call this area the Nature coast, and as a result, we've had sportsmen from all over the world come here to hunt." - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
A Hunter’s Paradise:
With diverse habitats including uplands, food plots, cypress hammocks, and hardwood forests, the ranch is home to a rich variety of native and exotic game species. Enthusiasts can pursue Whitetail deer, Osceola turkey, wild hogs, and alligators, along with unique year-round exotics like axis deer, red stag, and blackbuck antelope.
“I spent about three years traveling around the world, mainly bow hunting everywhere from Africa and all across the United States and visiting ranches and outfitters and all of those places. And I saw many, many things that they were doing right, and I also saw many, many things that they weren't doing so right. And from that I put together a checklist of what I wanted to accomplish here at Ross Hammock Ranch and that was my blueprint for building this operation with wonderful lodging, welcoming archery hunters and rifle hunters with rifle ranges, archery ranges, cleaning rooms, walk-in coolers, taxidermy butcher services to make it a one-stop shopping, basically to have a world-class outdoor experience.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
“The one thing that I really like about this ranch is the diversity of its habitat. And there's so many things to do in this area. The ranch is approximately 1,225 acres, but you feel like it's a lot bigger because of the diversity of habitat. The old Florida woods here of all the hardwood hammocks and the pine forest are just incredible. There are over 20 miles of logging roads here, so the diversity is just incredible. But then you can venture off the ranch a very short distance and fish the 5,000-acre freshwater lake of Lake Rousseau, or you can cruise down the Withlacoochee River or go out to the saltwater flats of the Gulf of Mexico. And all of those things are just minutes away from where I'm sitting right now.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
“This property has tremendous diversity. It's like a big video game here. It's unbelievable. It has this network of cypress ponds all through it. It's probably 30-40% hardwood hammock. We've put in a lot of fields. We've taken out some of the planted ponds just to create more pasture-type fields. So, there's diversity of habitat here, which creates a tremendous amount of edge where one type of habitat borders the other. And man, that's what animals love.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
“The secret that few talk about is that, particularly on places where you can add exotics with a high fence, the edge allows you to double stack animals because different animals like different habitats. You'll actually get a higher density of animals without overlapping. Whether its fallow, axis or blackbuck they all utilize a different habitat than whitetails.” - Jon Kohler
"St Marks Pool" by famed wildlife artist, Dean Gioia
"This place is 100% “Old Florida!” One of my personal favorite hunts is still hunting cabbage hammocks like these after a December cold front. About half the property is a mosaic of palm hammocks and cypress ponds. This place is huge. It would take years to hunt through them all, but I would try. When it comes to Florida hunting, it simply doesn't get any better than this." - Jon Kohler
"Like most people, I'm all about hunting trophy whitetails. I enjoy the exotics, particularly axis, blackbuck, and fallow deer, but I was raised dreaming about big whitetails, so I don't have the same burning passion for them. That being said, it’s my own perspective that’s off. These exotics are great. My clients who have them love them! Particularly the axis, which is some of the best wild game there is. I am adding all of them to my place this winter." - Jon Kohler
Old Florida Luxury Accommodations:
Ross Hammock Ranch is as much about hospitality and sharing God’s great outdoors with others as it is about hunting. The ranch features two distinct lodging options: the two story, real log cypress cabin is famous in hunting circles. The setting is 100% Florida and backs up to a blackwater creek and cabbage palm hammock. It’s a hunting “camp” on steroids. The five-bedroom, thirteen-bed, three-and-a-half-bathroom lodge built for comfort, fellowship with others and entertaining friends. With a sports bar, media room, and billiards, the lodge can easily host large groups, making it perfect for corporate retreats or family getaways.
“One of the things I will miss the most is probably Thanksgiving night. We always have a Thanksgiving dinner here with a turkey cooking contest and there'll be a table on the front porch, sometimes overflow down here with maybe 50 people at it and 50 family members or friends, maybe more. That would probably be the number one memory.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
The original three-bedroom, two-bathroom rustic cypress log cabin built in the 1990s, offering a cozy, yet more rustic atmosphere.
“We get some of the richest families literally in the world. Sheika Byron comes! I'm so proud of that lodge. They walk in there and they're not happy. What's up? They go, ‘it’s too nice, I want something rustic.’ And they come over here and see this and then they're happy.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
"A Land Remembered" by Patrick D. Smith
"The cypress lodge alongside the cabbage palm creek could very well be the setting from my second favorite book "A Land Remembered." While enjoying a sunrise tour, I took advice from my favorite book and prayed to God thanking him for allowing me to be a part of this great property." - Jon Kohler
One of the things that separates this property from others is the “utility” or usability. People often forget the importance of preparing wild game meat and the process that goes alongside it. Ross Hammock has this perfected.
“I mentioned the quality of the table fare. A lot of that is what happens after the shot. It’s not only the animal, but how you treat it to maximize the nutritional value. The first thing we do, of course, is get some great Kodak moments, which is just an awesome memory for life. Father-daughter moments, father-son moments, it's great. But then we've got a screened in cleaning room with a central drain, three electric lift stations. And then from there, on the ranch we have two big walk-in coolers. Now we keep those intentionally about 35 degrees. You want to get the meat as cool as possible without it crystallizing. So, we keep 'em right above freezing at about 35 degrees and we'll age 'em in there from 7, 10, 14 days. Then we have a complete butcher shop where everything gets de-boned. We make sausage, cube steak, whatever you want. And then we have a vacuum wrap machine where everything gets vacuum wrapped and then deep freezers. So, we process it, we vacuum wrap it, we label it, stamp it, date it, freeze it, and so it's just as good as it gets in terms of it. We also have a relationship with a local taxidermy company to where they come right to our site here and work with our team to get it caped out properly to get a mount done if you want to have a mount on the animal. And all that equipment and everything goes with the ranch if the new owners want to continue that.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
Endless Recreation & Future Potential:
"From wonderful lodging, welcoming archery hunters and rifle hunters with rifle ranges, archery ranges, to cleaning rooms, walk-in coolers, taxidermy, and butcher services - I wanted to make this a one-stop shop outdoor experience... and it's just an outdoorsman's dream here. You come here and there's nothing to worry about. Everything is just right here, and you can just enjoy the woods with your friends and family." - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
On site, the ranch touts a 200-yard rifle range, an elevated archery practice range, year-round recreational experiences, and an extensive trail system for hiking, hunting, biking, or riding.
“The nearby Withlacoochee River flows into that Lake Rousseau and then that river flows on out to the Gulf of Mexico and we're just about three or four miles inland from the Gulf here. So, we have some of the best saltwater flats fishing in the whole state. Again, that’s why they call this area the nature coast. You want to go scalloping in May or June. You want to catch a 200-pound tarpon in late April. You want to catch a snook in December year-round. We have some of the best saltwater flats fishing. The waterfowl hunting on the Gulf is exceptional too. So, there's something to do for the sportsmen here year-round on the freshwater and the saltwater side of it.” - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
"Ross Hammock is the ultimate in "cast and blast." One can hunt big game in the morning and catch the afternoon tide on the nearby flats for redfish or snook.” - Jon Kohler
The ranch is also conveniently located near major urban centers, with access to Crystal River’s private airport just 15 minutes away. The gulf is just 10 minutes away and Crystal River's boutique shops and cafes are 25 minutes away. It's 30 minutes to Cedar Key's fishing guides. Gainesville is just over an hour away, and Ocala is just 58 minutes away. As the surrounding area continues to develop, including potential future toll road extensions, the property offers significant long-term investment potential.
"This area has a lot to offer. If you don't want to go out bow hunting, you can hop in your car and ride over to Cedar Key, which is about a 30-minute drive, 10 minutes from here, you go out to the saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico. Crystal River is only 12 miles to the south with all its shopping and restaurants and diversity there. And then also it's important that Seven Rivers Hospital is only about five minutes away from here and that's a good feeling. That's now owned by Tampa General, one of the best medical operations in the state of Florida and all of that's right here. So again, it's a rural setup, but with all the comforts of home and all the amenities that you'd want to find." - Harold Ross, Landowner, Ross Hammock Ranch
"If I had my way "Old Florida" would stay "Old Florida" but then again one of the great things about Florida is the massive wealth appreciation of our lands. Ross Hammock is now only a few miles from the most recent planned terminus of the Suncoast Turnpike which quickly and easily connects Inglis to the wealth centers of Central Florida. While I don't know if Duke Energy's plans will ever come to fruition, if they do this once sleepy town's financial prospects will change forever." - Jon Kohler
Ross Hammock Ranch is the ultimate high fence shooting preserve and a unique opportunity to steward a unique piece of Florida’s wilderness that has been managed for wildlife for 26 years. This property has entertained guests from around the world, creating lasting memories through its exceptional blend of hunting and hospitality.
"There are currently no conservation easements on Ross Hammock. This would be a great opportunity to monetize the development rights. That being said, part of this property is technically in the city limits and there is considerable upside one would be giving up." - Jon Kohler
"This is the ideal property for someone who wants to enjoy world-class hunting on their own place. The client list and repeat customers here are phenomenal if they wished to offer hunts to pay for annual operating costs, or more. Someone could certainly keep that going with the seasoned staff or minimize the paid hunts to suit their own level of privacy. I know a lot of landowners would love to have that option." - Jon Kohler
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From murky farm ponds to pristine glacier-cut lakes and everything in between, Knox Daniels’ expertise stems from a lifelong fascination of water and the creatures that live in and around it. He recognizes and helps clients appreciate the value water features bring to a property. “My goal is to help buyers realize and sellers maximize the value different water bodies bring to a property, not only in a recreational sense, but also for social storm reasons.” After extensively traveling the country for collegiate BASS fishing tournaments, Knox graduated and worked for the Southeast’s finest fisheries and wildlife biologist, Greg Grimes. With Grimes’ company, AES, Knox managed many of the southeast’s finest private lake estate/impoundment properties, and learned the intricacies of upscale property management. Learning from Greg and other biologists, Knox honed in on the specific conditions and habitat needed for optimal gamefish growth in private lakes. He has also worked as a property manager on several thousand acres and for a commercial developer, facilitating the dirt work and builds of several apartment complexes, but his true passion has always been in the outdoors. “I’ve always had an insatiable fascination with ponds/lakes and am grateful to be able to help to place clients on the properties of their dreams and make their personal fisheries/wildlife goals reality with JKA.” – Knox Daniels
Jason has been assisting landowners for the last 28 years in Georgia and South Carolina obtain achievements the owners did not realize were possible. His degree in Biology from Georgia Southern stemmed from the desire to know how things in nature work. His plantation roots began at just 16 years old outside of Albany, GA and the last 20 years were spent in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. His entire career has been spent developing a global approach to plantation management. That plan included sales. Sales is in Jason’s blood- his mom had a 45-year career as a real estate broker. After college, he chose to pursue his passion of making properties great. In 2011, Jason sold his first plantation. Since then, he has assisted buyers and sellers with over $20 million in sales while most of that time working as a full-time General Manager of a large Lowcountry plantation. Today, he is committed to using his unique skill set and experience to guide landowners through the many challenges of plantation ownership.
Bruce Ratliff is a retired elected official (Property Appraiser Taylor County). Bruce brings years of experience in ad valorem tax knowledge. His property tax background gives JKA Associates & clients a unique insight into the complicated tax process. Bruce held several positions in the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, including member of the Board of Directors, President, Vice-President and Secretary, and served on the Agricultural & Legislative Committees for the Association. The real estate business has been part of Bruce’s life since childhood. His mother, Shirley Ratliff owned Professional Realty of Perry, Florida and his father, Buster owned Ratliff Land Surveying which Bruce was General Manager of before his political career.
Hailing from a long line of outdoorsmen, Tim learned a great deal from his father and grandfather. He saw first-hand what it means to be a good land steward. He believes land is so much more than a place to hunt, fish, and grow timber or crops. “It’s an identity, a resting place, a safe haven and a way of life, said Tim.” Tim’s family ties to Alabama run deep. During his grandfather’s first term, Governor James was responsible for signing into law Alabama’s first state duck stamp which helped to ensure funding for the procurement, development, and preservation of wetlands for migratory waterfowl habitat. He also established Alabama’s lifetime hunting license, so it is no surprise that Tim is an avid outdoorsman with a keen eye as to how best to improve habitat for the greater good of its wildlife.
With Madison County roots, Lori grew up on her family farm at Pettis Springs along the historic Aucilla River. A love of the land was instilled in Lori very early on by her father who was a local farmer. Lori understands the importance of good land stewardship and has witnessed first-hand how her own father, a former 2-term member of the Florida House of Representatives whose district encompassed many rural counties of the Red Hills Plantation Region, with a little bit of sweat equity, so lovingly worked their own family land. These are core values she carries with her today, and nothing gives her more personal satisfaction than to represent some of the south’s best land stewards.
Cole’s dedication to land management lies in his family roots. As a fourth-generation timber expert, Cole’s earliest memories were spent with his father managing timber investments. With a degree in Food Resource Economics from the University of Florida, Cole is the epitome of an up-and-coming leader. He grew up with a hands-on approach to learning land management and conservation and has spent the last 15 years learning every angle of the real estate and forest industry. Cole is a member of the Florida Forestry Association, Red Hills Quail Forever, Southeastern Wood Producers Association and he uses this platform as an advocate for landowners and their land investments. His family has dedicated the past 60 years to providing landowners in North Florida and South Georgia with professional land management services focused on improving and protecting one’s forestland and wildlife investment. In fact, their family business, M.A. Rigoni, Inc., was one of the first to introduce whole tree chipping to the Red Hills Region.
As a landowner of his own family farm, Lick Skillet, along with family land that has been passed down and enjoyed together at Keaton Beach for 40 years, Jon knows what it means to be a steward of the last best places. As a third-generation land broker with more than 30 years of experience in advising landowners in this niche, Jon is known for his innate ability to harvest a land’s unique intrinsic value. Touting several notable sales under his belt, Jon personally closed Rock Creek/Molpus – 124,000 acres of premium timberland at $142,000,000 – which was known as the largest timberland land sale in the Southeast for eight years running. He is a co-founding member of LandLeader and achieved the real estate industry’s highest honor, “2022 National Broker of the Year – Recreational Land Sales,” by the Realtors® Land Institute.