Lightning Bolt Cattle Company
Dan Probert's family moved to Wallowa County in 1967. He was running his Malheur County ranch when friends encouraged Dan to consider purchasing ranch land in the Zumwalt Prairie. That's when a conversation with the Nature Conservancy began, about a conservation easement that would preserve the multi-use land leased for cattle-grazing, hunting and hiking, as well as research. When the 38,000 acre Buckhorn Ranch came up for sale, Dan bought one-third of it.
Now, Dan and Suzy Probert's ranch sits on the Zumwalt Prairie Reserve, the largest remaining intact bunchgrass prairie in North America. The Zumwalt is home to North America's largest concentration of raptors, as well as Red Tail Hawks, Ferruginous Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, Golden Eagles, and Bald Eagles. Probert Ranch works with the Nature Conservancy and like-minded organizations to preserve working ranches on the prairie through the implementation of holistic management practices.