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Great Ranches of Montana
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In the heyday of ranching following the American Civil War over 40,000 people made their living as cowboys or ranchers but, today that number is down to less than 20,000. There are many small ranches and farms throughout Montana but here are the biggest.
The Climbing Arrow Ranch
The Climbing Arrow Ranch, owned and run by the Anderson family, is 91,000 acres partly in the Big Belt Mountains and the Gallatin Range. The ranch is divided into the summer range, 35 miles north of Bozeman, Montana; the calving section, 15 miles west of Bozeman; and the winter range, 35 miles southwest of Bozeman. The ranch has it's furthest northern point at 45 degrees north latitude and timber covers part of the ranch in the mountains at elevations of between 3,000 and 8,500 feet above sea level. There are about 3,000 head of cattle on this ranch and about 30 horses. 3,000 acres are used as farm land to grow alfalfa for feed. Cottonseed cake and other prepared cake feed are also used. The ranch is a family run operation and employs about 9 to 11 people. There is a ranch manager and a manager of hunting operations and the ranch runs a trophy hunting lodge. They have a round up once a year.
Climbing Arrow Ranch 8420 Bridger Canyon Road Bozeman, Montana 59715 (406) 586-2546
Etchart-Hinsdale Livestock Company
John Etchart was born and raised in Basque country in the Pyrennees Mountains of southwest France. He came to the U.S. in 1900 at the age of 18. After running sheep in Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho he came to Montana and bought the Stone House Ranch of about 300,000 acres north of the Milk River near Glasgow, Montana. He kept mostly sheep until the 1930s before switching over to mostly cattle. The ranch's summer range is 25 miles northeast of Hinsdale at 45 degrees north latitude and the winter range is 10 miles northwest of Hinsdale in the Milk River Valley. The Etchart Ranch Headquarters and winter feedlots are 12 miles northwest of Glasgow also in the Milk River Valley. Today the Etchart Ranch owns 22,000 acres and leases 170,000 more. The Hinsdale Ranch owns 28,000 acres and leases 55,000. Together the two brothers that run the operation ranch on 285,000 acres for 8,000 head. They employ 6 to 8 cowboys and 6 to 8 ranch hands. Houses are provided for married hands and bunkhouses for the single hands. Horses are provided as needed.
Hinsdale Livestock Company P.O. Box 429 Glasgow, Montana 59230 (406) 228-2835
Etchart Ranch Drawer C Glasgow, Montana 59230 (406) 228-2291 (Mitch) (406) 228-2181 (Mark)
Lane Ranches
A man named Lane came to Montana from Ireland in the late 1800s with five brothers and started the Lane Ranch. The ranch is 12 miles east of Livingston, Montana on the edge of the Absaroka Range and the Yellowstone River. There are 75,500 acres of deeded land (owned) and 29,000 acres of land leased from the BLM and the State of Montana. Lease payments are based on how many animals are grazing on the leased property. The ranch's summer pasture is 45 miles north of Livingston at Ringling, Montana. The Lane Ranch farms 3,000 acres of oats, wheat, barley and alfalfa all used for winter feed. They also raise and sell quarter horses. There is excellent hunting of elk, deer, antelope, bear and coyote and the ranch leases hunting rights to individuals and groups. The ranch has 4500 head of Angus cattle and 120 saddle horses.
Lane Ranches P.O. Box 1238 Livingston, Montana 59047 (406) 222-6900
Padlock Ranch
Owned by the Scott family, the Padlock Ranch is 200,000 acres of owned land and 240,000 acres of federal and state leased land with 24,000 head on it. The entire ranch is valued at about 27 to 30 million dollars with an annual guaranteed profit of 1.75 million dollars and the ranch is in three separate tracts of land operated as three separate ranches. The North End or Conley Unit is just east of Hardin, Montana and is adjacent to Interstate 90 at 44 degrees north latitude at elevations of between 4,000 and 9,000 feet. The South End is located in Montana just north of Sheridan, Wyoming at elevations of 3,500 to 5,000 feet and here 5,000 acres is irrigated farm land. The Forks Ranch is the third unit and it straddles the Montana/Wyoming border northeast of Sheridan, Wyoming and there are over one hundred windmills on this unit. There is excellent rainbow trout fishing in the streams of this unit and hunting rights are leased for the game which includes deer, antelope, bear, coyote, ducks, turkeys, pheasant and goose. The Padlock Ranch employs 70 full-time employees as cowboys, truckers, windmill mechanics, equipment operators, and fencers. Married cowboys get a house, a pick-up truck and transportation for their kids to school and earn $750 to $1,000 a month. Single hands live in a bunkhouse and earn $600 to $700 a month. The ranch has a full time veterinarian and a full-time range detective who pursues rustlers and poachers. The Ranch also employs part-time summer help. http://www.padlockranch.com/
Gregan Wortmann
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