BD Ranch at Elk Ridge

The BD Ranch is approximately 1,208 deeded acres in size and is located east of Roy, Montana, and North of Winnett, Montana, along the southern breaks of the Missouri River.  Lewistown is the largest town with commercial amenities and medical services, and is approximately 60 miles to the southwest. The ranch boasts approximately 660 acres of native rangelands, with a mixture of foothills grasses, shrubs, and ponderosa pine forest habitat, combined with approximately 547 acres of improved dryland hay ground.  There are several ephemeral draws that run through the property and a large stock reservoir, a key watering source for livestock and wildlife.

Locale

The BD Ranch is located in the heart of the old west and the gateway in which Lewis and Clark explored this historic frontier. The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, with its expansive badlands, cottonwood river bottoms, forested coulees, and sage brush steppes is located just minutes away from the ranch. Lewistown, a charming western town in the shadows of the Snowy Mountains, is only a short drive away, and provides dining, shopping, and medical services. Lewistown is also equipped with a full service municipal airport with fuel, hangar rental, and approximate 6,100 ft. runway. Billings, Montana’s largest city and business hub, is approximately 130 miles away and provides a wide variety of shopping, medical facilities, and a commercial International airport.

Improvements

The main headquarters of the ranch is fully equipped with a modest home and newly built calving barn and shop. The house is approximately 1,980 square feet of livable space on 2 floors, containing 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. The house was recently roofed in 2011 with a new metal roof. The calving barn is approximately 2,816 square feet, with a 12” clear span throughout the building. The inside of the barn contains several calving jugs and a separate vet room. There are two 10’x10’ overhead bay doors along with two shelter run-ins into the barn. The shop is a Quonset style steel building approximately 48’x119’ in size. The shop has a large sliding door (14’x24’) for equipment movement and also a 12’x12’ roll-up door.

The ranch has a very valuable water resource, in the form of an artesian well, which services the home, barn, and approximately 3-miles of livestock delivery system. The well is approximately 2,187 feet deep which will free-flow approximately 3 gpm. A supplemental pump has been installed to supply the 8,500 gallon stock water cistern and 1,650 gallon cistern that supplies the house and barn. There are a total of 6 stock tanks tied into the pipeline system.

Climate

Annual precipitation ranges from 14-16,”  with most of the precipitation occurring during spring. Winters are mild, with average highs in the 30s, lows in the 10s. Summers highs average in the low to mid 80s during July and August, with lows in the 50s and 60s. The area averages 200 sunshine days per year, allowing for tremendous views of Montana’s incredible landscape.

Hunting

BD Ranch is situated in the heart of big bull elk country, with many record book animals harvested in the area including 11 bulls between 350”-406” on the ranch and another 420” bull directly adjacent to the ranch. The ranch is located in Hunt Unit 410 which is a limited quota draw unit, allowing animals to grow to older age class and trophy quality. The alfalfa hay meadows on the ranch are a magnet for herds of elk, particularly during the rut in September and October, where as many as 500+ animals can be seen on the property.  Mule deer and pronghorn are also prevalent in the area, providing additional big-game hunting opportunities. Upland bird hunting in the area can be very good for Hungarian partridge, sharp-tailed grouse, and sage grouse.

Recreation

Large tracts of BLM lands and The Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge are also within close proximity, providing over 1.1 million acres of additional lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational opportunities. The Missouri River and Fort Peck Reservoir located nearby, provide excellent fishing opportunities, particularly for walleye, sauger, paddlefish, lake trout, salmon and northern pike, among other species. The Crooked Creek Recreation area, where the Musselshell River meets the Missouri River, is within very close proximity, and provides great access to tremendous fishery that the Missouri River is known for. The river also provides habitat for huntable populations of waterfowl, including ducks and geese. There are several public boat launch points along the river, providing a wide range of access opportunities.

Ranch Operations

The BD Ranch currently runs 100 mother cows year-round, along with 4-6 bulls and another 6 horses. There is approximately 547 acres of developed hay meadows, mainly alfalfa and alfalfa/grass mix.  Historical production records show an annual average of 920 tons of hay at 1.68 tons/acre, although that can range widely based on spring and summer precipitation. Hay production easily provides enough winter hay forage for the current livestock stocking rate, with significant excess hay to sell. The ranch is fully fenced (cross-fence and perimeter fence) with much of the fencing is less than 10 years old. Livestock water is provided mainly via a livestock water delivery system, originating from an artesian well and water cistern storage facility. There is approximately 3 miles of pipeline, supplying 6 stock tanks, which are functional year-round. There is an additional stock reservoir located higher on the property.