One of the benefits of working with ranches for sale in Montana is the opportunity to experience some really amazing country and meet some really remarkable people. I was reminded of both of these important points this past weekend when business took me to the town of Winifred, MT to view another fantastic Montana ranch. This was my first trip to this particular burg and it reminded me very much of the town where I was raised. Winifred is a small community (Pop. 156) that had been much larger during the boom years of the 1920’s and 30’s. It is surrounded by tillable farmland, vast expanses of grazing land and dramatic topographical changes as you ventured north out of town towards the Missouri River and the famed Missouri Breaks country.

I left Bozeman early and by the time I was a short trek north of Big Timber, the sun was rising on the eastern front of the Crazy Mountains. The Crazies rise dramatically from the rolling hills that lead to their border from the east and with snow still present in the higher elevations the vista was one that “Big Sky Country” has become famous for. As I headed north on Hwy 191 toward Harlowton the traffic was non-existent, unless you count the hundreds of pronghorn antelope that dotted the grassy hillsides, as I rolled toward my destination.

 Towns Along the Way

I stopped in Harlowton to meet another ranch agent who would accompany me on this trip and then headed towards Lewistown and its background of the Judith Mountains. Our route took us through more farms and ranch country dotted by the occasional town or farmstead and among all things a large wind farm. We discussed various land owners and multi-generational ranch families as we passed by ranches that had sold recently or were recognizable for their established history in the livestock industry before reaching our final destination.

We took a quick drive through Winifred to get our bearings and allow us to get a firsthand view of some of the businesses in town and the school before meeting with the land owner. After a quick meet and greet, we piled into the owners pickup and headed northeast out of town before coming back west after a quick four mile jaunt. The ranch we viewed had two miles of Dog Creek running through that over the years had carved its way down the canyons as it meandered to meet the Missouri about 17 miles to the north. 

           

        

 

The Ranch                                                                                                                                                                           

Like many Montana properties, this ranch had a nice combination of tillable ground, currently in wheat production, grazing acreage and recreational acreage. The landowner has managed the property mainly for mule deer proficiency by adding small food plots and ponds throughout the parcel. Although elk utilize the ranch on a seasonal basis, much like the Bighorn sheep in the area, they are not a permanent staple on the property. 

Because of the propensity of moving water to displace and relocate soils, there are some dramatic changes in topography in the areas immediately adjacent to Dog Creek, and as a result layers of soil substrate that hold paleontological significant materials are present. Petrified wood, significant fossil populations and the occasional Native American artifact can all be found on site and have provided a great deal of recreational enjoyment for the current owner and his extended family.

After touring the ranch, we enjoyed a hot cup of coffee at the Winifred Apartment’s before heading back south. For Montana visitors based out of Bozeman or Billings this “trip on a tank full” as we called it growing up is worth experiencing firsthand. Not only do you have the opportunity to interact with some of the great visual dynamics that the mountain/prairie transitional landscape can provide but you get to take part in areas off the beaten path, discover communities that most will never hear of and truly experience all that makes Montana great.