Onion Creek Ranch

Land Description

Onion Creek Ranch is an exceptional grass operation located in south central Montana and is for the true cattleman who's looking for a solid investment that produces quality beef year after year after year.

The Onion Creek Ranch is situated near the banks of the Little Bighorn River in a sweeping vista of the great American Prairie. Rich, abundant grass and excellent water is every cattleman's dream, and this ranch has both. The Onion Creek Ranch has been very well managed. The Seller has put in a lot of hard and well-thought-out work and has been single-minded on improving the infrastructure, and has successfully created a productive operation that runs very efficiently with limited equipment.

The ranch is located just off Interstate 90, west of history rich Garrytown, Montana and the Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument. The well-maintained interstate network provides the Ranch with excellent access year-round to several major cities. Sixty minutes will get you into Sheridan, Hardin and Billings, where schools, restaurants, entertainment, fuel, groceries and other amenities are readily available. Billings Logan International Airport serves eastern Montana to hubs in Denver, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City.

The ranch is situated on the Crow Indian Reservation, which arguably has some of the most productive grass in Montana. The present owner and predecessors of the Onion Creek Ranch have a long, and mutually beneficial, relationship with the tribal leases. The owner is a 3rd generation rancher who was raised on the ranch. He purchased the original ranch from family members and added additional acreage to it over time.

The Ranch elevation ranges from 3120 to 3530 ft above sea level. All areas of the ranch are easily reached by truck or Atv.

Winters in the area tend to be cold and dry with wet springs and hot summers. The average annual precipitation is 15.9 inches with an average snowfall of 56 inches.

In the winter time, average daytime temps reach 35 degrees falling to 6 degrees overnight. Spring time temperatures climb to 60 degrees in the afternoon with overnight lows of 30 degrees. The average summer high temperatures generally reach 85 degrees with the average summer low of 51 degrees.

There are numerous water sources for stock use, including multiple spring fed creeks, reservoirs and several wells. The seller has continually worked to improve the stock water by improving springs and putting in new wells and pipelines to spread water out to various pastures improving cattle performance. One stock water project of networked pipelines and new wells, has recently been completed on the Onion Creek, and the owner is currently working on a similar project on Shoulder Blade Creek.

Approximately 8 miles of seasonal creek waterways flow through the property. The Shoulder Blade Creek is approx. 5 miles long and spans across the center of the ranch. Onion Creek passes 2.5 miles across the northern section.

Onion Creek Ranch covers 7,481 +/- deeded and leased acres. 3719 deeded acres and 3762 of leased Indian reservation acres which are transferable, consistent and stable. 7344 acres consists of prime Dryland Grass spread across the entire property. There are several seasonal creeks that lace through the pastures and fields that are very productive irrigation, and feed many stock ponds.

The ranch offers a mixture of rolling landscape and large meadows with stock ponds. The few trees found on the ranch are either located along creeks or around buildings.

The panoramic views from Onion Creek Ranch are awe inspiring. The beautiful Wolf Mountain Range frames the horizon to the southeast, while the impressive Pryor Mountain Range rises to the southwest and the majestic Bighorn Mountains rounds out the view to the south.

Calving usually takes place around March 1st with weaning around October. Weaning weights are typically between 575-600 pounds.

The operation currently averages a carrying capacity at 350 mother cows, plus bulls and saddle horses.

Fence/Boundary Line Warranty

The entire property is fenced with 4 wire barbed wire and steel T posts and has been well managed and maintained. There are 2 large pastures, one along the Onion Creek and the other along the Shoulder Blade Creek, in addition to several smaller pastures and fenced corrals around the homestead.

There are numerous outbuildings and a manager's residence that are in good condition. All of the improvements are original structures. The condition of structures is fair and typical in production-type ranches.

• A 2352 SF Ranch home that was built in 1950, with a 2-car attached garage. The square footage includes 2 bedrooms and 1 bath upstairs with 1-2 bedrooms in the basement and a roughed in bath.

• A 1978 Prefab Slanted Wall Storage Barn that is 40' x 75' (3000 sf) with electricity.

• A 2880 SF Quonset Hut that has a concrete floor and electricity.

• A Prefab Vertical Shop that was built in 1969 that is 40' x 72' (2880 sf)

• An original shed built in 1935 that is 14'x 34'. (476 sf)

Corrals, gates and pens are all included.

There are plenty of recreational activities within a reasonable distance from the Onion Creek Ranch.

Just out your back door is Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area (Bcnra). The Yellowtail Dam, less than 50 miles from the ranch, harnesses the water to form Bighorn Lake from the Bighorn River, which extends 71 miles through Wyoming and Montana. Below the Yellowtail Dam is world-class trout fishing as well as the Bighorn River. People from all over the world, including presidents and other celebrities come just for the fishing.

Close to one quarter of the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range stretches within the Bcnra. The Range is known for its successful wild horse programs and is home to other wild animals in their natural habitat, including big horn sheep, elk, mule deer, blue grouse and pheasant.

For the golf enthusiast, Fort Custer Golf Course is a private 9-hole regulation length course open to the public. Less than an hour from the ranch, this challenging, mature golf course is located just to the north of Hardin, MT. The clubhouse is open year-round and has a full bar and daily lunch specials.

Crow Agency, MT, hosts The Annual Crow Fair Celebration Powwow & Rodeo which included parades, a four-day powwow, rodeo and horse races, and is the largest Native American event in Montana and one of the biggest powwows in the country, attracting more than 50,000 spectators worldwide.

Hardin, MT is home to the Big Horn Country Museum which is situated on 35 acres. The museum includes the original farmhouse and barn plus twenty-four authentic historic structures. Each building features exhibits that represent that era, including horse drawn equipment, an extensive collection of restored tractors, farm equipment and automobiles.

Little Bighorn Days in Hardin, is an annual 3-4 day event that celebrates the history of the area including the re-enactment of The Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer's Last Stand. Step into history, as Native American riders portray warriors of the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow Tribes and 1870'S military reenactors set up camp for a glimpse of Army life during Custer's time.

Closing Statement

It is our privilege to present the Onion Creek Ranch to select buyers on behalf of the owner and we than you for the opportunity to present this extraordinary grass ranch to you. This ranch represents an exceptional opportunity in today's ranch market.