My good friend and professional photographer, Craig Hergert ( Montana Panoramic Company) , my nine-month-old springer spaniel pup and I recently spent a few days at Cheyenne Ridge’s Signature Lodge, North Platte Outpost.   Our host was Sean Finley, the Outdoor Concierge and Executive Chef .   This lodge is situated on an expansive ranch along the North Platte River in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and is a destination for tens of thousands of ducks and geese that feed and roost on this property. Endorsed by the highly acclaimed Berretta Trident Program, the service, guides,  culinary experience, and general hospitality were A+. Continue Reading »

Tags: Auctions in Nebraska, nebraska bird hunting, nebraska hunting ranch, nebraska ranches for sale

This week, Montana’s newspapers sported headlines touting the use of federal dollars for the purchase of conservation easements in the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot is one of our favorite Montana valleys, offering a fantastic mix of outdoor adventures, all in a location with easy access to a broad array of cultural opportunities including theater, fine dining and the University of Montana.

The Kootenai Springs Ranch, for example, offers two miles of Bitterroot River frontage, abundant wildlife including a resident elk herd and teaming populations of waterfowl all within a five minute drive of a latte and fine baked goods. Because of its broad appeal, however, the valley has been subject to more severe development pressures than most of its Montana brethren. The arrival of conservation easement funding serves testimony to this fact. While I certainly don’t know all the details of the specific transactions highlighted in the papers this week, my 15 years in non-profit conservation and my direct involvement in over 40 such transactions provides some insight. Continue Reading »

Tags: Conservation Easements, Land Owners, Montana Ranches, Ranch Land

By Randy Shelton

The other day I was taking photographs of geese sitting in the fields of  Rivers End Ranch near Custer, Montana. Rivers End Ranch offers the ideal property for one who is interested in both top agricultural production and top quality whitetail deer, waterfowl and pheasant hunting. The property has the ability to earn a significant income from farming which actually compliments the hunting resource. The world famous trout fishing of the upper Big Horn River is less than a 45-minute drive away, making the Rivers End Ranch a multi-season income producing property with ready access to year-round trout fishing. Those features, combined with excellent access just an hour from Billings, make this an exceptionally desirable offering. READ MORE Continue Reading »

Tags: Bighorn River, Custer, Montana, Montana Ranches for Sale, Ranch Properties, ranch real estate, Rivers End Ranch

By: Bill McDavid

Lolo Pass – About 10 miles south of Missoula, Highway 12 takes a 90 degree turn to the west along Lolo Creek up and over Lolo Pass then descending down along the riverbanks of the Lochsa and Clearwater Rivers. It was along this path that Lewis and Clark suffered one of the most treacherous efforts of their journey. It was September when they began their climb to the top of the pass through dense timber on steep slopes. They were hit with an early snowstorm, an event not all that uncommon in this part of the world, making their travels even more difficult. Continue Reading »

Tags: Bitterroot Valley, Lolo Creek, Lolo Pass, Missoula, Montana, Ranches for Sale

By Shannon Skelton, CEO of CFI – Global Fisheries Management

One of the more interesting trends developing in the world of ranch ownership is the relationship between agricultural land use and recreational sporting opportunities. There was a time in the not-too-distant past when agricultural practices and outdoor activities, flyfishing in particular, were at odds. Ranches with fishing opportunities were viewed strictly as a sportsman’s ranch, while a ranch with good operating features was pigeonholed as a working ranch.

Luckily for sportsmen and ranchers alike, these perceptions are becoming a thing of the past. Ranchers are beginning to appreciate the lucrative nature of providing a quality recreational fishery to select clients while maintaining the historical land use of the property as a successful agricultural operation. Not only does the utility of a ranch improve when a fishery element is introduced or enhanced, but the overall value of land is greatly improved as well. Many cooperative agreements between landowners and anglers are being formed and some states are even facilitating agreements to improve public angling access.

So why does this unique partnership work? Continue Reading »

Tags: fly-fishing ranch for sale, flyfishing property for sale, ranch land management, Round Mountain Ranch

Scott Shuman was awarded the “Advertising Contest Champion” award at the 54th  annual Colorado Auctioneers Association convention, which was held January 6-8, 2012. The three-day convention offered attendees a variety of workshops and lectures dealing with the auction profession. Speakers included John Nichols, an auctioneer’s auctioneer who conducts nearly 250 auctions annually for Fortune 500 companies; Sam “The Hit Man” Grasso, a talented auctioneer and renowned ring-man who specializes in heavy equipment and vehicle sales throughout the U.S.; Walter Cade, a Texas auctioneer soon to be featured on A&E networks’ “Storage Wars: Texas” and currently performs approximately 200 auctions per year.

After accepting the award and being asked which marketing firm creates Hall and Hall’s brochures,  Shuman  explained that all brochures and marketing materials are done “in-house”, and the attendees were amazed.  We’d like to give a special thanks to Rebecca Morgan for her world-class design skills. Morgan, who attended the Art Institute of Colorado and University of Colorado at Boulder, has worked for Hall and Hall since 2004 and has become invaluable to the company. Thanks for your hard work and dedication, Rebecca! This award is for you.

The brochure cover for Circle Cross Ranch, a 40,520± Acre property that Shuman sold at auction in December 2011.

Tags: colorado ranches, Ranch marketing