Crazy D Ranch

Big Timber, Montana
$20,500,000

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The Crazy D Ranch represents a unique opportunity to own a solid working ranch with exceptional hunting and fishing in a magnificent setting. The 12,170 deeded acres includes 12 miles of outstanding fly fishing, 1,600 acres of irrigated cropland, over 2,000 acres of improved pasture and 8,500 acres of native range. The main house is an 11,000 square ft. log masterpiece which is designed and finished with every detail in mind. There are six other homes and a full complement of operating improvements. Located less than 20 miles from Big Timber, Montana, the ranch is graced with awe-inspiring views of the Beartooth and Crazy Mountains.

The historic Crazy D Ranch is located within Sweet Grass County in south-central Montana. The property is accessed from Big Timber by driving north on State Highway 191 for approximately 17.5 miles, then east on the Cremer road one and one-half miles to the northwest corner of the ranch. The town of Big Timber, population 2,500, provides all the necessities needed to operate the ranch. Major commercial air service is available within a one and one-half hour drive from the ranch in both Billings and Bozeman. Both Big Timber and Livingston, 30 miles to the west, have jet-capable community airports with 5,280 ft. and 5,700 ft. lighted, paved runways, respectively.

The Big Timber area is characterized by a unique combination of multi-generational family ranches (some over 100 years in the same family) and wealthy individuals and families who have chosen this area for its western culture and rural community spirit. Even the newcomers take pride in maintaining the ranching traditions of the area. Big Timber is very self-sustaining with galleries, banks, churches, a golf course and a world-class restaurant at the Grand Hotel, which is a lovely restored hotel on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The Pioneer Medical Center in Big Timber provides medical services to the surrounding area. One of the great benefits of Big Timber is that it sits almost equidistant between Billings and Bozeman. It is just far enough away to require that the town be self-sustaining, but close enough that one can take advantage of all of the services that these two important and vibrant Montana cities offer.

If one should decide to explore the scenic backdrop of the ranch, the Crazy Mountains are one of the more impressive mountain ranges in Montana. With more than 20 peaks over 10,000 feet above sea level the Crazy Mountains bear a resemblance to an island in the vast Montana prairie. Rock Lake, for example, which sits at the base of Conical Peak (elevation 10,748), is an easy hike for someone looking to spend the day catching golden, brook, rainbow and cutthroat trout. Bridger Bowl, an absolutely outstanding ski area that offers very challenging terrain, is just over an hours drive from the ranch. Established in 1872, Yellowstone National Park, the world’s first national park, is approximately one and one-half hours from Big Timber. For those searching for the excitement of a destination ski resort, Big Sky Resort is just over a hundred miles away and provides year-round recreational activities and an unparalleled abundance of full-service amenities.

The Crazy D itself is a good-sized ranch and it is in an area of large ranches — some even much larger. It is in an area that seems relatively immune to the development pressures that afflict many other areas that are closer to the mountains. In short, this is a part of the state that has the benefit of dramatic mountain views in two directions and easy access to a more sophisticated lifestyle, but one is far enough out that one is still in ranching country — very good ranching country as evidenced by the 100 year old family ranches in the neighborhood. One is also far enough from the mountains that these ranches are blessed with a quite tolerable year-round climate.

The elevation of the Crazy D Ranch ranges from 4,640 feet above sea level at the headquarters to 4,950 feet above sea level at the north boundary corner of Section 23. The climate is typically mild with the average low in January being 16.5 degrees, while the average high in July is 87.3 degrees. The ranch lies in an area this is estimated to receive between 14 to 18 inches of precipitation, with two-thirds of that expected to fall during the growing season. Early June is often the wettest time of the growing season, which on average is frost-free for 123 days.

The Crazy D Ranch is a large and diverse property in a pastoral setting, offering miles of cottonwood lined streams, irrigated hay and barley fields and a large lake. The exquisite owner’s residence is nestled in a prairie landscape with expansive views of the snowcapped granite peaks of the Crazy Mountains. This area defines the point where the rolling northern prairie abruptly meets the Rocky Mountains and provides a greater sense of both places. Although the ranch is conveniently located along two county roads, the creek bottom and hills afford numerous secluded areas that are not visible to the general public. Gentle rolling topography and a good interior road system make it easy to access the cottonwood bottoms, sage benches, irrigated crop-land and improvements.

The ranch is entered from the northwest corner passing through fields of improved pasture, irrigated hay and native grass. Barley fields lie to the southwest as you gaze beyond them to focus on the beauty and enormity of the expansive landscape. As one moves from north to south, several creeks meander their way through the ranch. Sweet Grass Creek, framed by a mature cottonwood bottom, bisects the ranch for nearly six miles with Cayuse Creek and Spring Creek confluencing along its easterly course. The owner’s residence is south of Sweet Grass Creek and is accessed by a sturdy wood-planked bridge. The residence, which is the most southerly located improvement on the ranch, is elevated above the creek and perched on a prairie grass knoll. From here commanding views of Upper Glaston Lake, the Crazy and Absaroka Mountains appear from nearly every room in the house. This log home shows wonderful pride of ownership as it is absolutely immaculate with an outdoor pool, well groomed landscaping, irrigated lawn and a smattering of deciduous trees.

As one passes through the ranch some of its history becomes apparent as one moves by the corrals and becomes aware of the cowboys working the Black Angus herd the old-fashioned way - from a saddle - and they prefer that. While that heritage remains very much alive on the Crazy D Ranch, the current owner’s sporting interests are also very evident as noted by the abundance of wildlife and the improved fishery. It is this multi-faceted aspect that provides the depth that makes ranches like this only become more interesting and exciting as the years and generations of ownership go by.

Owner’s Home:
The nearly 12,000 sq. ft. log home is impeccably built with many fine artisan finishes. In addition to five bedrooms, six and one-half baths, three family rooms, two offices and a loft study, the home has an 18’x36’ in-ground heated swimming pool. The three-story home includes an elevator to all three floors and a heated three-car garage. Extras include an emergency 15,000 KW generator, computerized lighting, central air, in-floor heat, climate-controlled wine cellar, built-in sound system, four wood-burning fire places, walk-in pantry with commercial refrigerator and food warmer, satellite TV and deluxe hot tub.

Site 1:
A 1,922 sq. ft. one and one-half story home, three bedrooms, two and one-half baths log-frame with wood siding. The home was built in 1920 and has been remodeled several times
Implement shed/shop: pole frame with metal walls; 25% on a cement pad with the remainder on dirt.
Miscellaneous buildings include: pump house, small barn, cattle shelter, sheds, and two small pole-frame buildings.

Site 2:
A 2,100± sq. ft. three-bedroom, two-bath modern “rancher” in very nice condition. The home has a two-car attached garage, vinyl siding, and large deck.

Site 3:
A 1,590± sq. ft. three-bedroom, one-bath log home on a concrete foundation.

Site 4:
A 4,890± sq. ft. four-bedroom, two and three-quarter-bath, two-story home with redwood exterior siding and a wood-shake roof. The home was originally built around 1950 and has been nicely renovated.
Detached garage: The two-car detached garage is approximately 780 sq. ft. It is wood framed and insulated.
Barn/shop/machine shed: Built in 1985 the pole-frame shop has metal siding and a 16-foot bi-fold door.

Site 5:
A 1,200± sq. ft. three-bedroom, one-bath, log home on a concrete foundation that has an asphalt shingle roof. The home was built in 1973.
Cattle shelter: A multi-use metal building of pole-frame construction. The building was built in 1988 and is 3,570± sq, feet.
Grain bins and small miscellaneous buildings.

Site 6:
A 2,096± sq. ft. ranch style home with a 2,096 sq. ft. unfinished basement. The home has four bedrooms, two baths and was built in 1950.
Multi-use building: A combination cattle shelter/calving shed with vet and tack room. The building is an 11,200± sq. ft. prefab-steel building with steel corrals and was erected in 1976.
Machine shed: This is a 2,160± sq. ft. pole-frame constructed building which is part metal and wood-sided. The building is partially on concrete and has one sliding door.
Multi-use building: A 2,256± sq. ft. metal-sided building, built in 1976.
A 25-ton scale and scale house.
Miscellaneous Buildings: 30’x40’ barn, 48’x208’ metal building and 16’x32’ poultry house. These buildings were built between 1940 and 1970.
Two 5,000-gallon above-ground fuel tanks.

Currently the ranch is operating as an Angus cow/calf operation. The ranch has been running 400 mother cows along with replacement heifers and bulls. During a time when less importance was assigned to the wildlife and fishing resources the ranch was running over 600 animal units. The current carrying capacity of 400 animal units is an appropriate number allowing for a healthy balance of the ranch’s agricultural and wildlife resources.

The operation cycle consists of wintering along the bottomlands and barley fields and grazing the native range and improved pastures in the spring and summer. Fall grazing takes place on the irrigated ground after the second cutting of hay has been harvested followed by a short stint on the creek bottom.

To winter a cow on the ranch should take about two tons of hay. With over 800 acres in irrigated hay ground and an average of three-tons per acre, the ranch is usually a little long on hay production. There have been a few years where taking a second cutting was not feasible due to drought conditions, but on a normal year this excess hay gives the operation some viable options to sell the excess hay or take on additional cattle in the winter.

Approximately 380 acres is in barley with an average yield of 60-100 bushels per acre. The barley is under pivot and is essentially grown for hunting purposes. The improved pasture is actually classified as dry cropland by the FSA and could be converted to additional wheat or barley cropland. The ranch is operated conservatively and is mindful of conservation and agricultural practices.

The diverse habitat of the Crazy D Ranch provides good cover and ample feed for a variety of wildlife species. The whitetail hunting is extremely good on the ranch due to the management program and the light harvest of mature bucks. Trophy antelope run in large herds through the native range and periodically feed in the improved pasture, barley and hay fields. Upper Glaston Lake is a magnet for waterfowl in the early season pulling in Canadian geese, mallards, teal and divers. Nearly 400 acres of barley keep the waterfowl on the ranch for much of the season and provide for some of the best field hunting over decoys imaginable. A large population of turkeys have established themselves very well on the ranch and are regularly seen along the creek bottom near the improvements. The habitat for upland birds transcends out of the creek bottom into the native range and farm ground creating the desirable habitat needed to support both pheasant and prairie grouse. The primary beneficiary of this environment is the Hungarian partridge which is seen in medium-to-large coveys out in the range and farm ground. Along with all the species of game animals, the ranch is also home to predators, raptors and a large variety of non-game species.

It is rare to find ranches of this size in Montana which offer fishing, wing-shooting, waterfowl hunting and big-game hunting of this magnitude.

The ranch includes a private shooting preserve license which allows for upland bird hunting starting September 1 through March 31. The details of this license are available on the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website.

The ranch has miles of beautiful cottonwood bottoms along Sweet Grass Creek where anglers can expect to have both brown and rainbow trout rise to flies all season long. Wade-fishing is superb, resulting in trout ranging in size from 10-12 inches. Cayuse Creek which serpentines through the ranch pasture is deceiving. This shallow creek with deep cut banks produces brown trout ranging in size from 12 to over 20 inches. Starting in mid-July try a foam hopper and be amazed at the size and number of fish this private creek produces. Within the ranch lies Upper Glaston Reservoir, a 600-acre body of water which is fishable from shore or by boat and produces both rainbow trout and yellow perch.

If fishing on the ranch isn’t enough, anglers can be wetting their line on the waters of the Yellowstone, Stillwater and the Boulder Rivers all within an hour’s drive. Float fisherman will experience exciting stretches of floatable water and noteworthy trout fishing on some of the most scenic river corridors in Montana.

Conservation Easement

The Crazy D Ranch is encumbered with a conservation easement for the protection of the ecological, scenic, open space and aesthetic values of the property. The current owner donated this easement to the Wetlands America Trust, Inc. in 1995. A copy of the entire easement is available through Hall and Hall upon request.

12,170±

The Crazy D is comprised of 12,170.28 acres, more or less. The ranch is rectangular in shape and is one contiguous parcel. Within the boundaries of the ranch is Upper Glaston Lake; a portion of the lake is within the boundaries of a 400-acre parcel which is owned by the State of Montana. The lake has no public access.

Irrigated Land: 1,598.60 acres
Improved Pasture: 2,008.50 acres
Native Range: 8,540.00 acres
Improvement Site: 23.18 acres
Total: 12,170.28 acres


Public and Private Leases

The Crazy D Ranch holds a State of Montana land lease legally described as T4N, R15E, Section 16. Agreement Number 7314 calls for 174 animal unit months of grazing annually at a cost of $6.97 per AUM, for a yearly cost of $1,212.78.

The sellers are including all mineral rights that they own with the property sale.

There are a total of 88 water rights appurtenant to the Crazy D Ranch, with priority dates ranging from 1883 to 2001. The water rights are broken down as follows: 45 stock water right claims, 10 domestic water right claims and an additional 33 irrigation water right claims which adequately handle the current irrigation operation. The primary source of irrigation is Sweet Grass Creek which delivers water via a combination of six pivots, flooding and gated pipe.

Property taxes for 2008 were $38,576.

MANAGEMENT SERVICES – Hall and Hall’s Management Division has a very clear mission – To represent the owner and to ensure that his or her experience is a positive one. Services are customized to suit the owner’s needs. They often begin with the recruiting and hiring of a suitable ranch manager or caretaker and are followed by the development of a management or operating plan along with appropriate budgets. Ongoing services include bill paying, ranch oversight, and consulting services as needed. Even the most sophisticated and experienced ranch owners appreciate the value of a management firm representing them and providing advice on local area practices and costs. Wes Oja and Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (406) 656-7500      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or Randy Clavel at (303) 861-8282 are available to describe and discuss these services in detail and welcome your call.

RESOURCE ENHANCEMENT SERVICES – Increasingly the value of a ranch is measured by the quality of each and every one of its resources. Coincidentally the enhancement of a ranch’s resources also increases the pleasure that one derives from the ownership of a ranch. Our management services have included the assessment of everything from wildlife habitat to bird habitat to water resources and fisheries and the subsequent oversight of the process involved with the enhancement of these resources. Wes Oja or Jerome Chvilicek at (406) 656-7500 are available to describe and discuss these services in detail and welcome your call.

SPECIALIZED LENDING - Over the past 59 years Hall and Hall has created a legacy by efficiently providing capital to the intermountain west. In addition to traditional farm and ranch loans, we specialize in understanding the unique aspects of placing loans on ranches where value may be influenced by recreational features, location and improvements and repayment may come from outside sources. Our extensive experience and strong relationships with our lenders allows us to quickly tell you whether we can provide the required financing.
Competitive Pricing ● Flexible Terms ● Efficient Processing
In-House Appraisals ● Common Sense Underwriting
Dave Roddy ● (406) 656-7500
Mike Hall, Judy Chirila, or Randy Clavel ● (303) 861-8282
Monte Lyons ● (806) 698-6882