B grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 1988, he graduated from the University of North Carolina with a degree in Business Administration. He then moved to Colorado and began a nine-year career in the ranch and resort industries. His admiration for the wide-open spaces and the abundance of recreational opportunities in Montana inspired his move in 1997. After farming and ranching in central Montana, B settled in the Bozeman area and guided fly fishermen on southwest Montana’s renowned waters for seven years. He was licensed in real estate sales in 1999 and is currently a licensed broker in Montana and Wyoming. His lifelong recreational interests and professional background in ranching and the resort industries naturally led to a real estate focus in ranch and recreational properties. B treasures the time spent with his family on their small ranch and home along the Madison River. He is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys backcountry adventures and hunting and fishing throughout Montana.
Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway’s 800± deeded acres lie in the foothills of the Ruby Mountains, just five miles from Dillon, Montana. Axes Canyon Creek bisects the acreage for approximately one mile, creating scenic diversity and exceptional wildlife habitat. The property borders State and BLM lands on two sides, providing access to thousands of acres of outstanding hunting. The wildlife-attractive terrain and location overlooking irrigated hay fields along the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage make the ranch ideal for elk hunting during the fall archery and rifle seasons. While elk are the highlight, the ranch also has abundant and good-quality mule deer, moose, and the full spectrum of other big game species. This property's hunting quality and affordability make it a rare getaway opportunity in one of southwest Montana’s finest areas for outdoor recreation.
Approaching Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway in a southeasterly direction from Dillon, the Ruby Mountains and Blacktail Mountains, divided by the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage, dominate the landscape. Axes Canyon and Van Camp Canyon intersect on the ranch, offering perennial to seasonal stream flows and creating a mix of riparian, evergreen forest, and open slopes ideal for big game. Expansive public land acres border the Hunting Getaway on three sides, offering a wealth of additional hunting and recreational opportunities. The ranch boasts expansive views of the Beaverhead Valley, the town of Dillon, and surrounding mountain ranges, with a largely undeveloped Montana landscape in all directions.
Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway represents a rare opportunity to acquire an excellent elk hunting property at an attractive price point. Positioned among significant landholdings in the foothills of the Ruby Range, the ranch is easily accessible, just minutes from the thriving community of Dillon, and comprises some of the best sanctuary big game habitat overlooking the ocean of irrigated hay fields at the mouth of the Blacktail drainage. With a perennial stream, an abundance of game, and additional access to public lands, this property is hard to beat for the outdoorsman. Nearby town amenities, skiing, and world-class flyfishing enhance the property’s appeal as a year-round ranch retreat for outdoor enthusiasts.
Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway is located approximately five miles from Dillon, Montana, and is easily accessible via paved and gravel roads. Dillon boasts a public airport capable of accommodating most private jets, with its longest runway measuring 6,501’x75’. For commercial air travel, Bozeman's Yellowstone International Airport, the busiest in Montana, is about a one-hour forty-five-minute drive (107 miles), while Butte's Bert Mooney Airport is approximately one hour away (68 miles). Idaho Falls Regional Airport, offering additional travel options, is a two-hour drive (142 miles).
Dillon, home to the University of Montana Western, is a charming community with a rich ranching heritage. With an undergraduate enrollment of 1,200 to 1,330 students, one unique aspect of the university is its Department of Equine Studies, which offers the only bachelor’s degree in Natural Horsemanship in the nation. The town of Dillon, with a population between 4,000 and 5,000, serves as the heart of Montana’s largest cattle-producing county. Nearly two-thirds of the lands in Beaverhead County are public. With a population density of fewer than 1.7 people per square mile, cattle are estimated to outnumber people sixteen to one. Surrounded by mountains, Dillon is a hub for outdoor enthusiasts, offering world-class fly fishing in the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, and upper Jefferson Rivers. Maverick Mountain Ski Area, located near Polaris, is a 45-minute drive, while Discovery Ski Area near Anaconda is about one hour and forty-five minutes away.
Located at approximately 5,100 feet above sea level, Dillon experiences a high desert climate with abundant sunshine. Annual precipitation averages 12 inches, with 14 inches of snowfall. As the elevation increases into the surrounding mountains, precipitation and snowfall rise, contributing to the transition from grasslands to forests.
The ranch encompasses 800± deeded acres, which border large areas of State and BLM property with limited public access. The land surrounds Axes and Van Camp Canyons, which provide perennial to seasonal flows based on elevation. Most of the property is mountainous, with scattered to heavily timbered slopes and riparian creek corridors, which are excellent habitat for big game. The westerly portion of the property transitions to foothill pasture, allowing easy access from Dillon.
There are no significant structural improvements on the property besides fencing and stock water systems. However, multiple potential home sites offer breathtaking views and an ideal setting for developing a seasonal or year-round residence.
Axes Canyon and Van Camp Canyons join on the property, providing perennial stream flows in the upper and seasonal flows in the lower reaches.
Annual property taxes are to be determined.
Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway is located near some of Montana's best public fisheries. Dillon is an epicenter of world-class trout fishing, with an abundance of local rivers.
The four primary home waters of Dillon are the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Ruby, and Jefferson Rivers. All offer exceptional angling and a diversity of hatches, hatch timing, and fishing opportunities. The combination of tailwater, freestone waters, and mountains to agricultural valley environments means you can easily fish different waters, different hatches, and different techniques in a single day, right out of Dillon. From streamers to Salmon Fly dries, and micro nymphing to match the hatch topwater, the Dillon area has it all in abundance.
Overshadowed by the famous fisheries are a number of small stream and stillwater opportunities that warrant exploration. Several reputable fly shops in Dillon offer quality guide services and fly selections.
Elk are particularly abundant on Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway due to its habitat and proximity to irrigated hay fields in the Blacktail Deer Creek drainage. As the native grasses dry in late summer, elk migrate toward the fields, utilizing the ranch as a prime bedding and resting habitat. Elk quality on the ranch is typical of most of southwestern Montana, with an abundance of elk and average bull quality. Because of the large private holdings in the area, trophy bulls in the 300-350 range exist, as well. Other wildlife is plentiful and diverse, including whitetail and mule deer, antelope, and moose, as well as predators such as mountain lions, bears, coyotes, and wolves. Raptors abound, and the primary upland bird species are Hungarian partridge and grouse in the higher elevations.
Beyond hunting and fishing, the ranch and the adjoining public lands offer excellent hiking, horseback riding, and ATV exploration across their varied terrain. The surrounding region provides access to skiing at Maverick Mountain and Discovery Ski Area and extensive public lands for year-round recreation.
The Axes Canyon Hunting Getaway is currently leased for summer grazing and big game hunting in conjunction with the adjoining 5,777± acre Axes Canyon Smith Unit. Recently, stocking rates have been approximately 2,000 AUMs for the entirety of the acres. The hunting lease, focused primarily on elk, allowed 15 bulls to be harvested in 2024.
This 5,777± deeded-acre property with 398± leased acres offers excellent summer grazing, abundant wildlife, and prime elk hunting. Its diverse terrain, proximity to Dillon, and recreational opportunities make it an exceptional investment and retreat.
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