The IX Ranch is a legacy ranch – it is huge, has a long history of stable ownership and a highly respected reputation in reputation ranch country. Its central Montana location is 80 miles northeast of Great Falls and adjacent to the town of Big Sandy. The current owners are the second owners in the ranch’s 128 year history. This professionally managed operation runs a cattle herd of 4,300. They traditionally winter around 3,200 bred cows and over 1,400 coming yearlings – mostly heifer calves – plus an appropriate number of bulls and ranch horses together with 6,000 tons of winter feed. The operation covers over 126,000± acres, of which 59,809± is deeded and the majority of the balance being State grazing leases. It is well and appropriately improved, with accommodations for a full crew including a manager as well as comfortable quarters for guests. Besides its position as one of Montana’s great cattle ranches, the IX boasts huntable populations of elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope, mountain lion and five species of upland birds. It is also an extremely scenic ranch boasting a broad diversity of habitat types from productive meadows to rolling hills which give way to steeper mountain country with scatterings of aspens and evergreens.

THE RANCH IS BEING SOLD COMPLETE WITH ALL LIVESTOCK, FEED, VEHICLES, MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT PLUS ALL REAL ESTATE DEEDED LANDS, LEASES, WATER RIGHTS AND OWNED MINERAL RIGHTS (SEE INVENTORIES). AS OF 12/31/2015, THE RANCH INTERNAL VALUATION OF THE NON-REAL ESTATE PROPERTY INCLUDED IN THE ASKING PRICE WAS $13,600,000.

Location:
The ranch office is located in the small town of Big Sandy, Montana which lies 80 miles northeast of Great Falls and 35 miles southwest of Havre on U.S. Highway 87. The ranch stretches for nearly 30 miles from Big Sandy to the east and south. The nearest commercial air service is in Great Falls. Big Sandy boasts a paved and lighted 3,570 X 60 foot air strip at an elevation of 2,689 feet and Havre has a 5,205 X 100 foot paved and lighted strip at 2,580 foot elevation. Great Falls is serviced by Delta, Alaska and United Airlines with multiple daily flights. Big Sandy is an attractive small town with a 2012 population of 610 which lists over 40 active businesses as well as a Critical Access Hospital and both grade and high schools.

General description:
Approaching the ranch from the west at Big Sandy, the view is of relatively level cropland between the town and the headquarters. Irrigation water for this land comes out of Big Sandy Creek which flows from the mountains that lie to the northeast and traverses the ranch for over 15 miles, running from east to west. As one moves to the east the land rises to the north and one moves into rolling country which is well watered and provides good protection for livestock. To the north lie the Bears Paw Mountains and to the south lies the slightly more open country which is distinguished by the fact that it is almost entirely State of Montana leased land in one large block actually tying the ranch together.

As one moves further to the east and south one enters the Eagle Creek drainage which flows more north to south out of the mountains and, together with Dog Creek, which joins Eagle Creek on the south end of this unit, provides irrigation water for this portion of the ranch. This is arguably the most scenic part of the ranch as it actually runs up into the mountains where one finds more scattered timber and aspen groves and it becomes almost alpine in nature. The ranch manager lives here in a beautiful setting nestled into a comfortable valley with views looking out into the vast open lands to the south. This compound also includes a very comfortable home for the ranch’s absentee shareholders.

Further to the east and south and separated from the main ranch by about six miles, one enters the Birch Creek valley. This unit – known as the “NL” - boasts a pair of parallel lakes which were created to store irrigation water for the pivots and the irrigated acreage below. This unit extends into the Sand Creek drainage further to the east. Perhaps not quite as scenic as upper Eagle Creek, the NL is a productive part of the ranch and would represent a significant ranch in its own right were it not a part of the IX.

Acreage:
Deeded 59,809
State Lease 39,054
BLM Lease 9,527
Private Lease 17,835
Total 126,225

Wildfire resources

The IX Ranch offers a variety of habitats for wildlife and has recently begun a fee hunting program in conjunction with a licensed outfitter. The primary species of interest include mule and whitetail deer, elk, antelope, mountain lions and upland birds – primarily Hungarian partridge, sharp-tail grouse and pheasant, although there is some hunting for sage and mountain grouse. Management focus on providing a quality hunting experience is beginning to bear fruit. The big game population on the ranch stands at approximately 180 elk; 290 mule deer; 290 whitetail; 75 antelope and 34 mountain lions. Last year the big game harvest included six elk; twelve deer; one antelope and three lions. Some of the bulls are very large, and just south of the ranch on BLM land the world record archery Rocky Mountain ram was harvested in 2012.

Broker comment:
In this broker’s opinion, the IX Ranch is one of the finest ranches in Montana and comes with an accomplished management team. Their predecessors and successors-in-training have a 55-year history of successfully building and improving the ranch. It has balance, diversity and is located in dependable grass country. Some might think that one can enter the market at any time and buy a ranch of this stature. This writer has been selling ranches in Montana for decades and can attest that these only come along once in a generation, if then. It took three generations for the IX to come on the market. For anyone interested in buying one of Montana’s great ranches, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime.