Custer, Montana A quality Montana farm and ranch in a scenic and private setting. 471 acres deeded. Borders the main channel of the Bighorn River for two miles. Plus adjacent leased ground boasting a mile of additional River frontage. Located roughly an hour east of Billings via Interstate 90 and State Highway 47. In an area known for productive agricultural land and wide-ranging recreational opportunities. An outstanding fishing and hunting property with roughly half the deeded land in irrigated crop ground and the balance in riverfront bottomland. Premier wildlife habitat with huge stands of mature cottonwoods, hidden parks and wetlands. Improvements include a new cabin/lodge with garage beside the river as well as the original homestead with outbuildings. Contact: Ed Gallup, Owner Phone: 919-542-4412 1778 Gallup Rd. Chapel Hill, NC 27517 Email: edgallup@webtv.net Marketing: Lynn Gallup, 919-961-0675 Website: www.tarheelrealestate.net (info, maps, photo gallery, and property video 10 min.) DVD with video available upon request Broker Inquiries Are Welcome
The Bighorn River Nature Retreat 471 acres deeded plus 141 acres of State lease. With a total of over two and one-half miles of main-channel Bighorn River frontage plus additional side-channel frontage. An appealing Montana property historically used as a combination crop farm and cattle operation. Fenced and cross-fenced. Very productive, with substantial irrigated ground. Wetlands. And large areas of quality wildlife cover. Unmatched recreational assets. THE IMPROVEMENTS Included on the north center side of the property is a mid-1960's homestead in good living condition. 1,064 square feet finished with both phone and power. Plus a nice shaded lawn. Sheltered from the weather by trees and brush. Flanked by open garages and equipment sheds plus various other outbuildings. With silos, corrals and a small feedlot as part of the building complex. Located on a private drive on the property... just off a graveled county road; 3/4 mile off a paved highway. Currently leased out together with the farming/cattle operation. PLUS on the south side of the property is a new 1,000 square foot 2-bedroom rustic lodge, brand new and completely finished inside and out, with a new well and septic (septic permit is for a 5-bedroom home). Includes a 28 x 30 foot 2-stall shop/garage, also recently constructed. In a secluded setting, shaded by large cottonwoods, tucked away beside the Bighorn River. Accessed via a new entrance and graveled road. THE IRRIGATED Agricultural GROUND Approximately 230 acres are currently under irrigation. The bulk of this is in tilled farm ground; with an appealing mix of alfalfa, sugar beets, corn and grain crops. The deep river bottom soils found along this stretch of the Bighorn are very rich and fertile. This property is located in one of Montana s most productive irrigated farming areas. Also included is some irrigated livestock pasture. Water rights are utilized out of the Two Leggins Canal, allocated to 244 acres. Currently used for flood irrigation, with water dispersal achieved via a series of ditches and canals. Also included are forty-eight 30-foot sections of (movable) irrigation pipe. Two Leggins Canal was constructed in the 1950's to improve water use efficiency; some maintenance fees are required. The current annual water district charge is $ 2,074.00 or $ 8.50 per allocated acre. The DNRC web page shows the Ranch holds Reserved Claim Water Right # 43P-5447-00 for 20.0 Cubic Feet per Second out of the Bighorn River for Irrigation, dating to 07 May 1868. The irrigated ground is primarily located in the northern half of the property. This is in the more open land, where the Ranch borders State Highway # 47 and County Road # 147A (Sorrel Horse Road). It is noted that some minimal amount of the acreage lies further
north, adjacent but across these roads. Primarily dryer grassland, along some sandstone rims, with a scattering of juniper and brush. THE RIVERFRONT Recreational GROUND The riverfront acreage is the heart of the property. Making up roughly half the deeded land, perhaps 240 acres, primarily in the southern and eastern portions of the Ranch. Including lush bottomland with huge stands of mature cottonwoods. Grassy hidden meadows. Wetlands areas. And heavy brush cover. In some areas this habitat runs a half-mile deep, leading down toward the Bighorn River. The main block of this native pasture is in the south-central portion of the property. Beyond the irrigated crop ground, and behind long rows of trees and brush that parallel irrigation canals. Beginning with several large, sheltered meadows. Some which have been tilled and leveled for flood irrigation. These hidden parks are ideal as wildlife feeding grounds. Flanked on the west by a large waterway, a side channel of the Bighorn River. Across which is (leased) island land, thick with trees and brush. Including the State lease detailed below. Further south are more cottonwood stands and a scattering of juniper, together with Russian olive and other trees and shrubs. Uncounted hidden parks. Multiple wetlands. And dense areas thick with willows and brush. Forming extraordinary bottomland habitat for wildlife. Fronting on long stretches of the Bighorn River. Most of the Bighorn River frontage is readily accessible, with several sites suitable to launch a canoe or drift boat. The riverbank varies, but recreational possibilities abound. And notice that the deeded land, in addition to bordering the main channel of the Bighorn River for nearly two miles, also borders a major River side channel for another mile. The Yellowtail Dam was constructed roughly sixty miles upriver from the property in 1965. This has tamed the Bighorn and serves to establish and maintain a stable water flow. THE LEASED GROUND Included is a State lease, described as Zulla Island and that part of Willa Island lying east of Zulla Island. Being 141.43 acres in Section 36. Used by the Ranch as livestock pasture. It should be noted that some of the island ground historically grazed by the Ranch (up to another 92 acres) is unleased American Indian land. The State Lease offers about 3/4 mile of main-channel Bighorn River frontage plus well over a mile of side-channel frontage (much of which also borders the deeded land). Some of the water rights can be utilized for irrigated pasture on the State Lease. While the balance of the island acreage is premier wildlife habitat. With cottonwoods, wetlands and heavy brush cover. Notice that all State Lease transfers are subject to approval by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).
OUTSTANDING RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES The Bighorn is an excellent fishery as it flows past the Ranch. For brown and rainbow trout, primarily during cooler weather. And for warm water species during summer months. With smallmouth bass, sauger, catfish, shad, burbot or ling and carp all common catches. The Yellowstone River is just 16 miles north. While to the south, between Hardin and Fort Smith, the Bighorn River is classified as a world-class trout fishery. Beyond Fort Smith, backed up by the Yellowtail Dam, Bighorn Lake dominates a spectacular mountain valley. Wildlife is abundant both on and around the property. Numerous whitetail deer and lesser numbers of mule deer are present throughout the year. Also, several elk make this area their residence throughout the year. The Ranch offers the privacy and seclusion necessary to maintain high wildlife populations. With heavy cover both on the Ranch (between the River and Highway 47) and east, across the Bighorn, where native bottoms quickly climb into rugged foothill country. With no roads, homes or improvements for several miles. While to the west is Pine Ridge, a vast block of rugged timbered country. Known for trophy-class elk and mule deer hunting. Wild turkeys are common. Several flocks can often be sighted during a drive through the property. Along with an abundance of pheasant. Huns and sharptails; often seen feeding in the irrigated lands, plus a variety of other game birds. The Ranch is also a haven for waterfowl. The lower Bighorn and nearby Yellowstone Rivers host one of the central flyway s largest waterfowl populations. During their peak migration, over 100,000 Canada geese and 150,000 ducks are said to pass through the area. And, it is especially notable that there are two producing bald eagle nests on the property. And for the horseman. The property itself is ideal for family use. While nearby wild lands (in Custer National Forest) offer convenient backcountry opportunities to the more experienced rider. Also notice that the Prior Mountains to the south are home to one of our nation s largest and most viable wild horse populations. The Ranch is Best Described as Follows: LOCATION AND ACCESS T3N R33E PMM; Big Horn County MT. Section 36: Lots 2 and 3. N1/2NE1/4. Except that part conveyed to the State of Montana for the benefit and use of its State Highway Commission by Bargain and Sale Deed recorded August 4, 1953, in Book 42, Page 190, under Document # 159548, records of Big Horn County, Montana. T3N R34E PMM; Big Horn County MT. Section 31: Lots 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10. E1/2NW1/4.
Some survey work has recently been conducted (maps are attached); however, the ranch will likely be sold by legal land description. Evidence of Title may provide a more exact description. Acreages and distances given are estimates only but are from the best available sources. This property is subject to accretion and avulsion by the Bighorn River. To Locate the Property: Located about one hour east of Billings, Montana via I-90 to Hardin, then travel north on Highway 47 about 17.5 miles. The ranch is located at the intersection of Hwy. 47 and Sorrel Horse County Road #147A. Note: Billings has a population of around 100,000, and is Montana s largest city. All-weather paved highway access. On the western bank of the Big Horn River. 16 miles south of the Bighorn s confluence with the Yellowstone River. 14 miles south of Custer, a small agriculturally-based community. 16 miles north of Hardin, located where the Little Bighorn River joins the Bighorn. Hardin, with a population of roughly 5,000, is the Big Horn County seat. 60 miles north of Fort Smith and the Yellowtail Dam. 60 miles north of Bighorn Lake. 150 miles north of Sheridan Wyoming. ITEMS OF INTEREST The Crow People, of Siouan ancestry, came to the lower Bighorn country sometime in the 1770's. They are said to have been among the most prosperous, and militarily the strongest, of all the American Indian tribes in Montana and Wyoming. The first documented outsider to see the Bighorn valley was Charles Le Raye in 1802. Then, in 1805, Francois Larocque of the North West Fur Trading Company explored the area. On 26 July 1806 Captain William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition first reached the Bighorn. And in 1807 Manuel Lisa built a trading post at the confluence of the Bighorn and Yellowstone Rivers. Crow territory was steadily reduced through a series of treaties, beginning in 1825, to its present size of roughly 2.25 million areas. Today about 11,000 tribal members preserve the heritage of the Crow Nation and maintain one of the strongest of all Native American cultures. It should be noted that Two Leggins Canal was named to honor Two Leggings, a famed Crow warrior who made the area his home. Until 1965, the Bighorn River was considered one of the wildest and most dangerous rivers in North America. It originates in the glaciers and high country of the Wind River Mountains in western Wyoming. The changing seasons and extreme weather conditions on
the upper Bighorn caused great variations in river flows. Over millions of years it carved a fifty mile long, 1,000 foot deep canyon above Fort Smith. In 1965, the Yellowtail Dam was constructed about 60 miles upriver of the property, at the mouth of that canyon. To control spring flooding; and to assure a reliable and abundant flow of water for irrigation purposes during summer months. Yellowtail Dam is 525 feet high, 1556 feet thick at the base, and a quarter mile wide at the top; impounding a 70-mile long lake, now surrounded by the (spectacular) 120,000 acre Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. This is an outstanding recreational lake which has become a favorite for boaters and fishermen. From the Yellowtail Dam (at Fort Smith) to Hardin, the Bighorn is a world-class trout fishery. With brown and rainbow trout the dominant species. Down river from Hardin, and past the property to the Yellowstone, the trout begin to yield the River to warm water species such as carp, shad, burbot or ling, catfish, sauger and smallmouth bass. FINANCIAL INFORMATION Combination of Farm and Ranch Complete Package: $ 2,200,000.00. Cash at closing. PARTIAL SALES POSSIBLE 230 +/- Agricultural Acres: $ 900,000. 240 +/- Recreational Acres: $ 1,450,000. NOTE: Seller may execute an IRC 1031 tax-deferred exchange at closing. 2011 Property Taxes: ~ $ 2,300 CONTACT INFORMATION Ed Gallup, Owner Phone: 919-542-4412 Email: edgallup@webtv.net Mailing Address: 1778 Gallup Rd. Chapel Hill, NC 27517 Website: www.tarheelrealestate.net (info, maps, photo gallery, property video 10 min.) Marketing: Lynn Gallup, 919-961-0675 DVD with video available upon request Broker Inquiries Are Welcome. ****************************************************************************** Subject to errors, omissions, changes, prior sale and withdrawal by owner. Information is from sources deemed reliable but cannot be guaranteed by agent. *Brochure information compiled by Real Estate agent Bill Steele, Ranch Montana Real Estate, Inc. www.ranchmontanarealestate.com Photo Gallery Recreation & Farming Opportunities
Photo Gallery The Bighorn River
Photo Gallery The Wildlife
Photo Gallery The Wildlife
Photo Gallery The Land
Photo Gallery Improvements