W H ISKEY R I VER R ANC H Melstone, Montana $2,599,000 | 3,604± Acres
Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
INTRODUCTION Located in Montana’s picturesque Musselshell River Valley, the Whiskey River Ranch is made up of primarily agricultural land, boasting over three miles of the Musselshell River, and offers both lifestyle and livelihood elements. In addition to the river, the ranch is watered by several reservoirs and lush seasonal creek drainages. Improvements are sustainable to livestock and equestrian operations, with previous owners running horses year-round as well as leasing pastures for cattle. The ranch is accessible via county road and provides year-round access. Along the river, a variety of wildlife species and livestock have access to cover and forage. The remainder of the ranch is made up of upland pastures, hay meadows, timbered riverbeds, and pasture reservoirs, all providing quality, year-round hunting opportunities. Recreational amenities in Montana are unlimited, and this area is no exception, with resident wildlife populations of deer, antelope, upland game birds, and turkeys. The Musselshell River hosts a variety of fish, including trout, bass, and catfish, and the 5,762± total acres, which includes 878± acres of Bureau of Land Management land and 1,280± acres of leased state land, make this property an exceptional investment opportunity for the discerning buyer seeking a true Montana lifestyle. Cattlemen, equestrian enthusiasts, and recreationists will find harmony on the Whiskey River Ranch.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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QUICK FACTS • • • • • • • • • •
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Central Montana agricultural and recreational ranch with more than 3 miles of the Musselshell River This ranch totals 5,762± acres 3,604± deeded acres 1,280± State of Montana leased acres 878± Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allotment acres Various terrain prospects across the property include a riparian river bottom, upland pasture, hay meadows, rolling hills, and pasture reservoirs Original homestead and corrals remain on the ranch, with additional improvements for cattle and equestrian operations Enjoy private fishing on the Musselshell, a highly sought-after opportunity Waterfowl, grouse, turkey, and pheasant hunting are plentiful Trophy mule deer, antelope, and whitetail also call this ranch home
Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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LOCATION The Whiskey River Ranch lies on the elevated plains of the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in central Montana. A tributary of the Missouri River, the Musselshell River, flows through the ranch’s adverse terrain. High protein grazing lands put healthy gains on cattle and are one reason why the area is generally dedicated to farming and ranching. However, the area’s variety of wildlife and hunting opportunities have increased interest in recreational buyers.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
There is a small rural town of Melstone, located approximately 11 miles from the ranch, offering services to nearby rural areas, including a Hardware/General Store, Jakes Garage, a service station, and the Melstone Bar and Cafe, a popular roadside stop for travelers. Roundup, the Rosebud county seat, is a 45-minute drive from the ranch and offers a slightly larger variety of amenities in addition to the nearest healthcare facility. Roundup, Montana is known for its Independence Day Extravaganza, where the whole county is invited for three days of entertainment. For more information on Roundup’s amenities, please visit http://www.roundupmontana.net/communitylinks1.html. Billings, Montana, is a short one-and-a-half-hour drive south and provides the closest international airport. Billings is the largest city in Montana with extensive services, two major hospitals, and a wide range of name-brand shops, restaurants, breweries, museums, a zoo, major theaters, and event centers. www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
AIRPORT SERVICES The closest runway to the ranch is the Roundup Montana Airport, located just off Highway 87, approximately 45 minutes West. An hour and a half drive south of the ranch, Billings Logan International Airport services six airlines that offer worldwide access. Millions of dollars have been invested in ensuring that Billings Logan International Airport stays current with industry changes and maintains its ability to serve the region’s air service needs today and into the future.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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AREA HISTORY Located in southeastern Montana, Rosebud County covers approximately 5,027 square miles of land and 17 square miles of water. The county was established on February 1, 1901, and continues to be the fourth-largest county by land area and one of the agricultural counties in Montana. A high point near the Yellowstone River is 1,500 feet above sea level, and a low point near Ashland, which adjoins Custer National Forest, is 4,200 feet. Angela, Ashland, Birney, Colstrip, Hathaway, Ingomar, Lame Deer, Rosebud, and Sumatra are also located in Rosebud County, along with the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
ACREAGE 5,762± total acres • 3,604± deeded acres • 1,280± State of Montana leased acres • 878± BLM allotment acres www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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CLIMATE Generally, the ranch has a moderate climate. The annual precipitation is between 12 and 14 inches. The average high temperature is 83 degrees in the summer, while the average low temperature is 51 degrees.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
It averages 38 degrees during the day and 13 degrees at night in the winter months. Winters are mild, with an annual snowfall of 35.2 inches, less than most places in Montana.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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IMPROVEMENTS Several quality-built improvements surround the original homestead, including the original corrals, two outbuildings, and one barn that can be used for livestock or equestrian operations. Additional improvements include: • Fences around pastures and perimeters • The best steel-fabricated shipping and working corrals in East-Central Montana • Two-track road infrastructure • Gravel pit In addition to the structural improvements, there are two gravel river bottom crossings on the ranch with one sitting near the ranch headquarters and the other along the northern water gap.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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RECREATION H unting & W ildlife Hunting opportunities vary from big game to upland birds on the Whiskey River Ranch. The Musselshell Valley is known for its trophy antelope, mule deer, whitetail, and migrating elk. Trophy-class bulls can be found thanks to sensible and careful land management. Many hunters have taken bulls that scored in the 340s to as high as 380s, and some even larger ones. This ranch provides the right combination of natural resources and acreage to make for a wonderful hunting and fishing getaway.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
F ishing Anglers seeking solitude will enjoy owning a piece of the Musselshell River, a river that primarily runs through private land. Otherwise known as central Montana’s lifeline, the Musselshell resembles a spring creek with its narrow width, twisty nature, shallow water, and bushy banks. This 341.9 milelong river, from its confluence to its mouth, is considered one of the state’s hidden treasures and offers a variety of fish due to its influx of cold to warm water. The Northern part of the river, found on the property, is known for its low pressure, creating a warm-water fishery where large catfish and smallmouth bass call home. The Musselshell River offers the best fishing in April through June as well as some of the fall months, unlike many other rivers in Montana. Early mornings and late evenings are the prime times of the day.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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LOCALE Welcome to the country of ranching, farming, outfitting, coal, dryland and irrigated crops, and a few oil rigs. Central Montana is known for its small-town culture with picturesque big sky views. The entire Musselshell Valley is filled with like-minded individuals who care for the land and surrounding rural communities. You are sure to find a local rodeo, arts and culture event, or a historical heritage dedication in the surrounding local towns of the Whiskey River Ranch.
N earby S chools
H ealthcare
Melstone Public Schools K-12 5 6th Avenue North Melstone, Montana 59054 406-358-2352
Roundup Memorial Hospital 1202 3rd Street West Roundup, Montana 59072 Clinic 406-323-3337 Hospital 406-323-2301
Roundup Central School K-12 600 1st Street West Roundup, Montana 59072 406-323-1507
Billings Healthcare: St. Vincent, SCL Health Medical, and Billings Clinic.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
For more information on services and the locale visit this website: https://rosebudcountymt.gov/
INCOME | RETURN OPPORTUNITY This agricultural ranch includes operations for income potential; please ask the listing agent to learn about the current operations and additional information.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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WATER SOURCES | WATER RIGHTS There are two Musselshell River irrigating rights (74± acres). Currently, the land isn’t planted, but this would be a great opportunity for a new buyer to develop it. The 2020 Farm Service Agency shows 213.06± acres of cropland, but an aerial image indicates approximately 700± acres were farmed in the past. A new buyer may qualify for a cost-share program from FSA that can help drill some new wells along the river and extend the water system. Montana waters, in all their varied forms and locations, belong to the state for the benefit of its people. A water right is the right to use the water within state-established guidelines, and not any ownership of the water itself. Since water rights in Montana are guided by the prior appropriation doctrine, a person’s right to use a specific quantity of water depends on when the use of water began, establishing the relative priority date of use on the water source. The first person to use water from a source established the first right, the second person could establish a right to the water that was left, and so on. Additionally, water users are limited to the amount of water that can be beneficially used. Beneficial use includes, but is not limited to, agricultural, recreational, fish and wildlife and domestic purposes. Montana is currently conducting a statewide adjudication of all water rights with priority dates prior to July 1, 1973. The statewide adjudication is a court process that prioritizes and quantifies all existing water rights in each Montana drainage basin. With eighty-five basins in Montana, and over 219,000 water right claims, the statewide adjudication is a massive undertaking that is expected to stretch well into the future. Until the adjudication process is complete, the status of any particular water right claim cannot be guaranteed. Fay Ranches, Inc., its brokers and salespersons do not warrant or make any representation concerning the quantity or quality of any water rights, nor any legal entitlement to use of water rights, permits to appropriate water, exempt existing rights, determination of existing water rights, nor any ditches, ditch rights, or ditch easements appurtenant to or constituting a burden on the property. Water rights claims appurtenant to the property may or may not have been fully or finally adjudicated, and any Buyer is advised to make any offer to purchase contingent upon and subject to such independent inspections, evaluations, and advice concerning the water rights and adjudication process as a Buyer might deem prudent. All Buyers should be aware that Fay Ranches, Inc., its brokers and salespersons involved in this offering have not conducted an expert inspection or analysis of the water rights for this property.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
MINERAL RIGHTS All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed.
CONSERVATION | STEWARDSHIP Each of us at Fay Ranches has a love of the land and a desire to see it remain as productive agricultural ground as well as quality fish and wildlife habitat. By promoting thoughtful land stewardship, Fay Ranches has guided owners toward a legacy of conserving wide-open spaces, enhancing and creating fisheries and wildlife habitats, and implementing sustainable agricultural operations. Fay Ranches is proud to say that since our company began in 1992, our clients’ conservation ethic and land-use practices have significantly enhanced the landscape on which we work. www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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SUMMARY The Whiskey River Ranch, which consists of 3,604± deeded acres, 878± BLM lease acres, and 1,280± State of Montana lease acres, for a total of 5,762± acres, is situated on some of Montana’s best and most productive farmland. With an ideal location like this, discerning buyers can enjoy the wealth of recreation that Montana has to offer. With your land investment at the Whiskey River Ranch, you’ll enjoy maximum versatility.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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PRICE $2,599,000
TERMS Cash, Conventional Financing
CONTACT Please contact Kebi Smith at (406) 671-2436 | ksmith@fayranches.com or RJ Patterson at (406) 5446007 | rpatterson@fayranches.com to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Fay Ranches must be present at all showings, unless otherwise noted or other arrangements are made. To view other properties, fly fishing properties, and sporting ranches that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.fayranches.com.
NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without notice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification, carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information to their own satisfaction.
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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Whiskey River Ranch | Melstone, Montana
NOTES
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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RELATIONSHIPS IN REAL ESTATE As required by Montana law, a broker or salesperson shall disclose the existence and nature of relevant agency or other relationships to the parties to a real estate transaction. The various relationships and description of duties are as follows: 1. SELLER AGENT A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Seller to: Act solely in the best interests of the seller; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the seller; Disclose all relevant and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the seller agent and not known or discoverable by the seller unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the seller agent; Safeguard the seller’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the seller’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the seller for any funds or property of the seller that comes into the seller agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a seller and obtaining a seller’s written consent, to represent multiple sellers of property and to list properties for sale that may compete with the seller’s property, without breaching any obligation to the seller. A “Seller Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to: Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the seller agent, except that the seller agent is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; Disclose to a buyer or the buyer agent when the seller agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a buyer and a buyer agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. 2. BUYER AGENT (cont) A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Seller to: Disclose any adverse material facts that are known to the buyer agent and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any purchase offer; Disclose to the seller or the seller agent when the buyer agent has no personal knowledge of the veracity of information regarding adverse material facts that concern the property; Act in good faith with a seller and a seller agent; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations. 3. DUAL AGENCY
If a seller agent is also representing a buyer, or a buyer agent is also representing a seller with regard to a property, then a
dual agency relationship may be established. In a dual agency relationship, the dual agent is equally obligated to both the seller and the buyer. These obligations may prohibit the dual agent from advocating exclusively on behalf of the seller or buyer and may limit the depth and degree of representation that you receive. A broker or a salesperson may not act as a dual agent without the signed, written consent of both the seller and the buyer. A “Dual Agent” is obligated to a Seller in the same manner as a seller agent and is obligated to a Buyer in the same manner as a buyer agent, except
a dual agent: Has a duty to disclose to a buyer or seller any adverse material facts that are known to the dual agent regardless of any confidentiality considerations; and May not disclose the following information without the written consent of the person to whom the
information
is
confidential; The fact that the buyer is willing to pay more than the offered purchase price; The fact that the seller is willing to accept less than the purchase price that the seller is asking for the property; Factors motivating either party to buy or sell; and Any information that a party indicates in writing to the dual agent is to be kept confidential. 4. STATUTORY BROKER A “Statutory Broker” is not the agent of the Buyer or Seller but nevertheless is obligated to them to: Disclose to: i. a buyer or buyer agent any adverse material facts that concern the property and that are known to the statutory broker, except that the statutory broker is not required to inspect the property or verify any statements made by the seller; and ii. a seller or a seller agent any adverse material facts that are known to the statutory broker and that concern the ability of the buyer to perform on any purchase offer; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in putting together a real estate transaction, and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations. 5. IN-HOUSE SELLER AGENT DESIGNATE
Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker
agreement with the buyer, an in-house seller agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a seller for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the seller with respect to the designated transaction. 6. IN-HOUSE BUYER AGENT DESIGNATE
Created when the agency holds both the listing on a property from the seller and a buyer broker
agreement with the buyer, an in-house buyer agent designate is a broker or salesperson employed by or associated as an independent contractor with a broker and designated by the broker as the exclusive agent for a buyer for a designated transaction and who may not be considered to be acting for other than the buyer with respect to the designated transaction. BUYER AGENT A “Buyer Agent” is obligated to the Buyer to: Act solely in the best interests of the buyer; Obey promptly and efficiently all lawful instructions of the buyer; Disclose all relevant and material information that concerns the real estate transaction and that is known to the buyer agent and not known or discoverable by the buyer, unless the information is subject to confidentiality arising from a prior or existing agency relationship on the part of the buyer agent; Safeguard the buyer’s confidences; Exercise reasonable care, skill, and diligence in pursuing the buyer’s objectives and in complying with the terms established in the listing agreement; Fully account to the buyer for any funds or property of the buyer that comes into the buyer agent’s possession; and Comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations. Montana law permits a real estate agent, after providing written disclosure to a buyer and obtaining a buyer’s written consent, to represent multiple buyers interested in buying the same property or similar properties to properties in which a buyer is interested and to show properties in which a buyer is interested to other prospective buyers, without breaching any obligation to the buyer.
www.fayranches.com | (800) 238.8616 | info@fayranches.com
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KEBI SMITH Ranch Sales Licensed in: MT, WY c. 406-671-2436 ksmith@fayranches.com
FAY RANCHES INC. (800) 238.8616 info@fayranches.com www.fayranches.com
RJ PATTERSON Ranch Sales Licensed in: MT, ID c. 406-544-6007 rpatterson@fayranches.com