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Ideal Ranching Mecca - oxymoron? lol.

T

Tap

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Joined
Feb 25, 2006
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Location
anyplace you find me
Jake and Jinglebob gave me this idea, and I brought it over here.

Other than your own stomping grounds where would you most like to run a ranch? Or, even if the weather was not great in a location, where do you think are some of the prettiest spots to live, or ranch?

I really like the Tongue and Powder River areas of Montana, and Northern Wyoming. The country is scenic and rough, but I have no urge to irrigate. Miles City is a nice town, so anywhere near there would be ok. Other than straight north of town, as it gets too flat.

The country around Gillette Wyoming is pretty nice cow country too. They have a lot of shelter and pine tree country in some areas there. I like the area around Midwest and Kaycee, except water can be a problem there. Cody Wyoming is real pretty too.

One of my favorite places is just across the Utah line into NE Nevada. The sage and cedar is attractive to me.It looks to be a low input country to run a cow, with lots of protection, and LOTS of room to stretch out in. I also like the area around Tuscarora NV real well, the Independance Mountains, and the Ruby Mountains too come to think of it. If I had a ranch with a farm crew, I could stand to live there, but there is that irrigating thing again. :wink: They can get lots of snow, but it is beautiful there.

I have heard the country around the Pine Ridge Reservation in SD is awesome, but I haven't been in much of it. I have had the urge to look around New Mexico, and Arizona, but haven't got that done yet.

I favor the drier places to ranch for some reason. I suppose that they are generally the prettier spots, and a few more acres to run on will get you through a drought easier.

Oh yes, I have also heard that the Sweetgrass Hills area of Canada is real nice too, and I would like to visit there someday.

How about the rest of you???
 
I am sure lots more will come to me, but from the pictures Nicky posts, I would like to look around Oregon some too. Anywhere it doesn't take too much hay to run a cow would be fine come to think of it. :D
 
Greg and I have always loved southern Alberta,between Waterton Park and Turner Valley-Black Diamond....beautiful ranchland,and mountains combined.

Looking at pics here on ranchers,everyones area is so special for thier own reasons...love your area Tap,I'd love to explore those badlands on foot,hands down one of my favs.Nickys is another one that looks interesting. I guess I would have to pick ranchwife and cowboy-ups as the view I would love to get up to every morning.
 
tap
if i could ranch the way i want to i would have a winter place in the brush country most likely close to Uvalde Texas and a summer place in the hobac river country between Pinedale and Jackson Wyoming
and run yearlings in the summer and a few cows and some yearlings in the winter
i like that country because it's good grass to begin with and it's way to rough to ride a famerwheeler in so you have to go ahorseback if you want to gather any cattle
until later
jerry
 
Tap

You must love the dry country where it takes 100 acres to run a pair.

Oh yes, I have also heard that the Sweetgrass Hills area of Canada is real nice too, and I would like to visit there someday.
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I run my cows below West Butte in the Sweet Grass Hills on our original homestead. I hate to spread it around but it is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. I have a different idea of beautiful though. Rolling hills with endless grass, especially sweetgrass, with the sweet smell of sage. Sometime look at my website I have pictures of the cattle up in the hills and the picture on the home page is right up there. I also have a photo gallery with cattle pictured in the sweet grass hills. The most beautiful view you will ever see is sitting up high on the North East corner of West Butte looking North and East into Canada. I would love to call that place my own.
 
Just about any place west of the big river would do. The flint hills of Kanas, or the sandhills are a couple of my all time favorites though.
 
Anywhere where the people are few and the cattle are many. :D

I liked the looks of the country up around Three Forks, Montana, years ago.

Northern Nevada looked good. I like the looks of Nicky's country also. Matter of fact I ain't seen too many places on here that don't look pretty good. There is good and bad in all.

I always thought it would be great to live in a country where you could run on the desert in the winter and the mountains in the summer.

South looks better every winter.

Sad fact is, if you don't want to fight the encroachment of people you better pick a spot that is too ugly, too cold, or too hot, to invite people there. :cry:
 
There are so many places that would just be perfect if it wasn't for all the development that is going on now.. The gallatin Valley would have been a dream in 1920 or so as would much of the west but with pressure on water rights, enviromental folks and land values excallating through the roof it is hard to imagine... A place that is nice, but way to farmy right now, is south west and south central Iowa. rolling hills, lots of water and good soil. Not as wet as it is here but also not near as flat... I saw some places out there that were just amazing, all they were missing was some mountains...


I guess if I was a billionaire or something like that I would do what I could to talk Ted out of the Flying D out near Big Sky...Should only take all of that billion eh?
 
As much as I love the sandhills of Nebraska...there are days...(like recently) when I would rather be ranching in the warm tropic lush hills and valleys of Hawaii! Ranch in the morning....surf in the afternoon...sounds good don't ya think?...lol Ok..so if Hawaii don't work...I'm moving in with Lilly!
 
Yeah...then we can be the Carhart twins in our coveralls...feedin cows...when it's....well heck, you'd get down here and when I'm freezin to death you'd think it was balmy and you'd be wearin yer shorts....

Oh well what the heck, come on down. LOL
 
I'm not bringing my coveralls!!! That's why I want to ranch were it's warmer..lol Yur right though...it was 45 today and I didn't even wear a coat outside this afternoon..lol and I spose you'd be freezing in these temps..lol
 
Mrs.Greg said:
Greg and I have always loved southern Alberta,between Waterton Park and Turner Valley-Black Diamond....beautiful ranchland,and mountains combined.

Looking at pics here on ranchers,everyones area is so special for thier own reasons...love your area Tap,I'd love to explore those badlands on foot,hands down one of my favs.Nickys is another one that looks interesting. I guess I would have to pick ranchwife and cowboy-ups as the view I would love to get up to every morning.
Click to expand...

I am not so sure about that Mrs Greg...

waking up to Cowboy up every morning is not what I had in mind..... I am sure cowboy up is a nice guy, but I really do not want to roll over and wake up to him!


perfect place for me is a ranch in the Flint Hills just south of Manhattan....so I would be close to the ballgame!!!
 
Anywhere between Cassoday and Emporia Kansas in the Flint hills.
They just sold a 7,300 ac ranch there Saturday for $1,055 per ac.
Now cattle can't tote that note, but I guess when you are the Bass's from Ft. Worth you don't worry about notes. Makes it difficult on those trying to ranch for a living. Who said life was fair.
 

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