Serene 62,000-Acre Schwenke Ranch in Phillips County, MT

• 62,000+/- Total Acres
  • 55,872+/-  BLM Acres with 4,524 AUM’s alloted to the seller
  • 1,600+/- State Lease Acres
  • 229 Shares of Square Butte Grazing Association equaling 2,700+/- Deeded Acres
  • 2,597+/- Deeded Acres
    • 58+/- Irrigated Acres
    • 1,200+/- Acres of Improved Grass
    • 1,339+/- Acres of Native Grazing
• Ranch Headquarters
  • 2,100 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom House with Attahced Garage
  • 40′ x 70′ and 50′ x 48′ Metal Pole Barns
  • 150′ x 300′ Team Roping Arena
• Elk, Mule Deer, Big Horn Sheep, Whitetail Deer & Antelope Hunting
• Access to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge as well as the Missouri River.

A well-kept set of improvements make up the ranch headquarters, consisting of a 2,100 square foot, 3-bedroom house built in 1971 with recent interior and exterior updates including new siding and metal roof.  A 2-car garage is attached to the house.  Equipment storage, calving barns and a mechanics shop are found in 2 metal buildings; a 40’x70’ pole barn built in 1972 and a second 50’x48’ pole barn built in 1990. The headquarters are accessed by the Power Plant Ferry Road, a well-kept county-maintained gravel road, only 2+/- miles from paved State Highway 66.

Continuous metal fencing provides pens for the ranches’ horse herd and cattle work as well as decorative perimeter fencing surrounding the headquarters. A 150’ x 300’ team roping arena is exceptionally well thought out and constructed, with quality sand and efficient functionality. A reservoir directly behind the home is filled by Cyprian Creek and is of sufficient depth to be stocked with fish should the new owner prefer a private fishing pond.

The ranches’ operation has been perfected by the Schwenke family over their 45 years of ownership. Excellent stewardship is evidenced by the condition of the range and waterways, producing abundant forage for cattle grazing, with plenty remaining for the wildlife populations also making their home on the Schwenke Ranch.  The acreage is primarily native prairie habitat, best suited for cattle grazing, as well as feed grounds for the transitory elk herds, moving in and around the property as they make their way through the Charles M. Russel National Wildlife Refuge and along the Missouri River. Mule Deer and White Tail Deer also make the ranch their home, finding refuge in the brush-covered draws, steep coulees, and tree-lined base of the Little Rocky Mountains that begin their ascent on the ranch. Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep can be found residing in the more mountainous terrain on the ranch, in areas transitioning from range to mountainside, the hillsides covered in pine and juniper.

The Ranch falls in Hunting District 621 where 8 Landowner Elk tags are offered each year.  In recent years only 6 applications for Elk tags have been received from landowners in this District, giving the new owner a very good chance of drawing an elk tag for this area regularly from year to year.   

10.25+/- miles along the southern border of the ranch adjoins the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and Charles M. Russell Wildlife Refuge, where or 375,000 acres of geologic formation, wildlife areas, wilderness areas and points of historic significance has been federally protected from outside interference or development. The Missouri River Breaks is a truly untouched area of the Montana landscape, with a thriving elk population popular with hunters and wildlife enthusiasts alike. These elk herds are quite a sight to see in the late fall at the Slippery Ann Wildlife viewing area, just 18+/- miles from the ranch headquarters. Here hundreds of elk gather during mating season and are viewed by many in the evenings as the sun begins to set and the elk begin to bugle, a truly impressive sight.  The CMR is world renowned for its elk harvest, and hunters and wildlife enthusiasts travel here regularly to take in the Bighorn Sheep and Mule Deer populations prevalent to the area. In the Spring avid Paddle-Fishers descend upon the James Kipp Recreation Area at the Fred Robinson Bridge where Highway 191 crosses the Missouri River to take in the plentiful Paddle Fishing season.  This area can be found directly south of Slippery Ann, just 6+/- miles from the south end of the Schwenke Ranch.

The ranch is steeped in historical significance dating back to the 1800’s when the Plains Indians resided on the property, as evidenced by the many ridgelines throughout the ranch dotted with teepee rings, still visible today.  As time went on, early settlers to the area utilized the Missouri River, accessible from the Ranch for travel and transport of supplies via the Power Plant Ferry before highways were constructed. Evidence of the many travelers throughout history are carved in the sandstone canyon walls, including Kid Curry and the Wild Bunch, who resided on the ranch for a time after their infamous robbery of the train in 1901. It was on the Schwenke Ranch that the Wild Bunch escaped capture and made off with over $40,000 that was never recovered.  The Power Plant Ferry is a well-known historical point and can be accessed by the Power Plant Ferry County Road, running entirely through the Schwenke ranch to the Missouri River, offering insurable access to all deeded acres owned by the Ranch.

The Schwenke Ranch is truly an exceptional piece of the Montana landscape. Cattle herds have been raised successfully on this ranch for many years alongside the ranches’ wildlife populations due to the Schwenke’s excellent range management and stewardship of the land. A new owner will find the ranch has been left in exceptional condition, making them well positioned to continue forward with a cattle herd of their own, while enjoying unobstructed views of the Big Sky from their very own Montana Ranch.