HE Bar Ranch

The HE Bar Ranch enjoys an enviable location on the banks of the Red Rock River in the heart of Southwestern Montana. The ranch features easy access to Lima and I-15, while at the same time providing the owner with great privacy. With the Lima Peaks directly across the valley from the ranch the views are breath taking. The area surrounding the ranch is comprised mainly of family owned and operated cattle ranches. These proprietors take great pride in their work as well as in their land.

The Red Rock Valley and the small towns of Dell, Lima, and Monida are great places to raise a family. There is a complete K-12 school with small class sizes which ensure more one-on-one interaction between teacher and students. With large tracts of public land accessible throughout the valley the recreation possibilities are endless.

Elevation, Climate, & Precipitation:

The elevation of the ranch ranges from 6100 ft along the banks of the Red Rock River to 6300 ft atop the high bench overlooking the ranch. The climate in the Red Rock Valley is for the most part mild considering its altitude and mountainous location. Heavy snow falls in the neighboring mountains help to fill area reservoirs and keep the rivers and streams flowing year round.

Access:

Access to the ranch is provided via Steel Bridge Lane. This quiet county road services two neighbors and continues past the ranch to public BLM land. The house and outbuildings are located down a private drive behind a well developed screen of trees a half mile to the northwest off Steel Bridge Lane.

Lima is just 3 short miles away via a paved frontage road. Lima has all the necessities for country living with a convenience/general store, auto repair shop and other basic services. If you choose to fly in, Idaho Fall International airport is 95 miles to the South and has commercial flights daily. If you have a private plane or jet there is a paved and lighted airstrip at Dell just 10 miles from the ranch. Getting to the ranch is easy, it's leaving this beautiful place that's difficult.

Wildlife & Recreation:

The HE Bar is a spectacular recreational ranch. It is home to Whitetail Deer, moose, ducks, geese, and many other species of wildlife. Its river bottom setting has all the essential ingredients wildlife look for, water, cover, food and most importantly piece and quiet. Many have made it their year round home while others find it a pleasant resting stop on their migratory journeys. You will never be alone while working or playing on the ranch.

The Red Rock River is well know as a productive fishery for many species of trout. Though an area drought has been hard on the river and its fish population over the past few years, this year's spring run-off and continuing summer rains have kept water volumes and temperatures at a suitable level for the fish. Because the river is a non-navigable stream one can enjoy a peaceful day of fishing without being bothered by floaters interrupting your casts. As for big game hunting the Lima Peaks and Centennial Valley areas have it all. Whether you prefer hunting elk, deer or moose all can be found on the millions of acres of public land.

Acreage:

The ranch is comprised of 389+/- productive acres. The River Bottom land is considered high-producing land and is flood irrigated through a series of ditches. A portion of the cropland is currently seeded to alfalfa while the rest is cross fenced into several irrigated pastures. There are some very nice riparian areas along the river that provide cover and feed for the area wildlife. The balance of the property is a high bench overlooking the river bottom. It is fenced from the cropland and a portion has been tilled and seeded to provide a spring range for the cattle. All water rights appurtenant to the property will transfer at closing. The seller will also transfer 1,020 Shares in the Lima Water Users Irrigation Company.

Acreage Breakdown:

170+ acres Irrigated Cropland

1+ acre Owner's Home and Corrals

218+ acres Improved Pasture, Grazing and Riparian areas

389+ Total Deeded Acres

Improvements:

Improvements include everything essential for country living and operating a small cow calf operation. The farm house is a custom built 3 bedroom 2 bath home measuring approximately 2000 square feet on both the main and upper floors. It is heated by a free standing gas fire place. There are 2 bedrooms and one bath on the main floor and a mostly finished mater suite on the second floor along with a living/family room. Front and back porches round out this comfortable cedar sided home. For equipment, storage and a place to work out of the weather, the large shop building is a big plus. It has a concrete floor, large barrel stove and even a separate wood working room inside.

Cattle working facilities on the ranch feature corrals and a calving shed complete with a head catch and several mothering pens. The crowd alley leads to a new manual squeeze chute for vaccinating or doctoring the cattle. There are several holding pens with water tanks and some feed bunks. Everything is in good condition and is cattle ready.

Ranch Description:

The HE Bar was a dream realized by its current owners. Through a labor of love for both ranching and the great outdoors they built almost all of the improvements that are currently found on the ranch. It has historically run as many as 100 head of cattle on a year round basis. The ranch utilized the improved pasture in the spring while growing the river bottom pastures for summer and fall grazing. Approximately 70 acres were tilled and planted to alfalfa to make hay for feeding in the winter months. The ranch is relatively easy to operate and features a full set of working corrals and caving sheds. All of the pastures are fenced and cross fenced to maximize grazing efficiency as well as making it easy to rotate the cattle to fresh feed during the grazing season. Most of the ranch and working corrals can be easily seen from the comfort of the farm house living room. The design of this small working ranch has been very well thought out.