Custer Legacy Ranch

The Custer Legacy Ranch provides a rare combination to today’s market. This self-sustaining 23,500+/- acre deeded ranch is a single contiguous block, along with 1,280 acres of state lands lease totaling 24,780 acres. The ranch has extensive water resources, excellent range conditions, productive irrigated fields, and first class hunting for all species.

Land

This extraordinary 23,500+/- acre ranch is exactly what a true Montana ranch should look like. Its western boundaries are heavily timbered breaks that feed into lightly timbered, Ponderosa Pine covered coulees. These pine covered coulees feed easterly, down through rolling grassy meadows that lead to a lush riparian habitat along the banks of the Big Horn River.

Improvements

The improvements on the ranch include four homes, one modular and the historic cabin that provide modern living accommodations for employees and guests. The homes have been maintained and updated as needed. Various locations of structures separate the homes and offer privacy for the occupants. There are several outbuildings at the main headquarters that include the following: two open faced buildings that provide protection for farm equipment, a large, heated shop, oil shed, a mill for grinding grains, 6 grain bins totaling 100,000 bushels of storage, a vet barn, a feedlot/working corrals, and scale house.
One of the houses is perfectly located along the timbered foothills on the ranch’s western boundary, providing easy access to some of Montana’s finest elk & mule deer hunting. This set of improvements is approximately 7 miles from the other improvements and includes an additional log barn, granary, shop and a steel building.
Improvements:

Home 1: Owners Home: 3 bed/3 bath 3240 sq/ft with a 2 car 2544 sq/ft garage.
Home 2: Managers House:  4bed/ 3bath, 2064 sq/ft
Home 3: Guest Home with 2 bed/2 bath, 1087 sq/ft
Home 4: Ranch Hand Home with 4 bed/2bath, 1448 sq/ft.
Log Cabin 1bed/1bath and 1028 sq/ft.
Heated Shop: 2,000 sq/ft
Vet Barn and Scale House with digital scale.
Grain Storage: 6 grain bins totaling 100,000 bushels
Open Sheds: 2 open pole sheds for equipment
6 Reservoirs
4 spring tanks
12 stock wells
10 pastures with approximately 2,000 Acres each on the West side of highway.
8 Zimmatic Center Pivots
8 Wheel lines

Recreation

For the avid hunter, prepare for an exhilarating adventure, pursuing  bull elk,  white-tailed deer,  mule deer, antelope, pheasants, turkeys, Hungarian partridge, and sharp-tailed grouse. Notably, this ranch is renowned for its world-class waterfowl hunting, setting the stage for thrilling moments in the field. There also has 11 Hunter Blinds strategically placed throughout the ranch.
Mature cottonwoods line the famous meandering Bighorn River for miles and fishing adventures are endless. Although the property slightly intersects the river, opportunities abound, including walleye, sauger, smallmouth bass, and catfish downstream from Hardin, and rainbow and brown trout upstream, including world-class fly fishing with guides and outfitters below Bighorn Lake. The diversity of the waters ensures an unforgettable fishing experience from the shore or the boat.

Agriculture

Custer Legacy Ranch offers extensive agricultural opportunities. Boasting eight center pivots, eight-wheel lines, gated pipe, and flood irrigation across 1,100± acres, the high-producing soils cultivate a bountiful harvest of corn, small grains, sugar beets, and alfalfa. The Ranch has extensive water rights that run with the property and also has shares of the Victory Ditch.

General Operations

The ranch is well-maintained and is easy to own and operate. The current owners have offset costs with a farming lease and cattle grazing and have managed the ranch with an emphasis on wildlife productivity while maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape. Pride of ownership is evident throughout the ranch, and the property shares state land boundaries for additional recreation opportunities.

History

The previous owners, T.L. Kemph had a vision and a plan.  He had the vision to enlarge his property and was able to purchase land as it came up for sale, creating this heritage ranch which encompasses land from the Big Horn River to Interstate 94. The Kemps installed the first pivot sprinklers in the State of Montana and were one of the first livestock producers to introduce Simmental cattle to this area.  The current owner has expanded the farm ground by adding three new pivots over the last two years.

Location

The Custer Legacy Ranch is a unique farm and ranch, conveniently located 9 miles south of Interstate 94 and 22 miles north of Interstate 90, providing easy transportation of commodities. Due to its vast size, this ranch is located in both Yellowstone and Big Horn Counties. The small community of Custer is located approximately 11 miles north via Highway 47 while Montana’s largest city is approximately 65 miles away. Billings, population 110,000, has an international airport, multiple hospitals, and all the amenities needed to provide the necessary products and equipment for operating the farm and ranch.
Rarely do we see trophy-caliber ranches like this come to market. The Custer Legacy Ranch has all the desirable features, with unmatched privacy and scenic beauty combined with remarkable conservation and wildlife values. These features and a location only one hour from the Billings make the Custer Legacy Ranch a standout property in the current ranch market.