]https://www.kivitv.com/news/fox-news-murdoch-buys-montana-ranch-from-koch-industries

Oh to be extraordinarily rich!

It's only money.

700LH: I can see part of that huge ranch from my home - and took the VarmintWife and the VarmintGrand-Daughter over to it to view, close-up, Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer and Whitetailed Deer thereon, yesterday.
The ranch just sold for a reported $325,000,000.00 (three hundred and twenty five million dollars!)!
It was called "The Matador Ranch" ever since I moved here (24 years ago) - maybe the new owner changed the name already?
I have a photo in my computer files of NFL quarter-back Brett Favre posing with a nice 6x6 Bull Elk and a dandy big Whitetail Buck he killed, on the same day, on that ranch!
I could send it to you if you wish.
I have been on that ranch MANY times - which I must keep some of the particulars quiet - if you know what I mean.
Only saw about 800 (eight hundred) Elk on it yesterday but we only traveled along 1 1/2 sides of the huge ranch which has hundreds of "sides".
To tell the truth if (and that is a might big IF!) I had the money I would have bought it.
The Koch brothers also often hunted Deer and Elk on that place.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hope it doesn't get busted up in 40 area ranchettes.

Or 40,000

Not even I have that much money - Thurston Howell III

I wonder how many people were killed by their ranch hands?

It’s now 320,000 ( three hundred twenty thousand!!) acres.

Something that big is more of a white elephant than a blessing. You'd need an army just to keep the roads cleared and trails open. I can't imagine trying to watch for trespassers or poachers in an area that large.

Lot's of montana is owned by rich fuggs who probably never even set foot on their ranch.

Near where I hunt there is an extremely wealthy rancher, with many employees. Not even the employees can hunt there. The man is hated.

I'm all for capitalism but I also appreciate the public land we have out west.

Bb

I wonder if for that price the mineral rights came with it?

Osky

Drove through the Matador to hunt the backtail. Always were tons of elk and deer on that place..

Same here.

I appreciate the abundant tracks of public land we have here in Michigan compared to most other states East of the Mississippi.

I know of one of those very large spreads. No trespassing and absolutely no hunting of any kind by anyone. Owned by a European.


Osky

Reivertom: Until recently my VarmintWife and I were/are VERY close to the just now former "Ranch Manager", and his wife, for that Matador (Beaverhead?) Ranch.
He took another position at another ranch a few months ago.
I am NOT sure what you mean by "white elephant" but if you mean that ranch looses money then I beg to differ!
That ranch has been operating continuously for a VERY long time!
I doubt it would have sold if it were "loosing money" (white elephant?)!
From what bits of inside information I am privy to the ranch is alive and doing very well.
Visualize, if you will, a buyer who pays cash for said ranch and then continues to grow crops, raise cattle and allow some Hunters to "access" said ranch.
It just MAY take Mr. Murdoch a while to recoup his total investment - but that, I surmise, is the LEAST of Mr. Murdoch' financial worries!
The INCREDIBLE tax write-offs and benefits that come with owning a huge free and clear ranch were and are motivating factors, I am sure, for Mr. Murdoch buying this giant "spread" from the Koch Brothers (Koch Industries).
Besides the great Hunting (of which I doubt Mr. Murdoch will partake!.
In fact this past fall I took my lifelong friend (100% Disabled Veteran) and another friend of mine Antelope Hunting on leased land from that ranch.
We only had one tag and made good on that one opening morning.
White elephant - again I am not sure I know what that means but if it is something derogatory then I refute that.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Let's hope it stays as is and is not developed.

Keep the public land that WE have for all to enjoy.

Bit the privately owned land is just that. Privately owned. I can remember being in SW Montana in the mid 1990's. Two big stories at the time;

The introduction of Wolves, and

The ranch that Ted Turner had recently bought along the Gallatin Gateway Highway. It was so big that that there were only 3 bidders. The federal Gov't., Ted & a Jap firm or their gov't?. Ted won & the locals were elated that he, the lesser of 2 evil's won when the 3rd place bidder, the US Gov't. BLM) folded.

It's big. Bigger than most of us can fathom. We... cannot control things like that. Fruitless to worry about it.

Quick math here.

7000 head(commercial stock?), net maybe $3.5 million. Way more if they are raising/selling registered.

No idea about their farming operation.


Take about 100 years to make it pay....lol





Obviously though there is more to the story and sticking a huge chunk of money into something that actually exists is no doubt the plan.

Besides owning something tangible the family can own it for the next 30-40 years make a big chunk of that money back raising cattle and then still get all of the original investment back.

You'd think the feds could have printed off some more money to buy it.

Does it have a train station?

Yeah...ranching pays reeeeeeeeal good.

Hahaha!

Market keeps creeping up cuzzin'!


$1300 steer calves by February!

You won the Campfire today...🏆

Nice!

I would have 1400 into them by then!

The Flathead Ridge Ranch was established this year. It's a 125,800 acres of land west of Kalispell Montana.

It ain't really a ranch at all, just some fat rich dude with a lot of cash that wants to pretend he has a ranch in Montana so he bought all the land and gave it a ranch like name.

Careful now, Varmintguy might not Varmintunderstand...

VG,
Most of these large "gentleman's ranches" lose money. It doesn't matter, agriculture is the best tax shelter in America. That's why people like Murdoch can afford to buy and operate them, with all the trappings of a going concern. I wonder how much is deeded land, how much is leased, and how much acreage is included that is actually just federal land grazing permits, the latter doesn't preclude the public from using the land.

yeah , but the fuggin cows insit on having half heifers , or more many years

and the heifer calves dont bring jack

It used to be said if you were paying taxes farming you’re doing it wrong.

Heifer calves are always a couple hundred back, unless someone thinks they're replacement quality.



If we get snow and rain before turnout next spring pairs are gonna be gold.



I know a bunch of guys who tested 20-50% open and they'll be scrambling to find cows to run.

But if the moisture doesn't come we are done.

As in toast.

This fake ranch eliminated my long range shooting spot.... ^^^^^



As for the Matador, it is a piece of heaven, my experience with them has been, they are pretty laid back as far as Montana ranches go... we will see if that continues

Biden will tax him on all the cow farts.

Plus mule.

Biden will probably make a deal with them that pays them more to NOT raise cattle.

I wonder how many full time employees it takes to run a ranch that large?

These youngsters don't remember back when heifers were 5 cents back.

Then it was ten cents back.


I have heard of contracts this year for 30 cents back!

it is my understand they out big Hunter Biden for it... after all China and the Ukraine each gave him a Billion or Two, to sell out US interests to each of them.

I'm talking a good steer over one of our cull heifers.


Not a good comparison.

I don't think Murdock is lookin to make a profit ranching.... he probably want's tax shelters/write-offs

For sure.

I wonder if VarmintGuy has drone footage of their haystacks?


Very curious here.

We got a little over 9 for the steers and about 730 for the heifers.

I imagine there some giant bulls on that ranch.

Has anyone here heard of the Burnt Fork "Preserve", in the Bitterroot Valley? I am not sure how big it is, but my god do the elk funnel onto it from the Sapphires, and some of the bulls are BIG. The owner is another rich guy that just wants to have fun, and that's great but it sure is frustrating to see so many elk in the ranch valleys, as I watch from a ridgeline on National Forest. I think the owner lets some youth hunt and I know he allows at least some bulls to be killed, but I am not sure how he goes about choosing who gets to.

I go in to see my taxidermist in Florence and often he'll have a few racks laying in there, looking like something out of Bugle. Quite often they come from the Burnt Fork.

2022 is when it should really improve.


We have hit the bottom.

The first recorded brand in Montana was the square and compass on that ranch, the cattle there today still wear it.

It was brand renewal year in Montana.


$175 per brand, good for 10 years.


Cost me $350.
(my brother owes me half...)


Money well spent, our brand inspectors do a great job.

I only know two things.

1. They ain't making anymore land last time I checked.

2. The ranch they shoot a lot of film on for that yellowstone show is in the Bitterroot and isn't very big from what I can tell.

A lot of the Yellowstone outside shots were done in Utah. This year, more are in Montana.

The Beaverhead/Matador is a long way from the train station.

500 square mile sounds big. If the land is square, it's ~22.5 miles per side. That don't seem very big considering total sq miles in the state.

Have to factor in the payments for the Brett Favres etc trophy hunts

Sam... you bring a ton of info the the Fire... I had no idea there were still brands... nor inspectors. I just assumed ear tags.

Fascinating life you live very large...

Good luck on the rains... that part I get.

Pics and videos are also always great.

I'll try and do some WV cabins pics next year to keep up in a tiny way... or something interesting.

Same with Jim...

Shame BGG don't do pics... that boy seems about wildcard.

All things considered, having Rupert Murdoch buy that place is probably about as good as can be expected.

My horses would look gay with ear tags.

Until his kids get ahold of it..........

It could very easily been purchased by some Chinese communist mega-billionaire or Russian billionaire oligarch. They are buying up a lot of American and Canadian ranches and land, so I hear.

L.W.

SamOlson: Your math may or may not be correct - I don't know.
But, maybe, 7,000 cattle came with the sale of this vast ranch?
That ranch has had in the past and is VERY capable of WAY, WAY, WAY more than just 7,000 cattle in total on it.
This ranch is HUGE and is well watered and has numerous crop fields to support LOTS of cattle!.
And, ANOTHER correction for you - the ranch is already paid for!
Won't take 100 years to "pay for it" or to realize a profit - the title/deed is free and clear - NO mortgage payments or interest to be paid!
So come spring, I am certain the new owner/ranch manager will fill up their vast fields, pastures and leases with calves and cattle to be purchased soon.
Those that GOT money MAKE money!
If you think Mr. Murdoch is going to "lose money" on this purchase YOU simply got another think coming!
The tax accountants and tax lawyers for Mr. Murdoch will be grinning from ear to ear come quarterly income tax time.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Why are the rich buying ranches and livestock?? If this all goes to hell people gotta eat. I think the money is going to be in Cattle ,hogs and sheep.

"Why are the rich buying ranches & livestock?"

Various reasons, but one day I realized all the fancy, high dollar Thoroughbred farms in my area, or just south of me, far outnumbered the number of horse races in the entire world.

I ask around & it was boiled to 3 basic groups.

-Wealthy folks just wanting to live the dream.

-Get rich dreamers/gamblers hoping for a dream come true win.

- Hiding money, tax write off. Easy to have a big write off if ya own an ultra expensive cattle ranch or Thoroughbred farm.

In my work, I deal with both owner ranchers, and owned ranches. Night and day. Find an owner, you only have to ask once and you get your answer. Find a manager, three asks is the minimum.

The Koch's are pretty much, or were, Westerners in mind. Murdoch not so much, and his kids won't be. And I'm with Jim and Sam on the numbers, at over a grand per acre, it's a plaything and tax haven that could NEVER capitalize itself. It might work at about a fifth the price, ranch ground averages around 200 per acre overall in terms of return. But that makes it really hard to maintain family for real ranching in pretty places with "amenities." Never mind inheritance taxes crush each generation.

Dave Skinner: I "keep an eye" on about 36 acres of land a friend of mines mother-in-law bought several years ago - the tract is flat and had been subdivided into 6 "lots" - she bought all six when they came up for sale.
The cost was a total of $690,000.00 then!
That land is nearly adjacent to the Matador (now Beaverhead) Ranch and was "ranchland" up until it was cut-off and subdivided.
It has one gravel road going down the middle and NO other improvements - no water, no electricity nothing!
It is pretty much level and has wonderful views - just like most all of the huge Matador Ranch (now known as the Beaverhead Ranch?).
So I think your "appraisal" of the ranch's worth needs "re-appraising" - right away.
Or maybe YOU are smarter than Mr. Murdoch?
It would be great to have a "multi-multi-billionaire" here with us on the CampFire.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Hahaha!

Savage burn on ole Sammo.

What's that smell?


Something is burning....



Oh yeah, my ass!


LOL



I love a good Varmint beatdown.

Cash, sadly I don't have a big ranch and for the most part my life is actually pretty mundane.

To use Jim's line, cow farming. No big fancy ranch house, helicopters and wild sluts like they have on TV....lol


We also use ear tags but they are strictly for our personal identification purposes. Ear tags can be removed and sometimes break or get ripped out and then you have no way of knowing whose cow it is.

Brands are permanent and in our case, crucial for figuring out actual ownership.

We have a bunch of brands....and I am trying to get another from my Uncle.

I think we have 4 or 5 at the moment.

It's big but it's only a fraction the size of Yellowstone. Wikipedia lists the ranch at 345k acres. The leased land is what makes it 500k. The park at 2.2 million. I wonder if that leased land includes nat. forest and BLM grazing rights. Grazing land is still open for hunting and other recreation.

Speaking of Brands, we have 4, SR, SRS, S-9, And the Sun Burst brand, we got when we bought some land about 20 years ago, the Sun Burst brand was John Armstrong, the Texas Ranger's brand, We only use it on our Long Horns.
Rio7

And good brands/locations are expensive!


My parents have 3-4?

My brother and I have two.

But we only use one.

Y standing O on the right hip.



Decent 2 iron brands sell for over $10k.

Some of the really desirable brands are no doubt 2-3x or more.



Brand info.


The less irons the better. Quicker at branding, takes less room on spring calves, overall way better.

Certain letters or symbols, numerals, etc., are better.

Acute angles can blotch if you're heavy handed with the iron. Curves and obtuse angles generally are more forgiving.




We number brand our replacement heifers for age purposes. I was a little overzealous with the 2018 crop(the iron was an undersized number 8) and now we have several cows with a 8 shaped blotch.

Return on investment is a thing..... watcha think ol Rupert will get? maybe a 1% return? winnin...... lmao
Good thing you aren't a business man.....

So do you think he will and can subdivide the whole ranch? good grief
You better stick to going to the mailbox for your income

O-O Equals, Bloch Bar Bloch, well known on a ranch near here, Rio7

We number brand replacements too Sam.

Helps some.


The brand we use right now is a C lazy J on the left rib.


I like rib brands.

You gotta watch the O as well.


No hair brands, no blotches, piece of cake...

my brand is the scar bar blotch.....

Jim, that is a really nice brand and of course fitting.


My middle name starts with a J and I always wanted some sort of S J combo.

i was lucky Sam.


My great Uncle Jerome had that brand. His daughter gave it to me when I turned 18 as a graduation present.


I suspect a 2 character rib brand is quite valuable.


Friend of mine has what he calls a Mill Iron hip brand.



My buddy who died years ago always wanted something with a D M. Never could get one.

There are three brothers in this county that run cattle and all have the initials D M.

Jim all you need to do is subdivide the ranch and you will be our resident billionaire.....

You would have to find a bunch more dumb people to want to live out here!

New York, Illinois and California has millions of them.......

They came out here in droves during the Homestead days.

The smart ones left.

Future wind farm?

I would love to send you a few from my locale.....

Yeah, no doubt.

lol



I was wondering how you snagged the CJ.


As you know it's about impossible to resurrect a 'retired brand.

A sweet 1 iron brand has to be worth major $.

I'm sure some are 6 figures.

Given the doom and gloom I continually read here on ranching I assume folks are setting their children up to employ elsewhere?

Momma don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys...... let them be doctors and lawyers and such

Ed, we don't have any kids and Jim is sandbaggin'.


That said we have work and I wish I had a couple young helpers!



Brian, my brother and his wife recently bought their own dental practice.
(Orange county CA)


My sister is a lawyer.
(San Fransisco)


We all grew up on the same farm.



Not sure WTF is wrong with me......lol

nobody wants you to work on their mouth?....

Work elsewhere Ed? Its up to them.


It has been said that Montana's greatest export is its young people.

Somebody had to be the smart one

It's "only" 113k acres deeded.

Ha, I hunted this ranch. The elk winter there I am told. Saw my biggest herd of elk when hunting there. problem was all the bulls were spikes. I could of shot any cow I wanted. I went to a area one local called Bloody Dick. Lots of campers at one location. Saw lots of cattle and sheep. Drove in one area where the only thing n the fence was sheep and dogs watching over them.

LOL. I've never seen the show and still got the reference.

A "heifer tax" has been an ongoing discussion among revenuers. Growing a heifer calf to adulthood is a tax free way to build herd equity.

Feds know that and would love to introduce a tax on that equity. So far, they haven't.

The way to make a small fortune farming, is to start with a large fortune, as the old saying goes.

It is a good write off. My accountant loved to point out, for every dollar you keep the govt. from getting, it's costing you a dollar.

He loved to say, "Give me all the money you don't want to pay taxes on and I'll pay the tax". Accountants love to bust yo bubble...

DF

I’m sure we’ve all heard the old joke about the farmer that won a million $. He was asked what he was gonna do with the money?
He replied “farm until it was all gone”.
Wouldn’t take long these days to go through a million $.

LOL. True. 🤠

My wife enjoys it.

I don’t like it. Way too much over the top drama for a real life situation.

Real world doesn’t do business like that. Ranchers don’t go around shooting each other. A hundred years ago when there wasn’t much law, probably less shooting and killing than on this show. Too fake for me.

DF

That’s a load of crap.

You really think that 1990’s Gallatin County residents welcomed the CNN owning, Jane Fonda fcking, liberal a-hole over more public land?

Not.

Years ago in the mid 90’s I met an old fella in north GA. He has traded cattle for a living. Said that he made all his money by buying high and selling low. I guess it’s like that many years?

Jim, Sam,

When you say you have 3 brands, I'm assuming you mean
the design, not the tool?

What purpose does a bunch of different ones serve?

Sorting?

We occasionally see a branded animal here, but it's not normal.
Have handled a cow or two, but never branded any.

I wish I had learned the trade.
The wealthiest new money
t guys I know are my age.
Using their parents land to hold animals, they buy and sell.
Now, several have bought numerous farms.
Would be a big lie to say I don't envy them.
I'm sure it's like every rose bush, lotta thorns there that you dont see.

Dillonbuck: Spent all day yesterday doing some late season Elk scouting, the next valley east of the "Beaverhead" Ranch.
Came across a similar plot of land (but WAY smaller!) that had just sold out from under my scouting partner.
It was flat and completely "un-improved" and had gorgeous views of the Gravelly and Madison Mountain Ranges of the Rockies.
Views similar to the views of those on the Beaverhead Ranch.
My partner had bid $200,000.00 (two hundred thousand dollars!) for the 10 acre tract - apparently it sold for $275,000.00 (two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars!)
Asking price was $250,000.00 (two hundred and fifty thousand dollars!).
Just last night my old friend in the Puget Sound Country called and told me accepted an offer on his home that he is selling, that was $100,000.00 (one hundred thousand dollars!) ABOVE his asking price of $750,000.00 (seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars!)
My point is the price of land/property/homes is NO obstacle to some Americans.
Elk season re-opens Monday - I am tasting Elk liver already.
MY partner actually has two cow Elk tags to fill on this special late Hunt - and, he got a dandy 6x6 Bull on opening day of this states archery Elk Hunt.
Well my freezer is gonna get full of Elk meat one way or the other - again Mr. Murdoch could probably care less about game Hunting but I tend to think he is UP on financial matters.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Property values are very location specific.
But.

There was a subdivision below our ridge, 20 years ago the lots were from an acre to 5 acres. $30-$60k. Some are still unsold, not sure current price.
No great view, hear the Turnpike in the distance. Never truly quiet, except
Saturday nights. Need a well, and a sandmound septic. About $20k.

This is not urban or even suburban.
A nice place to live, but in a development, and Wal-Mart is the only
shopping in 35 miles. Kinda the worst of both world in my opinion.


It sucks, but you property isn't rural ranchland anymore.
It's a field to plant trophy homes!

Very low interest rates with very high inflation is pushing these rapidly escalating home and property prices.

It's those "Brandon Administration" dollars....

And, look for gold to hit $3K...

DF

You are in over your head here vg.

When Sam says it won't pay for itself, he isn't talking about whether there is a mortgage or not. He is simply making the point that the economic return on that place in NO WAY even begins to cover the cost of the ranch.

And, btw, I would guess the ranch is mortgaged in some way or fashion. Way too much $ to tie up in an asset that really doesn't return anything financially.

Hell, the net receipts wouldn't even be 1% of the ranch value.

If they have the money, more power to them. But as all these guys do, they will realize a ranch like that can be a hungry monster if it is not properly run. And far too many of them try to run a multi-million $ outfit on a shoestring budget.

Glad you mentioned the re-upping brands. I had totally forgotten. Need to get that done pronto.

We have 3. 2 are 1-iron brands. 1 is a 1-iron character brand. Been thinking about listing it on craigslist in urban areas and see if some DF wants to own a MT brand for a huge $. Never know. Hell, I'd even sell them a calf and brand it for them and send them pics.