Madison Spring Creek Ranch

Madison Spring Creek Ranch
Three Forks near Bozeman, Montana
A Beartooth Capital Property
photo by Turner & Fitch
3 miles of the Madison River • 5 miles of spring creek •
Excellent waterfowl and upland bird hunting • Just 30 minutes
from Bozeman, 20 minutes from the airport • Extensive ranch
headquarters, agricultural and equestrian amenities
Situated along the banks of the Madison River, this premier recreational
ranch boasts over three miles of river frontage and more than five miles of
spring creek on its approximately 1,050 acres. The ranch offers tremendous
fly-fishing and waterfowl, upland bird and white-tailed deer hunting. The
Madison is one of the most productive streams in the state for brown and
rainbow trout along with a population of native cutthroat. The ranch varies
from thick cottonwood galleries along the river corridor to sub-irrigated
meadows with meandering spring creeks.
Madison Spring Creek Ranch was operated as a cattle ranch for many
years and optimized for agricultural production. We have restored several
miles of spring creek and enhanced wildlife habitat throughout the ranch,
significantly improving the ranch’s aesthetics, fishing and hunting. Our
biggest project transformed two miles of wide, shallow channel into more
than three miles of spring creek with riffles, deep pools, side channels and
acres of wetland habitat. This work produced endless casting lanes, deep
holding water, spawning beds, shallow backwater refuges for invertebrates,
young fish and waterfowl on over three miles of spring creek.
The ranch is located five miles from the town of Three Forks, with its oldWest charm, groceries, coffee shops, stores and restaurants, just 30 miles
from Bozeman and 20 minutes from the Bozeman airport. This premier
recreational ranch provides amazing sporting opportunities within easy reach
of the charm and amenities of southwest Montana’s best communities. With
our restoration work now complete, this beautiful property with amazing
sporting opportunities is ready for a new owner to enjoy.
7 West Main Street, Suite 202, Bozeman, MT 59715 • (406) 551-4073 • www.beartoothcap.com
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Summary
• 1,047 deeded acres
• 8 miles of river and creeks
• Elevation approximately 4,130 ft
• 5 miles to Three Forks, Montana;
20 minutes to Bozeman Airport
• Ranch compound include
manager’s house, calving shed with
warming room, equipment shed,
two barns with saddle shop and
tack room, garage, pump house
Agriculture
• 700± irrigated acres
• Water: river, creeks and four wells
Recreation
• Fishing for brown, rainbow and
cutthroat trout in the Madison
River and Darlington and Rey
spring creeks
• Hunting for deer, waterfowl and
upland birds
• Equestrian riding & facilities
• Hiking, mountain bike
riding, cross-country skiing,
snowshoeing and snowmobiling
• Easy access to Big Sky and
Bridger Bowl ski areas
Madison Spring Creek Ranch - Three Forks, Montana
Missoula
Great Falls
Wisdom
Bozeman
Billings
Washers:
A Shooting
Tutorial
of a failed wing-shot is that the “miss-er” gets to watch the regal “missed” fly further and further into the boundless sky.
Beyond that meager scene of consolation, how does the failed gunner redeem
his failings? If he’s lucky, he hunts with a good dog or two, the most respectable of
which will slap the empty-barreled gunner with a look so disdainful that even the
staunchest drill sergeant might say, “Go easy, Pooch.” Humility is ultimately good
for the hunter, especially when it’s humbling. A partner can aid, too, with worthless though timely comments such as “Let him get out a bit further,” or “Behind
him again.” Of course the best way to redeem missed shots is to learn from them,
and a good way to learn from mistakes is to listen to the voice in one’s head that
provides nano-second to nano-second commentary on each shot. From experience
I must add that two of one’s own voices (“How’d I miss that shot?”; “He came up
slow and you shot over him.”) can aid, but three voices (“How’d I miss that shot?”;
“He came up slow and you shot over him.”;“No, he came up slow and you shot
at his tail.”) borders on the schizophrenic. Aside from the hounds, the partner,
and the voices in the hunter’s head, the hunter must face finally the laugh-like
“kak-ak” of the lead-eluding rooster, which outlasts the shotgun’s report.
Upland
Written by Chris Dombrowski
T
good dog
and friends
that never
forget your
shooting
record
Dan armstrong/Beartooth Capital's maDison spring Creek ranCh
hough it’s early November, I had the season’s first hunting dream last night — a
nightmare, really — in which I couldn’t hit innumerable flushed pheasants though they hung on kite
strings, reined in by a buddy, barely moving targets.
I awoke disquieted and reminded of last season’s
ample misses, quite certain that the only saving grace
birds, a
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Big Sky Journal
83
A photo of
Madison Spring
Creek Ranch
was featured in
the December
2012 issue of Big
Sky Journal.
M a d is o n
Spring Creek
Ranch
photo by Collin Brown
Success in the restored Darlington
photo by Turner & Fitch
Spring creek restoration created new riffles, pools and wetland habitat
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Madison Spring Creek Ranch - a Beartooth Capital Property
photo by Robert Keith
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by James Esperti
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by Robert Keith
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Madison Spring Creek Ranch - a Beartooth Capital Property
photo by Dan Armstrong
photo by Mike Mansfield
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by Turner & Fitch
photo by Robert Keith
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