Nearly 120,000 Acre Montana Ranch Sells for $64.8 Million

A Montana ranch owned by the late heir and co-president of Mars Inc. has sold for $64.8 million.

At a price tag of $542 per acre Diamond Cross Ranch consists of 119,540 acres (93,280 acres deeded, 6,440 acres State Lease and 19,820 acres BLM Lease) for the southeast Montana property. When just looking at the deeded acres, excluding government leases, the price averages $694 per acre.

Mars candy heir Forrest Mars Jr. had put the ranch together for the past 15 years prior to his death in Sheridan, Wyo. at age 84 on July 26, 2016.

The deeded acres consist of the following acreages:

• 1,025 acres pivot irrigated
• 700 acres flood irrigated or dry cropland
• 91,555 acres rangeland

The ranch is located near Birney, Mont., 45 miles northeast of Sheridan, Wyo. and 95 miles southeast of Billings, Mont.

The ranch winters 1,800 mature cows and 200 bred heifers, while the grazing resources were managed using rotational grazing.

There were three different headquarters on Diamond Cross Ranch that included barns, machine sheds and holding corrals. An event venue at the ranch called The Lodge at Diamond Cross offers guided hunting and fishing trips, along with hosting weddings, reunions or meetings.

The ranch was offered for sale as “turnkey” including the established management team. It was listed by Century 21 BJH Real Estate.

Diamond Cross Ranch was reportedly sold to Heal Holdings LLC, a limited liability company in Florida, on Dec. 1 2017.

https://www.drovers.com/article/nearly-120000-acre-montana-ranch-sells-648-million