Shield’s Valley Ranch is rich in history, starting with two properties and families, nestled against the Gallatin National Forest.
Goat Mountain Ranch & Spear Lazy U:
Original Spear Lazy U ranch sign made by the previous owners.
Shields Valley Ranch:
About 50 miles northeast of Bozeman, the Shields Valley Ranch is the union of two former ranches: The Spear Lazy U and The Porcupine Ranch (Lazy SR Ranch). Nestled against the Gallatin National forest, they together form ~16,000 acres of irrigated land, timber, and riparian bottom which create an ideal habitat for the thousands of elk that traverse the Ranch and the fish that inhabit the miles of river and creeks.
Many geologists claim that nowhere in South Central Montana is the transition from prairie to mountains as dramatic as the approximately twenty-mile stretch from the Yellowstone River to the 11,200-foot Crazy Peak located in the Crazy Mountains. 5+ miles of Shields River, 4+ miles of Smith Creek, and the 7,770 ft Goat Mountain are within the confines of this productive cattle operation of roughly 1,500 animal units. This beautiful ranch has been carefully managed to balance wildlife habitat and the cattle operation.
Wildlife includes black bear, elk, antelope, both deer species, and pretty much every other species of bird or animal that one would expect on a Montana mountain ranch. Fishing is available both in the ranch’s ponds and the Shields River that passes through a portion of the ranch.
The Spear Lazy U Ranch:
Formerly owned by the great railroad pioneer, James J. Hill, Spear Lazy U has a great deal of history, dating back to 1883—as far as our records can tell us! Under the careful stewardship of the McLeod Family since 1974, the Ranch has been carefully managed to balance wildlife habitat and a commercial cattle operation.
Within the confines of the deeded acreage is the 7,770± foot Goat Mountain, over four miles of the trout rich Shields River, and thousands of acres of timber, meadows and riparian threads.
If you wish to read more about the specifics on Spear Lazy U’s history, you can do so here.
The Lazy SR Ranch:
The Lazy SR Ranch is contiguous to the Gallatin National Forest on the northeast corner of the Crazy Mountains. The Lazy SR operates on some of the most productive rangeland to be found in Montana, and high natural precipitation and rich soils coupled with good water rights assures bountiful annual hay production.