LOCATION The Bismarck Ranch is located in the fine ranching country of western South Dakota along the banks of the Belle Fourche River and in the vicinity of the Historic Deadwood to Bismarck Trail. A historical marker for the trail is situated across the river from the Headquarters Unit at the site once known as the town of Empire. The ranch is east of Vale, South Dakota just a 10 minute drive and about 45 minutes north of the Black Hills. The ranch headquarters is at the end of the road and about 4 miles from a paved road. The Eightmile Pasture Unit is very remote and lays 5 miles east of the Headquarters Unit. Approximate mileages to nearby towns:
ACREAGE AND CURRENT OPERATION 6,042 deeded acres, more or less The Headquarters Unit is cross fenced into seven pastures with two smaller gathering lots and a horse pasture. The Eightmile Pasture is fenced into four pastures. The lease lands adjoin the deeded lands with leased property and deeded property being fenced in together. According to FSA records there are 921.2 tillable acres on the ranch. In recent years some of the tillable land has been used for pasture and not hayed. There are two center pivot sprinklers and some flood irrigated meadows for a total of 289 irrigated acres. An eight-tower Reinke Sprinkler and a four-tower Zimatic Sprinkler are both low pressure systems. Irrigation water is pumped from the Belle Fourche River with diesel powered pumping stations. The Owners have been approved for another water right on the river which could run a third center pivot sprinkler that would irrigate 122 acres. In 2007 the Owners harvested over 925 ton of alfalfa/grass hay, oat hay, and grass hay off of the irrigated meadows and about 80 acres of dryland meadows. The Seller states under the current operation the ranch has historically ran about 550 cow/calf pair. However in recent years, due to drought, the Seller has cut back the number of pairs. The Sellers have been a good stewards of the land and makes plans each year to leave grass cover on the property. The property shows the evidence of good ranch management. NOTE: Carrying capacity and production will vary due to weather conditions and different management practices. Prospective buyers are advised to make their own determination of carrying capacity and production. Acreage figures have been obtained from Court House records, BLM, State and FSA Offices. The property has not been recently surveyed. Area livestock sale barns within a 45 minute drive from the property include Belle Fourche, SD; Saint Onge, SD; and Newell, SD. The current operation also includes taking in a limited number of hunters for deer, antelope, turkeys and prairie dogs. Potential exists to increase the hunting operation. LEASE AND GRAZING PERMIT INFORMATION The BLM Lease near the Headquarters Unit is the Fourmile #2228 Allotment for 505 AUMs. Currently this permit allows 400 cattle from April 15 th to June 15th and again from October 7th to November 1st. The BLM Lease at the Eightmile Pasture is the Eightmile #2306 Allotment for 51 AUMS with grazing allowed from June 1st to September 15th. The annual fee for the BLM Permit is $754.20.The 640 acre State of South Dakota lease is for 150.79 AUMs. The annual cost of the State lease is currently $1,529.60 plus the real estate taxes on the State Lease which are currently $690.14 Government lease fees for both State and BLM lands are subject to change and are typically adjusted each year. The Homestake Lease is a land use trade agreement with no annual fee. REAL ESTATE TAXES The real estate taxes on the deeded land for 2006 were $8,922.94. Typically the county reassesses the real estate taxes when a property is sold and may change the property classification for tax purposes, which may result in higher taxes. Prospective buyers should consult with the Butte & Meade County Directors of Equalization to determine how the property will be taxed after it is purchased. IMPROVEMENTS Modest ranch home built in 1975 on a walk-out basement. Two bedrooms on the main level, with one of the bedrooms having been converted to an office and the closet removed. Main level also has kitchen, dining area, a sunny south facing living room with a pellet stove and one full bath. The lower level has a family room, laundry room, three non-conforming bedrooms and a 3/4 bath. A large entry room on the main level with plenty of room for freezers, storage for coats & boots, a place to put a bench to take off boots and even room for the dog to come in out of the cold. A new metal roof was added to the home in 2006. Near the home there is an oversized two car detached garage with cement floor. The original ranch house has been converted into a bunk house that can sleep six hunters and makes a great place to feed the branding crew. A pellet stove is the heat source. It does have running water and a ¾ bath, however the water lines to the bunk house aren’t conducive to wintertime use. The bunk house is nestled in a grove of trees near the corrals. The ranch has a good set of outbuildings and corrals consisting of :
WATER AND UTILITIES The Belle Fourche River runs through the deeded property in three different locations for a total of over one mile. It runs through the south end of the Cow Camp Pasture, through the southwest side of the pasture at the Headquarters and also through the northwest portion of the ranch. The Belle Fourche River also flows through the Homestake Lease. A shallow well feeds several hydrants at the corrals. The home currently has a cistern and the Owners haul water from Vale, however plans for the Butte/Meade Sanitary Water District to run water lines to the Headquarters are in place with lines to possibly be run to the home and nearby pastures sometime in 2008. The water line will be installed on a government cost share program. The deeded land on the west side of the ranch has nine reservoirs plus Four Mile Creek and Willow Creek, which are intermittent. The Eightmile Pasture does not have any utilities. Eightmile Creek, which is intermittent, runs through the State land and on through a portion of the deeded land. There are seven larger reservoirs and two smaller ones. In 2002 the owners hauled water to the livestock at the Eightmile Pasture. WILDLIFE AND RECREATION The Bismarck Ranch offers excellent hunting and fishing opportunities. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than along the banks of the Belle Fourche River with fishing pole in hand trying to hook a Walleye, Catfish or Northern. Both Whitetail and Mule Deer along with Pronghorn Antelope, Turkeys, some Pheasants, Ducks, Geese and Prairie Dogs are found on the ranch. Annually the Owners take in a limited number of hunters for deer, antelope and turkeys. The Headquarters Unit joins several sections of BLM and State land. Year round recreational opportunities abound throughout the Black Hills region. Most of the major attractions in the Black Hills are within a two hour drive of the property. Visit the following websites for more information on the area:
TERRAIN The topography on the ranch varies from the wide open rolling prairie pastures, lush hay meadows, to river bottom land lined with cottonwood trees. The elevation on the ranch ranges from 2,640 to 2,980 feet above sea level. The home sits on a hill overlooking the hay meadows with a view toward the Belle Fourche River. Bear Butte looms in the distance as a landmark that generations of people have used to direct their trails. FENCES AND BOUNDARIES Typically fences are put in for convenience and may not follow the legal description. The Seller is making known to all potential buyers that there are variations between the location of the existing fence lines and the legal description of the deeded property and that the deeded land is not fenced separate from the lease lands. The Seller has verbal land use trade agreements with several neighbors because of the topography and the ability to only cross the river at certain places. Seller makes no warranties with regard to the location of the fence lines in relationship to the deeded property lines, nor does the Seller make any warranties or representations with regard to the specific acreage contained within the fenced property lines. Seller is selling the property in an “as is” condition which includes the location of the fences as they exist. Boundaries shown on the accompanying maps are approximate, based on the legal description and may not reflect the actual fence lines. The maps are not to scale and are for a visual aid only. The accuracy of the maps is not guaranteed. PROPERTY SHOWINGS The Sellers have requested that the property be shown by appointment only. Please call ahead to make showing arrangements. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. SOUTH DAKOTA SECTION LINE EASEMENTS Buyers are being made aware that in the State of South Dakota the section lines can be used as easements unless they have been abandoned. The owner currently uses section line easements to access the non-contiguous property. MINERAL RIGHTS The Sellers are not making any mineral reservations. Any minerals not previously reserved shall be transferred to the buyer. NOXIOUS WEEDS Prospective Buyers are notified that properties along the Belle Fourche River typically have noxious weeds, including, but not limited to leafy spurge. Interested parties should contact the Butte or Meade County Weed and Pest for more information. MACHINERY The following machinery and equipment will be included with the sale of the ranch.
BISMARCK TRAIL INFORMATION Around 1876 the Historic Bismarck Trail was a used as a primary route between the thriving gold camps in Deadwood, South Dakota and the railhead at Bismarck, North Dakota. It was a primary stage line and way to send goods between Deadwood and eastern destinations. In 1975 the Butte County Historical Society started laying markers at various points along the trail. There is a marker for the long gone site of Empire, South Dakota Post Office and Stage Stop, which was situated west of the ranch just across the river near the banks of the Belle Fourche River. COMMENTS The Bismarck Ranch is one of those rare places with the combination of a good feed base, free irrigation water, hard grass summer pastures, Belle Fourche River frontage, a variety of wildlife, tremendous recreational opportunities and few neighbors. Enjoy the serenity of the South Dakota plains and yet be only 30 minutes from several small towns. The area around the ranch is rich in history of homesteaders, outlaws, prospectors, horse thieves, and native tribes. At one time evidence of teepee rings could be found near the Belle Fourche River on the Cow Camp Unit. And if only the bunkhouse could tell the stories it’s seen. Discover a land where the lore of the Old West legends live and create your own lasting legacy in Western South Dakota. PRICE The listing price of the Bismarck Ranch is
$5,500,000.00 The Owners are willing to sell the Eightmile Pasture separate from the rest of the ranch. The listing price of the Eightmile Pasture is $350.00 per deeded acres for a total of $927,500.00. (nine hundred twenty seven thousand five hundred dollars – US currency) The Eightmile Pasture consists of: The Seller reserves the right to sell the property in accordance with an IRC 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange. The sale is not contingent upon the Seller locating a replacement property. NOTICE This information and any other information contained in the supplemental documents has been obtained from sources deemed to be reliable by Arnold Realty, Inc.; however the accuracy and completeness of this information is not guaranteed or warranted by Arnold Realty, Inc.. Prospective buyers are chargeable with making and expected to conduct their own independent investigation of the information contained herein. This offering is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, price change, correction, or withdrawal from the market without notice. The Seller reserves the right to accept or reject any and all offers without liability to any buyer or cooperating broker. All measurements are approximate. Arnold Realty, Inc. recommends that every item of interest to the purchaser (i.e. water laws, mineral laws, zoning, use regulations, state, federal and private permits) be independently verified by the purchaser’s attorney. Inspect to the extent deemed necessary.
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