NL
The NL ranch is located 30 miles southeast of Big Sandy on the Cow Island Trail. This ranch was added to the operation in 1969 and is home to over 400 cow/calf pairs during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter months, the ranch utilizes the NL to pasture and feed 1,000 mother cows. A large center pivot and flood irrigation provides the winter forage necessary to feed these animals from December until March when they are broken into calving groups and trailed to the other ranches.
IX Ranch Co. also leases the Bear Paw Springs (BPS) ranch, 20 miles east of the NL. Each year around April 20th, the 4 main ranches quit calving and haul those cows that have not calved to BPS. Approximately 220-240 cows calve out on this 10,000 acres and remain there until December. Steer and heifer calves are weaned and shipped from this location in early November.
Geography on this part of the ranch is termed as “breaks” country. There is plenty of sage brush, clay soils and rugged terrain for cows and other wildlife to roam. An inch of rainfall received on this part of the ranch can fill reservoirs, create gully washers and tear out fence in a very short time. Cattle grazing on this part of the ranch tend to be heartier and in better body condition due to the high protein content in the grass. Species of grass include Wheatgrass, Blue Grama, Rough Fescue and Green Needle grass.
Shane Cox is the new foreman at the NL and we are excited to have him on board. He and his wife Keri have been married for 11 years and have two young boys Samuel and Wesley. Keri is originally from northeastern Montana in the neighborhood of Opheim and Culbertson. She graduated from MSU Northern in 1998 and is a school teacher by trade. But with two little ones around she finds that being a full-time mom is just as rewarding. Keri enjoys camping, swiming and hiking.
Shane is orginally from Flathead but was raised on a large ranch in Idaho. He has worked for ranches such as the Matador and Sunlight Ranch as well as Muleshoe Outfitters. Most recently he was employed with the historic N Bar Ranch in Grass Range. Shane has a background in law enforement with the Montana Highway Patrol and enjoys hunting, leatherwork, camping and roping.
