Continuing a Ranch Legacy
Donna and John had one child, a son who has continued the Bausch family tradition of ranching. Our son, Jerry, was always very interested in ranching. I told him to get his education and then come back to the ranch, recalled Donna. He studied in the College of Agriculture at Montana State University and did indeed return to the ranch.
The family legacy will continue with Donna's grandchildren as well. Donna happily commented, My granddaughter is a nurse in Butte, Montana, but she plans to come back to the ranch to carry on the tradition, and my grandson owns a home on the ranch too.
When Donna first met Rich and Shelby Hewitt she owned a ranch on the Madison River above the Sun West Ranch, where Rich and Shelby were the ranch managers at the time. “I had some extra grass to sell and they needed it, so that was the first time I met the Hewitts,” Donna remarked. “I didn’t know them at all then, and they hadn’t been in the valley for very long, so I came to know them through an agriculture deal.”
Donna eventually sold that ranch on the Madison River but later decided to buy another ranch property. I sold that ranch and coasted along for awhile, but I realized that ranching was my life, so I decided to buy another property,” Donna said matter-of-factly.
That’s when Donna decided to work with Rich and Shelby Hewitt of Seven H Land Company. Rich and Shelby went to work looking for a property in the area that would align with Donna’s interests.
Donna was interested in finding a ranch very near property she already owned and of course she needed a working ranch property. Rich and Shelby found the Canadian Creek Ranch. “The Canadian Creek Ranch was a perfect fit because it nearly joined our property at Norris, Montana where my son lives now. The Sitz Ranch has a strip of land in between,” noted Donna.
Rich and Shelby Hewitt impressed Donna with their ability to find exactly what she wanted in a property. “As a Buyer’s Broker, they’re very dedicated to finding that certain type of property you’ve asked for and they don’t just take someone else’s word for what’s out there,” stated Donna. “They look at the land themselves and make sure it is right for the client.”
What started with a deal to buy grass ten years ago has developed into a trusted working relationship between friends and neighbors. Of her friendship with Rich and Shelby Hewitt, Donna stated, “I’m active, and I’m out and about quite often, so the Hewitts and I are in the same company from time to time.”
Donna was happy to comment that, “The Hewitts are very interested in the community, and they have lived the ranching life, so Rich and Shelby work to help those in the ranching business.”
As Donna looked back on the many, changes that have come to pass in the Madison Valley over the years, she couldn’t help but notice that big family ranches are becoming a thing of the past. Donna reflected, “My husband and I bought the Candlestick Ranch from the Shaw family a number of years ago which had 2.5 miles of Madison River frontage. Then the Fish and Game bought 100 acres of it and the rest of the 4000+ acres were purchased by a private party and put into a conservation easement.”
Lying under the shadows of the Tobacco Root Mountains, the Canadian Creek Ranch is made up of rolling hills that drop into deep draws with groves of Quaking Aspen trees. Patches of mature juniper and pine soon appear as one ascends the lower elevations to the boundary where the ranch borders Forest Service land. The Canadian Creek Ranch is home to numerous species of wildlife including elk, deer, bear, mountain lion and a number of smaller species. Water originates on or near the property flowing eastward to contribute to the Madison River and the headwaters of the Missouri River. The grass is strong and provides excellent summer grazing for livestock. Seven H Land Company represented the Donna Bausch family from Ennis, Montana in acquiring this working ranch property, which was listed for $1,550,000 at the time.