From Montana’s Mountains to the Prairies
Tom had purchased the Sun Ranch elk hunting trip at a fund raising event for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – another interest shared with the Hewitts. The Hewitts and the Lewis family have strong ties to the RMEF, all being life members and Tom serving on the Board of Directors. Further cementing the Lewis/Hewitt relationship was the fact that during that elk hunting trip Tom’s three-year-old daughter, Annie, formed quite an attachment to Shelby Hewitt and has come to regard her much like an aunt.
An attorney and trial lawyer in Great Falls, Tom had long since sold the Lost Fork Ranch and hoped to find a ranch property within just a couple hours of his home. “I found that a busy schedule and frequent work-related travel made it too difficult to make the trip across the state to visit my first ranch,” commented Lewis.
Tom worked with several realtors in his pursuit of a local ranch and was disheartened by most of the interactions. “They just weren’t looking at my interests,” Lewis recalled. “They only wanted to show me the properties they were listing.”
Time and again, realtors tried to ‘fit’ Tom into their properties. Some cancelled appointments at the last minute or simply did not show up for meetings. All in all, the initial property search was not a positive experience.
Tom’s luck turned when he reconnected with Rich and Shelby Hewitt at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation National Convention. Seven H Land Company spent the next year working on Tom’s behalf to find a ranch that would in fact meet his needs.
“They found several ranches that were within the scope of what I was looking for. I never would have thought something on the Marias River would be a fit but it definitely was,” remarked Lewis.
With 6.5 miles of river frontage and just an hour and fifteen minute drive from home, Tom knew the Marias River Ranch was a fit. It was also a match with his list of additional criteria including:
And finally, the added bonus of seclusion. The property is literally at the end of the road. “We even lucked out with good mule deer hunting on the ranch as well,” Lewis joked.
There are many challenges involved in buying a ranch and this purchase was no exception. Tom was quick to recall, “Without Rich, I never would have been able to get the straight information about this place from the other parties involved.” A conflict of interest can arise when the agent is representing the seller while also dealing directly with the buyer.
Tom feels the ‘Buyer’s Broker’ approach is the wave of the future. “Rich stayed on top of everything for me and just kept pounding away to get every last detail in order,” said Lewis. He wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Seven H Land Company to others, stating, “They are great people who honestly care about their clients. There’s a lot to be said for the fact that these are people who do what they say they’re going to do.”
The 1,795 acre Marias River Ranch is rich in wildlife. True trophy quality whitetail and mule deer inhabit the river bottoms and the breaks leading down into the Marias River. Antelope frequent the high bench lands above the river. Upland birds, dominated by wild pheasants as well as turkey, sharp tail grouse and Hungarian partridge, make even the calmest bird dog shiver with delight. Tom Lewis has commented, “Every rooster weighs at least 5 pounds!” Plus, the river and slough areas are frequented by ducks and geese. One would have to search a long time to find a property comparable to the Marias River Ranch.
Most of the river bottom land has been professionally leveled and is irrigated by circle pivots. The land is productive, raising hay and grain crops. With Tom Lewis’s focus on upland birds, crops will be managed to produce forage and cover for those ‘5 pound rooster pheasants’. Seven H Land Company represented the Tom Lewis family from Great Falls, Montana in acquiring this phenomenal wildlife property, which was listed for $2,300,000 at the time.