Hiring a Ranch Hand in Montana

Ranch Hand

South of Chinook, Montana, Full Time, Year Round, Housing Provided

Overview

Talent Solutions is partnering with the Davies Ranch to find a Ranch Hand for their family owned Black Angus cow/calf operation about 25 miles south of Chinook. About 80% of the job is cattle work, including feeding in the winter, calving in the spring, and haying in the summer. They are looking for a qualified, dependable hand who wants to stay long term. This ranch works jointly with a second family ranch 10 miles away, so you will have support from the larger crew when the work calls for it. Most of the work is done on four wheelers. The position pays $50,000 a year and comes with a full benefit package, including health insurance paid 100% by the employer starting day one, a fully funded retirement plan, a large home with utilities, and a half beef every year.

What Sets This Opportunity Apart

• $50,000 per year


• Large, beautiful home provided with utilities, internet, and phone included


• Health insurance paid 100% by the employer starting day one


• Fully funded retirement plan, with past contributions consistently at 25% of wages


• Half a beef 


• Work vehicle provided


• Work alongside a second family ranch 10 miles away with additional hired hands for support

Responsibilities

• Feed cattle through the winter months with round bales and a round bale feeder


• Calve cows in the spring, typically starting mid March


• Minor doctoring, vaccinations, branding, and fall testing


• Hay in the summer


• Operate tractors and farm machinery, including hooking up implements such as plows, seed drills, discs, and manure spreaders


• Till, plant, cultivate, and fertilize crops


• Operate self propelled harvest equipment


• Mix and apply pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers


• Fuel and service machinery and make minor mechanical adjustments and repairs


• Haul supplies, tools, and harvested crops by truck and load and unload trucks by hand


• Operate four wheelers for daily work


• Weed and thin crops with implements and pick rock from fields


• Lay out, connect, and align main and lateral irrigation lines, start pumps, and open valves to start water


• Move hand lines and wheel lines across fields at set intervals and monitor sprinklers for even water distribution


• Grease, adjust, repair, and replace sprinkler heads, drive chains, and other irrigation parts


• Run flood irrigation by setting and closing ditch gates, connecting standpipes, and shoveling ditches, furrows, and embankments to direct water


• Patch concrete lined pipes, ditches, and spillways and make minor repairs to ditch valves and gates


• Take down, service, and store pipe and mainlines after irrigation season


• Build erosion control barriers


• Build and repair fence, paint structures, and keep the yard and facilities clean during the off season


• Shovel snow from fence lines for winter fence repair


• Work jointly with the second ranch and its crew as needed

Qualifications

• Cattle experience required


• Experience operating tractors, implements, and farm and ranch machinery


• Irrigation experience with hand lines, wheel lines, and flood irrigation preferred


• Basic mechanical skills


• Comfortable doing most work on four wheelers 


• Stable, dependable, and looking for a long term position


• Able to work well with family and crew on both ranches


• Comfortable living in a remote, rural setting


• Able to work in all weather, including temperature extremes


• Must pass random drug testing


• Must pass a background check

Compensation and Benefits

• $50,000 per year


• Large, beautiful home provided


• Utilities provided, including internet and phone


• Health insurance for the employee paid 100 percent by the employer starting day one


• Annual employer contribution to a Health Savings Account


• Retirement plan fully funded by the employer; eligible after one year of employment at the next plan entry date (May 31 or November 30); past contributions have consistently been 25% of wages; 100% vested after 5 years


• Half a beef 


• Work vehicle provided for business use


• Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance provided


• Horses and dogs are an option, to be discussed with Owner