The bison headlining the news aside, Montana and Wyoming are two prime states to relocate to. There are several reasons for this. First of all both states have largely been farming states for cattle, horses, and other ranches. There are some ranch owners that have had to downsize in recent years. This means they are selling off small portions of their land to those who are willing to move to a place without too many amenities close by. Furthermore, the land is still relatively inexpensive compared to other locations.
For instance, in Montana you may find a place for a couple hundred thousand that has significant acreage, as opposed to a place such as California where you pay a million or more for less than a half-acre lot. The best thing about Montana or Wyoming is the fact that you do not have nearby neighbors, unless you want to live in the town proper.
It may be why Yellowstone bison are being relocated to Fort Peck now that a deal with tribes has been made. About 64 bison will be moved from Yellowstone National Park to Fort Peck Reservation. The bison relocation is all about repopulating the west with pure animals. Those in Yellowstone have not been genetically altered or groomed. Rather, the bison population was one of the only to survive the Wild West when the white men killed the bison for their coats and meat. Native Americans also used to eat bison, but not quite as destructively. It caused an issue with the population size. Most of the bison that exist today live on one of the many ranches that we spoke about, where you can relocate to a portion of a ranch being sold off by the Montana or Wyoming owner.
There are many good reasons for the bison moving around Montana and getting out of the park. One of the best reasons is that anyone living in Montana will be able to see bison on natural ground, as the animals will have free reign on a large landscape. Furthermore, the bison will have more of a chance to survive and repopulate the west.
It is a win-win situation. For those who move or live in Montana it will be something to see when driving around Fort Peck, and hopefully more of the state should the bison be able to spread out as they once did.
As for Montana, it is definitely not a flat state in the south and northwest. Those who move close to the Canadian border or the many national parks and Rocky Mountains can enjoy the visages of snow capped mountains year round. The towns also tend to be true western style with old wooden storefronts, family owned businesses, and under 30,000 as the population. Even Billings and Bozeman are still sparsely populated. Wyoming is similar until you reach some of the cities closer to Yellowstone that are often populated with tourists’ second homes.
Jon Huser
