Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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The Big Picture
The glory days of the open range were created—and quickly brought to an end—by the same forces that drive all life in Montana: water, weather, and the land.

LISTEN TO FIND OUT:
■ What drew ranchers to Montana Territory
■ What problems plagued the open range cattle ranches
■ How the winter of 1886–87 changed life on the open range
■ How the brief open-range ranching days shaped life in Montana today