The Doolings protect their land and lifestyle

Moose frequent the abundant wetlands of the Dooling ranch
Photo © Harlan Kredit

Where the wildlife roam

At the base of the snow-capped Beaverhead Mountains, where the Big Hole River flows, moose rumble through the willows, elk bugle in the coming of fall, and bears gorge themselves in preparation for a long winter's sleep. The Dooling ranch is rich in wildlife, and visitors are often awed by its natural beauty.

"We feel we really have something special here, and we love it," said Gail Dooling.

The Dooling family moves cattle on their Big Hole ranch
Photo © Wayne Mumford

A ranching paradise

in southwestern Montana

John and Gail Dooling have seen lots of ranches in Montana's scenic western valleys go up for sale and subdivided.

So last May they took a big step to prevent that from happening to their ranch. They signed a conservation easement with the Conservancy that forever prevents housing development on the 6,300-acre ranch. The voluntary agreement allows all current ranch operations to continue.

“I’d like this valley to stay in agriculture and wish other ranchers here would sign conservation easements to make sure we keep the valley like it is,” said John.

In southwestern Montana, the Big Hole Valley has the raw western beauty that attracts newcomers. Running through it is the fabled Big Hole River, considered one of the West's premier fishing streams. The Big Hole River and its tributary, Berry Creek, support brook and rainbow trout, mountain white fish and other fish. Arctic grayling, a threatened species, are still found in the river’s lower reaches.

The upper reaches of the river run through the middle of the Dooling Ranch, creating a mosaic of wet meadows, marshes and willows that are habitat for more than 40 species of birds as well as beaver, muskrat and other critters.

The ranch’s upland meadows and conifer forests support pronghorn antelope, white-tailed and mule deer, elk, moose, bobcat, black bears, wolverine and many other animals.

In the Big Hole since 1932

John Dooling’s parents, John and Dorothea Dooling, came to Beaverhead County in 1932 when they purchased the 2,000-acre Finsley Ranch. They made additional purchases in 1939 and 1965 to expand the ranch to its current size. In 1950, the elder Doolings built the Diamond Bar Inn in Jackson, which in the mid-‘70s became Jackson Hot Springs Lodge.