Made In Montana: How This Invention Changed Ranching

Montanans are a creative bunch, and one claim to fame we’ve got up here is a lesser-known invention that helped shape ranching life in the West. It’s not as widely used as it once was, but you can still spot a few in pastures today, part relic, part workhorse. I’m talking about the beaverslide hay stacker. You can check out the video below, posted by @katiehillschurg, to see this contraption in action.

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A post shared by Katie Hill-Schurg (@katiehillschurg)

The story goes back to the brutal winter of 1886–1887, when ranchers across the northern plains lost up to 90% of their herds. That kind of loss was devastating and forced cattlemen to rethink how they prepared for winter. Storing up enough hay became critical for survival.

In states where it is more humid, hay had to be hauled indoors to avoid mold, mildew, or even spontaneous barn fires. But Montana’s drier climate made it possible to stack hay outdoors. The outer layer would crust over, shedding rain and snow, while the heavy stack pressed itself tight and protected the good feed inside.

By 1908, ranchers in the Big Hole Valley of Southwestern Montana took hay stacking to the next level. They invented the beaverslide, a 30-foot wooden frame with an inclined plane that hoisted hay high into the air and dropped it into massive stacks, right where it was cut. Rugged, simple, and easy to repair, it was the perfect tool for Montana ranching.

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Today, most ranchers rely on baling, but at places like Grant-Kohrs Ranch, the beaverslide still makes appearances for historic demos, creating 20- to 25-ton stacks that feed cattle through Montana’s long, cold winters. A true piece of Montana ingenuity still standing tall.