Powder River Cattle Drives
The Cadillac of Cattle Drives

PO Box 676
Broadus, MT 59317

Toll Free - (800)492-8835
FAX - (406)436-2388


Wagonmaster
Jim Collins



Board of Directors
Charles Patten
Charles is a genuine cowboy and prefers anything that can be accomplished from the back of a horse.  He was born into a homestead family in Montana and has ranched all of his life, starting with the small homestead ranch. Charles now runs cattle in three states and has helped all of his children acquire land and cattle. He has hundreds of stories that he tells with great wit and humor.  Some of them may even be true. He is always happy to share his lifestyle and unique wisdom.


Jim Wilson
Jim is a life- long rancher and rodeo pick-up man. He loves to tease and laugh. He is a man of integrity and has a soft touch with livestock and people.


Larry Amende


Scott Sanburn
One trip on the Cattle Drive and Scott knew it was for him - a job made in heaven.  Scott is no stranger to the saddle, having lived his entire life on a ranch.  One of Scott's favorite pastimes is team roping.  He has a passion for it that will last a lifetime.

About Us

Powder River Cattle Drives is a nonprofit organization made up of ranchers and other folks from southeastern Montana.  This effort stemmed from a desire to share our cowboy hospitality, heritage, and rural way of life with others.  Specifically, our mission statement is "To educate our mostly urban guests about the cattle industry and the importance of the rancher as the steward of the natural resources on both public and private land."

Powder River Cattle Drives, Inc. was founded in 1990.  We have conducted more than 20 drives and hosted in excess of 1000 guests.  We continue to network with our guests via newsletters and many of our new found friends return often for visits.

Our organization is made up of a Wagonmaster (president), a very ambitious board of directors, a group of paid staff and volunteers from the community.  The staff and officers are real ranchers, true professionals in their field, who have a desire to share their experiences and the beauty of this area with others.  

Lin Sutherland, travel writer and photographer, wrote in an article published in Persimmon Hill in the Winter 1998 issue,

"They have a saying in Montana about how they "neighbor" people.  I had never heard that used as a verb.  Sure, they're my neighbors, but do they neighbor me?  Well, in Montana, they do.  The entire town of Broadus works together year round to do all the hard things ranchers do: gather cattle, brand, inoculate, doctor, drive, move to different pastures, birth.  It's no different when it comes to the wagon train.  The whole community gets together to make sure it happens on a grand scale, with a final "pitchfork fondue" and street dance on the last day of the drive."

Wagonmaster Jim Collins and the board of directors work hard at coordinating a 6 day experience that will fill each guest with a magic that should last a lifetime.  Many of these moments cannot be created by humankind but by nature alone.  The following excerpt is taken from the same article by Lin Sutherland referenced above ,

" ...the best part was waking up at 3:00 am under a brilliantly clear starry sky and being struck dumb by a vibrant display of Northern Lights.  Streaks and wisps of gray and white undulated across the horizon, like a slow dance with the bowl of black sky above it.  Their shapes changed in slow motion, like ghost dancers.  While humans slept, nature performed another miracle.  It left me gasping and unable to return to sleep."

 Young staff members providing dance instruction and entertainment during evening activities...