"It's just the beginning of the erosion and loss of the public values that are there and the wildness of that place that ...

Oil magnate is living out his cowboy dreams after buyingt a working Montana cattle ranch in Big Sky Country.

As the population in western Montana continues to gradually increase every year, there continues to be more of a chance that big properties, like cattle ranches, are sold to housing developers.

After more than 100 years in the same family, a Montana cattle ranch has sold for more than $50 million. The deal is one of the priciest to close in the state in recent years.

The sprawling ranch between Chelsea and Manchester in Washtenaw County lies on 335 acres.

University of Montana alum Joe Zecher is using his wildlife biology degree to help reduce predator/livestock conflicts on ranches.