Our Preserve 

Our 270-acre Preserve overlooks the iconic Yellowstone River, the most unspoiled river in the West. Our land is intensively stewarded to attract wild birds - pheasants, ducks and geese. Our terrain is a mix of sagebrush, irrigated and dry land plots, draws, wetlands, springs - ideal habitat for birds, deer, rabbits - and all the predators that complete the circle of life here. From our home, you can see Pompey's Pillar, the only place that bears a permanent memento of Lewis & Clark's expedition; to the south-east is the site of Custer's Last Stand, a very evocative battlefield in Northern Cheyenne Country; and to the south lie the Bighorn Canyon with its wild horses, and the majestic Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness, accessible via the most breathtaking highway in the United States, the Beartooth Highway, gateway to the NE entrance of the Yellowstone National Park.

In 2009, we built Fish Fry Lake, now ranking as the most productive wild fishery in the state of Montana.  Much of the property is given over to wetlands, supporting the work of Floating Island International's research centre.  The wetlands are a magnet for snipe and ducks in the early fall and pheasants in the late fall and winter, making for terrific hunting habitat.  One of the most unique features of our place is / are the floating islands that grace the ponds, provide habitat and waterscaping interest -  and access to the best fishing spots.  They also help to keep the water clean and they contribute to overall fish productivity - and, they keep us visually mosquito-free in the summer.

Meet Bruce & Anne Kania and Team

Bruce Kania is passionate and knowledgeable about land and water stewardship, enhancing every aspect of our property to support wildlife and sustain a wild fishery. He learned from the gamekeepers of Europe all the variables for pheasant stewardship and created arguably a world-record wild pheasant harvest for a property of this size.   Bruce has become a respected thought-leader around sustainable water quality through his work with Floating Island International.  Read more about Bruce

Anne Kania was taught to hunt by Bruce, and after 12 years in the field (hunting almost every day for five months of the year) she has become a savvy and knowledgable hunter who enjoys guiding others.  An avid sporting clays competitor (she holds the 2018 Montana Ladies Sporting Clays title) she is a certified NSCA Level 1 Shooting Instructor, with a gift for building an easy rapport and giving very practical coaching.  Also an accomplished classical singer (to hear her sing, come to Shepherd), and she makes a mean espresso.     Read more about Anne.

Violet, the Kanias' senior and expert Labrador Retriever, and Reacher, their young Brittany, will accompany you on your guided hunts as well as form the welcoming committee. Rimu, our youngest Lab, has flushed and retrieved doves, pheasant and snipe at 6 months of age. He is learning to stay close. Other trained volunteer dogs will step in to fill any vacancy!

Relaxed and informal overnight stays

Our very special home was envisioned by Bruce at the age of nine, when he visited a secluded lake-side lodge in Wisconsin - and vowed one day to re-create its warm and inviting ambience as a convivial meeting place for our guests.  ​He has succeeded!

The ceilings are high, creating a light and airy space, with a roaring fire warming the generous living area during the fall and winter months.  Each of the three spacious guest bedrooms has its own character, private bathroom and a glorious view. Adzed Douglas Fir beams add a touch of English country manor, while the magnificent hand-built stone fireplace catches the splendid evening light from the stained-glass window opposite.  The tree-lined drive and tended lawns create a park-like ambience of tranquility and calm.  There is a fine Bosendorfer baby grand for those that can.....

We keep things informal so you can feel at home, take your first espresso of the day in your jammies, and keep your shoes on indoors.  You can help with dinner or sip on a wine while watching ducks and geese come and go on the Yellowstone River.  Your canine companion is welcome to join us in the house.

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So....what is the hunting like?



Anne's perspective:
It's great - we have a great pheasant hunt for a property of its size.  Geese by the thousands give opportunities for field hunting, pass-shooting and river hunting, in season.  Ducks, when they're here, can be amazing.  Field hunting and pass-shooting are very exciting!  And duck tastes fantastic in a stir fry...

As hunting preserves go, ours is "boutique":  it's easy to get to any one spot and yet there is enough intensively-managed habitat that holds birds.  Our pheasants are a mix of wild and released birds, to make sure even the most inexperienced beginner has a fair chance to take their first bird, while seasoned hunters can experience the challenge of hunting a truly wild pheasant and more recently-released birds that are quasi-wild.  The terrain is mostly flat, with narrow ditches to cross occasionally, and cover to push through (that's where the pheasants are likely to be).  We have several deep draws that are usually very productive, but they are for the young and the fit.  My attitude to the draws is, send the dogs in, stay on top and block the escape routes.  There are acres of wooded river bottom that hold birds, where you can also get great pass-shooting opportunities as the geese that roost on the river fly over us to and from their daily feeding grounds.

We are surrounded by farm fields that attract thousands of geese to the area.  They spend the night on the river right below us - we have a good mile of frontage - and, as long as some of them fly in our direction, the hunting can be spectacular!  We have two large fields with pit blinds  for field hunting, as well as ditches to lie in and bushes to hide behind. Pass-shooting on the river, or on the cliffs, is a thrilling way to hunt geese for a competent shooter.  Lurking in camouflage on the river bank, especially in the last half-hour of legal daylight, is my absolute favorite way to hunt geese, as long as there's no ice.  

Duck numbers, on the other hand, are more variable.  Sometimes the migration doesn't happen till hunting season is over, if there's not enough cold weather driving them south.  But other years the numbers are off the charts.  I'm tempted not even to mention the early season ducks because it's my number one favorite time of hunting season!

These are the only birds we will hunt on a Joy of Hunting seminar, but you're likely to see the other birds here as well, in season.

​In September, large numbers of snipe have been known to pause their migration and hang out in our wetlands (yes, snipe are real and they are a game bird!).  Snipe are my favorite bird to eat, reminding me of foie gras with muscle.  Dove numbers are increasing - in 2017 we shot several limits - but they have usually all gone by mid-September.  

Besides birds, we share the land with local groups of white-tailed and mule deer. We leave the turkeys alone in the hope their numbers will increase; and the Eurasian collared doves that winter over have no idea that they are non-game species that could be targeted any time.  He he he.......

Here's me with a September Slam - mourning dove, snipe, collared doves and pheasant!  With Vio  (left) and Sam.
Bruce's perspective:
This place is ideal for a concentrated hunt experience.  And not just the hunt.  The lifestyle too.  You will live the hunt for a few days…the strategic thinking, the action, the conversation and fellowship, and even the meals.  

Shepherd is a dream come true.  It is what I was imagining…even imaging, as I was supposed to be studying as a kid.  Time in school, at a desk, was almost painful.  Time outdoors was my passion, and still is.  

I was a generation removed from the land as I grew up in suburbia, in the midwest.  Hunting and fishing was challenging to come by as favorite pheasant fields frequently gave sway to new subdivisions.  The roar of heavy earth moving equipment displaced the murmur of a drake mallard, or the cackle of a rooster pheasant, as a neighborhood wetland became someone’s manicured lawn.   And back then I learned that subdivision residents do not take kindly to kids with bow and arrows traipsing through their impeccable back yards!

The vision of my own place to manage for wildlife was born then, and the vision eventually came true with Shepherd.  

Along the way I relocated from Wisconsin to Montana, and have hunted elk, bear, deer, moose, antelope, turkey, coyote, grouse, pheasant and waterfowl, with bow, rifle and shotgun.  Along the way I developed hunting products, and even ventured into hunting video production.  And besides Fish Fry Lake and the Yellowstone river, we also fish some of the highest quality water in the country at the top of the Beartooth Pass.  All of these experiences have added to the vision of what a well managed property can yield.  Not just in terms of harvest, but also something more spiritual…like the satisfaction connected with being part of a property’s transition away from chemicals and towards sustainable health.  Or the wonder of seeing a waterway like Fish Fry Lake here at Shepherd where it seems you can almost watch the fish grow, and live the linkage between healthy and abundant fish, and water quality.   It’s like when snorkeling on the lake after a hot summer day, and looking behind me to see a train of hundreds of bluegill in my wake.  I’ve taken to wearing a wetsuit when doing so, as the bluegill sometimes get too friendly!  They even look like piranha!

Our focus has been on maintaining and expanding the wild game here.  In fact, at one point we were told by an upland bird researcher that he knows of no property in north America with a higher wild rooster pheasant recorded harvest than what was achieved here in the seventh year of a case study we ran.  We have an exceptional wild bird base, but now also offer a preserve hunt.  This serves our new hunter/huntresses, as the preserve birds are more predictable.  This way we can stage hunting experiences to grow our hunters over an expanded season, to help them gain the critical knowledge and experience base needed to succeed anywhere.  And to have fun in the process, which is Anne’s specialty!  

Anne combines a woman’s perspective with real diligence around knowing what her hunters require.  She will be asking you a raft of questions in preparation!  Beyond this, she knows the property and the wildlife, and her technical skills around shotgunning are excellent.  But her real strength is in how she connects with others, and finds a way to support them through the whole experience of the hunt.  Her humor, her gentleness, her dog work, all this comes together as she focusses on her client’s experience.  The property here is amazing, and only matched by Anne's teaching skill and personality. 

Every different species we hunt can be hunted in several ways.  So I encourage you to explore this with Anne before your session.  That way we can customize your time here, so that upon completion you will have your target experience base to draw from.  Many new hunters are like I was as a kid…in a place where hunting is losing out to urbanization.  And this is the niche that Shepherd and Anne’s hunting academy can fill.  

Our ponds and wetlands

There's a warm welcome waiting for you.....
Photo credits: Nathan Cooper (Indian paintbrush and dragonfly photos); David Carew (house interior and scenic views): Bruce and Anne most of the others.