Historic Montana Cattle Ranch Photographs

OW Ranch — Decker, Montana

Cowboy Culture | American West Wall Art | Licensing & Commission Work

People often ask me, “Which ranch is your favorite?” It’s impossible to pick just one—each working property reveals its own stories and character over time. But the historic OW Ranch in southeastern Montana has a special pull for me, not just because of the beautiful land, but also because of the tangible vibe that’s given off from the buildings at headquarters. On top of that the cowboys were all highly skilled, which means it was all the more fun to watch them work. And the whole crew seemed to have a cohesiveness that poured over beyond their day to day responsibilities. After the work was done everyone hung out together at the cookhouse, eating food, drinking beer, playing football, and generally enjoying each others’ company. The evenings were filled with lots of laughs.

Feeling the history of the OW was elevated again on my first trip into the cookhouse after seeing a print on the wall of the OW Ranch taking by the legendary L.A. Huffman. Huffman, to my knowledge, is the first person to ever formally document American cowboys with a camera. As is always the case, I was sad to leave the OW.

A Historic Legacy, Still in Frame
The OW Ranch sits in the Hanging Woman Creek valley and has been associated with Montana’s ranching history since the 1880s. Under John B. Kendrick’s ownership beginning in 1898, it became one of the region’s anchor operations. Its original buildings, stone features, corrals, and ranch house retain much of their historic fabric—even now.

When I enter a ranch like OW with my camera, there’s always a moment of anticipation. The land and cowboys go on with their work while I become a fly on the wall, documenting the the subtleties thatemerge: the way a fence leans, the shadow under a hat, the dust line over a corral, the grain of the wood in a barn door.

Why These Scenes Matter for Licensing & Projects

  • Rich visual storytelling: These are not staged sets. They’re functional ranch life, with real cowboys working, movement, light, weather, and character.

  • Historical resonance: Given OW’s age and preserved structures, these images carry not only rural beauty but cultural weight.

  • Versatility: These photographs serve multiple purposes—wall art, editorial spreads, branding for Western lifestyle, hospitality interiors, or client commissions.

These photographs from the OW Ranch are part of my American Cowboy series, available as wall art prints and licensing-ready assets. If you like what you see and want to license a few, or even hire me to shoot for your next project, let's talk. I’d be honored to bring the same authenticity and care to your brands vision - rob@robhammerphotography.com

Handmade sign for the OW Land & Cattle Company which was established in 1891 and currently owned by Jim Guercio

OW Ranch - owned by Jim Guercio

Photograph with motion blur of two cowboys in Montana roping a calf

Black and white photograph of two cowboys roping cattle on a ranch in Montana

Photograph of cowboys branding cattle on the OW Ranch in Montana

Authentic cowboy photography

Black and white photograph of a cowboy covered in smoke while branding a cow with two branding irons on the OW Ranch in Montana

Fine art photograph of cowboys branding cattle in Montana

Black and white portrait of two cowboy brothers in Montana

Portrait of two Montana cowboys in an old wood barn in Montana - Matt Clark and Gabe Clark

Black and white photograph of a cowboys horse grazing in open land

A cowboys horse grazing in an open landscape

Photograph of two jars labeled "Heifers" and "Steers" used for ear tagging on a cattle ranch

Jar for ear tagging

Black and white photograph of cowboys drinking Coors Banquet Beer in an old cookhouse

Cowboys drink Coors Banquet Beer

Dramatic photograph of a cowboy branding a calf with two branding irons

Photograph of a cowboy branding cattle in Montana

Black and white photograph of cowboys trying to pull down a calf during branding on the OW Ranch in Decker, Montana

Cowboys trying to wrestle down a calf

Photograph of a cowgirl injection a calf with vaccination on a working cattle ranch in Montana

Fine art photograph of a cowgirl at work on a ranch in Montana

Photograph of two cowboys in a pickup truck with their feet hanging out the open door

Photograph of two cowboy sitting in their truck on a cattle ranch in Montana

Photograph of a young kid watching a cowboy wrestle a calf while branding on a historic Montana Cattle Ranch

Black and white photograph of cowboys branding cattle in Montana

Black and white photograph of a cowgirl walking her horse out of a historic wood barn on the OW Ranch in Montana

Cowgirl walking her house out of an old wood barn

Photograph of three cowboys drinking beer out of solo cups in Montana

Cowboys drinking beer on a ranch in Montana

Photograph of a dog eating food off a cowboys plate at a cattle ranch in Montana

Dog eating food from a cowboys plate

Photograph of a sign on a cattle ranch that says "calves on road please slow"

Cowboy culture photography

Photograph of wood horse corrals with dramatic clouds on the OW Ranch in Montana

Wood horse corrals at the OW Ranch - Montana