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Montana Dude Ranch

Employment

Montana Dude Ranch

Pre Employment Information & Guidelines

We hope the following information will be helpful for you in making your summer plans. Nine Quarter Circle Ranch (NQCR) is considered one of the larger dude ranches in the west. We can accommodate up to 70 guests and usually average around 55 guests per week.

Our clientele is primarily families throughout the summer season of mid-June to mid-September. We have a staff of approximately 24. We employ the following positions: wranglers/Kiddie wrangler, Choreman, Fishing Guide, Babysitter, Secretary, cabin &/or kitchen personnel along with management positions. The hiring process starts in January.

All positions are paid by the month and include room and board. All positions have one and a half assigned days off per week. The men live in bunkhouses and have a shared bathroom building nearby. The women have a dormitory which has a bathroom facility and a sitting room. Coin-op laundry facilities are available on the ranch.

Please have no illusions…this is hard work with long hours, but for anyone passionate about nature and the outdoors, it is rewarding.

You’ll make long lasting friendships and gain experience that will do you well in the future years. We encourage you to socialize with our guests. For those who have jobs dealing with our guests, a strong and natural ability for friendliness and a helpful attitude go a long way. We count on you to join our weekly softball game and square dance, as they are great ways to meet and get to know our guests. Other activities we encourage you to join in include cookouts, movies, volleyball games, nature lectures, and other activities that might be happening. On your regularly scheduled day off, you’re welcome to ride with trips going out that day if a horse is available.

You won’t need fancy clothes, as our life is very informal. Western style clothing is desired; blue jeans, pants, shirts, and blouses with long sleeves are very much in order. Clothing should be neat and presentable during work time and anytime you are around guests. No uniform is required, but we do furnish aprons for the kitchen/dining room staff. We will supply towels, linens, blanket, and pillow, which are part of the $50 room deposit required for all staff. Your personal gear should include a battery-operated alarm clock, over boots, warm jacket, rain gear, and an extra blanket if needed.

Our mornings and evenings are cool with daytime temperatures in the 70s and 80s. All barn personnel should have a bedroll for pack trips and supply their own saddle, tack, and good leather saddlebags. All personnel will need to have cowboy-style boots in order to ride. Cell phones and smoking are not allowed during working hours.

The ranch is in beautiful mountain country, alongside a mountain stream at 7,000 feet elevation. We consider ourselves remotely located, as we are 58 miles south of Bozeman, MT, 35 miles from West Yellowstone, MT, and 5 miles west of U.S. Highway 191, situated on a gravel road. The nearest “convenience store” is 20 miles from our ranch.

If you plan to arrive by air or bus (an expense you must absorb), we will be happy to meet you in either Bozeman or West Yellowstone to bring you to the ranch. However, having your own vehicle is a good idea for non-ranch activities.

In order for us to consider your application for employment, we appreciate you completing your application form in detail with work-related references. Please also include a recent photograph of yourself, since personal interviews are nearly impossible. We receive many applications for each season, so the more information you can give us about your education and background, as well as your work experience for the position(s) desired, the better off you are.

Please remember we need staff to be able to work with our guest season, and we prefer to have our staff begin arriving in late May, staying on through late September. ALL staff MUST be able to stay at least through the end of guest season, which is mid-September. NQCR checks references on all employees considered for open positions and we do pre-employment drug testing.

Wrangler applicants: We require a video (via either CD, flash drive, or email) before hiring of you catching, brushing, saddling, bridling, mounting, & riding a horse.

We look forward to viewing your completed application. You may submit your application via snail mail or email. If you choose to submit your application via email, use the Word document form below and save to your local computer. If you use the PDF, you can NOT save information into the application. You will need to either print the form, complete it and then scan it before attaching to your email. Or, complete it electronically, print it, and scan to attach. Submit applications after January 1.

We wish you the best of luck and do hope your qualifications will bring you to the NQCR as a member of our staff this upcoming season.

Submit Our Employment Form