Cattle back grazing on Beaver Creek Park

Grazing season has begun again on Beaver Creek Park south of Havre, and people driving through the park are warned to take care and obey the nighttime speed limit.

Local ranchers lease grazing for cattle on the park starting the day after Labor Day each year, and typically run through the end of December depending on weather and grazing conditions.

The number of cattle allowed to graze the park each year is set by the Hill County Park Board’s Grazing and Haying Committee depending on conditions in the park.

The grazing is a major source of revenue for the park each year.

The park staff is warning people to use great care while driving through the park, especially as going around curves or anywhere vision is limited.

Cattle sometimes hang on the highway, and people will need so slow to allow them to leave the roadway.

The park staff has done work to draw cattle off Montana Highway 234, including developing springs away from the highway and setting locations for salt to also draw the livestock away, but cattle will still be on the highway at times.

A special nighttime speed limit is in place during the grazing season. From the start of the park, about 8 miles south of town near Beaver Creek Reservoir, where the daytime speed limit is 55 mph, the nighttime speed limit is 35 mph through the grazing season.