Beaverslide Haying in Montana

A beaverslide is a tall structure used to harvest hay. It was largely used in the 1900s to create giant 20 ton stacks of hay that are nearly 30 feet tall.
The use of the beaverslide has dwindled in recent years because it requires a smaller crew to bale hay with machinery. However, it is still in use in the Birch Creek Valley near Dillon, Montana.

Beaverslide haying is becoming extinct. Few ranchers still use this method to harvest and stack hay because it requires a large crew. However, you can still witness this unique haying process in Western Montana.

The Haying Process

The process of haying using a beaverslide is unique. The hay is mowed, raked, pushed into loads and finally taken to the beaverslide and dumped onto the stack.

Mowing and Raking

First the hay is cut with a mower using 7-9 foot long sickle bars. It lays flat and is left to "cure" or dry. It takes about 24 hours for hay to cure.
Next, the hay is raked into windrows using a siderake or wheelrake. The rakes are pulled by a tractor and they roll the hay into long windrows that stretch the length of the field.

Picking up hay

Once the hay is raked, it is scooped up into mounds by a vehicle called a buckrake. In order to pick up the windrows of hay, the buckrake operator centers the windrow in the basket. Using the lever, he lowers the basket so it will glide along the ground. As the buckrake moves forward, the hay is collected in the basket. The operator will weave the buckrake from left to right as he drives in order to completely fill the basket. Once the basket it full, the driver, with the hay piled high in front of him, drives to the beaverslide.

Stacking the hay

A vehicle, called a hoist is attached to the beaverslide with cables. The front of the beaverslide has a basket which is similar to the basket on the front of the buckrake. The buckrake pushes the hay onto the beaverslide basket and then it is "hoisted" up the beaverslide and dumped into a pile called the stack.

The stack starts on the ground but can reach a height of 30 feet.

Two to four men, referred to as stackers, each use a tool called a pitchfork to move the hay around and make it level.

When the stack gets too tall to pile more hay on top, the stackers ride down on the basket. It is much like a carnival ride.

Cleaning up

Every bit of hay is important. That is why a scatterrake is used to clean up any hay that is dropped by buckrakes.

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Read About Mower
Read About Siderake
Read about Hoist
Read About Scatterrake

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