497.8 Acres in Ortonville, MN - $1,895,000

Welcome to "Bentsen Bay Farm"! It is an absolute pleasure to present to you for the first time this truly premier retreat in the west-central part of the state. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words, so before reading on, I invite you to view the property photos and video to gain a sense of the beauty, magnificence, and opportunity that this property provides.Before I get into the property detail, I'd like to point out that the general location of the property is just as special as the property itself. Bentsen Bay Farm is located approximately 7 miles Northeast of Ortonville in the state's uniquely diverse "Prairie Pothole" region.This area is dotted with numerous shallow lakes, and wetland basin's intermixed between expansive areas of the established prairie and ag. fields. One could argue that this area is one of if not THE top area of the state to own property in if your desires are owning a top producing multiple species property.Diving into the property itself, one has to start with the grand log cabin lodge. The lodge is located on the shores of Bentsen Lake, off the end of a dead-end road. It was constructed among the old-growth remnant Oak wooded area of the property and positioned to allow for enjoying the stunning sunset views over the lake. It provides a deluxe place to stay while you hunt and year-round peace, serenity, and an escape from the everyday world that one can't fully appreciate until you are there.The lodge is constructed of pine logs trucked in from Colorado. It provides approximately three thousand seven hundred total square feet divided between the main floor and walk-out lower level. There is also a spacious screen porch/grilling area, a large covered front porch entry, and a large lake view deck.The focal point of the main level is the grand 20 ft. vaulted great room with a stone fireplace, dining room, and kitchen, all with Douglas Fir hardwood floors. There are two private bedrooms on the main floor, each with a bathroom, a common area bathroom, and a laundry room.The lower level consists of a living room with a stone fireplace, two bedrooms currently set up as bunk style rooms, a unique common multiple sink area with shower, sauna, toilet room, and then the mechanical room. There is also a separate outside accessed storage room.Looking at the property, one will see that it is expansive, with multiple parcels spread just under 2 miles East/West and 1 mile North/South. Similar to the general overall area, the property has multiple water features, ranging from smaller wetland basins shallow lakes. Let's not forget again about the approximately 1 mile of shoreline on Bentsen Lake itself!The habitat between these water basins is a mixture of restored native prairie grasses and wildflowers, winter cover cattail areas, woods, established woody cover tree plantings, tree lines, and other non-native grasses. Most areas of the property are protected through Fish and Wildlife easements, with some areas of CRP income and areas within the easement that allow for cropping or food plots. For 2022 the CRP acreage is just over 133 acres and provides just over $16,000. 26.5 acres are set to expire in 2022, with additional contract periods varying to expire in 2029.All in all, it's again impossible to explain how nice all the habitat components "work" with one another. I guess the best way to say it is that if you dreamt of a property set up for the optimal ability to grow and produce multiply species of wildlife, this would be it. I speak of this first hand as having spent time on the property this past fall and then for about two days taking photos and videos. Seeing the number of pheasants and deer that were out in the mornings and evenings was amazing. The number of waterfowl last fall was amazing, and there were a fair number of birds this summer. I've even seen turkeys on the property as well.The sellers have taken some truly respectable to upper-end bucks as well as seeing larger ones during the season that slipped away. Take your pick of waterfowl spots, including historic "Tractor Point," "The 80 Pond", "Pond A," or "Pond B," much less shoreline on other larger bodies of water and smaller ponds. I completely drool, being a pheasant hunter at heart at the habitat that will produce birds from opener through late snow-covered season hunts. I kid you not that the birds where all over this June on and around the property.It's also worth pointing out that the property is about 15 minutes from famed Big Stone Lake, with Lake Traverse just to the Northwest. Each provides great fishing, so using the property as a "base camp" for summer fishing trips is more than comfortable.Let's not forget if your interests lie in other avenues besides hunting. Training facility for dogs, operating a camp, corporate retreat, VRBO options when you're not using it, or simply year-round living are just a few options. The point being is that the property will provide and is much more than just a hunting retreat.The results prove that the sellers have had a long history of successful hunts, memories, and peaceful times with family and friends. I could go on and on about this great property, but again, my words give the right amount of justice to the property, so give me a call, and we can discuss greater details. I'd love to schedule your private showing of Bentsen Bay Farm!

Property Features:

- Private Premier Hunting Retreat

- Heart of the Prairie Pothole Region

- Approximately 3,700 total square foot Grand Log Cabin Lodge

- Approximately 1 mile of frontage on Bentsen Lake

- Sunset views over the lake

- Bentsen Lake is a historic annual roosting lake for waterfowl

- Larger shallow ponds/lakes and smaller wetland basins

- Restored prairie and wildflowers

- Planted tree lines

- Historic producer of multiple species

- Lodge driveway at the end of a dead-end road