Our Story
More than 50 years of family, land, and change.
Buffalo Mountain Ranch has evolved across generations, but it remains connected to the family and land that shaped it from the beginning.
Before Buffalo Mountain
From Cold War control site to the heart of the ranch.
Before this land became part of Buffalo Mountain Ranch, the present Camp was the Integrated Fire Control, or IFC, side of the U.S. Army’s Nike-Hercules battery DY-50. Known locally as the Barkeley Nike Site, DY-50 was the southern of two batteries created to help defend the Dyess area from airborne attack.
The IFC was the radar, tracking, and command side of the battery. It also included the administrative and support buildings that housed and served the soldiers stationed here. The separate launcher area, where the missiles and launch equipment were kept, was located on what is now neighboring property and is not part of Buffalo Mountain Ranch.
DY-50 became operational in 1960 and was deactivated in 1966. In 1967, the federal government approved the former site for transfer to Abilene schools as an outdoor educational facility. The surviving support buildings were later adapted into what Buffalo Mountain Ranch now calls the Lodge, Barracks, and Mess Hall.
The family chapter
A cattle ranch purchased in the 1970s.
Herman J. Ledbetter purchased Buffalo Mountain Ranch more than 50 years ago and operated it primarily as a cattle ranch. That first chapter established the family’s lasting connection to the property.
Roughly 25 years ago, his son, Herman “Jay” Ledbetter Jr., began developing Buffalo Mountain into a hunting ranch, investing in the habitat, herds, and genetics that continue to shape its hunting program today.
Today, Jay’s sons, Aaron and Daniel, are continuing to grow Buffalo Mountain Ranch in new and exciting ways, carrying the family’s connection to the land into its next chapter.
The ranch today
A place that keeps finding new ways to bring people together.
Today, Buffalo Mountain welcomes retreats, private events, family gatherings, equestrian guests, hunting groups, and multi-day stays. The ranch continues to change with every generation while remaining grounded in more than 4,400 acres of family land.
A continuing story
The next chapter is already taking shape.
This South Abilene Living cover is part of the ranch’s more recent story—one centered on family, thoughtful growth, and finding new ways for people to experience Buffalo Mountain.
Family-owned
More than 50 years of care, work, and connection to the land.
Always evolving
From cattle to hunting, group stays, gatherings, and equestrian activities.
Grounded
Real ranch photographs, clear facts, and a personal way of working with every group.
Come experience Buffalo Mountain
The next chapter has room for your people.
Tell us what brings you to the ranch and the kind of time you hope to spend here.