By Susie Reese
Howdy, Partner. Are you looking for something a little different for your next vacation? How about a true home-on-the-range escape at the Wildcatter Ranch?
The 1,500-acre ranch was built on the highest point among its surroundings, with no other structures. According to Jason McAlister, general manager of the Wildcatter Ranch, the landscape is very natural and untouched.
Emphasizes McAlister, “As far as you can see, it is just beautiful, wide-open spaces. Very green, very lush. Most people think of Texas as being dry and flat, and that’s not at all the case, especially where we are in the center of Texas.”
Located two hours outside of Dallas, the Wildcatter Ranch sits in the beautiful area of North Texas Hill County and has been welcoming couples and families for a decade.
What to do on the range
Have an adventure on the range with horseback riding, skeet shooting, jeep tours, archery, and great hiking trails, and if you’re searching for a relaxing retreat, the ranch boasts an infinity-edge pool and hot tub. The jeep tours, hosted by the ranch’s cowboys, offer great views, highlighted by stories of the region, and several picturesque lookouts that guests enjoy.
“Our area has some really good Wild West stories as part of our local history,” explains McAlister, “so our cowboys will share a lot of our local Texas history.”
Many guests enjoy the ranch for two or three night stays, relaxing at the facilities and venturing out to the small town of Graham, which is a 10-minute drive from the ranch.
McAlister is a native of the town, where his family has lived for four generations. “It’s about 9,000 people and has some shops and restaurants.”
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But many of the guests stay on property, which offers breakfast in the morning at the on-site lodging and dinner every night in the restaurant, the Dinner Bell.
Party Barn, near Herron Bend
“The main staple of Texas cuisine is beef,” McAlister says, “We’ve actually hand cut our steaks, and they are all mesquite grilled. So it’s really unique.”
The kitchen has a huge wood-burning grill in order to get a good mesquite flavor, but the Dinner Bell also serves some barbecue and some other Texas favorites, like chicken-fried steak.
The Dinner Bell at the ranch only serves dinner, but a second Dinner Bell in Graham opens for breakfast and lunch. The one on property is very popular, however, with guests and locals.
“It’s a trendy, fancy place in the area to go for dinner; the special-occasion restaurant for locals,” McAlister notes.
Home on the range
Accommodations at Wildcatter Ranch include 41 guest rooms, including 16 cabin suites and the guest house, Herron Bend. According to McAlister, the cabin suites are popular, with log cabin exteriors, a stone fireplace, and high-end western furniture. And each suite has a unique theme!
“Each room has a theme, like the Oil Boom Room,” McAlister says. “The artwork in the room has images and stories about the oil boom in Young County, and also the lamps are shaped like an oil derrick. Other small features in the room also bring in that theme.”
The ranch hosts 15 big weddings a year, and typically those wedding parties rent out the ranch for a weekend event. Most use one of the cabin suites as a bridal suite, but some couples choose Herron Bend.
“It’s an over-the-top house,” notes McAlister. “It’s 14,000 square feet with a movie theatre, a game room, a private pool, a hot tub, and amazing views.”
Herron Bend also boasts a huge stone patio for the ceremony and a big party barn close by for the reception.
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Interview with a Ranch Hand
“Ranch hand” is a job all its own, and not what they call a bellboy in Texas, as we found out when we spoke to Clint West, who has been a ranch hand at the Wildcatter Ranch for two and a half years. So what exactly does the position of “ranch hand” entail?
Q: What is a typical day like at the Wildcatter Ranch?
A: The first thing in the morning, we call up the horses from the pasture. We then feed them in the stalls surrounding the barn. There’s usually two of us working, so one cowboy will saddle the horses if we have a horseback ride scheduled while the other counts and feeds our Angus cattle. Then, at 9:00, one of us goes up to the hotel to take guests down to feed the longhorns in our covered wagon. At 10:00, if we have a horseback ride, one of us or both will take the group out, depending on how many riders we have. At noon, we go to lunch and come back by one to get ready for our 1:30 activities. We offer private horseback rides and skeet at that time. At 2:45 if we have a jeep tour, one of us will take that out. At 4:00, if guests want to shoot archery, then we will do that.
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: The best part about my job is getting to meet people from all over the world, from all different walks of life, and getting to hear their stories and experiences. That is really neat to me.
Q: How/why did you become a ranch hand/cowboy?
A: Cowboys have always been my heroes since I was a little kid. I wanted to be one when I grew up. I started rodeoing when I was 15. I rode bareback horses for a couple years in high school. I had worked for several ranches and other jobs before I found the Wildcatter, which has been the most enjoyable job I have ever had.
Q: What is your favorite spot at the Wildercatter Ranch?
A: My favorite spot is the bluff overlooking the Brazos River. It is a beautiful spot with a breathtaking drop.
About the Author
Susie Reese is a copywriter for FC USA Artworks. She loves to travel (you know it!) and has ventured extensively across North America. She enjoys short walks on the beach and comic cons. She writes On the Go: A Magazine for Travelers and on her free-time, comics and short stories.
