A Century of Ranching Tradition

For over a century, our family has worked the land, tending to herds of cattle and sheep, and cultivating a profound appreciation for the untamed beauty of Bear Lake. 

Sheep was only the beginning. Soon after starting off on their own, Adolph and his son Frederick began raising beef cattle. Frederick was born to be a cowboy and spent his entire life building the ranch. What started as less than one hundred sheep and just over two  hundred acres of homesteading had grown into one of the largest ranches in southeastern Idaho. 

Frederick’s son, Fred, and his two grandsons, Dennis and Roger, continued the legacy started by Adolf and Frederick. The ranch continued to grow and in1966, the ranch was legally organized into Fred W. Hunzeker and Sons Ranch and officially adopted the iconic lazy JX brand. 

Embracing Change, Preserving Heritage

As the ranch evolved, we became stewards of a living history, passing down the cowboy way of life from one generation to the next. The legacy of JX Ranch is now carried on by Fred’s two sons and three grandsons.

To allow for yearlong grazing, the ranch has expanded to include Canyon Lands, Utah for cattle and Rock Springs, Wyoming for sheep. The ranch has also expanded into San Tan Valley, Arizona where we finish our direct to consumer beef and train and breed our horses. 

Today, JX Ranch stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the American West, from the rugged mountains of Bear Lake to the red rock landscape of Canyon Lands and the expanses of the Sonoran dessert of Arizona. The ranch has evolved, embracing modern ranching techniques while preserving the timeless values of hard work, respect for the land, and a deep connection to our cowboy heritage.