Is 'Yellowstone' real? Ranchers reveal the truth, and fiction, behind the hit show (2024)

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Is 'Yellowstone' real? Ranchers reveal the truth, and fiction, behind the hit show? ›

Penny Krebs, a rancher in Oregon, told Fox News Digital she views many core elements of "Yellowstone" as accurately reflecting ranch life, including the care and respect shown for the cattle. "That's how you pay your bills, that's how you make your land payments, that's what you do when you're a rancher," Krebs said.

The show is 100% fiction. Ranching is hard; the Dutton ranch is not representative of actual ranching.

Are there wealthy and stern cattle ranchers in the US like John Dutton from Yellowstone? Yes, but Yellowstone is a television show, 100% fiction, and there are about a million reasons that life just doesn't work that way.

The Washington Post reported not all Montana residents were pleased with "Yellowstone." A Bozeman rancher told the publication that "the show has given our ranchers a bad name." That's because the ranching family on the show often resort to violence to solve their problems.

Along with accomplished actors like Kevin Costner, there are several real cowboys on Yellowstone that add authenticity to the neo-Western. A multi-generational story about the Dutton family, Taylor Sheridan's hit show Yellowstone tells the story of the Dutton family's struggle to hold onto their Montana ranch.

This is a show that, at times, shows how things actually work out West and why. Most folks have no idea where the food comes from or the care ranchers take of their cattle and the land they live on. He thinks that Yellowstone actually positively portrays this.

Glass tycoon William S. Ford purchased the location in 1914, until it was eventually sold to ranchers Shane and Abigail Libel. The Libel family has completely bought into the fame of the show, reportedly leaving the "Yellowstone Dutton Ranch" sign on full display all year long.

The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is a real, working ranch in Darby, Montana. The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is a real place — and cabins on the property can be rented out for $1,200 to $1,500 a night. The real-life ranch is called the Chief Joseph Ranch and is in Darby, a small town in western Montana.

There do not appear to be any stories of real-life cowboys voluntarily taking a brand as part of their job. In fact, these sequences see the show being slightly unrealistic. The brands used in Yellowstone are meant for the thick skin of cattle.

I live in the area and have known many real cowboys and the far more numerous “wannabes” while I'm named after a greatuncle who was a real cowboy from roughly the 1890's-1920, we've been westerners since 1871. My dad's cousin ran a large sheep ranch for 50 years.

How do natives feel about Yellowstone? ›

While Indians appear not to have feared the Yellowstone geyser regions, we know that many tribes revered them.

The outlet reported that cocreator and showrunner Sheridan, Paramount Global, and Paramount Network were looking to end the neo-Western drama after its current fifth season because of disagreements with Costner over shooting schedules.

Like their animals, most are cooperative, tending to want to get along. Cowboys number 1 million at most, according to the Department of Agriculture. At the Working Ranch Cowboys Association, or WRCA, manager Leman Wall estimates that figure at closer to 600,000. About one-third are women, the USDA says.

2️⃣ Cole Hauser: Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on the show, is another skilled rider and horseman. He has also performed many of his own stunts on the show, including riding horses at high speeds, roping cattle, and fighting scenes.

Penny Krebs, a rancher in Oregon, told Fox News Digital she views many core elements of "Yellowstone" as accurately reflecting ranch life, including the care and respect shown for the cattle. "That's how you pay your bills, that's how you make your land payments, that's what you do when you're a rancher," Krebs said.

Jake Ream in Real Life

There aren't many cast members on Yellowstone who are more true-to-life cowboys than Jake Ream. In fact, Ream first met Taylor Sheridan when Sheridan hit him up about buying a horse. If you've got a horse for sale, you're basically more cowboy than 99% of the country!

Yellowstone's depiction of Montana's winter is far from accurate, as the state experiences heavy snowfall and harsh conditions that the show fails to capture. The series primarily shoots during the summers, missing out on the true Montana experience.

The show is not based on a true story, however, it does include real-life events that took place during the time. The Dutton family are not based on any real-life people, and are fictional characters created for the show.

The irony, especially for Sheridan, who is white, is that his main character Dutton is fighting for land that once belonged (and arguably still belongs) to the Native tribe he often spars with in his constant efforts to protect the valuable acreage for his own descendants.