How the 'Yellowstone' TV Series Is Blurring Reality of a Real Cattle Ranch

SPOILER ALERT: The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is not your typical ranch.

There is no doubt that the popular series “Yellowstone” has captured the minds and hearts of many. This wild, drama-filled story of big Montana cattle rancher John Dutton and his crew keeps viewers at the edge of their seats season after season.

Now, being from a cattle ranch myself, I feel the dramatization of the show, though entertaining, can sometimes be a bit much. That’s what makes good TV, right? However, this bigger-than-life portrayal of the western and ranching lifestyle is what the world is seeing.

Here’s the catch— this story of the Duttons could either make or break us. Before getting offended, let me explain.

As cattle producers, we already fight high feed costs, weather, drought, volatile prices, and labor shortages. For many family-owned ranches, the aging rancher and succession planning can be another burden on the horizon.

Now, bring in Hollywood.

Our “lifestyle” is being portrayed through a dramatized lens to be seen by viewers that have never stepped foot on a ranch and can only make associations of a “ranch” with what they watch on this show. This issue is—these viewers far outnumber us ranchers.

Like a broken record, we have all been told to “tell our story before someone else does.” Good, bad, or otherwise— this show is telling our story.

Let’s break it down a little further and look at how the Dutton Ranch blurs reality of a more typical American ranch:

1. There is no “train station.” I truly believe real ranchers and cattlemen and cattlewomen live by a standard of honesty and respect that applies to their ranching principles and practices and guides how they interact with people of various backgrounds.

2. Not every ranch owns a helicopter, shiny pickups with a logo on the side, and a house that could be found in a magazine. Truthfully, I’d tend to believe that more ranches have an ol’ beater work pickup with a flatbed or bale bed, a tractor or two in the shed, and a “nothing fancy” ranch house with livestock syringes in the sink and afterbirth on the rug.

3. Not all ranchers have a permanent target on their back. Like the Duttons, real ranchers deal with animal activists and their agenda. However, I believe most ranchers usually have great relationships with their neighbors. This may even include sharing work, equipment when needed, and the occasional beverage sitting around the table talking about days gone by.

With all the television shows on today, it’s truly amazing how popular a western-themed drama has become. There may still be some sense of wonder and attraction to our way of life after all. This lends us ranchers to an opportunity.

How do we capitalize on the awe-inspired audience and show them what it is like to live on a real ranch with real cattle and real grit? I believe there may be some that are surprised to be greeted with a smiling face rather than a character like Beth Dutton.

Here’s a quick list of 5 things any ranch can do to help tell the story of our American dream:

1. Be social. Utilize the global reach of social media and share photos and videos of what you do and why you do it.

2. Be open. Invite people without an agricultural background to visit your ranch and experience it firsthand for themselves.

3. Be involved. Whether it be at your local community event, at church, or another organization, showing that ranchers are willing to lend a hand helps give others positive associations with our way of life.

4. Think outside the box. Could you donate beef to the local fundraiser to serve to the community? Consider contacting a local elementary school to ask if you can bring a newborn calf for students to see?

5. Be yourself. Truly, the most influential people are genuine and lead by example. Own your way of life and start conversations that share why it means so much to you.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe this television series could make or break us. There happens to be a wide difference between the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and real life in most cases, but since the series doesn’t seem to be “heading to the train station” anytime soon, let’s use its popularity to our advantage and make the most of it.