The Hit Series “Yellowstone” and Its Ironic Truth

Although the hit series highlights the struggle of the Dutton ranch fighting to maintain a family legacy, a rather ironic story truth surfaces and an unfortunate reality hits home.
Although the hit series highlights the struggle of the Dutton ranch fighting to maintain a family legacy, a rather ironic story truth surfaces and an unfortunate reality hits home.
(Paige Carlson)

With each season of the “Yellowstone” television series, the Dutton family faces yet another threat to their family’s operation and the ranching way of life.

As Season 5 of Yellowstone is set to air Nov. 13, fans can expect another big-city corporation and idea busting in to try and claim a piece of the Dutton’s estate. The storyline of the series follows the family in their tooth-and-nail fight to continue a legacy passed down for generations, further detailed in the Yellowstone series prequels “1883” and the upcoming “1923,” all written by Taylor Sheridan.

However, I find great irony in this on-screen situation.

It’s no secret that big business has been signing the purchase line on ranchland for years.

For example, Ted Turner, television tycoon and owner of CNN, TNT and TBS stations, currently holds the title of largest landowner in Nebraska and fourth-largest land owner in the U.S. with roughly 2 million acres in total.

John Malone, nicknamed the “Cable Cowboy” and chairman of Liberty Global, is the second-largest private landowner in the U.S. with approximately 2.2 million acres.

In more recent sales, the 340,000-acre Beaverhead Ranch in southwest Montana, previously operated under Matador Cattle Co. Koch Industries, sold in 2021 to Fox News founder and Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch.

Additionally, founded in 1870, the legendary 6666 Ranch sold for the first time in history in early 2022 to a group led by the screenwriter and producer, Taylor Sheridan.

Hmmmmm.

How ironic is it to have a large, family-owned ranch sold to a big-city, multi-millionaire who happens to be writing a screenplay about a family’s fight against that exact situation?

Taylor Sheridan has already written himself into the Yellowstone story as Travis Wheatly. Might we see a plot twist in season 6 with character Wheatly working his way into claiming a share of the Dutton ranch?

Joking aside, I understand the 6666 Ranch was listed for sale. It was available to any buyer willing to fork out the dough for the $192.2 million price tag, yet I still find it ironic.

Also, contrary to the Yellowstone series, many of these ranches have continued to operate as usual, only under new owners, including the Beaverhead Ranch and the 6666 Ranch.

However, there’s still a bit of reality that hits home.

Cash is king. As smaller or retiring producers sell their livestock and quit operating without a future generation to take over, the eventual dispersal of the land takes place and the family’s ranch history dissolves. Hopefully, a neighbor or fellow nearby rancher can pick up the pieces at auction and add to their family operation. However, it’s obvious this isn’t always the case.

Additionally, when ranches list for hefty price tags, it oftentimes takes the locals out.

From a seller’s perspective, I understand the nostalgia and convenience of keeping the family land all together and selling in one big chunk. However, looking at the future of the local ranching community, I hope sellers will consider breaking up large ranches into smaller tracts at sale time. Or, better yet, reach out to that local neighbor that’s helped mend a shared fence throughout the years or give that young couple down the road a chance to plant their stakes and grow their own cattle operation.

What’s more important—the money in the bank or the preservation of your family’s history for generations to come? I guarantee you or someone you know still uses the name of the previous landowner to describe their purchased piece of pasture, even if it was purchased 50-plus years ago. The “Smith Place” or the “East Carson Pasture” will be used for generations to come.

After all, who will remember the “Samuel Burnett” name, founder of the 6666 Ranch, or even the name “Anne Marion” who was the most recent owner of the ranch? Now, it’s simply known as the big ranch in Texas bought by Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan and a group of investors.

Ranching is tough and the capital to buy ground isn’t always abundant. While I wish every operation had the next generation in line to take over, it’s simply not the reality for every ranch family.

Ranchers are becoming fewer and farther between, but with a little extra time and consideration, its possible for local ground to remain in local hands.

I understand selling land is not something any rancher wants to think about, but I see value in having say in the matter. It’s never too early to have conversations with your family or business partners in the estate planning process or to plan the next steps of your operation.

How will you prepare and preserve your land, values and family history for years to come?

Paige Carlson, born and raised in the Sandhills of Nebraska, is the fourth generation in her family’s cow-calf ranching operation, homesteaded in the early 1900s by her great grandfather. Today, she makes her home in south central Nebraska, alongside her husband, as part of his family’s cattle backgrounding and yearling operation.

 

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