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

close

Video

Penny Krebs details what's truth - and fiction - behind Paramount's hit series 'Yellowstone'

Oregon rancher Penny Krebs said family issues and care of cattle are accurate elements of 'Yellowstone,' but there is no 'train station.' 

Paramount’s hit series "Yellowstone" has rocketed to fame since 2018 with its searing drama and idyllic scenes from western Montana, leaving many viewers wondering how much of the pictured ranch life – from a rowdy bunkhouse to family feuds – is based on reality. 

Created by Taylor Sheridan and starring Kevin Costner, the saga of the Dutton family has acquired a devoted fanbase and spawning multiple spinoffs. 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. "You have so much responsibility." 

Krebs also said that the family issues, including passing ranches from generation to generation, are portrayed accurately in the show. 

‘YELLOWSTONE’ PREMIERE SETS RECORD AS CREATOR EXPLAINS BILLION-DOLLAR RISK BEHIND SUCCESS

Penny Krebs, a Oregon rancher, said she views many elements of the show ‘Yellowstone’ as accurately portraying ranch lie. 

"People have to start breaking up their properties into small places, so it takes away the large tracts of land we have out west, and pretty soon there’s a housing development, and nobody is farming, ranching, running cattle," she said. 

Anna Kobza, a first-generation cattle producer and Ph.D. student in feedlot nutrition, also emphasized the realistic nature of the family dynamic portrayed in the show. 

"I think a lot of the land issues they talk about, some of the reservation stuff, I think there’s some really realistic stuff in there," she said, adding that "generational issues" are a "very real thing" for multi-generational ranches.  

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR COLE HAUSER SAYS KEVIN COSTNER TAUGHT HIM TO BE ‘A GENTLEMAN ON SET’: ‘IT’S INSPIRING'

But not all elements of the show are quite as accurate, they said. 

"We don’t have a train station," Krebs said, referencing a canyon where bodies of enemies of the Dutton family are disposed. "We did have a train track that went through our place, then they took the railroad track out, so we don’t have anything close to a train station." 

Kevin Costner leads an ensemble cast on the hit show "Yellowstone." (Paramount Network)

Krebs also said the profanity and violence – including wildlife agents acting as law enforcement - are exaggerated. 

"We can’t shoot anybody," she quipped.

But, Krebs views the show as having gotten more realistic as it's progressed.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR PIPER PERABO DETAILS THE SHOW'S ‘VALUES’ THAT SHE ALIGNS WITH

Video

"He’s gotten a lot more realistic – you notice they don’t show the helicopter as much. We don’t have a helicopter. We’d like one," she said. 

Krebs also added that while the camaraderie of ranch life is there, the bunkhouse is not. "We have kind of a bunkhouse, but our guys all have houses," she said. "They try to make work fun, and they do… When we get to go out and ride in the morning, it is like that, you’re grateful – unless the wind’s blowing super hard and it’s cold, then it’s not very fun." 

Cole Hauser filming Season 5 of 'Yellowstone' (Paramount)

WATCH KEVIN COSTNER CLASSICS ON FOX NATION

Kobza recognized that, in order to be successful, the show had to be dramatized, but there were things that could get "taken out of context" if the viewer is not familiar with the industry. 

"What you see on that show, you might take as completely true, because you don’t know otherwise," she added. 

Overall, Krebs said she believes "Yellowstone" has had a positive effect on the ranching industry and illustrated many of the issues western ranchers face accurately. 

Kobza was not quite as convinced. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"I haven’t decided if it’s a totally horrible thing for industry, or if it’s a good thing," she said. "If a celebrity can bring a positive light to it, I guess that’s maybe beneficial for our industry." 

"I do think exposure to agriculture is good, I just wish it didn’t take celebrities to do so."