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Stock Journal Beef Week | 2023
US ranchers on what’s real,

what’s not in Yellowstone

By SHAN GOODWIN Cowboys are typically
quiet, gentle people and
USTRALIA’S cattle they work far too hard to
people have been have the energy to fight or
Afascinated by the murder, ranchers said.
melodramatic lives of And they are not so
those on the Dutton family filthy mouthed.
ranch in the US television “I have a friend who has
drama Yellowstone, the a big ranch in Montana
mesmerising beauty of right near where the
Montana and the livestock fictional Yellowstone
they run. would be and the first
The show is just as much thing people ask him is
a juggernaut in the States. ‘do your employees talk
It’s being called America’s like that?” says Lamar
biggest television hit and, Steiger, The 808 Ranch in
now in its fifth season, California.
has millions of viewers “The answer is Kevin Costner returns as Montana rancher John Dutton in the series
worldwide. absolutely not, we would Yellowstone. Picture by Stan
For real-life cattle never allow that.
ranchers in the Midwest, “That is entirely questioning of vegan well adapted to being
Yellowstone’s popularity is Hollywood.” ideology, ranchers felt. moved this way.
something of an enigma. The issues being “Animal activists “That makes a
Is it the way of life of are doing some crazy difference. There is no
those on the land, the played out, however, are protesting here and I training period. If the
true representations of
mountain of challenges the battles faced by US understand it’s much
faced by Kevin Costner’s ranchers, Mr Steiger said. the same in Australia,” feedlots have to pull an
John Dutton or the sheer “There really is, in Mr Steiger said. animal out of a pen to treat
stunning backdrop that “That one line from the it, it’s a relatively stress-
has drawn people in? the west, a culture of show is gold.” less process.”
Either way, the American mining, agriculture, native It seems the Yellowstone On other key Yellowstone
beef producer seems to Americans and tourism all scenery is no manipulation questions, here’s what the
love the neo-Western clashing,” he said. of pictures either. ranchers said.
drama just as much as “There is a concept of Steve Wooten is a fifth The Livestock Authority
Joe Public and says that ‘are the lands the ranchers generation rancher and is nowhere near as
despite its numerous or do they belong to the while he is from south powerful as it is portrayed.
inconsistencies with public’. That question, eastern Colorado rather The A-frame wooden
reality, it has done the those issues, are very real.” than Montana, he says fences are very common.
ranching game a fair bit of There are simple ranchers ‘get to work in They have been, for many
good. solutions to John Dutton’s some incredible views’. years, an effective and
Stock Journal was in the problems that Hollywood The use of horses in the
US in the days leading up conveniently ignores, show is not exaggerated relatively cheap method of
to November’s release of Mr Steiger laughs. either. containing cattle.
the first episode of season “He could put that Mr Wooten runs a Red Many operations rope
five of Yellowstone - it land in a conservation Angus-based cow-calf calves at branding. A lot of
premiered here on Stan the easement trust and still operation and only works ranches don’t have corrals
same day it was released in maintain it and live on his cattle on horseback. or a race.
the US - and put some key it, or there are all kinds “We are constantly “Of course in
‘fact-or-fiction’ questions of different things that going up, down between Yellowstone, the Duttons
to ranchers. would protect from plateaus and down into have every facility
Firstly, their cowboys development coming in canyons. It’s not suitable available and would have
are absolutely not and trying to take his for motorcycles or ATVs. no need to rope calves
branded. No one has ever ranch,” he said. Plus we love raising and but it makes for good
heard of anything remotely “Two of his kids are riding horses so it’s a good pictures I suppose,” said
like that and all expect lawyers in the show, so fit,” he said. Mr Steiger.
they’d end up in jail if he should be informed of “I also think as our Lizards are indeed a
they turned a blind eye, those options. cattle leave the ranch, if
much less promoted the “Some things we roll our they’ve been accustomed problem in many ranching
practice. eyes about but we are glad to horses and people being regions, but as to whether
And they are adamant we are getting exposure to on foot around them, sasquatches exist, the
their ranch hands, or the issues we have.” whether it’s a stocker reply was ‘do yowies really
cowboys, are not the In particular, it had operation or if they are exist in Australia?’.”
violent, fighting characters created, in general going straight into a It depends on who you
that Yellowstone’s are. society, some much-need feedlot, they are already ask.
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