Montana resident says the violence and corruption depicted on 'Yellowstone' is giving real ranchers 'a bad name'

11.10.2023 - 16:07 / insider.com / Kevin Costner

"Yellowstone" might be fueling Montana's tourism boom, but not all residents of the Big Sky State are pleased with the depiction of their home on screen, according to a report from the Washington Post.

As the most-watched scripted series in America, it's hardly a surprise that fans have been flocking to Montana, the location of the fictional Dutton ranch, to get a taste of the cowboy life for themselves.

According to a University of Montana study, more than two million visitors were inspired to visit the state (and spent approximately $730 million once there) after watching the Kevin Costner-led series that follows the dysfunctional Dutton family.

But one local the Washington Post spoke to said "Yellowstone" is negatively impacting the general public's view of modern-day ranchers who work and live in Montana.

Mark Greeno, a rancher at Nine Quarter Circle Ranch, said "the show has given our ranchers a bad name."

The outlet reported that the show's depiction of widespread and deeply-rooted violence and corruption doesn't ring true to Greeno, who has spent the last six years at the Bozeman ranch with his wife.

In "Yellowstone" — which co-creator Taylor Sheridan previously described as "'The Godfather' on the largest ranch in Montana" in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter — acts of violence feature in almost every episode.

Enemies of the Dutton family, from money-hungry real-estate developers and rival cowboys from other ranches to family members, have all found themselves unceremoniously disposed of at the "train station," a Dutton code word for a roadside ditch a few miles over the Wyoming border (which was inspired by Montana's own 50-mile square mile legal loophole).

Elsewhere, other residents criticized the show for romanticizing Montana by not depicting the state all year round.

"One thing I've noticed is that 'Yellowstone' was only shot in the summer so people are blown away that it's cold, that the wind blows up here. It looks like it's 80 degrees and perfect temperatures in 'Yellowstone,'" Nathan St. Goddard, a Blackfeet tribal member and local business owner, told the publication.

Hillary Folkvord, a native of Three Forks, added: "They're not showing the hard days when it's below zero and the calves are frozen."

However, Folkvord added that she believes "Yellowstone" has "been good for" Montana.

"It shows how beautiful Montana is. And we hope to preserve that as stewards. That's really important to us," Folkvord said.