The Real Yellowstone

For the ranchers, the stakes are deeply personal. The film tells the stories of families like the Browns, who are forced to put their century-old ranch up for sale, marking the end of an era. For ranchers like Trina Jo Bradley, the ongoing threat of grizzly bears killing calves means significant financial loss, each calf costing thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, the Wickens family balances two worlds, relying not only on cattle but also on income from a hunting outfitting business. Their lodge, filled with trophies from years of guiding out-of-state hunters, illustrates the delicate balance between wildlife conservation and the need to keep their ranch financially viable.

The struggle also includes the role of American Prairie (AP), a nonprofit with a bold mission to restore Montana’s landscape to a time when bison roamed freely. AP aims to reconnect people with nature in its wildest form. While this vision has sparked controversy among ranchers, the organization insists that it supports local communities by paying taxes, creating jobs, and investing in small businesses. AP’s efforts to restore native species and use prescriptive fire to manage the land represent a forward-thinking approach to conservation, but they challenge the very livelihoods of those who have long depended on ranching.