Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Visit ranches across the American West, where multigenerational families struggle to hold onto the land as predators return, real estate pressures rise, and a powerful conservation movement reshapes the landscape. With livelihoods on the line, ranchers, hunters, and rewilding advocates collide over wildlife, access, and the future of rural America.
From innovative grazing practices rebuilding the soil from the ground up, to grizzly bears threatening livelihoods, to out-of-state billionaires reshaping the land, the pressures on ranching families have never been greater. Skyrocketing land prices, volatile livestock markets, predator conflicts, and conservation land grabs are pushing families who have worked this land for generations to a breaking point.
We meet ranchers experimenting with regenerative agriculture and direct-to-consumer models, a fourth-generation farmer who ran for the Montana state legislature, and families wrestling with whether to sell — and to whom. We also hear from American Prairie, whose ambitious 3.2-million-acre rewilding project is transforming the region and sparking fierce debate about land, community, and who gets to define conservation.
Through it all, one question runs deeper than any fence line: when the land changes hands, does a way of life disappear with it?
The Real Yellowstone is produced in association with Wyoming PBS. Funding provided by the Shepherds of Wildlife Society, Bering Global Education Foundation, Wheelchair Foundation, and Kamp's Family Foundation.
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Chapter Markers
0:00 – Program Funding & Acknowledgments
1:01 – Wildfires Threaten Montana Ranchers
2:11 – A Land Shaped by History: From Native Tribes to Ranching
4:08 – Innovative Grazing: The Hibbert Family's Approach
5:04 – Wildlife Stewardship & the Devil's Kitchen Management Group
6:35 – The Rancher's Perspective: Feeding America
7:13 – Rising Costs & Shrinking Margins
9:35 – Fighting for Ranchers in the Legislature: Eric Albus
10:45 – The Browns: 107 Years on the Land
12:24 – American Prairie Reserve: Conservation or Conflict?
15:05 – Blackfeet Country: Fences, Bison & Wildlife Migration
17:24 – Living with Grizzlies: Predators & Ranching
27:04 – Save the Cowboy: Pushing Back Against APR
29:00 – The Wickens Cattle Company: Regenerative Ranching & Direct Sales
32:10 – Shed Hunting: From Hobby to Lawless Obsession
34:04 – Outfitting as an Economic Lifeline
35:33 – Field Harvest: Reconnecting People with Their Food
37:44 – Community, Land Deals & the APR Controversy
43:27 – Old Salt Co-op: A New Model for Ranching Survival
45:35 – The Aldo Leopold Award & Conservation Recognition
47:46 – Election Night: A Rancher Goes to Helena
51:38 – Closing Reflections: Caretakers of the Land
...
With Wyoming PBS content you can delve into Wyoming history, explore the breathtaking beauty of our iconic national parks, and immerse yourself in the inspiring tales of Native American leaders, ranching life, the wonders of nature, and the many things to do in Wyoming. Whether you're seeking inspiring narratives or planning your next adventure in our beautiful state, WY PBS is your trusted guide.
Subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/wyomingpbs
Subscribe to our email newsletter: wyomingpbs.org/newsletter-signup-form
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/WyomingPBS
Follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wyoming-pbs
Visit ranches across the American West, where multigenerational families struggle to hold onto the land as predators return, real estate pressures rise, and a powerful conservation movement reshapes the landscape. With livelihoods on the line, ranchers, hunters, and rewilding advocates collide over wildlife, access, and the future of rural America.
From innovative grazing practices rebuilding the soil from the ground up, to grizzly bears threatening livelihoods, to out-of-state billionaires reshaping the land, the pressures on ranching families have never been greater. Skyrocketing land prices, volatile livestock markets, predator conflicts, and conservation land grabs are pushing families who have worked this land for generations to a breaking point.
We meet ranchers experimenting with regenerative agriculture and direct-to-consumer models, a fourth-generation farmer who ran for the Montana state legislature, and families wrestling with whether to sell — and to whom. We also hear from American Prairie, whose ambitious 3.2-million-acre rewilding project is transforming the region and sparking fierce debate about land, community, and who gets to define conservation.
Through it all, one question runs deeper than any fence line: when the land changes hands, does a way of life disappear with it?
The Real Yellowstone is produced in association with Wyoming PBS. Funding provided by the Shepherds of Wildlife Society, Bering Global Education Foundation, Wheelchair Foundation, and Kamp's Family Foundation.
...
Chapter Markers
0:00 – Program Funding & Acknowledgments
1:01 – Wildfires Threaten Montana Ranchers
2:11 – A Land Shaped by History: From Native Tribes to Ranching
4:08 – Innovative Grazing: The Hibbert Family's Approach
5:04 – Wildlife Stewardship & the Devil's Kitchen Management Group
6:35 – The Rancher's Perspective: Feeding America
7:13 – Rising Costs & Shrinking Margins
9:35 – Fighting for Ranchers in the Legislature: Eric Albus
10:45 – The Browns: 107 Years on the Land
12:24 – American Prairie Reserve: Conservation or Conflict?
15:05 – Blackfeet Country: Fences, Bison & Wildlife Migration
17:24 – Living with Grizzlies: Predators & Ranching
27:04 – Save the Cowboy: Pushing Back Against APR
29:00 – The Wickens Cattle Company: Regenerative Ranching & Direct Sales
32:10 – Shed Hunting: From Hobby to Lawless Obsession
34:04 – Outfitting as an Economic Lifeline
35:33 – Field Harvest: Reconnecting People with Their Food
37:44 – Community, Land Deals & the APR Controversy
43:27 – Old Salt Co-op: A New Model for Ranching Survival
45:35 – The Aldo Leopold Award & Conservation Recognition
47:46 – Election Night: A Rancher Goes to Helena
51:38 – Closing Reflections: Caretakers of the Land
...
With Wyoming PBS content you can delve into Wyoming history, explore the breathtaking beauty of our iconic national parks, and immerse yourself in the inspiring tales of Native American leaders, ranching life, the wonders of nature, and the many things to do in Wyoming. Whether you're seeking inspiring narratives or planning your next adventure in our beautiful state, WY PBS is your trusted guide.
Subscribe to our channel: youtube.com/wyomingpbs
Subscribe to our email newsletter: wyomingpbs.org/newsletter-signup-form
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/WyomingPBS
Follow us on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wyoming-pbs
