Taylor Sheridan has truly created a modern masterpiece with his hit Paramount Network series Yellowstone. The modern western drama has earned a passionate fan following over the past few years thanks to the iconic Yellowstone cast members, which range from Oscar winner Kevin Costner to Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly. Fans have become all too familiar with the Yellowstone Ranch and everything John Dutton (Costner) will do to maintain his family's legacy. And they're all coming back for more in Yellowstone season 5.
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While the Yellowstone characters are amazing, and the storyline is always juicy and dramatic, the series has also provided some insight into what actually goes into running a ranch. It's been an interesting way to educate parts of the country who are less familiar with the agriculture industry and how it really is the backbone of America. That's not to say that the average ranch is regularly tossing people off cliffs or finding themselves in life-threatening shootouts but hey. You get the idea.
From educational terms about the cattle industry to a few Yellowstone specific slang terms fans really need to know, here's our Yellowstone glossary to help you speak Yellowstone just like a real member of the Dutton crew.
The Train Station
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This is not an actual train station, so don't let the name fool you. This is the term used by John Dutton and his right-hand man Rip Wheeler when it's time to send someone somewhere where they won't be heard from again. It's actually a very specific place that we've seen a few times throughout the series, and it's certainly not somewhere you'd want to end up. We first saw Rip and Lloyd pay a visit to the train station back in season 1 after one of the ranch hands got in an altercation with Jimmy. Since Jimmy sported the Yellowstone brand (more details on that below) he took priority between the two, so the instigator, named Fred, was promptly escorted off the property.
When Fred discovered that Lloyd and Rip had actually taken him to a cliff off a remote highway, he noted that it wasn't an actual train station. "Sure it is," said Lloyd, before Fred was tossed off the side. "It's a long, black train."
If you're up to date on the series, you know that our favorite singing ranch hand Walker almost earned himself a one-way ticket to the train station after getting on Rip's bad side, but Kayce decided to give him a break and let him go free. Even Jamie has tossed a body off the train station, the Dutton family's go-to spot to ensure anyone with their dark secrets never again sees the light of day.
The Bunkhouse
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The bunkhouse is pretty much the only place on the Yellowstone Ranch where you'll regularly see the ranch hands laughing and having a good time. It also provides some much-needed comic relief on the show in general, which is full of some pretty heavy subject matter. After hours working the land for John Dutton under the guidance of Rip, the bunkhouse is where all of the ranch hand employees not only sleep, but hang out to blow off steam after a hard day's work. They play cards, crack some beers, and really have their own family time that they've created since being a ranch hand really is a 24/7 gig...especially if you have some Dutton dirty work to do after the sun goes down. The big rule is no fighting...which, as we saw in season 4 with Lloyd and Walker, could definitely end badly if you don't actually abide.
Livestock Commissioner
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So far, nearly every male Dutton family member has held the title of "Commissioner Dutton." First John, then Jamie, and currently Kayce. So what exactly does the Livestock Commissioner of Montana do outside of finding themselves in deadly shootouts, issues with cattle theft, and more chaos? According to Montana's Department of Livestock, the commissioner's job is to "control and eradicate animal diseases, prevent the transmission of animal diseases to humans, and to protect the livestock industry from theft and predatory animals."
This certainly adds up with what we've seen on the show, even though it might be slightly more dramatized than what its actually like. Kayce is the go-to guy ranchers call if anything is going on with their cattle or land, and he helps protect their industry and general way of life. If that means he has to shoot down cattle thieves in the process, so be it!
Buckle bunny
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Ah, the buckle bunnies. Mia and Laramie certainly knew how to shake things up in the bunkhouse when they were first introduced back in season 3. Though they both sport their own buckles from barrel racing at the rodeo, the term 'buckle bunnies' refers to a female who is highly attracted to rodeo competitors with the ability to land a giant belt buckle for their bucking bronco riding skills. They face death in that arena, and as a reward, they might win the attention of a lovely barrel racer (or whoever). Jimmy first learns this term from Lloyd once he starts dating Mia, and her pal Laramie joins her in the bunkhouse to strike up a short-lived romance with Lloyd, who earned a buckle or two back in his rodeo days.
Cattle rustling
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This is the term that really kicked off the entire Yellowstone series, if you can even remember as far back as season 1. It's definitely been a whirlwind. Cattle rustling is when someone steals your cattle, so kind of like when Broken Rock Reservation took a bunch of the Dutton's cattle in the series premiere leading to a deadly altercation between Lee Dutton and Monica's brother after the Livestock Commissioner's office and the Dutton ranch hands gathered together on a mission to get back what was theirs. Obviously, you shouldn't steal, but in a land like Montana, where ranching is everything, rustling someone else's cattle is particularly a bad idea.
Gator
Paramount Network
No, not an actual alligator! This is the nickname of the Yellowstone's onsite chef, who prepares all of the meals for the Dutton family. Chef Gabriel Guilbeau, who also goes by Gator in real life, is the actual onsite cook for the cast and crew of the series who occasionally gets thrown into a scene by creator Taylor Sheridan. You never know when you'll get to see Gator pop up, but he's made a few appearances over the show's four seasons. Cast members have gushed about Gator and his cooking abilities in various interviews over the years so its no wonder that he has a slew of experience working craft services in Hollywood.
The Brand
Paramount Network
Even if you didn't grow up on a ranch, you're probably familiar with the concept of branding cattle. That's not really what we're referring to here in the world of Yellowstone. Sure, they brand their cattle just like every other professional operation, but they don't stop there. The Yellowstone Ranch brand is bestowed upon select ranch crew members as a nod to a lifetime of servitude to the ranch and John Dutton. If you've earned and accepted the brand, you are essentially agreeing to keep all of the Dutton family's dark secrets to yourself, in addition to not questioning some of the dark exploits that are required to keep things operational when newcomers show up, threatening their way of life. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. No wonder Rip regularly looks to ex-cons or folks looking for a second chance who would do anything for a fresh start.
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