Over 3,400 Rattlesnakes Discovered on ‘Dutton Ranch’ Set, Say Show’s Stars

FORT WORTH, Texas — While the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s TV shows filmed in North Texas often face challenges, few are as dangerous as what the “Dutton Ranch” cast encountered on location.

In a recent appearance on the “Kelly Clarkson Show,” Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, stars of “Dutton Ranch” and “Yellowstone,” discussed the serious issue they faced: rattlesnakes invading the set.

“Over eight months, we caught 3,400 rattlesnakes,” Hauser shared.

The series, which primarily filmed in North Texas, made its debut on May 15 on Paramount+, as previously reported by WFAA.

“Dutton Ranch” sees Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler start a new life in a fictional South Texas town, where they end up warring with a rival ranch. 

Clarkson, a Fort Worth native, sympathized, saying she once had a giant den of rattlesnakes on her property. 

“In Fort Worth—I know, because I lived there—there are a lot of rattlesnakes. People don’t realize how many snakes are in the area,” Clarkson said. 

Reilly said they had six “snake wranglers” on set to clear out the snakes from the areas where they were filming. It was especially treacherous for Reilly, who—true to character—had to run through the tall grasses of North Texas wearing stilettos. 

“They just pick them up and put them somewhere far away from us,” Reilly said. 

One of the most treacherous stories came from Hauser, who said he showed up to film a scene just to find out that there was a den of 40 or 50 rattlesnakes. Filming was delayed that night—of course. 

“Nothing will make me run faster than hearing that sound in the dead of night,” Clarkson said.