Free Republic

Two new studies examining gray wolves in California paint a complex picture of life on California’s ranching landscapes: wolves eat cattle more than anything else and the presence of the predators causes significant stress among livestock. ... wolves from the Lassen and Harvey packs in northeastern California were primarily eating cattle. They collected scat samples during the summer months of 2022 and 2023 and found 72% of wolf scat contained cattle DNA. .... Wolves are a state and federally recognized endangered species. The first confirmed wolf entered California in 2011, following a nearly 100-year absence. The California Department of Fish...

July 6 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Monday that Walmart would lower prices on many products, including ground beef, after a request from his administration. The retailer said ​customers would save on items including meat, produce and soda at its Walmart ‌and Sam's Club stores this summer. Record-high beef prices have strained the wallets of U.S. consumers who also paid much higher gasoline prices after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran in February. ​Prices for steaks and hamburger meat soared after a persistent drought burned pasture ​lands and hiked costs of cattle feed, forcing U.S. ranchers...

Where’s the beef? Not in Texas — at least, not as much as it used to be. Texas barbecue joints are shutting their doors across the Lone Star State as sky-high beef prices turn brisket — once the centerpiece of a blue-collar meal — into a luxury item that many customers can no longer afford. From Houston suburbs to rural smokehouses, pitmasters say soaring wholesale beef costs, inflation and shrinking customer traffic are crushing margins and forcing some of the state’s most celebrated BBQ institutions out of business. SNIP “When brisket costs $36 a pound for the consumer and then...

By SHIREE BUNDY COX: I have had people ask me to explain my dad’s stance on this BLM fight. Here it is in as simple of terms as I can explain it. There is so much to it, but here it is in a nut shell. My great grandpa bought the rights to the Bunkerville allotment back in 1887 around there. Then he sold them to my grandpa who then turned them over to my dad in 1972. These men bought and paid for their rights to the range and also built waters, fences and roads to assure the survival...

Beef: It’s what you can’t afford for dinner — for years to come. Retail beef prices are near record highs. During 2013, the price consumers paid for ground beef climbed roughly 5%, according to government data beef price data released Thursday finds that consumers paid an average of nearly $3.50 per pound for 100% ground beef. What’s more, experts say that climbing beef prices are here to stay. The USDA’s Economic Research Service projects that beef prices will rise faster than almost anything else this year. Don Close, a cattle economist with Rabo AgriFinance says he thinks prices this year...