Free Republic

R.C. and Annia Carter survey their ranch near Ten Sleep, Wyo., on Oct. 14, 2025. The Carters have practiced regenerative or holistic agricultural practices to cultivate their pastureland. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times ================================================================ TEN SLEEP, Wyo.—The alfalfa weevil, scourge of Western ranchers, appears when the frost melts, skeletonizing leaves and profits. There are ways to limit its damage—early harvest, livestock grazing, and intercropping alfalfa with grass—but most growers opt for insecticides. R.C. Carter, a third-generation rancher in Northern Wyoming, recalled a realization he had while using a 1.5-gallon container of concentrated pesticide to spray a 60-acre alfalfa pasture. “I was...

The first time I ate a raccoon was about 11 years ago. Some were raiding the chicken coop where we lived, so my roommate and I were charged with dispatching. We trapped one in a Hav-a-Hart, killed it, and being equal parts curious and broke, we cooked it. We braised the first raccoon with a bunch of chili peppers, aromatics, and stock. I was honestly conflicted about the whole ordeal. On the one hand, it smelled damn good as it was cooking. On the other hand, I had a mental block on raccoon as a food. I was brought up...

Hours after savoring that perfectly grilled steak on a beautiful summer evening, your body turns traitor, declaring war on the very meal you just enjoyed. You begin to feel excruciating itchiness, pain or even swelling that can escalate to the point of requiring emergency care. The culprit isn’t food poisoning – it’s the fallout from a tick bite you may have gotten months earlier and didn’t even notice. This delayed allergic reaction is called alpha-gal syndrome. While it’s commonly called the “red meat allergy,” that nickname is misleading, because alpha-gal syndrome can cause strong reactions to many products, beyond just...

MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — A rescue crew successfully extracted a dog that had fallen about 100 feet down a mine shaft in Arizona on Monday. The Mohave County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team reported getting a call at about 1:30 p.m. from a woman who had been out exploring a mining claim near Van Deeman Mine, located west of White Hills.The woman's 9-year-old dog, Hailey, had reportedly fallen down a mine shaft and was still showing signs of movement. A rescue team responded to the area and utilized a rope system to allow a crew member to rappel to...

The budget reconciliation bill currently before the U.S. House could dispose of nearly 1.5 million acres of public land, according to new analysis released today by the digital mapping company onX. Republicans added the public land sale with an amendment proposed during a midnight session of the House Natural Resources Committee. Initial reports suggested that only about 10,000 acres would be subject to disposal, and later analysis increased that estimate to nearly 500,000 acres. Now, an extensive review by onX researchers has revealed that the actual number could be as many as 1,466,352 acres in Utah and Nevada. “Our public...

After Tiffany Slaton was miraculously found alive on Wednesday following three weeks lost in the Sierra, today’s question was: How? According to Slaton herself, a lot of leeks. She’s a trained forager and permaculturist, and leeks are both bountiful in the Sierra and nutritious. So nutritious that her bloodwork was in remarkable shape at the hospital, she said during a press conference on Friday. Her eyes, however, took some damage from an extended time in the blinding white snow, requiring sunglasses in the aftermath. “How did I avoid death? I’m pretty good at foraging,” Slaton said during her first public...

“Head’s Up: Firing the National Archivist. More of how the new authoritarian regime is taking over. Control the press, control education and control what remains of the history of our country.” I pulled the quote above off Facebook this morning. I could have pulled a score more like it, most of them from educated liberal females (ELFs), all of them actual friends or relatives. This one impressed me for its concise summary of ELF concerns and ELF cluelessness. “What remains of our history?” Ladies, can we step back in time just five years and recall how eagerly you ceded control...

With 'near time' identified as a problem, parents urged to boosting outdoor timeNew research shows the rate of myopia among children and teens worldwide has tripled over the past three decades, with a particularly steep increase noted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A paper in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, which reviewed 276 studies published to June 2023 from around the world, concluded that more than one in three of all children and teens are nearsighted, triple what it was in 1990. "Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between the pandemic and accelerated vision deterioration among...

There's nothing particularly political about camping. People across the ideological spectrum enjoy overnighting under the stars. But buying camping gear is a whole different story. Before you pitch your tent, you have to declare where you pitch your tent. Nowhere is this divide more pronounced than in the rivalry between retail behemoths Bass Pro Shops and Patagonia. troll into a Bass Pro Shops location, and you’re greeted with a rustic, log-cabin feel, stuffed bears, shotguns and rifles, and camo gear lining the shelves, soundtracked by the giant waterfall in the middle of the store. Head over to Patagonia, and you’re...

The Secret Service has reportedly urged former President Donald Trump’s campaign to halt outdoor rallies and other events with large crowds after the attempt on his life.After a gunman shot Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania, officials discussed concerns about another attempt on the former president’s life with his campaign, according to The Washington Post.The people familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private discussions.For upcoming events, Trump’s team is scouting indoor venues, such as basketball arenas and other large spaces where thousands of people can fit, people familiar with the request said. The campaign...

The government has warned livestock farmers in Denmark they will be taxed on the amount of farts and burps from their cows, sheep, and pigs. From 2030, farmers will be taxed for their fatulent (sic) livestock, becoming the first country in the world to do so as it targets methane emissions to fight climate change. Taxation Minister Jeppe Bruus said the aim is part of the globalist push to supposedly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels by 2030. Danish livestock farmers will face a punitive financial imposition of 300 kroner ($43) per ton of carbon dioxide...

While Russia and Santa Cruz aren’t often mentioned in the same breath, when it comes to Wilder Ranch State Park, a shared history features betrayal and a land grab. The sprawling 7,000-acre park just 4 miles west of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk is filled with coastal views, but on a recent morning, I found myself entranced by a local historical tale involving a husband accused of forging documents to remove his wife and her family from the deed. When hiking through this part of the California coastline — where sandy beaches, marine life and a magical sea cave coalesce —...

Join us in celebrating Stevens Creek County Park’s 100th anniversary by completing the Hike the Hundred Challenge. Rack up 100 points in 100 days! There are 13 curated trails at 12 parks where participants go on a scavenger hunt for our Park's unique findings. ​​​​There are six ways to collect your points: Visiting the park (5 points) - Take a selfie in front of the park sign.Plant (2 points) - ID the plant and take of picture (careful not to touch if its poison oak or thorny!)Building (2 points) - Take a picture of the chosen building.Structure (2 points) -...

For years, first responders and rescue teams cherished the TactiStaff's unparalleled versatility. Its exceptional utility and durability made it a staple for professionals, but civilians rarely had access. Thanks to some recent legislative changes, we, the everyday people, can now legally get our hands on this military-grade tool.

Five competitive cyclists – women in their 50s and 60s – met at the Tokul Creek trail north of Snoqualmie. At the yellow gate before riding into the deep forest, the women took a group selfie. They had no premonition that 19 miles in, a young male cougar would attack one of them, and that they’d spend 45 minutes in a battle for their lives. The first cougar, presumably the mother or a sibling, ran off. But the younger one paused … and then lunged at Keri Bergere, 60, who was biking a few paces ahead of him. “Looking to...

Two women laughing and smiling in a viral video with hair standing straight up from static electricity were likely in the path of an imminent lightning strike and are lucky they weren’t fried If...the static electricity in the air makes your hair stand on end, a lightning strike isn’t a risk. It’s imminent. Those were the circumstances behind a viral video filmed at the Horseshoe Bend Overlook in Arizona’s Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. A woman filmed her mother as her long hair stuck straight out from her head and static crackled from the end of her pointed finger on...

In early 2020 in the midst of the covid lockdowns, blue states run by leftist governors pursued mandates with extreme prejudice. In red states like Montana, after the first month or two most of us simply ignored the restrictions and went on with life as usual. It was clear that covid was not the threat federal authorities made it out to be. However, in states like Michigan the vice was squeezed tighter and tighter under the direction of shady leaders like Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer used covid as an opportunity to institute some bizarre limitations on the public, including a mandate...

The Asian longhorned tick is rapidly gaining a foothold in the United States and “poses a serious threat to livestock” according to the USDA. Since its discovery and proper identification in 2017, the coverage area of the tick has spread to 19 U.S. states, the USDA reported. The deadly consequence of their expansion was shared by Ohio State University researchers in the Journal of Medical Entomology: Two cows and one large bull died from exsanguination by the ticks, meaning drained of blood to the point of death. Each unfortunate cow likely endured tens of thousands of bites. While only the...

A Pennsylvania poacher who allegedly killed a Pittsburgh suburb’s beloved bald eagle later turned themselves in — but locals are fuming at the lack of information on the suspect from authorities. “The killing of our beloved eagle had a major impact on the entire community,” Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates resident Linda Carnevali told The Post Saturday. “We cannot fathom why anyone would want to harm our eagles and take it to the extreme of killing one.” The eagle, who Carnevali and her husband Raymond called “Sam” after the popular character “Sam the Eagle” in Disney’s Muppet Vision 3D, was allegedly...

Automaker Jaguar has announced a comprehensive recall of all its I-Pace electric vehicles in the United States, citing a potential risk of battery fires. The company is also advising customers to park outside until repairs are made and charge their vehicles outdoors so they don’t burn their houses down. Electrek reports that Jaguar has announced a broad recall of all of its I-Pace electric vehicles in the United States due to a potential risk of battery fires. This action was taken in response to worries expressed regarding a potential battery problem resembling the one that forced a previous recall of...