Free Republic

Outdoors advocate & defender, Judge Bob Moon, 60 Popular Hamilton County (Chattanooga, Tenn.) General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon, known for his outdoors advocacy and strict dealings with game law violators, died Wednesday from an apparent heart attack. He was 60. In 2008, Judge Moon made national headlines when he advised a woman who had been pulled from her car and beaten in the head to "purchase a weapon, obtain a gun permit and learn to protect yourself." He will be missed. Richard Simms at Nooga.com.

Even the elders in Pakistan's Sindh province admit they've never seen anything like it: whole trees encased in webs by millions of invading spiders. The mysterious phenomenon may be an unexpected result of the devastating floods that swept over Sindh in 2010, reports Wired. According to scientists, the spiders likely collected in the trees after fleeing from the rising floodwaters. At their height, the floods covered as much as a fifth of the country and displaced as many as 20 million people. One unexpected blessing from the bizarre post-flood event is that the hungry spiders seem to be significantly reducing...

Tuesday was a day that started with a stunning sunrise, as seen above in this photo by Associated Press photographer Elaine Thompson. The day was bracketed with another stunning display of color at sunset, courtesy of our dryer than usual December. Rain is expected to return later in the week.

My brother and I are taking our first steps on the Appalachian Trail in 2015. We will start in Georgia and complete the trail in Maine. Any Freepers ever done a thru-hike? Would like any advice/stories anyone may have.

The article about the hunter in Indiana reminded me of this story. Its deer season for alot of us. For those of you who think animals sing and dance ala Disney, don't bother.

Reporting from Yosemite National Park— Their Yosemite Valley tour was nearing its end, and the church ladies and gents from South Los Angeles had heard enough. Almost. "He's been telling us stories he thinks we want to hear for two hours," said Ann Hale, 70, heaving a sigh of frustration from the back of the tram. In fact, guide William Fontana had been regaling his listeners — most of them white — with stories about John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, about fur trappers and rock climbers. "We're still waiting for at least a few words about Yosemite's African American Buffalo...

Janet Parker has a clear shot at becoming the first woman to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series. From Little Elm, Texas, Parker said if she qualifies she won't hesitate to commit for the 2012 Elite Series season. "I am on top of the world," she said. "I can't tell you how excited I am to have this chance." Parker took a big step toward the Elite Series on Sept. 10 with a 10th-place finish on the Arkansas River in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open division. The high finish jumped her from sixth to second place in the...

Friends say Dan Dodds of Coupeville, WA, fought the big king salmon nearly 20 minutes, running up and down the beach at Keystone Spit and wading waist-deep into the water before finally landing the 28-pounder he called "the fish of my dreams." Minutes later, Dodds, 62, suffered an apparent heart attack and fell face down in the water. Efforts by fellow anglers to perform CPR failed, and he was pronounced dead at Whidbey General Hospital. "If I have to go, I’d like to go in that manner," said angler and friend Joe Biller. Whidbey News Times.

News Release Media Contact: Tom Harvey, 512-389-4453, tom.harvey@tpwd.state.tx.us Aug. 17, 2011 Drought Increases Texas Black Bear Concerns Rural Residents, Hunters Advised to Be Bear Aware AUSTIN — Wildlife biologists are advising hunters, ranchers and rural residents that black bears appear to be roaming longer distances and may approach people or houses in search of food and water because of the drought. If conditions remain dry, people could see more bears, said Mike Krueger, district leader of the Edwards Plateau Wildlife District for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “We’re getting a few reports of people seeing bears during daylight hours, and...

Proposed Budget Cuts Threaten Fish Hatcheries and State Economies Proposed budget decreases at nine federal fish hatcheries could have a devastating effect on already fragile economies in states where these facilities are located. State fisheries managers in affected areas are asking anglers to contact their U.S. congressmen/women immediately to have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reconsider shutting down mitigation stocking. The President's FY 2012 Budget calls for a reduction of $6.3 million to the USFWS fish hatchery mitigation operations, while its overall funding would be increased by almost $48 million. Mitigation activities will be cut or ended unless full...

Federal Act Could Limit Environmental Lawsuits, Awards By Etta Pettijohn The practices of two environmental groups best known for suing federal agencies to end logging, grazing, mining on public land and to hamstring wildlife agencies could be halted if legislation sponsored by western Congressional members becomes law. The Government Litigation Savings Act, introduced to Congress in late May, would amend the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Supporters say it would not, as some critics of the measure claim, reverse the opportunity for disadvantaged plaintiffs to recoup legal fees as recourse against government actions. The EAJA, passed in 1980, was...

Old-time football players like to say they would’ve played for free in the parking lot, such was their love for the game. It might be the hyperbole of men who watched too many grainy Knute Rockne clips, but you want to believe that they believe it. You want to believe that they were so tough and so committed to the game that they would’ve sacrificed the skin on their elbows to make a tackle near the third parking stall on the left. You want to believe in someone who loved the raw violence of a sport so much that he...

I know it is PMSNBC, but the pics are great!

It looks like something from the film Independence Day. But although it may seem like an alien mothership, this incredible picture is actually an impressive thunderstorm cloud known as a supercell. Windswept dust and rain dominate the storm's centre while rings of jagged clouds surround the edge. A flimsy tree in the foreground looks like a toy next to the magnificent natural phenomenon Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1334672/Jaw-dropping-image-enormous-supercell-cloud-Glasgow-Montana.html#ixzz16zxKpXHz

If you live in the Bay Area, chances are you’re familiar with Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Chances are you’ve even attended at least once over its 10 years running. It’s hard to disregard a massive, three-day festival that’s six-stages large and hundreds of thousands of attendees deep with a star-stacked lineup that takes place out in the emerald expanse of the Golden Gate Park every first weekend of October—the sunniest, warmest time of the year in San Francisco. This coming weekend, Hardly Strictly is poised to throw what could be the biggest and best year yet with a staggering lineup that...

Southerners are more like to die from the effects of the weather than people living in any other region of the US. Kind of interesting, even though the data is over a year old. Can also look at separate counties with the links provided on the page.

I am looking for recipes for a good cookout meat this Saturday. Anyone?

Clear Creek sheriff's deputies on Thursday arrested a rafting guide for swimming to a stranded young rafter who had tumbled from his boat on Clear Creek. Ryan Daniel Snodgrass, a 28-year-old guide with Arkansas Valley Adventures rafting company, was charged with "obstructing government operations," said Clear Creek Sheriff Don Krueger. "He was told not to go in the water, and he jumped in and swam over to the victim and jeopardized the rescue operation," said Krueger, noting that his office was deciding whether to file similar charges against another guide who was at the scene just downstream of Kermitts Roadhouse...

Motorists using a bridge in the southern Russian city of Volgograd were given the ride of a lifetime by a powerful gust of wind. The new river crossing started shaking violently and a massive downpour at the same time made conditions worse. Drivers say their cars were literally thrown into the air, many thinking it was an unexpected earthquake. The shaking was so severe it caused vehicles to career into the opposite lane creating chaos....

President Barack Obama launched a new initiative Friday to conserve cherished land and encourage more Americans to enjoy the outdoors. The president said the "America's Great Outdoors" program will involve a series of listening sessions throughout the nation to solicit an array of ideas. *snip* Obama is to receive a report by Nov. 15 outlining an action plan to both reconnect Americans to nature and enhance conservation efforts. Eight departments and the White House Office of Management and Budget are to work with the initiative to "identify existing resources," and to align policies to meet the initiative's goals.

Following the suggestion of his tone-deaf advance team, President Obama went from inside the White House to inside his armored car to inside the Interior Department today to celebrate the Great Outdoors. After a short drive, the Chicagoan spoke to a Great Outdoors Conference auditorium audience of about 500 including Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, a favorite urban butt of late-night comedians.

"Under President Obama's vision for a "21st century conservation agenda," the federal government would bring together cities, states, tribes and nongovernmental organizations working on conservation efforts, and encourage families to spend more time outdoors, officials said."

Raleigh Constituent visits the new North Carolina Department Of Agriculture website. Dear John Jacob; Steve Troxler is a great Agriculture Commissioner and I like his ideas. But Moose Droppings (CLICK LINK HERE) has found a AgDept. idea that may need some tweaks before it is ready for primetime. Everyone (outside the Wildlife Commission!) agrees NC wildlife management has reached farcical levels. Crows can only be shot on Wednesdays,Fridays and Saturdays from June through February. Fox Squirrels from October 12 to December 31, Grey and Red from October 1 to February 13 etc,etc,etc. So enter Commissioner Troxler with a website to...

"The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show is a sportsman's paradise, but one where trouble is brewing. There were lots of kids here with their families, walking the nearly 300,000 square feet of the State Farm Show Complex. They were checking out the newest fishing lures, gun blinds and camouflage clothing. But many of the outfitters who set up booths at the show and sell mountain-lion stalks in New Mexico, bear hunts in Maine and African safaris are worried that they're in a dying business. Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show State Farm Show Complex Through Feb. 14 "Most kids wouldn't know...

Submitted for entertainment purposes only.

My wife and I drove up to Estes Park, Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park. We only saw about ten deer, but about 300 elk. They were everywhere. In the national park, but most were in town. They were eating shrubbery in people's front yard, crossing roads and only occasionally not disrupting things.

Taxes fund environmental suits - Environmental law firms reap billions in fees to fund lawsuits October 15, 2009 The federal government has paid out billions of dollars to environmental groups for attorney fees and costs, according to data assembled by a Cheyenne, Wyoming, lawyer. Karen Budd-Falen of Budd-Falen Law Offices [main@buddfalen.com or 307-632-5105] said the government between 2003 and 2007 paid more than $4.7 billion in taxpayer money to environmental law firms -- and that's just in the lawsuits she tracked. The actual figure, she said, is far greater. "I think we only found that the iceberg exists," she said....

Harvesting an alligator that's 20 times your size is a piece of cake, according to 5-year-old Simon Hughes. "Well, its pretty much simple," said Simon who caught the alligator. Simon's father said Simon is a natural born hunter, so an 800 pound alligator was no match for him. "Well I my got my gun out and shot him," the 5 year old said laughingly. Pictures and video HERE

Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - A 10-year study made by the Canadian Red Cross on drownings and other water-related injuries across the nation showed that fishing topped the list of causes of water-related deaths in Canada from 1991 to 2000. Of the 5,900 water-related fatalities, there were 889 people who drowned, accounting for 15 percent. It was followed by swimming with 751 cases, playing or walking near water 669, road travel 538, powerboating 427, bathing 394 and canoeing 205. The study pointed that fishing is a popular Canadian past time, although it was a major source of food and livelihood for...

<p>OVI, Mich. (AP) - A married Oakland County official who police say was caught having sex with another woman on the sidewalk in the Detroit suburb of Novi has apologized after pleading guilty in the case.</p> <p>Republican Commissioner Kim Capello pleaded guilty this week to indecent exposure, which carries up to 93 days in jail. Sentencing is set for June 3.</p>

How to tell you're a compulsive gardener 1. When stuck in traffic, you want to weed the median strip. 2. On a walk in the neighborhood, you look at the plants so much that you trip on the sidewalk. 3. You find yourself worrying about your neighbor's plants. Especially when your neighbor is doing something stupid. 4. You are tempted to adopt those straggly, mishandled plants at the garden center because you think you can give them a good home. 5. You want to collect seeds from half the vegetables you eat. 6. You find yourself pruning, pruning, pruning because...

A New Hampshire man, who told a Dispatch reporter last week he was on a “journey of a lifetime” that brought him through nine states, dozens of towns and more than 1,700 miles, was in a wreck on Highway 45 today that demolished his horse-drawn recreational vehicle and killed two of his four horses. The wreck happened on Highway 45 South near Shuqualak on the Kemper-Noxubee county line. Bob Skelding, 49, was driving his team of horses on a stretch of roadway that had little or no shoulder. Two 18-wheelers traveling side-by-side crested a hill, and one of the trucks...

A 23-year-old transient was sentenced to 10 days in County Jail on Wednesday for catching and cooking a federally protected steelhead trout from San Luis Obispo Creek. Victor Manuel Silva was convicted of illegally taking and possessing wildlife. Wildlife officials said the poaching was a blow to the species because the fish was an egg-carrying female that was killed before she had a chance to spawn. Her eggs were strewn along the banks of the creek. A homeless man was sentenced to 10 days for cooking this steelhead. CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS Poll: What do you think of criminally charging...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-27-prez-money_N.htm

By Jerd Smith Nonprofit land trusts charged with overseeing thousands of acres of scenic lands will have to be state certified next year in order to continue accepting lands, under a new review process. Beginning Jan. 1, 2009, the Colorado Conservation Easement Oversight Commission will begin reviewing dozens of nonprofit trusts to ensure they are qualified to monitor lands and have the financial resources to defend the easements against development or misuse.

A spokeswoman with the National Championship Air Races confirms to Channel 2 News that a pilot was killed in a plane wreck Saturday morning at Reno-Stead Airport...

McCain 2008 Announces Sportsmen For McCain Leadership Governors Pawlenty, Keating to Serve as National Co-Chairs ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign has announced the National Steering Committee of the Sportsmen for McCain coalition. These leaders in the angling, hunting and shooting communities are working across the country to emphasize John McCain's dedication to protecting Americans' right to gun ownership and his commitment to preserving and promoting our hunting, angling and shooting traditions. John McCain said, "I am proud to have the support of these national and state leaders within the sportsmen's community and know that their support...

Like many townies, my prejudices about the Glorious Twelfth were well and truly fully formed. The official start of the shooting season was nothing more than an ancient ritual to massacre thousands of defenceless birds. So it was with some cynicism and not a little trepidation that I agreed to take part in the Glorious Twelfth last Tuesday, the traditional start of the shooting season, on a moor on the Durham/ Northumberland border. (edit) Having missed my first bird and about to hand over my place to the next gun, I looked back at the group. Mums with red-faced...

denver and the west Mountain lion snatches dog from owners' bedroom By Ann Schrader The Denver Post A mountain lion slunk into the master bedroom of an Idledale home early Monday, snatched a yellow Labrador retriever and vanished. Officers are hunting the mountain lion and have set a trap, said Jennifer Churchill, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife. "A lion that will brazenly go into someone's bedroom . . . we need to be careful of," Churchill said. The dog's body was found near the property. Churchill said the residents had left open the French doors to their...

Reactions from smokers ranged from stunned to furious -- and often unprintable. "Outside?" gasped Isaac Kim, who's about to start pre-pharmacy classes at the Silver Spring/Takoma Park campus. "Do they have the right to do that?" Welcome to the land of tolerance and freedom Mr. Kim. Your rights will be dictated to you in the Citizens Manual. Should you stray, they have a special police force to enforce your right not to smoke or chew tobacco. See if you can pick out the innocent-sounding, Stalinist name for the anti-smoking cops. And yes, employees could ultimately be fired or students kicked...

People are shunning the great outdoors. Blame conservationists, not video games ON JULY 4th, normally the busiest public holiday of the year, tourists were put off by high petrol prices and more than 300 wildfires raging across California. On Memorial Day, traditionally the beginning of the summer season, it was cold. In 1999 there was a grisly murder. In 1997 the Merced river flooded, inundating a hotel and wiping out hundreds of campsites. There are always excuses for the absence of people in Yosemite National Park. The number of visitors to California’s most spectacular valley has dropped for nine out...

Check out this scary video of a burglar stealing a family’s carpet. If anyone finds a carpet on ebay matching the rug in the video, please report it to the local authorities.

Wyoming officials confirm fifth case of plague found in mountain lions Friday, June 6, 2008 4:51 PM MDT Mountain lion hunters, the owners of domestic cats and others who may come in contact with mountain lions in Wyoming and other Western states are urged to protect themselves and their animals against plague. “Plague was confirmed in a mountain lion found dead in mid-April by a landowner in rural Johnson County,” said Todd Cornish, an associate professor in the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture's Department of Veterinary Sciences. Cornish said this is the fifth case of plague confirmed in mountain...

This video is of a red shoulder hawk singing its song and perched on an upper limb, while being watched by a family with binoculars, the hawk gives his view.

Hunting can be fun, think about it, if we kill to eat or supply food for the hungry, is natural but to kill just for fun and target practice is cruel. The characters of this video are my grandchildren, mourning dove and a rare Columbian parakeet called Perija.

The throngs filling campgrounds across America this weekend will include hardy outdoors types and those who prefer creature comforts, but they'll have at least one important thing in common: Nearly all of them are white. A small but committed group of campers is trying to change that by growing a generation of black campers, one person at a time. The National African-American RVers Association is composed almost exclusively of black people who camp, although it includes a few whites and Hispanics. The group doesn't have much money to buy ads or solicit new members. Instead, it always holds its major...

Fayetteville, N.C. — Wildlife agents are scouring the woods near Cedar Creek after a man says he spotted what looks like a king cobra there last week. Vernon Byrd was on an all-terrain vehicle in a field off Johnson Road last Tuesday when he said an 8-foot-long snake reared up beside him – and the serpent's head was about shoulder high to him. "I caught something out of my eye, and this snake comes up beside me and looked at me," Byrd said. "I've seen every kind of snake in this part of the country, but I've never seen a...

The One That Got Away World-record class Dixon Lake bass "Dottie" dies and ends era for three old friends By Kyle Carter ESPNOutdoors.com Jed Dickerson holds world-record class bass Dottie after she was found dead on Dixon Lake Friday. Jed Dickerson had just left Dixon Lake exhausted and was about to sit down for lunch when he got the call from Jim Dayberry, one of the Ranger supervisors with the park's lake division. "You might want to come back down here," Dayberry told Dickerson at around 11:45 a.m. PT on Friday. "We just found Dottie floating on the north side...

May is a wondrous month, bursting with life and growth and energy, with color and scent and sound, a bittersweet taste of what the Garden of Eden must have been like before the fall from grace. Flowers are coming into their own, birds are nesting and hatching their young, puddles are full of tadpoles. Everything is celebrating the passing of winter and preparing for the long, hot summer ahead. With it’s perfect weather, May is the month to enjoy just being alive. May is time to plant the vegetables that need warmer weather. The soil temperature needs to be at...