Latest news with #hunting
Fox News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Duck Dynasty' returns with Willie Robertson hunting for successor
The Robertson family is back with their revival of "Duck Dynasty." The A&E show aired its first episode on June 1, showing Willie Robertson, his wife Korie Robertson, and their children and grandchildren transitioning into the new "Duck Dynasty" chapter. Willie is currently the CEO of the Duck Commander hunting company, which Phil Robertson founded in 1972 and was a vital part of the original "Duck Dynasty" series. The television show premiered 40 years later, in 2012, before it ended in 2017. The first episode kicked off in West Monroe, Louisiana, with Willie, Silas Merritt "Si" Robertson and Jase Robertson doing what they do best – duck hunting. Si gave Willie a hard time for not hunting as much and not going into the Duck Commander headquarters for over a year, which prompted him to pay a visit and reevaluate his role in the company. Willie announced that he is "semi-retiring" as CEO of Duck Commander and is looking for someone to take his place. He took his children, John Luke, Bella, Sadie and Will, duck hunting to find out who would be the best person to replace him. His youngest son, Rowdy, was away at college and his daughter, Rebecca, was pregnant and couldn't make the hunting trip. On the trip, Sadie shared that her father never took them duck hunting when they were kids, which Willie blames on technology and cellphones as the reason they weren't outdoors in their youth. The episode concluded with a big family dinner, where everyone met the new addition to the family, Rebecca's son. She gave birth to her third child, Xander, in November. On May 25, Korie Robertson took to social media to share Phil's passing after months of health concerns. "We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord." "We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord. He reminded us often of the words of Paul, 'you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him,'" her post began. Korie Robertson added that the family will have a private service but will share details "about a public celebration of his life." "Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus," she added. "We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again." During a December episode of "Unashamed with the Robertson Family," Robertson's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease was announced. Willie later spoke with Fox News Digital, saying that Phil was "battling a lot of different things right now." "He's got a blood disorder, and then he's got the mental issues that could be early [on-set] Alzheimer's… and probably some ministrokes because of his blood," Willie explained. "And so, it could be some stroke stuff happening, that has happened. So, we're still checking on all that." "But then he also has a back issue. He's fractured his back and that's where the pain's at. So, he's kind of battling many different things at the same time." "Duck Dynasty: The Revival" airs Sundays on A&E network at 9/8c.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Kazakhstan to Allow Hunting Once Endangered Antelopes
Kazakhstan said Wednesday it will authorize the hunting of saiga antelopes, once an endangered species that the government says is now threatening farming in the vast Central Asian country. The country previously backtracked on lifting a hunting ban on the species, recognizable by their long, trunk-like rounded snout. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had called the antelopes "sacred animals for the Kazakh people". The saiga was massively poached in the 1990s. State media cited Kazakhstan's deputy minister of ecology as saying the decision to hunt them was "necessary due to the rapid growth of their population" and "complaints from farmers". A spokeswoman for Kazakhstan's ecology ministry told AFP Wednesday that "according to scientific research, it is possible to eliminate up to 20 percent of the total population without harming the species". The exact number of animals allowed to be culled and the start date of the hunt are yet to be determined, she added. Farmers complain that saigas have stomped thousands of square kilometers of farms, where crops are also threatened by climate change. According to the latest estimates, there are 4.1 million saigas in the former Soviet republic, representing almost the entire global population, a number that could rise to five million by the end of the year. An attempt to lift the ban was met with opposition in 2023, a rare occurrence in Kazakhstan, where freedom of expression is limited. The authorities reversed the decision a few months later. Poaching of the antelopes exploded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, particularly as their horns are used in traditional medicine. Water shortages and disease had also endangered the species before the Kazakh authorities introduced a policy to protect them.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Phil Robertson's journey from humble beginnings to 'Duck Dynasty' empire
Phil Robertson died at 79 on Sunday following a health battle, but the Duck Commander founder's legacy goes back much further than his A&E reality series. Robertson, a Louisiana native, founded the hunting company more than 50 years ago in 1972 following a college football career at Louisiana Tech where he was a starting quarterback before Terry Bradshaw took over for him. "I said, 'Bradshaw, here's the deal. You're a big strong kid, you've got a strong arm and you want to play in the NFL and you want to play football," Robertson told the Ruston Daily Leader in 2021. "He said, 'That's right.' I said, 'I'm going after the ducks full time. I'd rather hunt ducks than have large violent men stomp me in the dirt . . . You go for it and I'll see you later.'" In 2020, Robertson was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as an outdoorsman, the newspaper reported. Robertson's Duck Commander empire includes duck calls, hunting videos and apparel. His son Jase Robertson explained how the Duck Commander empire began. "Dad was hunting on the (Arkansas-Louisiana) state line at Moss Lake in 1972 when his buddy told him he ought to manufacture the call because the ducks like them so much," he told the newspaper. "He told Dad, 'You don't just call the ducks; you command them.' That's where the Duck Commander started." In his 2013 memoir "Happy, Happy, Happy: My Life and Legacy as the Duck Commander," Robertson wrote about growing up with very little. "I miss the times when life was simple," he wrote. "I came from humble, humble beginnings. When I was a young boy growing up in the far northwest corner of Louisiana, only about six miles from Texas and ten miles from Arkansas, we didn't have very much in terms of personal possessions. But even when times were the hardest, I never once heard my parents, brothers, or sisters utter the words "Boy, we're dirt-poor." "I miss the times when life was simple. I came from humble, humble beginnings." Robertson married his high school sweetheart, Miss Kay, in 1966, and they had four sons together as well as 16 grandchildren during their nearly 60 years of marriage. Robertson also has a grown daughter from a decades-old affair in the 1970s. He revealed five years ago that he found out he had a 45-year-old daughter, Phyllis, following a DNA test. Robertson said after his son called and told him the DNA was a match, he immediately said "Bring her on down." "It's a pretty cool explanation of redemption, reconciliation, love," Robertson said on his "Unashamed" podcast at the time. "As it turns out, 45 years, you have a daughter that you don't know about, and she has a father she doesn't know about. Forty-five years, that doesn't sound like very long, but you say, that's a while. So finally, after all those years, we come together." Robertson's sons with Miss Kay include Alan, 60, Jase, 55, Willie, 53, and Jules, 46. The Robertson family became household names in 2012 when they became the subject of the A&E reality series "Duck Dynasty." The last episode aired in 2017. Along with "Duck Dynasty," Robertson also made the series "Duck Commander" for the Outdoor Channel and his life was the subject of a 2023 movie "The Blind: The True Story of the Robertson Family." Robertson had been open about how he discovered faith in the mid-1970s, telling Fox News Digital in 2019 he was living recklessly and in need of salvation. "Until I was 28 I didn't have any faith," Robertson told Fox News. "Here I am biblically speaking — God said I was under the control of the evil one. I didn't know that. I was just getting high and drunk with the worst of them. … I had built a track record that was not a good one. I then realized, 'What was I thinking? All that mischief and carrying on.' … I came to know Jesus. I looked up one day and I said, 'Man, I'm driven to do this. I have to do it.'" In his 2019 book "The Theft of America's Soul," he called for bringing religion back into American culture, but he admitted he had to hit rock bottom before he accepted God as his personal savior. "At first I'm trying to be good," he explained. "I'm learning how to be good. My friends would come by, my old buddies, and they would say, 'Let's go for a ride. Drive up the road.' I said, 'Nah.' My faith was being tested. … I just broke away from them. … I will say I got an unlisted phone number and I hid out the first year while I was getting on my spiritual feet. That was 44 years ago. Well, the further I have gone on my walk of faith, the more faithful I have become." He said he has since devoted his life to helping others. "[My wife and I] go to them. The rehabs. The prisons. The downtrodden. The ones that no one would give a hoot about. The homeless," he said. "When we meet together we have food. We meet together on Sunday mornings. … People who sleep under bridges can come in. [And we] get them a good meal. … [It's] all God's children coming together." Last December, his son Jase revealed on their "Unashamed" podcast that Phil was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. He said at the time that he also had some kind of blood disease that had yet to be diagnosed but is "causing all kinds of problems." On Sunday, his family celebrated his life after confirming he had died. "We celebrate today that our father, husband, and grandfather, Phil Robertson, is now with the Lord," his daughter-in-law Korie Robertson wrote on Instagram. "He reminded us often of the words of Paul, 'you do not grieve like those who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." She added, "Thank you for the love and prayers of so many whose lives have been impacted by his life saved by grace, his bold faith, and by his desire to tell everyone who would listen the Good News of Jesus. We are grateful for his life on earth and will continue the legacy of love for God and love for others until we see him again." Jase wrote on X: "My dad has gone to be with the Lord today! He will be missed but we know he is in good hands, and our family is good because God is very good! We will see him again!" The "Duck Dynasty" X account wrote: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Phil Robertson, a hunting industry pioneer and the patriarch of the beloved Robertson family. Our thoughts are with them during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences and respect their privacy as they grieve." House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents Louisiana, wrote that he was grateful for the "extraordinary legacy of one of Louisiana's favorite sons," saying that countless people had been impacted by his life and ministry. "I'm sorry to hear that Phil Robertson passed away," Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X. "Many prayers for his family. He shared his faith journey in a movie called the Blind, one of the best." Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote that he was a "living example of what God can do in all of our lives if we follow Him. He was a bright light for the world to see. Bryan and I are praying for the whole Robertson crew tonight." His son Willie shared a tribute on his Instagram, writing in part: "He taught me many things in life and most without ever saying a word. I watched him, and knew he had figured out so many things. Most importantly, he taught me the value of sharing my faith with others. He was the Real Deal, the same on Sundays as Fridays. Most of our conversations were not about hunting or business, but about sharing the Gospel." He said the last words his father told him before he died was: "You're my brother." "It made total sense to me. He always told me we were coworkers in the Kingdom of God," Willie wrote. "Maybe that's why I always just called him Phil … Sleep well Dad, can't wait to see you."
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Scientists pinpoint when humans started to use tools made from whale bone
Scientists have discovered the oldest evidence of humans crafting tools from whale bones, dating back roughly 20,000 years. The bones, shaped into narrow projectiles for hunting, were found during excavations in the Bay of Biscay, near Spain and France, over a century ago. While researchers suspected the tools were ancient, their fragmented condition made accurate dating difficult. Recent technological advancements have now enabled scientists to determine the age of the oldest tools. Analysis revealed that the bones originated from various whale species, including blue whales, fin whales, and sperm whales. 'Humans and whales have clearly been encountering one another for a long time,' said Vicki Szabo with Western Carolina University, who studies the history of whaling and was not involved with the latest research. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. 'It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past," said Petillon.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Scientists date the oldest known tools made from whale bones to 20,000 years ago
A projectile made from gray whale bone, dating back to about 18,000 years ago, in Abbaye d'Arthous, France, in March 2021. (Alexandre Lefebvre via AP) NEW YORK — Scientists have pinpointed the oldest known evidence of humans making tools from whale bone. The bones, fashioned into narrow projectiles for hunting, had been uncovered in excavations dating back over a century in the Bay of Biscay near Spain and France. Scientists figured the tools were quite ancient, but many were small fragments so it was hard to determine their age. Technological advancements in the past decade have now made it possible to date the oldest of the tools to about 20,000 years ago. Scientists found that the bones came from blue whales, fin whales, sperm whales and other species. 'Humans and whales have clearly been encountering one another for a long time,' said Vicki Szabo with Western Carolina University, who studies the history of whaling and was not involved with the latest research. Scientists think that ancient humans were crafting whale bone instruments in places including the Arctic and South Pacific. There's been solid evidence of whale bone tools dating back to about 5,000 years ago, but the new research published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications pushes the timeline back. Ancient humans weren't necessarily hunting whales, said study author Jean-Marc Petillon with the French National Centre for Scientific Research. More likely, they were scavenging the bodies of beached whales and fashioning their dense, heavy bones into tools to hunt reindeer or bison. The tools indicate that ancient people in the area took advantage of resources near the sea for survival. They likely also collected seashells and fished. Finding such evidence has been difficult as rising sea levels disrupt coastlines across the globe, scientists said. 'It's one more contribution to the importance of coastal environments for human groups, even in this long past,' said Petillon. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press
