ENTERPRISE: Range War in Florida

After watching television some nights, Red Simpson, a 56-year-old Florida cattle rancher, stars in a private little drama of his own. In the classic tradition of the video western, Simpson moseys out to his faithful Jeep and for several hours rides the range of Osceola County in search of rustlers. Cattle raising, long overshadowed by Florida's famous beach resorts, is big business in the Sunshine State, where the first stock was brought in by Ponce de León in 1521. Today almost a quarter of all Florida's acreage is grazing land for 1,800,000 head of beef. But the vast spreads,...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!