A self-described naked rancher has won hundreds of Instagram fans with snaps of him exploring the great outdoors without any clothes on. Dick Powers, 36, from Montana, spends his days herding cattle, chopping wood, and fishing on his family’s 1,800-acre plot.
He explained being naked ‘frees his spirits’ and hopes to one day expand his ranching business by offering tours to fellow naturists. He said: ‘I love being naked and I love being a naturist. Anything which involves a blade I avoid for safety reasons.
The 36-year-old has been helping to run his parent’s ranch in Montana, USA, since 2017, where his desire to ditch formal wear for his birthday suit was first discovered
He shares his naked endeavors on his Instagram account, which has more than 1,000 followers, despite his parents not knowing he is a naturist and loves to tend to their land
‘I will chop wood with an ax, but that’s as far I will go – I don’t want to slice anything off! I did once wear chaps and a helmet to use the chainsaw for an Instagram pic, but if I’m honest I regretted it.
‘All my posts tend to be organic and natural, while that one felt like it was mainly for my followers.’
Dick, who is now ranch manager, says his love of nature was awoken as a child growing up in Florida’s Everglades.
‘I played a lot of sport growing up and was part of the American Indian Scouts – which is similar to regular Scouts, but a lot more primitive,’ he said.
‘You learn how to survive off the land in a more traditional manner as the Native Americans do.
The naturist said he likes to keep his content on social media as natural as possible, explaining one time he decided to wear chaps and a helmet to use the chainsaw for an Instagram picture but soon regretted it. Pictured: Dick driving through the mountain ranges of the ranch
The ranch manager said his love for nature first started when he was a child, growing up in the Florida Everglades, and learned how to survive in the wild as part of the American Indian Scouts. Dick pictured taking an ice-cold dip
The keen naturist, pictured admiring the spectacular view, studied geology at the University of Wyoming from 2007 – where the Rocky Mountains were just a short drive away
‘It was there that I started to build a connection with nature.’
Brainy, too, Dick loved science and, in September 2007 won a place at the University of Wyoming to study geology.
He said: ‘I’d always enjoyed the outdoors and science was my preferred subject at school, so I wanted a profession that would let me do both.’
With the Rocky Mountains just a short drive away from his university campus, for the next three years, Dick threw himself into his studies.
Impressed by their son’s beautiful surroundings, at the start of 2009, Dick’s parents decided to leave Florida and relocate to the bordering state of Montana.
‘It was always a dream of my dad’s to move to the mountains and have his own ranch,’ Dick explained. ‘He’d been a businessman his whole life and it was his time to enjoy his golden years.’
After graduating in 2010, Dick spent three years working on an oil rig, clearing his student debt and saving.
He said: ‘I was a rig geologist, but in all honesty, I didn’t really enjoy it. I would help with the drilling before the oil started being rigged.
After visiting Dick at university, his parents were so impressed with the landscape that they decided to leave their home in Florida in 2009 and buy a ranch in Montana instead
His father had always dreamed of owning a ranch and when they came to visit they decided to make a change. They moved to Montana and Dick went to work on an oil rig from 2010
He worked on the oil rig for three years to pay off his student debt and save some money before going back to the University of Montana to study renewable energy development
‘I was in my late 20s, though, and enjoyed how much money I was making but, after three years, it was time to get out.’
Using his savings, in 2015 he funded a post-graduate degree studying renewable energy development at the University of Montana – a stone’s throw from his parents’ ranch, where he spent weekends working the land.
‘It’s a big old chunk of land for the old man to manage on his own,’ he said.
‘We have 200 cattle that need seeing to all year round, we have a huge hay operation and logging season requires a hell of a lot of manpower.’
Living on and off in the guest wing of his parents’ five-bedroom house since graduating in 2017, he became ranch manager the following year but, despite their close relationship, he has not told his parents he is a naturist.
‘Instead of using my post-grad degree, I became quite the handyman and that eventually led to me taking over from my dad at the ranch,’ he said.
‘It was here that I discovered the wonders of geothermal hot baths, as there are dozens of these incredible hot water holes dotted around The Rockies and most have signs saying clothing optional.
‘As kids, we ran around naked, so I’ve never been shy and there’s nothing quite like taking a dip completely naked – you feel at one with the world.
While studying, he worked on his parents’ ranch on the weekend, tending to the 200 cattle, overseeing the hay operation, and helping out with the logging season
‘Once you’ve experienced it, it’s hard to go back.’
Soon swimming in his birthday suit was not enough for Dick.
He said: ‘In the summer heat, working the land can get incredibly hot. One day I was in the field, working on a ditch for the irrigation system, and thought, “Screw it – I’m going to get naked”.’
‘So I took most of my clothes off apart from my underwear and worked the field. After a few days, I thought, “Damn, I have got to get rid of these tan lines” – so I got butt naked. It might sound funny, but it’s the honest truth.’
Now he does everything from mow grass on his tractor to digging ditches and irrigating fields completely starkers.
Dick said he started off swimming naked and described taking a dip naked makes him feel ‘at one with the world’ before it soon escalated to being naked all over the ranch
His nakedness soon escalated after he spotted he was getting obscure tan lines from being in the sun all day and decided to bare all. Pictured wearing chaps while chainsawing
And in May last year, he took up his friend’s suggestion and started posing pictures of himself working naked on Instagram under the alias, The Naked Rancher.
‘My friend felt it was a good idea and I thought, ‘Why not?” he said. ‘It turns out she has a lot of gay buddies and they all went wild for it. They all liked the photo and shared it and before I knew it I had hundreds of followers.
‘I’m straight, but I find it very sweet and very flattering. There are occasions when people, mainly men, will message or comment asking me out on a date. I’m not intimidated by that thought, as I have a lot of gay friends.
‘I might live in a conservative area, but I have an overwhelming desire to be myself no matter what the environment dictates. I’ve never liked being a stereotype. I like being the oddball and I like being naked – it frees my spirits.’
Soon gathering over 1,000 Instagram followers, while his pictures raise a laugh, Dick says ranching is tough work.
‘I’ll usually wake up about 6 am and have a coffee before going to the barn and seeing what work needs to be done,’ he said.
‘It always involves getting on the tractor and chasing some loose cows.
In May last year, he took up his friend’s suggestion and started posing pictures of himself working naked on Instagram under the alias, The Naked Rancher
In the future, Dick hopes to expand his naked ranching repertoire by offering guided tours of the area and perhaps one day offer the experience to visitors
‘I’ll have a short lunch break and work into the evening, before enjoying some downtime with my folks – who have no idea about my nudity.
‘I head out fully dressed every morning, then take off my clothes when I arrive at whatever work needs doing.
‘I’ve never been caught, but if and when they find out they’ll probably blush at first, before making fun of me.
‘We’re a very close family and I know it wouldn’t bother them deep down.
‘It’s just not something I’ve ever felt the need to bring up and share with them’
In the future, Dick hopes to expand his naked ranching repertoire by offering guided tours of the area – in the altogether.
He said: ‘It’s an incredible part of the world and all these beautiful places are literally in my backyard.
‘I’d love to show people the best things the area has to offer, with guided tours to hot springs, wooded trails, and that sort of thing.
‘At first, I would probably do it in clothes, but who knows, down the line, I can see this place making a beautiful naturist retreat.’
To keep up with Dick’s latest Instagram posts, follow him on @thenakedrancher