Outdoors | Cowboy State Daily

When elk are infected with mange, they can suffer dry, crusty skin and massive hair loss. It can weaken them to the point of dying from exposure or starvation.

Hunters And Outfitters Say There's Been A Surge Of Mange In Elk In Montana

Hunters and outfitters in southwest Montana claim there’s been a surge of mange in elk. They say the disease has been spreading as elk crowd together around haystacks or alfalfa fields on private land.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

While Ted Turner owned ranches in five states and about 2 million acres, he frequently said his favorite place was his Flying D Ranch in Montana.

What Will Happen To Ted Turner’s 2 Million Acres Of Land?

Ted Turner died this week at age 87 as the fourth-largest U.S. landowner with about 2 million acres that include large ranches in five states. Now people wonder what will happen to all that land, including nearly 130,000 acres in Montana.

Anna-Louise JacksonMay 10, 2026

The Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne offers some of the most spectacular views in southeast Wyoming.

Most Scenic Parts Of Belvoir Ranch Still Difficult To Access Due To Railroad

As the famed Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne comes closer to opening to the public on July 1, critics say the best part of the 19,000-acre recreation paradise is hard to access because of Union Pacific. It's like "The Great Wall of China," the mayor said.

Mark HeinzMay 09, 2026

This grizzly bear was photographed Wednesday in Glacier National Park, roughly 15 miles from where the body of a suspected fatal grizzly attack victim was found that same day.

Montana Suspected Fatal Grizzly Attack Happened Same Day As Yellowstone Mauling

A suspected fatal grizzly attack in Glacier National Park is thought to have happened the same day two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone. Outdoorsman say the attacks are the beginning of “human-bear conflict season."

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Day After Grizzly Attack, Dimwitted Tourist Takes Video Of Bear From 5 Feet Away

A day after two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, a dimwitted tourist was spotted five feet from a bear taking video on his phone. Retired biologist Gary Gaston said the scene was “so absurd” he had to leave.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Man Cited For Trespass After 7-Year-Old Son Grabs Antlers With Tracking Device

To nab trespassers hunting shed antlers on a ranch in Hot Springs County, Game and Fish put tracking devices in antlers and planted them around the ranch. The first one was picked up by a local 7-year-old boy, which got his father a ticket.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Beryl, a popular grizzly in Yellowstone National Park, is pictured here with her two cubs, about age 3.5 years.

Yellowstone Grizzly Still Has Cubs With Her Past Age 3, When Most Leave At 2

A popular female grizzly called Beryl in Yellowstone still has two cubs with her that are roughly 3.5 years old, and nearly as big as her. Most cubs leave around age 2, but "it’s nearly impossible to explain why” some stay longer, says a bear biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

Family Says Brothers Attacked By Yellowstone Grizzly Recovering From "Horrific Attack"

The two brothers attacked by a grizzly in Yellowstone on Tuesday are recovering after multiple surgeries at a hospital in Idaho. A family member said they were both seriously injured, but “recovering from the horrific attack.”

Andrew RossiMay 07, 2026

This grizzly bear was one of several bears and wolves that gathered around a bison carcass in the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Park rangers had to shut the area down Tuesday, because tourists were crowding the predators.

Day After Bear Attack, Rangers Yelled At By Tourists Too Close To Grizzlies

The day after two hikers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, tourists yelled at rangers who were warning them to get away from grizzlies and wolves. “They were just walking right up to them," said a Park Service biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

Toilets, Parking, And Roads: Grand Teton Starts Multi-Year Improvement Projects

More toilets, more parking and improved roads are among the multi-year projects underway at Grand Teton National Park. With visitors at record levels, "You need to have the parking lots, bathrooms, and designated trails,” said Superintendent Chip Jenkins.

Andrew RossiMay 06, 2026

A grizzly bear appears to be smacking a wolf in this image. However, Julie Argyle said the angle from which the took the photo just makes it look that way. The bear and wolf never made actual contact as they fought over a bison carcass.

Grizzly Roars Echo As Bear, Wolf Clash Over Yellowstone Bison Carcass

The roars of a grizzly echoed from a riverbank in Yellowstone National Park on Sunday, as it postured with a wolf over a bison carcass. A biologist said actual fights between the species are rare because neither wants to risk injury.

Mark HeinzMay 05, 2026

Yellowstone’s superintendent calls new $100-a-day per-person entry fee for non-U.S. resident visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks “fantastic.” It means the parks get more money to help offset the impact from mobs of tourists.

Superintendent Calls $100 Nonresident Fee For Yellowstone, Grand Teton ‘Fantastic’

Yellowstone’s superintendent calls a new $100-a-day per-person entry fee for non-U.S. resident visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks “fantastic.” It means the parks get more money to help offset the impact from mobs of tourists.

Andrew RossiMay 05, 2026

‘Help Me, Help Me’: Hiker Finds Yellowstone Grizzly Attack Victim, Calls 911

Hiker Craig Lerman was the first to find one of two victims of a grizzly bear attack near Old Faithful in Yellowstone on Monday after he stumbled on a bloody hat. “He heard me coming and started saying, ‘Help. Help me,’" Lerman told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiMay 05, 2026

A pair of coyotes ran off a young grizzly bear after it apparently got too close to the coyotes’ den with pups in it in Yellowstone National Park.

Bold Yellowstone Coyotes Charge Grizzly That Got Too Close To Their Pup Den

A grizzly bear chased by a pair of coyotes seemed so unlikely, even those watching weren’t sure they believed it. This bear got too close to their den of pups, which motivated them to be aggressive with a predator that could have torn them apart.

Mark HeinzMay 04, 2026

Colorado Parks and Wildlife agents used a taser to subdue a deer that had its antlers entangled in playground equipment. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department uses the same technique.

Game Agents Use Tasers To Subdue Animals, But Don’t Try It On A Charging Grizzly

When animals become stuck or get ornery with people, wildlife agents reach for Tasers to subdue them. But one thing they don't do is use them on charging grizzlies as the odds of landing an effective hit would be astronomical. "It would get you mauled," one biologist said.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

“Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” makes for a great pro-gun novelty sign, but such messages could open firearms owners to liability or theft, experts say.

Signs About Shooting Trespassers Good For Laughs, But Also Could Lead To Trouble

Novelty signs that say things like “trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” are good for laughs in gun-friendly Wyoming. But legal authorities say prosecutors could use the sign to allege the shooter had a predisposition to violence.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

Wyoming outfitter Dax McCarty (left) is pictured here with hunter Ernie Dosio, of California (center) and hunting guide AJ Henson. McCarty was good friends with Dosio, who was killed by an elephant in Africa.

Man Killed By Elephants Was Frequent Wyoming Hunter, Close Friends With Outfitter

A California man who was killed by elephants while on safari in Africa was a frequent hunter in Wyoming and close friends with a Douglas outfitter. Dax McCarty said the media portrayal of his friend is wrong. “He dang sure respected animals," he said.

Mark HeinzMay 02, 2026

Scientists have been monitoring a 19-mile-wide bulge in Yellowstone National Park caused by pressure 10 miles deep. “It's a pretty dynamic feature,” says the scientist in charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

Yellowstone's 19-Mile-Wide, Chicago-Sized Bulge Near Volcano Has Stopped Growing

Scientists say the 19-mile-wide bulge in the northern rim of a volcano's caldera in Yellowstone has stopped growing. The head of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory says scientists are excited about it but it's not an indication of an apocalyptic eruption.

Andrew RossiMay 02, 2026

Newly released research shows that young salmon given cocaine compounds swim father and faster. Turns out, getting salmon high is giving scientists valuable information about how the drug impacts human nervous systems.

No Joke: New Study Shows Salmon Swim Faster And Farther On Cocaine

A new study shows that when salmon are given cocaine, they swim farther and faster. Researchers say there was no risk to humans in conducting the experiment as “you would need to eat thousands" of these cocaine-addled fish to feel the impact of the drug.

Andrew RossiMay 02, 2026

Soda Lake, just north of Pinedale, was once a world-class brown and brook trout fishery. The fishing has tanked so badly there over the past few years, many locals don’t even bother going there anymore.

Pinedale’s Soda Lake, ‘Still Struggling,’ Anglers Should Lower Expectations

Soda Lake near Pinedale was once a premier trout fishery. The fishing there started to nosedive, and Wyoming Game and Fish says the lake is “still struggling” and angling will remain limited for the fifth consecutive year.

Mark HeinzMay 01, 2026

Golden eagles like to hunt for rabbits and other prey on land where the Wyoming State Shooting Complex is being built near Cody.

Gunfire From State’s $19.5M Shooting Range Near Cody Could Drive Eagles Away

Some are concerned that gunfire from Wyoming’s new $19.5 million shooting complex near Cody will drive eagles away from prime hunting and nesting grounds. “Eagles will avoid people and gunshots,” says the conservation director for the Teton Raptor Center.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2026

Tourists gather to watch Old Faithful geyser erupt on Oct. 10, 2024, in Yellowstone National Park.

For The First Time, Study Shows How Much Water Old Faithful Spews When It Erupts

How much water erupts out of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park? For the first time, we actually know. A team of scientists have accurately determined the water output of the world’s most famous geyser for the first time.

Andrew RossiApril 29, 2026

In this photo looking north-northwest, Fontenelle can be see flowing into an extremely low Fontenelle Reservoir in Lincoln County.

Fontenelle Reservoir About Half-Full As Downstream States Demand More Water

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is being drawn down up to 1 million acre-feet to supply water to thirsty downstream states. That has some worried that Wyoming’s Fontenelle Reservoir, upstream from Flaming Gorge, is next.

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026

ic George of Sheridan started with a basic bolt-action rifle receiver, bearing a firearm serial number, to build this custom rifle.

Court Rules 2nd Amendment Covers Firearms Parts, Good News for Those Who Build Guns

A federal court ruled that firearms parts without serial numbers could be protected under the Second Amendment. That’s good news for Wyomingites who build or customize their own guns, which one enthusiast likened to “Barbie dolls for men.”

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026