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Wyoming Game and Fish Game and Fish Interim Director Eric Wiltanger, Game and Fish CFO Meredith Wood, and Game and Fish Commissioner Rusty Bell speak with legislators Wednesday in Jackson.

Game And Fish Facing ‘Dire’ Financial Trouble, Interim Director Tells Lawmakers

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department budget could hit crisis level within the next few years due to inflation and a decline in deer tags, the agency’s interim director told lawmakers Wednesday. “We’re not dire right now, but we’re going to be,” he said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 10, 2026

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day, and his dog Winston (pictured) were enjoying a late summer weekend in the Snowy Range when he noticed the first signs of fall. Trees and shrubs in the mountains are already changing colors.

First Colors in Parched Snowy Range Could Signal An Earlier And Faster Fall

Tree and shrubs in the Snowy Range are already showing their fall colors due to an unseasonably dry year. Meteorologist Don Day (and his dog Winston) say to see the fall color while it’s good, you might have to change your plans and get out earlier.

Andrew RossiSeptember 09, 2026

Searchers continue to scour Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains for Jonathan Bailey and his yellow Lab Wrigley, missing since Saturday when they didn’t come back from a hike in the 1,000 Island Lake area.

Search On For Missing Hiker And Dog In Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains

Searchers continue to scour Wyoming’s Wind River Mountains for Jonathan Bailey and his yellow Lab Wrigley, missing since Saturday when they didn’t come back from a hike. “Anyone can get turned around out there,” said a former Sublette County sheriff.

Jen KocherSeptember 08, 2026

A tranquilized female black bear, about 19 to 20 months old, is carried by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers Stephanie Taylor and Ty Smith after being captured in Durango on Tuesday.

Colorado Has Killed Nearly 300 Black Bears This Year, Quadruple Last Year's Amount

Colorado wildlife officials have killed nearly 300 black bears this year, almost four times as many as a year ago. “I think what people aren’t realizing is that trash is the primary reason for bears being in towns,” said one official.

Mark HeinzSeptember 08, 2026

If you take a snowmobile or snowcoach to Yellowstone Lake in winter, you might just be fortunate enough to hear an eerie symphony emanating from its icy waters. Lifelong Yellowstone employee Jeff Henry describes it as "mysterious, magical and moving."

Goodbye Summer: When Yellowstone Lake Freezes, You Can Hear A Symphony

Yellowstone National Park is a magical place in the winter. Once Yellowstone Lake freezes, you might be fortunate enough to hear an eerie symphony coming from its icy waters. A lifelong Yellowstone employee describes it as "mysterious, magical and moving."

Andrew RossiSeptember 07, 2026

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Morning Glory Pool Was Brilliant Blue Until Tourists Threw "Immense Amounts Of Trash" In It

Morning Glory Pool near Old Faithful was once one of the most beautiful thermal pools in Yellowstone. It was a brilliant clear blue, but lost its color after decades of tourists throwing thousands of coins and "an immense amount of trash" in it.

Andrew RossiSeptember 07, 2026

Warm Spring Geyser is a pool of brilliantly blue thermal water hidden in a cavern near Dubois, described by a frequent visitor as "like something you find down in the Caribbean.” The trick is getting there and whether to risk descending into it.

Warm Spring Geyser, A Brilliantly Blue Thermal Pool Hidden In A Cavern Near Dubois

Warm Spring Geyser is a pool of brilliantly blue thermal water hidden in a cavern near Dubois, described by a frequent visitor as "like something you find down in the Caribbean.” The trick is getting there and whether to risk descending down into it.

Andrew RossiSeptember 07, 2026

Nic Buxman of Afton had set up his blind for pronghorn hunting next to a water hole in Natrona County. When he returned from scouting, it was gone.

Wyoming Outdoorsman Baffled By Theft Of Blind While He Was Pronghorn Hunting

An Afton hunter was surprised to return to the spot where he set up a pronghorn blind only to find someone had stolen it. He said the incident shook him because it's such an egregious violation of the time-honored unwritten hunters’ code of conduct.

Mark HeinzSeptember 06, 2026

Ryan Hansen got this mule deer buck during a 2025 hunt in southwest Wyoming. Hunters might have to work hard for bucks this year, according to Game and Fish.

Hunting Wyoming: With Lower Mule Deer Populations, Monster Bucks Still Out There

Mule deer populations are “languishing” in parts of Wyoming, but with archery season underway, hunters say record trophy bucks are still out there. After an unusually mild 2025-2026 winter, many deer stayed fat and growing larger antler racks.

Mark HeinzSeptember 05, 2026

The "American cheetah" chased after pronghorn at the end of the Ice Age in what would become Wyoming, but disappeared thousands of years ago. The best specimens of this big cat have been found 85 feet down in Wyoming’s Natural Trap Cave. Pictured is a contemporary African cheetah, along with fossilized specimens of American cheetahs found in Wyoming.

New Study: DNA From Wyoming's Prehistoric Cat Could Save Cheetahs, Lions, Tigers

In a new study released Friday, scientists say DNA extracted from the bones of a prehistoric "American cheetah" found in Wyoming's Natural Trap Cave could help save struggling lion and tiger populations. “We were shocked with the results,” said one biologist.

Andrew RossiSeptember 05, 2026

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Woman Vows To Replace Missing Flag At Site Of 1955 Airline Crash That Killed 66

Sometime in the past year, an American flag vanished at the site of the 1955 United Air Lines crash that killed 66 people on Medicine Bow Peak. A hiker from Kansas noticed and plans to replace it when she comes back next year if nobody beats her to it.

Dale KillingbeckSeptember 05, 2026

Bison graze on federal land near Grand Teton in northwest Wyoming.

Judge Halts BLM Directive To Removal Bison From Federal Grazing Allotments

A federal judge on Friday blocked a BLM directive to remove bison from Montana federal grazing allotments because they're being managed as wildlife, not livestock, in a move that a Wyoming bison rancher said is good news across the West.

Mark HeinzSeptember 04, 2026

This mule deer buck, reported to be somewhere in Bondurant, could set the new record for Wyoming’s biggest buck ever.

Monster Mule Deer Could Obliterate Record For Wyoming’s Biggest Buck Ever

Wyoming hunters are buzzing over photos and videos of a monster mule deer buck, thought to be near Bondurant. Outdoorsman say it could shatter the record for Wyoming’s biggest buck. “He’s knocking on the door of 300 inches,” one hunter said of its rack.

Mark HeinzSeptember 04, 2026

A white-collared adult grizzly has been spotted in the South Fork area near Cody recently.

Rare Adult White-Collar Grizzly Bear Seen Roaming In The South Fork Near Cody

A large adult grizzly bear with a white collar "tuxedo" was spotted on a ranch in the South Fork area outside of Cody. Cubs commonly have white fur around the neck and upper chest, but the marking is exceedingly rare in adult grizzlies.

Mark HeinzSeptember 04, 2026

A thief stole a suitcase and coffee from the back of Cameron Hersberger’s pickup in the wee hours Tuesday in the parking lot of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial on Interstate 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne. Hershberger, left, and Kelcy Deeds came to Wyoming to hunt bears.

As Hunters Dozed On I-80, Thief Swiped Suitcase And Coffee — But Left Pricey Gear

While two hunters snoozed in the cab of their pickup in the wee hours Tuesday along I-80, a thief swiped a suitcase and hand-roasted coffee from Belize from the bed — but left expensive hunting gear, a chainsaw, and camera inside a backpack.

Mark HeinzSeptember 03, 2026

Hikers got into an aggressive confrontation in Glacier National Park over an encounter with mountain goats.

Hikers Come To Blows Over Mountain Goats In Glacier: "You Want To Die?"

A group of hikers nearly threw punches and rocks at each other in Glacier National Park because one hiker was upset that two tourists (one wearing a Hawaiian shirt and the other wearing flip-flops) left a trail to get a better view of some mountain goats.

Andrew RossiSeptember 03, 2026

Johnson County rancher Brett DeLaap says he's remorseful about trying to take an elk head from the four hunters who helicoptered into public lands adjacent to his.

Rancher Who Took Elk Head From Helicopter Hunters Says He Received Death Threats

A Johnson County rancher who tried to steal an elk head and antlers from hunters who helicoptered onto public land adjacent to his property last year says he was harassed and received death threats following the incident. He said he later apologized.

Mark HeinzSeptember 02, 2026

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack has strayed outside the park into a Wyoming wolf hunt area, and activists worry that 1090F will be shot this fall. They are requesting the pack be protected.

Big Piney Hunter Vows To Kill Matriarch Of Famed Mollie's Wolf Pack In Two Weeks

With two weeks to go before the wolf hunting season begins near Yellowstone, a Big Piney hunter is vowing to shoot 12-year-old Wolf 1090F from the famed Mollie's Wolf Pack if he sees her. In the meantime, wolf activists are trying their best to stop the hunt.

Mark HeinzSeptember 01, 2026

Jackson Gregory Slimak apparently fell in the rugged terrain surrounding Montana’s highest peak, the Park County, Montana, Sheriff’s Office reported. Searchers located him at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday.

Hiker Found Dead Near Montana's Highest Peak After Massive Two-State Search

A 21-year-old Connecticut hiker was found dead near Montana’s highest peak ending a three-day search that drew rescue crews, aircraft and military resources from Wyoming and Montana. The man's family says he died “doing what he loved, in a place he loved."

Kolby FedoreSeptember 01, 2026

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Vandals Dump Five Gallon Paint Cans In Bighorn National Forest Creek

A Sheridan County family outing quickly turned into a cleanup effort after they found multiple five gallon cans of paint dumped in Porcupine Creek in the Bighorn National Forest on Sunday. The family cleaned-up what they could and then called authorities.

Andrew RossiAugust 31, 2026

Anyone exploring in the vicinity of Little Goose Falls, near the Penrose Trail, will find the school bus sitting at the top of a rocky uphill trail in the Bighorn Mountains.

How Bullet-Ridden Yellow Bus Got Into Bighorn Mountains And Who Lived In It A Mystery

A rusty yellow school bus riddled with bullet holes in the trees in Wyoming's Bighorn National Forest is similar to the bus made famous by the book and movie “Into the Wild" — minus the tragedy. How it got there and who lived in it is a mystery.

Andrew RossiAugust 30, 2026

Woman running Middle Fork Falls trail in Sinks Canyon. Lander, Wyoming. Inset: Prairie rattlesnake

Watch Where You Walk In Sinks Canyon, Which Is Loaded With Prairie Rattlesnakes

Though visitors might not realize it, Sinks Canyon State Park near Lander is prairie rattlesnake central. That's because it’s an ideal habitat with plenty of nooks and crannies for them to get below the frostline when they go dormant during the winter.

Mark HeinzAugust 30, 2026

Sarah Eloranta and Jessie Wilson traveled from Wisconsin for a women’s-only elk hunt in the Snowy Range mountains near Centennial, Wyoming. Right, Wilson dropped this cow elk in thick timber in the Snowy Range mountains.

Hunting Wyoming: 'Girls Only' Elk Hunt Ends With Filled Tags, Long Pack-Out In Dark

A pair of Wisconsin women had a successful "Girls Only" Wyoming elk hunt that included a miles-long pack-out of the meat through the forest in the dark. They said they hope their experience high in Wyoming's Snowy Range inspires other hunters.

Mark HeinzAugust 30, 2026

An island of fir trees surrounded by bare ground that's formed in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains.

Why Dense Islands Of Fir Trees Form In Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains

A sharp-eyed observer might notice small, dense clusters of trees in the middle of open fields in the Bighorn Mountains. These islands of subalpine firs are called "atols" and grow together to create their own ideal microclimates in a harsh landscape.

Andrew RossiAugust 30, 2026

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