Outdoors

Massive Alaskan Avalanche Claims Three On Mountains Wyomingite Helped Popularize

An enormous avalanche killed three men on Alaska’s Chugach Range early this month, a popular ski region for heli-skiiers. A Jackson guide was among the pioneers to develop the region’s thriving helicopter-skiing industry.

David MadisonMarch 13, 2025

Kelsey Mitchell, a biologist with the Teton County Weed & Pest District, collects ticks for research. Scientists are looking for volunteers to do the same.

As Ticks Begin To Emerge in Wyoming, Entomologists On Lookout For Two New Species

Wyoming entomologists say ticks are beginning to come out and are warning about two new species that are particularly awful. One carries Lyme disease and the other likes to “chase you down.”

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2025

A nighttime photo of Devils Tower taken from Devils Tower National Monument. Photographers won’t be able to get shots like this for the discernible future, since the monument announced it will be closed to visitors overnight starting on March 13.

Driskill Calls Closure Of Devils Tower “Stupidity At Highest Levels”

State Sen. Ogden Driskill on Wednesday said the overnight closure of Devils Tower “stupidity at its highest level.” The lawmaker who lives next to the monument said Devils Tower has been open 24 hours a day for more than 50 years.

Andrew RossiMarch 12, 2025

A bald eagle riding a dead skunk like a snowboard isn’t something you see everyday, but a woman in Maine got it on video. It also doesn’t surprise raptor experts, because eagles really like to cling to their food.

Bald Eagle Won’t Let Go Of Its Dinner, Turns Roadkill Skunk Into A Snowboard

A bald eagle riding a dead skunk like a snowboard isn’t something you see every day, but a woman in Maine got it on video. It also doesn’t surprise Wyoming raptor experts, because eagles really like to cling to their food.

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2025

Bison move through the facility at Stephens Creek.

Bison Burgers And Steaks Are Part Of Yellowstone Herd Management Plan

The annual buffalo harvest is underway just outside Yellowstone National Park. The controversial program delivers organic meat to Montana tribes and draws critics calling for an end to thinning the park’s bison herd.

David MadisonMarch 11, 2025

Trees fused together in an “H” shape, with a single huge branch between them, are extremely rare, tree experts say — and perhaps the result of human meddling. This photo from the 1970s shows "H" trees in Idaho.

Trees Fused Together By Common Branch Extremely Rare, Sometimes Helped By Humans

Trees fused together in an “H” shape, with a single huge branch between them, are extremely rare, tree experts say, but they do happen. Horticulturalist Shane Smith told Cowboy State Daily usually there's some degree of human manipulation, but not always.

Mark HeinzMarch 10, 2025

Wyoming’s most remote spaces have become sites of illegal dumping, everything from jet fuel to appliances, cars and boats. It’s costing taxpayers thousands of dollars to clean up.

Illegal Dumps Cropping Up All Over In Some Of Wyoming’s Most Remote Places

Four drums of jet fuel found tucked away inside a crack in a rock face near Jeffrey City will cost taxpayers more than $35,000 to clean up. It's not an isolated case. Discarded cars, boats, appliances, and other junk are getting littered in remote places across the state.

Renée JeanMarch 09, 2025

Polaris is promoting its latest lineup of snowmobiles by putting them through their paces in the pristine snow of Wyoming’s Teton Range. The company uses the Cowboy State to showcase the machines as the ultimate toy for backcountry adventure.

Polaris Showcases New 2026 Snowmobile Lineup In Wyoming’s Teton Range

In January, Polaris held a marketing photo shoot showcasing its 2026 snowmobile lineup. They've been doing shoots in Wyoming for years, but this one was different -- it's all Wyoming: four Wyoming snowmobilers shot by a Wyoming photographer.

Andrew RossiMarch 09, 2025

Buildup of dead timber is a concern on National Forests in Wyoming and other Western States. Some forest users hope that under new leadership, the Forest Service will start cleaning it up. Here, large stands of dead trees in the Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming pose a wildfire risk.

Wyoming National Forest Users Mixed On Big Changes Under Trump

With the U.S. Forest Service undergoing changes in the new Trump administration, people who use those public lands are mixed. One Wyoming user says she’s worried, while another says he’s hopeful to weed out those “just there for a paycheck.”

Mark HeinzMarch 08, 2025

Hunters and trappers in Montana killed 289 wolves last year, and legislators there are pushing for more. But wolf conservation advocates plan to push back.

After 289 Wolves Killed In Montana Last Year, Bills Push For More Hunting

Hunters and trappers in Montana killed 289 wolves last year, and legislators there are pushing for more. One bill would extend hunting and trapping seasons by three months, and another would allow the use of thermal imaging and night vision scopes.

Mark HeinzMarch 08, 2025

Evergreen Fire Rescue thought they were rescuing a bison calf from a frozen pond outside Evergreen, Colorado, on March 5, 2025. But the victim was actually a yak that needed a 10-foot path back to shore.

Colorado Firefighters Save Drowning Yak Which Fell Through Frozen Pond

Firefighters in Evergreen, Colorado, say they take every ice rescue seriously. So when they received a call on Wednesday about a yak which fell through the ice at a local pond, they were able to get it saved and mark the first time they ever rescued a yak.

Andrew RossiMarch 06, 2025

Wyoming Otters No Longer Protected, But Won’t Get Slaughtered

Otters are no longer classified as a protected species in Wyoming, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be getting killed anytime soon, according to Game and Fish officials.

Mark HeinzMarch 06, 2025

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