Outdoors
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The Winter That Wasn't In Yellowstone National Park: 'It Was Off-The-Charts Warm'
Jeff Henry, who has worked at Yellowstone for more than 48 years, said temperatures this winter were frequently 30 degrees above normal, which meant rain instead of snow at Old Faithful on Christmas. "It was off-the-charts warm," he said.
Andrew RossiApril 10, 2026

Texas Man Gets Jail For Leaving Trail Of Footprints On Yellowstone Hot Springs
A Texas man will spend time in jail after causing “significant” damage to several thermal features in Yellowstone. Although most thermal trespass charges there result in fines, this sentence reflects the "extensive nature of the violation and damage."
Andrew RossiApril 10, 2026

Bighorn Ram Destroys Sliding Glass Door After Mistaking Reflection For Rival Ram
A bighorn sheep ram destroyed a sliding glass door in Yuma, Arizona, last week after seeing his own reflection and mistaking it for another ram. A former Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife supervisor wasn't surprised. "That's normal behavior," he said.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2026

Yellowstone Photographer Captures Bison's Heroic Escape From Notorious Death Trap
Yellowstone’s Blacktail Pond is a death trap for bison when they fall through ice or get stuck in mud there. Wildlife photographer Pete Bengeyfield thought for sure that one unfortunate bison was doomed but was thrilled to see her escape.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2026

Grizzlies Face Carcass Shortage After Mild Winter And Wolves Getting Them First
A mild winter means fewer rotting big game carcasses for Wyoming grizzlies to feast on this spring and wolves are getting them first. "I had three feet of snow in my yard last year. Now I have three inches of grass,” said wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Hunters Say Federal ‘Greyhound Protection Act’ A Sneaky Way To Ban Working Dogs
Hunters worry that language slipped into the federal Farm Bill to protect racing greyhounds could ban the training of hunting and cattle dogs with “live lures." A Wyoming outdoorsman says the language is so vague it could even include police dogs.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Firm Says Seminoe Pumped Storage Project Can Begin Work In 2029, Could Create 500 Jobs
The firm developing the $4 billion Seminoe Pumped Storage Project on Tuesday said the 970-megawatt pump storage project to provide stability to the electric grid can begin work in 2029. They assured commissioners downstream fisheries wouldn't be impacted.
Dale KillingbeckApril 08, 2026

Fans Still Mourn Death Of Grizzly 760, Wyoming’s Most Polite Bear
Grizzly 760 was the grandson of the famed Grizzly 399, said to be mellow and Wyoming’s most polite bear. He was killed in 2014 after stealing a hunter’s deer carcass, which fans of the bear are still mad about.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Yellowstone's Massive Multi-Month Snow-Clearing Convoy Reaches East Entrance
A convoy of bulldozers, snowplows, and their chainsaw-wielding operators reached Sylvan Lake along Yellowstone National Park's East Entrance Road this week. They've been clearing hundreds of miles of snow-covered roads since the beginning of March.
Andrew RossiApril 08, 2026

It's A Month Early But Even Meteorologist Don Day Says It's OK To Turn On Sprinklers
Meteorologist Don Day is the first to caution against prematurely turning sprinklers on. But even though it's a month early, he’s warmed up to it. “At this point, we don't foresee a prolonged freeze that’s long enough to cause pipes to break,” he said.
Andrew Rossi & Jackie DorothyApril 07, 2026

Biologists Surprised At How Healthy Three-And-A-Half Legged Elk Appeared To Be
Biologists believe this healthy three-and-a-half legged elk was living on borrowed time but were amazed at its condition. Video of the elk was taken at a ranch in Missoula. “He was in really good condition coming out of the winter," one biologist said.
Andrew RossiApril 07, 2026

Opponents Say Bike Trail Could Cut Off Migration Route For Prized Deer Herd
Opponents of a proposed Pinedale-area bike trail say they fear it will cut off “the bottleneck,” a migration route for the area’s prized Sublette mule deer herd. Supporters say it won’t, but will open more outdoor recreation opportunities.
Mark HeinzApril 07, 2026

Yellowstone Wolf Goes Flying After Taking A Bison Kick During Hunt
A tour group watched a pack of wolves unsuccessfully try to take down a bison in Yellowstone National Park this past weekend. A guide captured video of one of the wolves that was sent flying after taking a hard kick as the bison fled.
Andrew RossiApril 03, 2026

Oh No! Evanston Residents Worried About Big Betty, Their Friendly Neighborhood Moose
When Big Betty, a popular Evanston neighborhood moose, showed up Wednesday with a large, raw injury, locals were alarmed. After all, she had been visiting the neighborhood for three years. “We all love her very much," said resident Shasta Sharp.
Andrew RossiApril 02, 2026

Yellowstone Tearing Down Old Bridge Now That New $118M, 180-Foot-Tall Bridge Finished
Now that the new 1,285-foot-long, 180-foot-tall Yellowstone Bridge is finished, demolition crews are dismantling the 65-year-old bridge that stood in its place. Tear-down is expected by end of year and the new bridge should last between 75-100 years.
Andrew RossiApril 02, 2026

Idaho Fish And Game Commissioner Charged For Poaching Elk, Shooting From Truck
Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Brody Harshbarger faces seven charges for taking two bull elk in December 2025. Court documents say he was firing shots, across a public highway, from the driver’s seat of his pickup truck to take one of the elk.
Andrew RossiMarch 30, 2026

Birding Season Is Here, And Enthusiasts Flocking to Wyoming Aren't All Retirees
A digital platform called "eBird" has transformed a pastime once dominated by retirees into something that is attracting teenagers, twentysomethings and competitive “listers” who track bird sightings with the intensity of fantasy football managers.
David MadisonMarch 29, 2026

How Yellowstone Pool Gave Us Medical Breakthroughs, True Crime Podcasts, Maury Show
Though it seems unremarkable, Yellowstone's Mushroom Pool might be the most important thermal feature in history. A discovery from its waters led to a Nobel Prize-winning breakthrough that changed everything from crime scene investigation to medical research.
Andrew RossiMarch 29, 2026

Scientists Find 2.5-Mile-Thick Freshwater Reservoir Under The Great Salt Lake
Scientists mapped a small section of a vast freshwater reservoir underneath Utah's Great Salt Lake. The water is trapped in a 2.5-mile-thick layer of porous rock and sediment that could be extracted as a new water source for an increasingly dry region.
Andrew RossiMarch 28, 2026

Tiny Travelers: Laramie’s Nighttime Salamander Migration Marks Spring’s Return
Each spring, western tiger salamanders emerge from their burrows in Laramie’s neighborhoods, braving cars and cold to reach LaBonte Park’s pond in one of Wyoming’s least-known migrations. For salamanders, this is an epic and dangerous journey.
Renée JeanMarch 24, 2026

How Wyoming Game Wardens Cracked The Cody Serial Poaching Case
Game wardens sat in the dark for five nights in Cody waiting for a serial poacher to strike again. On the fifth night, they heard the sound of a compound bow. The science that followed tied one man to nine dead deer and a slaughtered cow.
David MadisonMarch 23, 2026

All But One Horse Survive In Sweetwater County Fire; Blaze Near Lovell Still Burns
All but one horse survived in Green River on Sunday as corrals were opened and horses let loose in the Scotts Bottom Fire. Meanwhile, a fire near Lovell continues to burn. Thus far, the two fires have scorched 2,000 acres and are under investigation.
Kate MeadowsMarch 23, 2026

Ugh: Wyoming's Tick Season Has Already Started And It's Likely To Be A Bumper Crop
Another consequence of Wyoming's abnormally warm winter is a much earlier tick season. Entomologist Mikenna Smith says not only are ticks out and about now but it's likely there will be a lot more them this year. "I'm a bit worried," she said.
Andrew RossiMarch 23, 2026

Wyoming's Turkey Vultures Do Much More Than Hang Around Looking Creepy
The turkey vultures are back. They return to Wyoming each spring, roosting by the hundreds on the UW campus and in Casper. Researchers say they do more than just poop all over trees, barf up pellets of leftover gristle, and hang around looking creepy
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2026
