Outdoors

Former Wyoming Resident Busted For Illegal Deer Killing 26 Years Later

A former Wyoming resident who had moved to Alabama was busted for illegally killing a deer 26 years after the fact, and after dodging a bench warrant for 24 years.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

One of the wolves brought into Colorado from British Columbia in January and released in Colorado was killed in Wyoming on Friday. It had killed five sheep in north-central Wyoming, wildlife officials report.

Transplanted Colorado Wolf Killed In Wyoming Had Been Attacking Sheep

A wolf from Colorado that killed five sheep in north-central Wyoming was killed by USDA Wildlife Services on Saturday. It was one of the wolves brought into Colorado from British Columbia and released there as part of that state's reintroduction program.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

A federal court will decide whether a herd of rare curly-haired mustangs will be rounded up and removed from southwest Wyoming.

Federal Court To Decide Fate Of Wyoming’s Rare Curly-Haired Wild Mustangs

A panel of three federal judges in 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is considering whether mustangs, including rare curly-haired horses, will be rounded up and removed from southwest Wyoming.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2025

Many hope that Spirit, the last cub of Grizzly 399, is still alive and will emerge from hibernation this spring.

Watch Is On For 399’s Cub Spirit: If He Survived, Will Anyone Recognize Him?

Grief over the death of Wyoming’s Grizzly 399 was tempered by hope that her cub, Spirit, might survive on his own. But even if he did, it might be impossible to distinguish Spirit from any other 2-year-old grizzly.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

A federal appeals court Tuesday, March 18, 2025, ruled in favor of four hunters who “corner-crossed” to access public land next to a Wyoming ranch in 2021. The ruling could have broad implications for public lands use.

Federal Court Sides With Hunters In Wyoming Corner-Crossing Case

A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled in favor of four hunters who “corner-crossed” to access public land next to a Wyoming ranch in 2021. The ruling could have broad implications for public lands use.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

Wyoming Baby Wombat Grabber Fires Back At Australia

A Wyoming-based social media influencer who set off international outrage after reportedly grabbing a baby wombat in Australia is firing back, stating that Australia’s government slaughters wombats by the thousands.

Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2025

Oops! Devils Tower Says Overnight Closure Temporary, Not Permanent

Devils Tower admits to having an oops moment last week when it announced the national monument would no longer be open 24/7. The overnight closure is temporary though March 30, not permanent.

Greg JohnsonMarch 17, 2025

Close Up Of An Adult Female, An Adult Male, Nymph And Larva Tick. Ticks Cause An Acute Inflammatory Disease Characterized By Skin Changes, Joint Inflammation, And Flu-Like Symptoms Called Lyme Disease.

Tick Bite Victims Say Resulting Diseases Caused Them Years Of Misery

As tick season nears, victims told Cowboy State Daily about years of suffering, and the frustration of going to one doctor after another – with baffling symptoms – and still not getting a proper diagnosis.

Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2025

A pack of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

Why Wolves In Wyoming Aren’t Attacking And Killing People Like They Are In India

While a district in northern India is reeling from wolf attacks that have killed at least 10 people, many of them children, wildlife biologists say the chances of humans being attacked by wolves in Wyoming remain virtually zero.

Mark HeinzMarch 15, 2025

Construction vehicles outfitted with snowplows and blowers spend months clearing Yellowstone National Park roads. Crews also use chainsaws and avalanches to move massive amounts of snow.

Crews With Trucks And Chainsaws Have Begun Months-Long Process Of Clearing Yellowstone Roads

Construction vehicles outfitted with snowplows and blowers have started the months-long process of clearing roads in Yellowstone National Park. Crews also use chainsaws and avalanches to move massive amounts of snow.

Andrew RossiMarch 15, 2025

Wildlife photographer Trent Sizemore captured video of a grizzly walking past a trail camera on March 13, 2025

Well-Known Bear Likely First Grizzly Caught On Video This Year, Near West Yellowstone

Photographers believe the grizzly seen ambling past a trail camera on Thursday night in Yellowstone is the same huge male that is often one of the first bears to make an appearance each spring.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2025

First Grizzly of 2025 Awake, Hungry And Cranky In Yellowstone

The National Park Service on Wednesday reported fresh grizzly tracks have been spotted in the northern section of Yellowstone National Park. That's the first sign grizzlies have emerged from winter hibernation and are likely very hungry.

Andrew RossiMarch 14, 2025

Screenshot of Samantha Strable holding a baby wombat in Australia

Australian Prime Minister Blasts Wyoming Outdoors Influencer For Grabbing Baby Wombat

Australians, including the prime minister, are livid at a Wyoming-based social media influencer, after a video surfaced of her grabbing a baby wombat. Samantha Strable, who has lived in Pinedale, could lose her visa as a result.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2025

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.