Outdoors
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If Feds Delist Wolves Everywhere, Will Colorado’s Reintroduction Program Crash?
A push is underway to get wolves delisted from federal protection across the Lower 48, but it remains unclear how that might affect wolf management policies in Wyoming and Colorado.
Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2025

Man In Bear Suit Scares Off Black Bear; He’s Lucky It Wasn’t A Wyoming Grizzly
A North Carolina man uses a bear suit to scare black bears off his lawn. Some Wyomingites said trying that with a grizzly would be insane. They could maul you, or worse, try to get frisky.
Mark HeinzMarch 27, 2025

New Herd In Wyoming’s Red Desert Could Save Yellowstone Bison From Inbreeding
Yellowstone’s bison have merged into a “single breeding population,” according to a new study. Because of that, it might be necessary at some point to establish new herds in places like Wyoming’s Red Desert to prevent inbreeding.
Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2025

After 22 Years, A First For WYDOT Snowplow Driver — He Gets Stuck In A Drift
In what he calls a "humbling experience,” a veteran WYDOT snowplow driver got his plow stuck for the first time in 22 years Monday. He was trying to get through a 4-foot-deep drift blocking both lanes.
Andrew RossiMarch 25, 2025

Yellowstone Pool That Exploded Last Summer Is Still Closed — And Still Exploding
Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park has been closed since it violently exploded last July. As the park prepares for the summer tourism season, it remains closed — and is still exploding.
Andrew RossiMarch 25, 2025

Rock Springs Land Use Plan On Hold As Congress Revises BLM Western Priorities
Hope is running high in southwest Wyoming that millions of acres of federal land won’t be locked up as Harriet Hageman pushes Congress to revise Bureau of Land Management plans across the West.
Mark HeinzMarch 24, 2025

There Hasn't Been A New Name In Yellowstone In 25 Years (And May Never Happen Again)
Even when new thermal features appear in Yellowstone National Park, they are unlikely to get named. Getting a new name in Yellowstone is a lengthy process that hasn't happened in two decades — and might never happen again.
Andrew RossiMarch 23, 2025

There’s A $10,000 Fish Waiting To Be Caught In Montana’s Flathead Lake
Montana’s Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the Western U.S. and has always been a big draw for anglers. There’s another reason to drop a line — there’s a $10,000 fish waiting to be caught, two fish worth $5,000 each, and five fish tagged for $1,000 each.
Anna-Louise JacksonMarch 23, 2025

Yellowstone Volcanologist Says Claims Of 1,000-Year Volcano Eruption "A Bunch Of Garbage"
Media hype that a volcano in Washington is about to blow up after 1,000 years is “garbage,” says Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Because Yellowstone sits on an active supervolcano, scientists monitor what might trigger it, and he says this isn't it.
Andrew RossiMarch 23, 2025

Why Bighorn Sheep Heads Don’t Explode When They Violently Smash Into Each Other
The violence of bighorn sheep smashing their heads together, focusing 2,000 pounds of pressure delivered at 30 mph, can make one wonder how their heads don’t explode. The basic answer is their thick horns and skulls are basically crash helmets.
Andrew RossiMarch 22, 2025

If Colorado Wolves Keep Crossing Into Wyoming, They Might Not Last Long
A transplanted wolf showing up in Wyoming wasn’t unexpected, neither was it being killed for preying on livestock. With Wyoming’s shoot-on-sight policy for wolves in most of the state, that’s not likely to change.
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

Taking Benadryl For Rattlesnake Bites Can Get You Killed, Medical Expert Says
An online rumor that children’s Benadryl can save people from rattlesnake bites has gone viral around Wyoming. But it’s false, and a medical expert says taking it after a rattler bites could get you killed.
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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
