Outdoors

There's not much snow at Vedauwoo in Wyoming’s Snowy Range, which is a concerning sign to many. But if history is an accurate guide, winter weather will soon descend and bring more moisture to most of Wyoming.

Where's The Snow? Cross-Country Skiers, Snowshoers Not Happy In Vedauwoo

There's not much snow at Vedauwoo in southeastern Wyoming, which is a drag for winter sports enthusiasts. But meteorologist Don Day says, if history is any guide, winter weather will soon bring snow to the area and the rest of the state.

Andrew RossiJanuary 05, 2025

Filtration Straws Are Good For Drinking From Rivers But Probably Not Raw Sewage

Specialized filtration straws allow people to drink safely from mountain streams, rivers, and lakes. Wyoming outdoorsmen told Cowboy State Daily they work great but don't recommend trying it on raw sewage.

Mark HeinzJanuary 04, 2025

Yellowstone National Park's most famous attraction, Old Faithful Geyser, shows the thermal forces percolating underneath the region.

New Study Shows Yellowstone Supervolcano Still Isn't Going To Blow Up Anytime Soon

A new study on the supervolcano percolating underneath Yellowstone National Park reaffirms it’s not about to blow and end humanity as we know it. It shows the magma deep underneath the park isn’t a very fluid situation.

Andrew RossiJanuary 04, 2025

A whitetail buck (left) and a mule deer buck recently fought to the point of complete exhaustion in South Dakota. The bucks were separated, but it’s not clear whether they survived.

Rare Whitetail-Mule Deer Fight Highlights Conflict Between Wyoming Species

A rare fight caught on video between a mule deer and whitetail buck highlights the conflict between the species in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2025

Rare NYE Aurora Could Be Sign 2025 Will Be Another Epic Year For Northern Lights

Wyoming photographer Dave Bell spent New Year’s Eve watching some of Mother Nature’s fireworks. He captured the stunning reds and greens of a rare New Year's Eve aurora over Wyoming, a sign that 2025 could be even better than last year for auroras.

Andrew RossiJanuary 02, 2025

A herd of elk stand close together on a snowy Wyoming range.

Once Just A Problem For Deer, Deadly CWD Now Might Explode In Wyoming Elk Herds

Chronic wasting disease has been a problem for deer herds in Wyoming. Now that it’s been found in an elk in the Jackson area, hunters might have to get used to it being everywhere.

Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025

A three-day search and rescue effort was launched in Washington state when a pair of sasquatch hunters disappeared Christmas Day. The men from Oregon were found dead from apparant exposure.

Bigfoot Hunters Die Searching For Sasquatch In Washington Forest

Two men died looking for bigfoot in a remote part of Washington state, sparking a three-day search and rescue effort. A Wyoming archaeology professor says their deaths were in vain because the creatures have never been proven to exist.

Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025

An ice fisherman camping on Ocean Lake in Fremont County was stranded after a section of ice broke off, leaving him hundreds of yards from shore. He was rescued early Saturday.

Wyoming Fisherman Camped On Ice Wakes Up To Find He Drifted Away After Ice Broke

An ice fisherman camping on Ocean Lake in Fremont County was stranded after a section of ice broke off Saturday. He drifted into the lake only to wake up hundreds of yards from shore.

Mark HeinzDecember 31, 2024

In Wyoming, moose enjoy mostly shallow water – such as this creek near Grand Teton National Park. In coastal areas, moose swim in deep water, where they might be devoured by killer whales.

Wyoming Moose Fear Wolves, But Coastal Moose Have To Watch Out For Killer Whales

In Wyoming, moose worry about wolves and grizzlies. In coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, moose have to look out to keep from being eaten by killer whales.

Mark HeinzDecember 30, 2024

Wyoming photographer recently flew a drone over an area burned by the Elk Fire, Steamboat Rock and the Turkey Creek area of Tongue River Canyon. "The change is dramatic, stark, devastating," Doolin said in a post showing video of the area.

From Above, Aftermath Of Devastating 100,000-Acre Elk Fire Looks Worse

The Elk Creek Fire burned nearly 100,000 acres across the eastern face of the Bighorn Mountains this fall, threatening several small Wyoming towns. While early evaluations suggest the damage is mostly superficial, from above it looks devastating.

Andrew RossiDecember 28, 2024

Californians Freak Out Over Meat-Eating Squirrels, But They’ve Always Been Cannibals

A recent report about meat-eating ground squirrels has freaked out Californians, but it’s really nothing new. In Wyoming, the burrowing rodents are notorious for cannibalism.

Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024

The park's longest-lived wolf, 907F died on Christmas Day from injuries she suffered in a fight between her pack and another Yellowstone wolf pack. She was 11.8 years old.

Yellowstone’s Famed One-Eyed Wolf 907F Dies After Fight With Rival Pack

After living triple the average wolf’s lifespan, Yellowstone National Park’s famed Wolf 907F died Christmas Day. She succumbed to injuries she suffered in a fight with other wolves a few days earlier.

Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024

Anglers at Flaming Gorge are encouraged to catch and kill as many burbot (pictured) and lake trout as possible.

No Limits On Fish Gobbling Up Prized Flaming Gorge Kokanee Salmon

It’s open season on small lake trout and burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir as Wyoming Game and Fish officials have put no limits on both species. That’s because they’re gobbling up the reservoir’s prized kokanee salmon.

Mark HeinzDecember 26, 2024

Every year for the past 17 years, the Williams family of Laramie has gone into the Snowy Range Mountains to find and cut their own Christmas tree.

Cutting Your Own Tree Doesn’t Have To Be A “Christmas Vacation” Experience

Going out into the woods to cut your own Christmas tree is a time-honored Wyoming tradition. The Williams family of Laramie has been doing it for years, and it’s not a “Christmas Vacation” experience.

Mark HeinzDecember 24, 2024

Escape From Chicago: Wyoming Firearms Founder Makes World’s Most Powerful AR-Style Rifle

Greg Buchel was born and raised in Chicago but “escaped Illinois” to move to Wyoming and founded Big Horn Armory which touts its AR500 as the world’s most powerful AR-style rifle. Buchel says it will down anything from "pachyderms to Peterbilts."

Mark HeinzDecember 24, 2024

Sweetwater County Clings To Hope Congress Will Kill Controversial BLM Plan

Sweetwater County officials say they feel in limbo at the center of a controversial BLM plan to manage 3.6 million acres of federal land in Wyoming. Their best hope to kill the plan now sit with Congress.

Mark HeinzDecember 23, 2024

Stallions Bubba and Scarface have curly manes, a rare characteristic found among the Salt Wells Creek mustang herd near Rock Springs.

BLM Plans To Round Up Extremely Rare Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs

Vast stretches of harsh desert near Rock Springs are among the few places in the world where mustangs with curly coats can be found, but the Bureau of Land Management plans to round them up, which has horse advocates upset.

Mark HeinzDecember 22, 2024

Yes, Bears Falling Out Of Trees And Killing People Is A Real Thing

A Virginia man was killed when a bear another hunter shot tumbled out of a tree and landed on him. A veteran Wyoming predator hunter said the danger posed by large animals falling out of trees is a real thing.

Mark HeinzDecember 19, 2024

What3Words Claims To Be The Best Rescue App Ever, But Misses In Wyoming

A new app maps out the entire world into 3-yard squares and assigns three words to identify each square. It’s wildly popular with some emergency responders and is growing a base, but Wyoming rescue pros aren’t sold.

Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024

Story Of Birdshot Dropping Charging Grizzly Seems Unbelievable, Wyoming Hunters Say

A Montana man once stopped a charging grizzly bear with a load of birdshot from a .410 shotgun. That seems unbelievable to Wyoming hunters because of the gun’s relatively weak stopping power.

Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024

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Shooting Drones Is Illegal, But A Shotgun Would Work Best If You Must

We're not recommending anyone shoot down a drone. That's illegal in Wyoming. But if someone needed to, a shotgun would be the right weapon, gun experts say.

Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024

Bryan Bedrosian, the conservation director for the Teton Raptor Center, wants to do all he can to help Wyoming’s golden eagle population.

Man-Made Nests Could Protect Eagles From Getting Slaughtered By Wind Turbines

With too many golden eagles getting slaughtered by wind turbines in central and southeast Wyoming, it’s hoped man-made nests can help. They create a safe haven for the raptors away from wind farms.