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A station with bags for people to pick up and pack out their poo while hiking on Mount Elbert in Colorado, the second tallest peak in the Lower 48.

No More Free-Range Pooping: Human-Poop Bags At Hiking Trailheads Are A Thing Now

“Sustainable pooping” has become an outdoors recreation catchphrase, with people expected to pack their own human waste out in plastic bags. Kiosks with these human-poop bags are popping up along popular hiking trails, like Mount Elbert in Colorado.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2024

Grizzlies by water in winter 11 22 24

If Wyoming Grizzlies Make It To Utah, They’ll Probably Get Sent Back

While it’s almost certain that Wyoming grizzlies will eventually migrate into Utah, they won’t be welcome to stay there. Unlike Wyoming, Utah does not have a sustainable habitat for grizzly bears.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2024

One of 10 wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

After Colorado Wolf Found With Bullet Wound, Group Puts Up $50K In Rewards

After a bullet wound was found in a wolf carcass in Colorado, a conservation group has set up a $50,000 reward fund for tips about illegal wolf killings.

Mark HeinzNovember 20, 2024

Montana wildlife agents sometimes use drones to chase grizzly bears away from farms and ranches on the high plains.

One Way To Scare Grizzlies Away: Yell At Them Over Drone Speakers

Montana wildlife officials have been yelling at prairie grizzlies through the speakers on drones to scare the bears away from people. But that doesn’t always work, like the Colorado black bear who didn’t budge when blasted with heavy metal music.

Mark HeinzNovember 19, 2024

Coyotes and badgers will team up to hunt prairie dogs and ground squirrels. Between the coyotes’ agility and the badgers’ digging power, the rodents don’t stand a chance.

Wyoming Coyotes And Badgers Will Team Up To Hunt Prairie Dogs

Coyotes and badgers in Wyoming will team up to hunt prairie dogs. Badgers dig into the rodents’ dens, while the coyotes wait at the exit to snatch any varmints trying to escape.

Mark HeinzNovember 18, 2024

A wildland firefighter walks along the edge of the Dixie Fire in northern California in 2021. This firefighter’s job is to help monitor the ongoing backfiring operation and to watch for any embers falling onto the wrong side of the control line.

Wyoming Hotshot’s Photographs Give Rare Behind-The-Scenes Look At Wildfires

Wyoming Hotshot Capt. Kyle Miller’s photographs are on display at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody in a new exhibition. His stunning images give a rare behind-the-scenes look at wildfires and the people who fight them.

Amber SteinmetzNovember 17, 2024

What's being called a 20-year storm left much of Colorado under deep snow this past week, which crusted over and forced herds of antelope onto eastern Colorado roads, where about 150 were killed, including 53 at once.

Winter Storm Drives 150 Antelope To Their Deaths, Including 53 From One Truck Accident

150 antelope were killed earlier this week when a winter storm blasted eastern Colorado with snow and sent the animals onto the highways. That includes 53 antelope which were plowed down in a single accident.

Mark HeinzNovember 16, 2024

A view along Highway 14 shows large patches of black where the Elk Fire burned on the eastern Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming.

After 7 Weeks And 100,000 Acres Burned, Elk Fire Is 100% Contained

After more than seven weeks, the Elk Fire is officially 100% contained. The late-season wildfire scorched nearly 100,000 acres in the Bighorn Mountains and came close to burning the rural towns of Dayton and Parkman.

Greg JohnsonNovember 15, 2024

The rugged and remote Green Mountain area in the Laramie Range in Albany County is prized for its elk and bighorn sheep hunting. The proposed Britania Land Exchange would trade rugged Forest Service Land in Albany for two parchels farther to the north.

Fight Over Prime Wyoming Hunting Land Exchange Headed To Federal Court

A legal fight is brewing over a U.S. Forest Service land exchange that would take a "hunter's paradise" parcel in Wyoming's Laramie Range out of public use. Opponents of the swap filed a court petition to stop it this week and are threatening a lawsuit.

Mark HeinzNovember 14, 2024

If a deer jumps out in front of your vehicle on the road, Colorado officials say it could be best to just hit it.

Colorado Says If You See A Deer In The Road, Hit It. Don’t Try To “Save Bambi”

If a deer jumps out in front of your vehicle on the road, Colorado officials say it could be best to just hit it. Swerving to try and “save Bambi” could lead to even more tragic results.

Mark HeinzNovember 14, 2024

An elk hunt near Sybille Canyon in southeast Wyoming became a mountain lion hunt for Matt Rivord of Laramie. He said more and more mountain lions have been showing up there.

Having A Mountain Lion Tag, Just In Case, Pays Off For Wyoming Elk Hunting Guide

Hunters keeping just-in-case mountain lion tags in their pocket when they’re out after elk and deer is increasingly common. It paid off for a Wyoming elk hunting guide.

Mark HeinzNovember 13, 2024

Wildlife biologist Cat Wood studied and photographed wolverines in Alaska, like in this file photo. She says a video taken Tuesday morning near Yellowstone National Park, though blurry, shows a wolverine.

Blurry Video Near Yellowstone May Be Extremely Rare Wolverine Sighting

A blurry video taken early Tuesday shows a creature bounding across a highway near Yellowstone National Park. Though the footage is blurry, the man who took it says it was a wolverine, and a wildlife biologist agrees.

Mark HeinzNovember 12, 2024

Trump and grizzly 11 11 24

Trump’s Win Could Tip The Scales In Favor Of Delisting Wyoming’s Grizzlies

With the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, it’s possible that federal protections could be removed for Wyoming’s grizzly bears.

Mark HeinzNovember 12, 2024

Hunters in snow 11 11 24

Plunging Temps Get Wyoming Big Game Moving, Increase Odds For Hunters

After a scorching start to hunting season in September and October, colder temperatures and snow in November are helping hunters out.

Mark HeinzNovember 11, 2024

Conditions were snowy and deep in Leo Wolfson’s first day of the year on skis in the backcountry.

Back On Skis And It's Not Even Thanksgiving

The snowstorms that hit the Rocky Mountains last week produced some rare early November skiing -- if you are willing to work for it. Cowboy State Daily’s Leo Wolfson went backcountry skiing in northern Colorado on Saturday and said the conditions were ideal.

Leo WolfsonNovember 11, 2024

Many modern pistol designs feature a safety lever built into the trigger. That mitigates the risk of accidental firing, if the pistol is being carried with a round in the firing chamber.

Wyoming Outdoorsmen Say In Grizzly Country, Have A Round Chambered In Your Handgun

When a grizzly is charging and milliseconds count, it’s best to have a round already chambered in a defensive handgun, Wyoming outdoorsmen told Cowboy State Daily. A hunter who shot and killed charging grizzly last month says it saved his life.

Mark HeinzNovember 10, 2024

It’s been nearly 30 years since John Talbott, inset, then Wyoming Game and Fish director, got caught fishing without a license and resigned.

That Time Wyoming’s Game And Fish Director Was Caught Fishing Without A License

It’s been nearly 30 years since John Talbott, then Wyoming Game and Fish director, got caught fishing without a license and resigned. The incident still lives on in Wyoming author C.J. Box’s “Joe Pickett” novels.

Mark HeinzNovember 09, 2024

Sydnee Chapman poses for a photo outside her camper van in Joshua Tree National Park, California. Chapman has traveled through eight states since moving into the van earlier this summer.

Starting My Van Life Journey In Wyoming: I Was Convinced I Would Be Killed Or Kidnapped

Sydnee Chapman writes, “I was convinced I would be killed or kidnapped on my first night sleeping in my recently bought campervan. The wind gusts at the rest stop somewhere between Laramie and Evanston were a far cry from the glorious lifestyles you see under #vanlife on social media."

Sydnee ChapmanNovember 09, 2024

Jordan Thorn reached Katahdin, the end of the Appalachian Trail, on Oct. 6. Located in Main it was the end of the five-month journey that began in Georgia.

Georgia To Maine In 5 Months: Gillette Man Hikes 2,198-Mile Appalachian Trail

About 3,000 people attempt the entire distance of the 2,198-mile Appalachian Trail every year. Only 1 in 4 make it. It took Gillette native Jordan Thorn five months to complete it, hitting the end of the trail on October 6 -- but was nearly derailed by illness 100 miles from the end.

Amber SteinmetzNovember 09, 2024

About a month before it was close, Wyoming photographer Tim Doolan hiked to the deck of the Black Mountain Lookout, at 9,400 feet elevation one of the highest points in the Bighorn Range. He captured stunning drone video and photos of the panoramic view. The lookout itself, however, has been shuttered for decades, and now the deck also is closed for repairs.

Black Mountain Lookout: The Best View In The Bighorns Has Seen Better Days

The 84-year-old Black Mountain Fire Lookout sits at an elevation of 9,400 feet and offers a spectacular panoramic view of Wyoming’s northern Bighorns. Although it's been boarded up for decades, the Forest Service is hoping it can be fixed and opened to the public.

Andrew RossiNovember 09, 2024

One of 10 wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

Are Coloradans Shooting At Wolves? Bullet Wound Sparks Speculation

A Colorado wolf found dead was killed by another wolf, but also had an old bullet wound, state officials reported this week. It’s sparked speculation that Coloradans have started taking potshots at wolves.

Mark HeinzNovember 09, 2024

Garrett Kalkowski and his father, Vince, along with their family and friends have hunted elk for years in the Meeteetse area. Garrett said the grizzly population there has been steadily increasing, and that he had to shoot and kill a grizzly on Oct. 3 to save him and his father from being mauled.

Wyoming Hunter Says 10 mm Pistol Saved Him And Dad From Grizzly Mauling

A Cody, Wyoming, hunter related Thursday how having a round chambered in his 10 mm pistol saved him and his dad from being mauled by a grizzly. The bear was just a few yards away when he shot it in self-defense.

Mark HeinzNovember 07, 2024

Now that the Pack Trail Fire is 95% confined, crews are busy doing controlled burns in Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwest Wyoming.

With Huge Late-Season Wildfires Under Control, Fire Crews Now Starting Fires

With two huge late-season wildfires under control, U.S. Forest Service crews are now busy catching up on the controlled burns they start on purpose.

Greg JohnsonNovember 07, 2024

A hunting accident 11 years ago left Idaho resident Tj Cartwright completely blind. But that didn’t stop him from taking up hunting again. He recently came to Wyoming and shot this whitetail buck in Park County.

Blind Hunter Shoots Wyoming Buck, Hopes To Inspire Others

Tj Cartwright was accidently shot in the face with a hunting arrow 11 years ago, leaving him completely blind. But he didn’t stop hunting, and shot a Wyoming buck this season.

Mark HeinzNovember 05, 2024

A brown bear turns and attacks a ranger in Armenia after being released.

Wyoming Experts Say Safety Rules Ignored In Bear Release That Ended In Attack

Armenian wildlife rangers ignored safety rules and did practically everything wrong in a viral video of a bear release gone wrong. Wyoming grizzly experts say the rangers are lucky nobody was killed when the brown bear turned and attacked.

Mark HeinzNovember 05, 2024

Hunter Wedding main 11 3 24

Good Business: National Outdoor Apparel Company Sends Handwritten Note About Hunting

Why would a Seattle couple who own a popular outdoor clothing company take the time to send handwritten notes to customers? It's good business. When a Wyoming customer purchased a couple shirts, they mentioned how they eloped on a hunting trip in Baggs, Wyoming.

Mark HeinzNovember 04, 2024

Teri Smith of Sheridan has enjoyed hunting Wyoming big game for years. She looks forward to mentoring other hunters, as the first Wyoming representative for the 10 Can Inc. Christian Adventure Network.

Despite Chronic Pain, Sheridan Woman Continues To Mentor Hunters

Sheridan resident Teri Smith was nearly killed in a head-on collision in 2001 and has suffered chronic pain since. That hasn’t stopped her from hunting and mentoring others.

Mark HeinzNovember 03, 2024

The water in a thermal pool bubbles in Yellowstone National Park, which sits atop a supervolcano.

Why A Far-Fetched NASA Idea To Cool Yellowstone’s Supervolcano Would Never Work

NASA scientists concocted an idea a decade ago to save the world from a civilization-ending eruption of the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone National Park. Although volcanologists shot it down, scientists are still talking about it.

Andrew RossiNovember 03, 2024

Members of the Elk Fire Burned Area Emergency Response Team assess the damage left by the wildfire and what will need to be done to repair or mitigate damages or other threats, like potential for invasive weeds, mudslides and debris flows.

Scientists Map Out How Badly Elk Fire Damaged The 98,000 Acres It Ravaged

With the Elk Fire 88% contained and growing cooler, the problems are just beginning for the 98,000 acres of land ravaged by the wildfire. Scientists are now mapping out how badly the fire damaged the land and how to repair it.

Renée JeanNovember 03, 2024

Abyss Pool in the West Thumb Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park is getting hotter and changing colors, which scientists say may indicate it's building up to violently erupt. Then again, it may not.

Yellowstone’s Abyss Pool Is Getting Hotter, Changing Colors And Could Explode

Abyss Pool in the West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park is getting hotter and changing colors. Scientists say the pool, where a human foot was found floating two years ago, could erupt violently in the near future.

Andrew RossiNovember 03, 2024

Lynnette Turner-Parry sings "What A Wonderful World" during a candlelight vigil for Grizzly 399 on Nov. 2, 2024, in Jackson, Wyoming.

Mourners From Across Country Attend Candlelight Vigil For Grizzly 399 In Jackson

Mourners gathered in Jackson's Public Square on Saturday night to attend a candlelight vigil for Grizzly 399. “I’ve cried every night since she died,” said a woman who traveled from Oregon.

Andrew RossiNovember 03, 2024

A search is on for James Johnson of Encampment, Wyoming, who hasn't been heard from since leaving to go hunting in the Medicine Bow National Forest on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 30, 2024. His truck has been found, but not Johnson.

When Encampment Hunter James Johnson Got Lost, He Kept His Head & Built A Fire

James Johnson is an avid hunter and it's not like him to get lost. But when he did last Wednesday, he had two choices: keep searching to find his truck or use the fleeting sunlight to build a shelter and fire. He chose the latter and was found the next day.

Clair McFarlandNovember 02, 2024

Work progresses on a massive $118 million project to replace the Yellowstone River Bridge in the national park. The new bridge will be 180 feet tall and 1,285 feet long.

Yellowstone's New 180-Foot-Tall, 1,285-Foot-Long Bridge Set To Open In 2025

The $118 million project to replace the Yellowstone River Bridge requires "an orchestra of coordination." But the new 180-foot-tall, 1,285-foot-long bridge could be open to traffic by the end of 2025.

Andrew RossiNovember 02, 2024

Grizzly 399 with three of her four cubs in this undated photo.

Grizzly 399 Cremated, Ashes Scattered In Pilgrim Creek Area Of Grand Teton Park

Final closure to the story of Grizzly 399 came Friday when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced she had been cremated. The ashes of the world’s most famous bear were scatted in the Pilgrim Creek area of Grand Teton National Park.

Mark HeinzNovember 01, 2024

Wyoming mule deer.

Oregon Has Close Call With Chronic Wasting Disease From Infected Wyoming Deer

Oregon had a close call with chronic wasting disease when hunters from that state brought home two infected Wyoming deer carcasses.

Mark HeinzOctober 31, 2024

An image from a panel discussion with the makers of the "Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons" documentary livestreamed by PBS Nature on Oct. 30, 2024. They discussede the life and legacy of the world's most famous bear.

"Queen of the Tetons" Team Celebrates Grizzly 399 As A Pioneer And Teacher

The biologists and filmmakers behind the Nature documentary "Grizzly 399: Queen of the Tetons" celebrated her life and legacy during Wednesday livestream.

Andrew RossiOctober 31, 2024

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