Outdoors | Cowboy State Daily

Colorado Man Kills Mountain Lion With Shovel To Keep It From Eating His Dog

A Colorado man killed a mountain lion with a shovel to keep it from eating his dog last week, wildlife officials reported Wednesday. It’s an impressive feat, an experienced Wyoming mountain lion hunter said.

Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2024

$There are plenty of huge polar bears prowling near the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope, where Gillette resident Tex McBride works two to three weeks at a time.$

Gillette Welder Commutes To Alaska, Works Next To Polar Bears

Gillette's Tex McBride has an interesting commute. For two- to three-week stretches, he heads up to the North Slope of Alaska where he welds for an Arctic drilling company and frequently sees polar bears. “They’re frickin’ huge," he says. "It's frickin' awesome."

Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2024

At the Elk View Inn near Dayton, the Elk Fire appears intimidating. Although an estimated 7-8 miles away, it appears huge and threatening.

More Evacuations Ordered As Huge Wildfire Threatens Northern Wyoming Towns

Winds have blown the 32,000-acre Elk Fire toward the northern Wyoming town of Parkman, while also threatening nearby Dayton. Additional evacuations have been ordered with the weather forecast calling for even more wind.

Greg JohnsonOctober 02, 2024

A bear-resistant fence around the Wapiti Elementary School west of Cody keeps bears from climbing into the schoolyard.

Bear-Proof Fence, “Grizzly Drills” Just Routine At Wyoming’s Wapiti School

Wapiti Elementary School west of Cody is like many other rural Wyoming schools — except its surrounded by a bear-resistant fence. Teachers running “grizzly drills” with kids is part of the routine.

Mark HeinzOctober 01, 2024

The fast-growing Pack Trail Fire just southeast of the Fish Creek Fire has grown rapidly, with firefighting crews now treating the two fires as a single Fish Creek/Pack Trail complex. Both are burning in the Shoshone National Forest and threatening Highway 26 and nearby residential areas.

At 18,000 Acres And No Containment, Reinforcements Called In For Pack Trail Fire

After blowing up to 18,000 acres with 0% containment, the Pack Trail Fire has prompted evacuations and closures. Reinforcements are on the way, with a complex incident management team on the way.

Renée JeanOctober 01, 2024

The Elk Fire burns down the face of the Bighorns over Dayton, Wyoming.

Dayton Watched As Mountain Above Them Burned

Not many of Dayton, Wyoming’s, 830 residents got much sleep Sunday night as they watched the Elk Fire burn down the mountain face above them. The fire didn’t get to the town, but has grown to about 32,000 acres.

Greg JohnsonOctober 01, 2024

A vocal crowd showed up to give comment to the Joint Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Resources Committee meeting at the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. Most spoke against a proposed bill that stops short of banning running down wolves and other predators with snowmobiles.

Wyoming Legislators Stop Short Of Banning Running Over Wolves With Snowmobiles

Despite calls to criminalize running down Wyoming wolves with snowmobiles, a legislative committee Monday advanced a bill that stops short of banning it. It would require the animal to be immediately killed if run down.

Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2024

It may seem like deja vu for folks at the Brooks Lake Lodge and surroundings areas as a huge plume of smoke rises from the nearby Pack Trail Fire, which blew up to nearly 20,000 acres overnight Sunday.

Wildfire Rages To 18,000 Acres In Bridger-Teton Forest, Pulling Crews Off Nearby Fire

A lightning strike deep in Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest blew up overnight Sunday to nearly 18,000 acres. It also prompted new evacuation orders for Brooks Lake and Lava Mountain Lodges, as well as ranches and the KOA campground.

Renée JeanSeptember 30, 2024

Hunter’s Pistol Jam During Grizzly Attack Could Have Been Because Of Ammo, Grip

An archery hunter’s Glock pistol jamming on him twice during a Wyoming grizzly attack Thursday could have been due to a variety of factors. But gun experts say he did well in terrifying situation.

Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2024

The Elk Fire burning in northern Wyoming has prompted evacuations and concern from people who live near the fire's path, particularly the communties of Dayton and Parkman.

More Evacuations Ordered For People In Path Of 25,000-Acre Elk Fire

Some people were evacuated over the weekend and more Monday as the 25,000-acre Elk Fire near Dayton in northern Wyoming continues to burn. The growth of the fire slowed Monday, but it's still uncontrolled and a threat to homes in its path.

Renée JeanSeptember 30, 2024

Eric Widmaier of Maryland loves to hunt in Wyoming. To get the choice cuts of game meat – backstraps and tenderloins – back home, he seals them inside a soft-sided cooler. He takes the cooler aboard the airplane as part of his carry-on luggage. He'll ship the rest back to be delivered on his front porch, which can coat $600-$800.

How Out-Of-State Hunters Get Their Game Meat Back Home

Hunters who come from all over the country for Wyoming’s legendary big game face a quandary — how to get all that meat back home. The solutions are varied, but rarely cheap.

Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2024

Chester, a packhorse from Utah, was photographed Tuesday on a county road near Bondurant after he went missing for four days and five nights in the Wyoming wilds. He was caught early the next day.

The Adventures Of Chester, A Runaway Packhorse In The Wilds Of Wyoming

Chester is a huge roan packhorse from Utah that disappeared for five nights in the remote wilds of Wyoming and was found on a country road in Bondurant last week. He survived in bear and wolf country, but his adventures will remain a mystery.

Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2024

Training Captain Brian Lash is on a two-week rotation piloting an MD-87 tanker, dropping slurry on a host of Wyoming wildfires from a newly opened tanker hub at Casper-Natrona International Airport.

Pilots Drop Water And Slurry Bombs Like They're At War With Wyoming Wildfires

Along with hundreds of firefighters on the ground, Wyoming’s huge summer wildfires have been attacked from the air. Pilots like Brian Lash drop water and slurry bombs like they're at war with the fires.

Dale KillingbeckSeptember 29, 2024

Chase Melton, 19, of Sugar Camp, Wisconsin, said he shot this wolf in self-defense after he and two kids he took duck hunting in Wisconsin were surrounded by a wolf pack. Unlike in Wyoming, wolves can’t be legally hunted in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Duck Hunter Claims He Killed Wolf In Self Defense; Case Under Investigation

A Wisconsin duck hunter said he was surrounded by a pack of aggressive wolves and shot one in self-defense. Unlike in Wyoming, wolves remain federally protected in Wisconsin and can’t be hunted. The man says he's confident he'll be cleared.

Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2024

Now 4 Grizzlies Have Drowned In A Canal Near Cody; Advocates Say Bear Ladders Needed

When grizzlies enter the canal, they find out too late that they can’t climb back out of the concrete lining, so they become exhausted and eventually drown. A former federal ecologist and bear advocate says installing ladders on both sides would prevent that from happening.

Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2024

Belgian Pool in Yellowstone National Park.

Inside Yellowstone: Belgian Pool Named For Tourist From Belgium Who Fell In And Died

When Yellowstone became the first national park in 1872, Belgian Pool was known as Oyster Spring. It was renamed to Belgian Pool in 1929, when a newspaper editor from Belgium fell in the 180 degree water and died.

Andrew RossiSeptember 28, 2024

Hunters take heed: Bears with huge appetites are roaming the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem eating everything and anything they can get. It’s more than just the bears being gluttons, because not bulking up enough this time of year can mean life or death for the bruins.

Yellowstone Bears Are In Pig-Out Mode, Eating 20,000 Calories A Day

With hibernation right around the corner, the bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are in full-on pig-out mode, eating 20,000 calories a day. That means it's more dangerous for people visiting their habitat. Nobody wants to run into a hangry grizzly in the fall.

Andrew RossiSeptember 28, 2024

Landon Clement says "the Lord was looking out for me" when he survived a grizzly attack while bowhunting in Wyoming on Sept. 26, 2024.

Hunter Who Survived Wyoming Grizzly Attack Says “It Felt Like A Freight Train”

An archery hunter from Georgia attacked by a Wyoming grizzly Thursday says “it felt like a freight train” had hit him. He told Cowboy State Daily he “saw nothing but her head and her white teeth coming right at me.”

Mark HeinzSeptember 27, 2024

The plains burned after the House Draw Fire moved through the area off Buffalo Sussex Cutoff Road.

Nearly 600,000 Acres Have Burned During Wyoming’s Powder-Keg Summer

Much of Wyoming has been a powder keg for wildfires this summer, with nearly 600,000 acres burned in the northeast part of the state — 13 times more than last summer.

Greg Johnson & Andrew RossiSeptember 27, 2024

Hunter Attacked, Severely Bitten By Grizzly In Western Wyoming

A 31-year-old archery hunter from Georgia was attacked by a grizzly early Thursday in Wyoming’s Upper Green River Valley. He suffered severe bite wounds to his thigh before shooting the bear dead with his handgun in self-defense.

Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2024

In Anticipation Of Grizzly Delisting, Montana Tracks How Many Grizzles Died, And Why

As Montana looks forward to grizzlies possibly being delisted, the state is tracking how bears there die and why. With 2,000 bears, Montana has by far the most grizzlies in the Lower 48.

Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2024

Climbing Community Hit “Hard” By Death Of Devils Tower Climber

News of a climber falling to his death Sunday at Devils Tower has hit the climbing community “pretty hard.” A Gillette climber who’s tackled Devils Tower nearly 150 times says even “easy” routes take skill and attention.

Andrew RossiSeptember 24, 2024

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

Even After Pack Removed, Wolves Killing Colorado Cattle, More Coming From Canada

Even after removing a pack of wolves in northern Colorado, cattle are still getting killed by the predators. Meanwhile, that state’s controversial introduction program continues with more wolves coming from Canada.

Mark HeinzSeptember 24, 2024

Austin King has been missing since summiting Eagle Peak in Yellowstone National Park on Sept. 17.

Best Friend Of Yellowstone Hiker Missing A Week Waits At Camp, Desperate For News

Desmond McGroarty, lifelong best friend of missing Yellowstone hiker Austin King, is desperately hoping he’s found alive. He’s at the concessions village where they'd both been working, eager for any news.

Clair McFarlandSeptember 24, 2024

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