Outdoors

Firefighters work to protect the 102-year-old historic Brooks Lake Lodge from the Fish Creek Fire burning in northwest Wyoming.

All-Out, Around-The-Clock Effort To Save Historic Brooks Lake Lodge From Fire

There’s an all-out, around-the-clock effort on to save the historic Brooks Lake Lodge from the Fish Creek Fire. Ultimately, the lodge’s survival is up to the wind and weather.

Renée JeanAugust 24, 2024

This pair of Canada geese has been arriving each spring in Shery Jespersen’s barnyard near Upton for 24 years.

After Rescuing Eggs, Wild Goose Returns To Wyoming Ranch For 24 Years

A Wyoming rancher rescued some Canada goose eggs that her chickens incubated. One of the geese that hatched has returned to her ranch every spring for 24 years.

Mark HeinzAugust 24, 2024

A locked gate blocks access to the west end of the Boswell Road, off Highway 230 in southern Albany County.

Popular Snowy Range Road Still Closed, But People Are Using It Anyway

Boswell Road, a popular access to Wyoming’s Snowy Ranch, remains closed as campers and bowhunters look for access. The legal status of the road remains in limbo, but closed or not, people are using it anyway.

Mark HeinzAugust 23, 2024

Bears that come too close to humans are usually captured and release — as shown in this Wyoming Game and Fish file photo — rather than killing them, which is a last resort.

Brief: Game And Fish Relocates Grizzlies That Killed Calves In Northwest Wyoming

Two adult grizzlies – a male and a female – were trapped and relocated after killing ranchers’ calves in separate incidents in northwest Wyoming.

Mark HeinzAugust 23, 2024

A wall of smoke rises from the edge of the House Draw Fire in this image shared by Triple Three Outfitters.

Wyoming Ranchers Watch As 175,000-Acre Wildfire Burns Through Fences And Hay

About 150 firefighters started in Buffalo, Wyoming, early Friday morning to battle the House Draw Fire, which has burned about 175,000 acres.

Pat MaioAugust 23, 2024

Wyoming Energy, Mining Industries Slam BLM Rock Springs Plan As Biden Overreach

A coalition of Wyoming energy and mining industry groups are slamming the final Rock Springs Resource Management Plan released Thursday. They call it an example of government overreach by the Biden/Harris administration.

Mark HeinzAugust 22, 2024

Cleanup continues after a devasting hailstorm that dropped baseball-sized stones at Devils Tower and closed the monument. At the KOA campground near the base of the tower, they've been repairing damage and clearing away more than 200 trees that were downed by the storm.

Devils Tower Reopens, But “Will Never Look The Same” After Huge Hailstorm

Devils Tower National Monument reopened Wednesday afternoon after clearing more than 200 fallen trees and 5 inches of hail. But the national monument “will never look the same” after huge hailstones pummeled the area.

Andrew RossiAugust 22, 2024

The area known as Adobe Town in Wyoming's Red Desert is part of the 3.6 million acres in soutwest Wyoming impacted by the BLM's Rock Springs Resource Management Plan.

BLM Releases Controversial Rock Springs Plan, Wyoming Officials Already Hate It

After a year of controversy, the BLM’s Rock Springs Resource Management Plan was released Thursday. Wyoming officials already hate it, saying the Biden administration is “pushing Wyoming off an economic cliff.”

Mark HeinzAugust 22, 2024

Wildfire burns overnight in northern Wyoming, forcing evacuations and putting others on notice of possible evacuations.

Evacuations, Road Closures As Wildfires Blow Up Across Northern Wyoming

Hot, windy and dry conditions have conspired to blow up new and existing wildfires across northern and central Wyoming. The fires have also prompted evacuations and closures of parts of Interstates 90 and 25.

Clair McFarlandAugust 22, 2024

There’s So Many Deer In Sheridan, Cops Want People To Bowhunt Them In Town

Sheridan is overrun with deer, so the Wyoming Game and Fish and police are inviting people to hunt them in city limits. There are some catches, like you have to use a bow and only in certain areas.

Mark HeinzAugust 20, 2024

Smoke billows up from the Fish Creek Fire in northwest Wyoming.

Fish Creek Fire Grows 800 Acres In Northwest Wyoming, Remains 0% Contained

A wildfire in rugged terrain near Togwottee Pass in northwest Wyoming grew 800 acres Tuesday and remains 0% contained. The fire was started by a lightning strike Friday.

Jackie DorothyAugust 20, 2024

Making Bears ‘Family’ Sets Everybody Up For Maiming, Death

A social media video depicting people “adopting” bears and raising them as pets is terrible idea, experts told Cowboy State Daily. They are just setting themselves up to be mauled, they said.

Mark HeinzAugust 19, 2024

The Fish Creek Fire has burned more than 1,700 acres as of Monday afternoon and is 0% contained. It's burning in the Bridger-Teton Naitonal Forest about 7 miles southwest of Togwotee Pass.

Uncontained Wildfire Putting Out Plumes Of Smoke In Northwest Wyoming

Started by lightning Friday, the Fish Creek Fire has burned more than 2,500 acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest and is 0% contained. It, and a few other fires in the area, are putting out plumes of smoke.

Jackie DorothyAugust 19, 2024

A polar bear/grizzly hybrid is called a “grolar" or "pizzly," depending on who you ask.

Uh-Oh, Grizzly Bears Are Mating With Polar Bears

Although "Grolars" or “Pizzly Bears," may sound like a new breed of super-predator, crossbreeding between grizzlies and polar bears remain pretty rare. There have been only eight confirmed cases and no new ones in the last decade.

Mark HeinzAugust 18, 2024

Yes, Grizzlies Are Dangerous But They're Pretty Mild Compared To Polar Bears

Grizzlies have a well-earned reputation as a dangerous apex predator and it's good to avoid them. Just be thankful you don't have to worry about polar bears in Wyoming. They're bigger, more aggressive and much more likely to think of people as a food source.

Mark HeinzAugust 16, 2024

People crowding wildlife — trying to outdo each other to get the best photo — is increasingly a problem in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Wild Critters Feeling Pressure From Wildlife Paparazzi

With more people than ever competing for perfect wildlife photos, stupid human tricks with cameras are a growing concern. Wyoming’s wild critters are feeling the pressure from an increasingly aggressive wildlife paparazzi.

Mark HeinzAugust 15, 2024

There’s a dispute over exactly where the boundary line is between land owned by the South Dakota ranchers Heather and Charles Maude and national grassland controlled by the Forest Service. The couple was served federal indictments alleging theft of government property.

Retired Rangers Alarmed, But Not Surprised, By Armed Fed Confronting S.D. Ranchers

Retired rangers say they’re alarmed, but not surprised, with the heavy-handed treatment a South Dakota ranch couple got. Instead of working out a solution to a fence dispute, they were given federal indictments by an armed agent in tactical gear.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2024

Madison Findley-Dickson, 3, was attacked by a black bear in her tent at a private campground near Yellowstone National Park on Sunday night, Aug. 11, 2024.

Black Bear Goes Into Tent To Attack 3-Year-Old Girl Near Yellowstone

A black bear went into a tent to attack a 3-year-old girl at a private campground near Yellowstone on Sunday. Wildlife officials later killed the bear, which was drawn in by food that had been left out at the campsite.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2024

Heather and Charles Maude, owners of Maude Hog & Cattle near Caputa, South Dakota, were each served with separate federal indictments over a fence line dispute with the U.S. Forest Service.

Outrage At Feds In Tactical Gear Indicting S.D. Ranchers Over 75-Year-Old Fenceline

Ranchers across the U.S. have expressed outrage over the Forest Service prosecuting a South Dakota ranch couple for allegedly stealing public land. The feds, who showed up armed and in tactical gear, say a fence that’s been on the owners' land for 75 years crosses a boundary with federal grasslands.

Mark HeinzAugust 13, 2024

Huge brown bear cubs at the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaksa.

Once Terrified Of Grizzlies, Wyoming Author Now Says They’re Just Misunderstood

Kevin Grange of Jackson, Wyoming, was once terrified of grizzly bears. But after years of living and working around them, he’s written a new book detailing how they’re just misunderstood.

Mark HeinzAugust 12, 2024

Climbing up the cliff side with spotters pointing out the best route at Wagonhound Off-Road Park.

Wyoming Rock Crawlers Get A Huge Adrenaline Rush At 2 MPH

Why go around a giant boulder in the road when you can just go over it? That’s rock crawling in a nutshell. And for Wyoming rock crawlers addicted to that adrenaline rush at 2 mph, the bigger the boulders the better.

Jackie DorothyAugust 11, 2024

Wildlife photographer Pete Arnold captured this perfect moment with burrowing owls by putting a GoPro camera near their burrow on the edge of Cheyenne, and setting it to take photos every five seconds.

It Took 4,000 Shots, But Cheyenne Photographer Catches Owls At Perfect Moment

Armed with a GoPro camera and a ton of patience, Pete Arnold of Cheyenne caught a perfect image of tiny owls frolicking near their burrow on the edge of town. But it took almost 4,000 shots to get it.

Mark HeinzAugust 11, 2024

Owen Miller used a traditional recurve bow to kill this huge cinnamon-colored black bear in southern Wyoming. It’s in the running to be one of the biggest bears ever taken in the state.

Hunter Bags One Of Wyoming’s Biggest Bears Ever With Traditional Recurve Bow

A Wyoming hunter bagged one of the state’s biggest bears ever with a traditional recurve bow. Owen Miller started off with a rifle, then a compound bow, but finally switched to the more challenging recurve bow to get his black bear.