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Hiker Gets Rare Video of Wyoming Mink At Curt Gowdy State Park
A Cheyenne man is glad he decided to go hiking instead of mountain biking in Curt Gowdy State Park this week, otherwise he might have missed a rare encounter with a mink dragging a rabbit carcass.
Mark HeinzJanuary 04, 2024

It’s So Warm, Birds Are Staying Up North And Out Of Reach For Wyoming Hunters
An unusually warm fall and early winter has made for lackluster waterfowl hunting in Wyoming as birds are staying north in Canada and Montana, but there’s some hope that things will pick up as seasons wind down.
Mark HeinzJanuary 04, 2024

This Winter Looking Less Deadly Than Last For Wyoming Mule Deer
Despite devastating winterkill losses in parts of Wyoming last year, mule deer are going into this winter with a lot in their favor.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2024

Fewer Arctic Birds Than Usual In Wyoming Because Of Unseasonably Warm Winter
Birds that migrate to Wyoming in the winter have been scarce this year due to the unseasonably warm temperatures throughout America and Canada, while birds with "no business" staying this late are lingering.
Leo WolfsonJanuary 03, 2024

Crook County Dog ‘Odin’ Loses Eye In Wyoming Mountain Lion Attack
True to being named after the one-eyed Norse god “Odin,” a 15-pound Cairn Terrier from Crook County survived an October mountain lion attack that cost him his left eye.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2024

Rural Wyoming Trail Cam Catches Rare Video Of Mountain Lion With Kittens
Wyoming resident Donald Harris got a rare treat on one of his trail cameras Saturday — a momma mountain lion with three kittens in tow.
Mark HeinzJanuary 02, 2024

Bear Rescue Gives Wyoming Bruins ‘A Second Chance At Freedom’
When Amy Kidwell started donating food to Idaho Black Bear Rehabilitation, she had no idea that she’d eventually take over the operation, which has rescued a number of black bears from Wyoming and around the region.
Mark HeinzJanuary 02, 2024

Yellowstone's Uncle Tom's Trail is Steep, Exhilarating — And Permanently Closed
The 328-step metal step staircase descending into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone offers spectacular views but is permanently closed. It was known as one of the most daring and exhilarating trails in the park but maintenance costs have forced its closure.
Andrew RossiDecember 31, 2023

Wyoming People: ‘Iron Mike’ Shares Devils Tower Retirement With Lots Of Mountain Lions
After traveling the world for an industrial explosives company, Mike Romano retired and finally has time to pursue his new passion — learning all he can about all the Wyoming mountain lions on his land near Devils Tower.
Mark HeinzDecember 30, 2023
Famed ‘Ramland Wyoming’ Bighorn Herd Can’t Shake Pneumonia Breakout
There's no better place to view bighorn sheep in the state than "Ramland Wyoming," near Dubois. However, the animals are suffering from a lingering pneumonia outbreak that has taken the herd of 2,500 down to about 750.
Mark HeinzDecember 29, 2023

Cowboy State Daily's Top 20 Wyoming Sunrises of 2023
Every morning, Cowboy State Daily publishes a reader-submitted daily sunrise photo. Here are the top 20 photos that received the most engagement on social media in 2023. Enjoy ...
Jimmy OrrDecember 29, 2023

Wyoming Ranchers Prepared To "Shoot On Sight" If Colorado Wolves Cross State Line
Now that Colorado has wolves — some of which have a history of killing cattle in Oregon — Wyoming ranchers are banking on Wyoming's “shoot on sight” policy for whenever those wolves cross over. "They’re classified as predators and they can be removed,” said one rancher.
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2023

Huge Wyoming Bull Moose Gives Wildlife Photographer Once-In-A-Lifetime Pose
Wildlife photographer Anita Wooldridge said it took a lot of planning, effort and a little luck to get once-in-a-lifetime photos of a giant Wyoming bull moose near the Tetons.
Andrew RossiDecember 27, 2023

Severely Malnourished And Motherless Bear Cub Rescued By Game And Fish
Wyoming Game and Fish officials last week rescued a severely malnourished and motherless black bear cub and took it to an Idaho bear rescue facility for rehabilitation. They expect it will be released back to the wild next year.
Mark HeinzDecember 27, 2023

Wyoming Winter Tourism: Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides Offer Intimate Tours With Wildlife
The Double H Bar in Teton County hosts nearly 40,000 visitors for sleigh rides every season. In addition to elk, passengers routinely see bison, moose, coyotes, bald eagles, trumpeter swans, ravens and other wildlife.
Jake NicholsDecember 23, 2023

Candy Moulton: Exploring The Sub-Arctic Tundra With 700 Polar Bears
Our guide told us the polar bears were opening their mouths wide because that is how they smell. Their eyesight isn’t great, but they can smell a seal through feet of pack ice … or the aroma of a couple of Wyoming tourists standing on the back platform of the tundra buggy.
Candy MoultonDecember 23, 2023

Flamethrowers, Chainsaws, Guns: Last-Minute Gifts For The Outdoors-Person Who Has Everything
What do you get the outdoors enthusiasts on your Christmas list who already have everything they need? Outdoors reporter Mark Heinz has some suggestions ranging from flamethrowers to chainsaws to deer teeth...
Mark HeinzDecember 22, 2023

Environmental Groups Sue BNSF Over Grizzlies Getting Drunk, Hit By Trains
Two environmental groups are suing Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad for being too careless about its trains killing drunk grizzlies. The grizzlies eat fermented grain on the railroad tracks, pass out, and then get run over.
Mark HeinzDecember 22, 2023

Off To Antarctica: Casper Climber’s Quest For 7 Peaks On 7 Continents Continues
Dr. Joe McGinley of Casper leaves the day after Christmas for Antarctica to climb that continent’s tallest peak, the 16,050-foot Mount Vinson. It will be the sixth of his quest to conquer the highest mountains on all seven continents.
Dale KillingbeckDecember 22, 2023

‘Flying Deer’ Isn’t A Christmas Gag, It’s Common Wildlife Biology Practice
Wildlife researchers frequently move deer by slinging them under a helicopter, which means Santa doesn’t have an exclusive on flying critters. But unlike Rudolph, Wyoming’s flying deer need a little help to get airborne.
Mark HeinzDecember 21, 2023

Grizzly 399 Likely Hibernating While Warm Weather Has Kept Other Bears Out Late
Wildlife photographers who have followed Grizzly 399 for years, say the bear and her super-sized cub have likely gone into hibernation. Not so for many other bears, however, as warm weather has kept them active in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Mark HeinzDecember 21, 2023

Backcountry Skier Gets Rare Video Of Wyoming Wolverine Tearing Across The Snow
Wolverines are so rare and elusive, even people who spend countless hours in the vast outdoors never get to see one. On Monday, backcountry skier Nick Gaddy took video of one ripping across an alpine snowfield on the Wyoming side of the state line near Cooke City.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2023
Fremont County Officials May Mount And Display Mistakenly Shot Bighorn Ram
A bighorn sheep ram that was allegedly shot in the wrong hunting area in Fremont County might grace the county courthouse – if elected officials can pony up a $1,500 taxidermist’s fee.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2023

Colorado Cheers Release Of Wolves, Wyoming Ranchers Not So Much
As Colorado officials cheered the release of five wolves Monday, ranchers on the Wyoming side of the state line say it’s only a matter of time before they have to deal with them.
Mark HeinzDecember 19, 2023