Outdoors

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.

Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024

A shooter wears ear protection as he demonstrates a pistol equipped with a "loudener," in this case a funnel-like device attached to the end of the gun to amplify its sound.

Forget About Silencers, People Are Putting ‘Loudeners’ On Their Guns

“Loudeners," or devices that increase a gun's noise and concussion, have a fan base. But some Wyoming shooters say there's no reason for them and loundeners are just stupid.

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024

Noted Wyoming Outdoorsman Paul Ulrich, a fishing guide for Two Rivers Fishing Company of Pinedale, worries about Wyoming’s waters getting too crowded.

As Out-Of-Staters Mob Wyoming’s Prime Fishing Spots, Some Want To Regulate Guides

Out-of-staters are taking advantage of Wyoming’s loose regulations for fishing guides and crowding the state’s prime waters, say backers of a bill that would change that.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024

Colorado will use range riders to help ranchers protect their livestock from that state's reintrocuded wolves.

Ranchers Skeptical Range Riders Will Save Colorado Livestock From Wolves

As Colorado prepares to release more wolves, the state will use range riders to help protect livestock. Unless they’re allowed to kill interloping wolves, ranchers are skeptical range riders could make a difference.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024

This bronze cannon recently unearthed in Arizona is the oldest firearm ever found in the continental United States. It was used during a Spanish expedition in the 1540s.

1540s Bronze Cannon Dug Up In Arizona Is The Oldest Gun Ever Found In The U.S.

A nearly 500-year-old bronze cannon used by Spanish conquistadors was recently unearthed in Arizona, making it the oldest firearm ever found in the continental U.S. It’s also more than 200 years older than the first guns in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024

Some Eagles' Nests Weigh More Than 1,000 Pounds & Can Fit Several People

Eagles’ nests are huge, sometimes weighing more 1,000 pounds, and it takes generations of the raptors to build them. The most colossal ones can be big enough to seat several people inside.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024

Top Bear Biologist Argues For More Grizzlies; Wants Them To Roam Freely All Over The West

A top bear biologist is arguing against delisting grizzlies from federal protection and hunting them. Instead, he says there should be more — a “meta-population” of grizzlies from Canada to the southern end of Yellowstone National Park.

Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024

A grizzly sow and her cubs in Yellowstone.

Feds Under Deadline To Decide On Delisting Grizzlies By Jan. 20

A judge’s order has ratcheted up the pressure on federal officials to decide whether Wyoming’s grizzlies should be delisted. Montana and Idaho are clamoring for delisting as well, with a Jan. 20 deadline looming.

Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024

A grizzly bear named Ethyl wandered 5,000 miles across Montana and Idaho. Biologists think it might have been because she couldn’t find her way back home.

Ethyl, The Grizzly That Wandered 5,000 Miles, Was Likely Trying To Get Back Home

Grizzlies are known to wander, but one named Ethyl took it to the next level, logging 5,000 miles wandering across Montana and Idaho.

Mark HeinzDecember 10, 2024

A 190-acre parcel of land near Lewistown, Montana, could become the 56th state park.

Area Where Lewis And Clark Once Camped Could Be Montana’s Next State Park

A 109-acre piece of land north of Lewistown could become Montana’s next state park. It holds historic significance as a spot where Lewis and Clark once camped in 1805.

Anna-Louise Jackson for Cowboy State DailyDecember 09, 2024

A Sweetwater County animal control officer holds George, a pesky opossum that was living under a local resident's home in summer 2022.

Despite What Wildlife Experts Say, Wyoming Has Plenty Of Opossums -- And They Reek

Cowboy State Daily readers reached out to us -- en masse -- to tell us although there may not be an "official" opossum population in Wyoming, they're here and there are a lot of them. And, as a bonus, they really stink.

Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024

A scout rifle is a short-barreled, all-purpose rifle with a low-powered scope for quick target acquisition. The design was conceived by Marine Corps veteran and legendary small arms expert Jeff Cooper. Van Dorsten Custom Firearms in Sheridan specializes in scout rifles.

Made In Wyoming: Gunsmith Gets Back To Basics Making Custom “Scout Rifles”

With the hunting rifle world increasingly dominated by magnum-caliber, extreme-range rifles, semiautomatics and super-powered scopes, a Sheridan gunmaker hopes to carve out his niche with compact, handy “scout rifles.”

Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024

Randy Haas, an assistant professor in the University of Wyoming department of anthropology practices using an ancient weapon called an atlatl. He did it with his son, Hank, on his back to see if it was possible for ancient people to hunt huge beasts like mammoths while packing their kids.

Stone Age People Could Easily Hunt Packing A Baby, Wyoming Anthropologist Finds

Taking your toddler hunting is nothing new in Wyoming, or in human history for that matter. A University of Wyoming anthropologist says there's evidence that stone-age hunters took their kids hunting with them.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Wyoming State Parks maintains small herds of semi-wild bison that roam freely across Hot Springs and Bear River state parks. To keep the herd at optimal size, the state is selling 15 to the highest bidders.

Want To Buy A Wild Bison? Wyoming State Parks Is Selling 15

For the person who has everything, Wyoming State Parks is selling 15 wild bison. They’re huge, healthy and as close to genetically pure wild bison as is possible. They’re also available to the highest bidders.

Jackie DorothyDecember 07, 2024

Parc Omega is a wildlife preserve in Canada that lets people stay in lodges next to a wolf preserve, with large picture windows to view the predators up close.

Lodges That Let People "Sleep With The Wolves" A Bad Idea, Wyoming Wildlife Experts Say

A wildlife preserve in Canada has lodges where visitors have only a pane of glass between them and a pack of wolves. Billed as a chance to “sleep with the wolves,” Wyoming wildlife officials say it’s a terrible idea.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Canadian Man Severely Mauled After Jumping On Polar Bear To Save Wife

A Canadian man was severely mauled on Monday after jumping on a polar bear that was attacking his wife. His heroics are similar to how a Wyoming wrestler saved a friend by jumping on a grizzly bear in 2022.

Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2024

Cade Cole hunts and guides hunts for elk in the Dubois area. He said hunting was rough this year in the aftermath of massive wildfires.

Wyoming Has Plenty Of Elk, But Hunters Aren’t Finding Them This Year

Even though parts of Wyoming have more elk than ever, hunters are reporting a poor season this year. Warm weather and the aftermath of massive wildfires are likely to blame.

Mark HeinzDecember 05, 2024

A portion of the recently completed Dry Piney Connectivity Project, which consists of 33.4 miles of 8-foot-tall deer fence and nine underpasses.

Work To Start On $37 Million Wildlife Crossing Project in Southwest Wyoming

A $37 million wildlife crossing project on U.S. 189 in southwest Wyoming is on track to begin construction next year. The project will add five underpasses, one overpass and fencing improvements along a 30-mile stretch of highway.

Justin GeorgeDecember 04, 2024

Snowmobiler Stranded Alone In Wyoming’s Snowy Range Found Cold, But OK

A snowmobiler broke down near Silver Lake in the Snowy Range of southern Wyoming on Monday, sparking an urgent search. Search and rescue responders found the rider huddled in a bathroom at a scenic turnout — cold, but otherwise OK.

Justin GeorgeDecember 03, 2024

The Selfie Control Instagram filter from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board tells people when they're too close to take photos of wildlife.

App Aims To Keep Tourists From Getting Mauled When Taking Selfies With Wildlife

The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board is trying to keep tourists in Wyoming from getting gored and mauled by wildlife. Its Selfie Control Instagram app tells people when they’re too close for photos.

Mark HeinzDecember 02, 2024

A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado last week and discovered these bizarre deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not certain what caused the weird growth, but it seems to mirror the effects of an elk hoof disease that’s been spreading in Washington State.

Hunter Baffled By Elk’s Weirdly Deformed Hooves

A Colorado hunter killed a cow elk last week that looked normal and healthy — except for some weirdly deformed hooves. Biologists say the elk is not a mutant, but the bizarre hoof deformities mirror the effects of an elk disease that’s spreading in other states.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

Critics Say Unchecked Traps Killing Wyoming Mountain Lions, Pets

Some claim traps should be checked more often to save pets and wildlife that get caught in them. But one experienced trapper says they already do that, and freeing a mistakenly trapped grizzly isn’t a DIY job.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

This opossum showed up last week in a garage in Pine Bluffs. Opossums aren’t known to permanently occupy Wyoming, but they might occasionally wander in from Nebraska.

Wyoming Isn't Known For Having Opossums But It's Got At Least One

Wyoming doesn’t have a known wild opossum population, but that could change as two neighboring states have them -- Nebraska and Colorado. One showed up in Pine Bluffs last week and seems to have a fondness for cat food.

Mark HeinzNovember 30, 2024

Flocks of wild turkeys are moving about Casper. Although the city outlawed feeding them about a year ago, it hasn't seemed to cut down on the wild turkeys coming into town.

No, You Can’t Make Wild Turkeys In Sheridan And Casper Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Mobs of wild urban turkeys in Sheridan and Casper, Wyoming, can be thankful they’re not on the Thanksgiving menu. It’s illegal to hunt turkeys in those cities, although that could change in Sheridan.

Mark HeinzNovember 28, 2024

An Estes Park, Colorado couple got to see the inside of a bear’s mouth the safe way – when it tried eating one of the nine Ring cameras they have set up to capture wildlife videos.

Bear Caught On Video Trying To Eat Colorado Couple's Ring Camera

An Estes Park, Colorado, couple got to see the inside of a bear’s mouth the safe way last week — when it tried eating one of their nine Ring cameras. They've caputured lots of wildlife on the cameras, including an elk sneezing on one.

Mark HeinzNovember 27, 2024

Tucker Bass has been hunting wild turkeys in Wyoming since he was 8 years old. He bagged this tom on Nowood river. His dad, John Bass, said that turkeys prefer creek and river bottoms.

Those Who Shoot Their Own Wild Turkeys Know They’re Nothing Like Store-Bought

Those who shoot their own Wyoming wild turkeys for their Thanksgiving table know two things. There are a lot of them out there, and they’re nothing like the mass-produced, flash-frozen birds from the supermarket.

Jackie DorothyNovember 27, 2024

After chasing off a photographer that got too close, a bull moose checks out a camera near Wyoming’s Grand Tetons.

Spot Near Grand Teton Is A Moose Magnet, But Too Many People Could Ruin It

If you want to see a moose, there's a spot near Kelly, Wyoming, that draws a ton of them during the early winter. It's so popular that locals are worried that the area will be discovered and ruined by the gawking humans.

Mark HeinzNovember 25, 2024

Wojtek was an orphaned brown bear cub that was adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II and served honorably during the war. He helped move ammunition during battle and achieved the rank of corporal.

Polish Army Fought Alongside 600-Pound Bear Who Liked Booze & Cigarettes In World War II

As a Polish war unit prepared to enter the war zone in Italy in 1943, they hit a snag because animals were not allowed to accompany troops into battle but they got around that rule. They officially enlisted the bear as a private, giving him a salary and a serial number.

Mark HeinzNovember 24, 2024

Lucy Barnard walked into Wyoming over the Continental Divide in October 2024. Her goal is to walk to Yellowstone National Park by December before she must return to Australia to renew her passport. She is walking the length of the earth and is gathering a group of women to join her on the last leg of the trip in Alaska.

Australian Woman Hiking Through Wyoming On Quest To Walk Length Of The Earth

Australian Lucy Barnard is walking 18,000 miles from the tip of South America to the top of North America to become the first woman to walk the length of the earth. She’s now in Wyoming, getting to Lander after hiking across the Red Desert.

Jackie DorothyNovember 24, 2024

Fierce Loyalty Of Wyoming’s Wolf Packs Make It Easier To Track Them

Wyoming's 350 wolves are scattered among 30 packs, raising the question of how those wolves, packs and pack membership are tracked. It's quite simple. They don't veer outside their packs. They live and die with the packs they were born into.

Mark HeinzNovember 23, 2024

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

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

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’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

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: The Wind And Isolation Are For Real

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

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.