Outdoors
News

Wyoming Rancher Worries More Elk Tags Will Make Herds Hide From Hunters
Elk hunters in northeast Wyoming are facing a quandary — how to give hunters access to kill enough elk to keep the herds in check. An area rancher worries more tags will make the herds hide from hunters.
Mark HeinzApril 23, 2025

Red-Vested Dogs Deploy Around Wyoming And The World To Help Save Wildlife
Conservation dogs are easily identifiable by their red vests and noses to the ground. They’re trained to sniff out invasive plants, identify other animals and can even intercept poachers.
Anna-Louise JacksonApril 23, 2025

With Federal Grants In Question, Wyoming Wildlife Crossing Projects Are On Hold
With federal grants frozen as the Trump administration combs through federal budgets, some major Wyoming wildlife crossing projects are on hold.
Mark HeinzApril 22, 2025

Horizontal Drilling Could Keep Wyoming’s ‘Path Of The Pronghorn’ Clear
Protecting the “Path of the Pronghorn” migration route is vital for the Sublette antelope herd, which is a national treasure, a biologist says. Drilling technology could help keep the path clear for Wyoming’s prized pronghorn.
Mark HeinzApril 22, 2025

Rare Black Fox Pops Out Along Roadside In Yellowstone
A fox with rare black fur made a brief roadside appearance in Yellowstone National Park last week. The fox’s coloring is probably the result of a condition called melanism.
Mark HeinzApril 21, 2025

Ravens Attack Lambs, But Are Protected In Wyoming, So You Can’t Shoot Them
With calving and lambing season underway, Wyoming ranchers must fend off predators. Ravens are among the worst with their attacks on lambs, but can’t be shot because they’re a protected species.
Mark HeinzApril 20, 2025

Yellowstone's Shoshone Lake Is The Largest Backcountry Lake In The Lower 48
Shoshone Lake in Yellowstone National Park is huge, but it’ll take some work to get there. There are no roads to it, which makes it the largest backcountry lake in the Lower 48. But it’s worth the effort to get there for a serene, secluded experience.
Andrew RossiApril 19, 2025

Group Wants Nearly 1,200 Grizzlies In California, But Could It Actually Happen?
A new study from a group that wants grizzlies reintroduced to California claims the state could handle nearly 1,200 bears. Wildlife officials say that’s unrealistic.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2025

Protecting Wyoming Pronghorn A Balancing Act Of Conservation, Energy Development
The “Path of the Pronghorn,” one of Wyoming’s most-used antelope travel routes, could be designated as an official migration corridor, possibly restricting energy development.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2025

Momma Black Bear, Tiny Cub Caught Crawling Out Of Their Yellowstone Den
Female bears with cubs usually don’t emerge from hibernation until May. But a lucky photographer got photos when one momma black bear was "like a sloth" venturing out of the den early with at least one tiny cub Monday in Yellowstone National Park.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2025

Limpy, Yellowstone’s Infamous Coyote Con Artist, Is At It Again
Limpy the coyote is Yellowstone National Park’s greatest con artist. He hangs out along the roadside, greatly exaggerating a leg injury, hoping to get snacks from soft-hearted tourists.
Mark HeinzApril 17, 2025

Montana Hunter Kills Charging Grizzly In Year’s First Reported Human-Bear Clash
In the first reported major run-in between a grizzly and a human this year, a man hunting shed antlers in north-central Montana shot and killed a female grizzly bear that he says charged him.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2025

Steamboat Geyser — World’s Tallest — Blasts Off For Second Time In 2025
The eruption of Yellowstone’s Steamboat Geyser on Monday is its second of 2025 and suggests that the world's tallest active geyser may be getting more regular. Sometimes going years between eruptions, it seems to be spouting off more consistently.
Andrew RossiApril 15, 2025

Famous Yellowstone Wolf Pack Hunting Calf Nearly Clobbered By Adult Bison
Yellowstone National Park’s Junction Butte wolf pack failed in a recent attempt to bring down a yearling bison calf. The calf and its mother ran to a group of adult bison, which in turn tried to clobber the wolves.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2025

It’s Legal To Own Kangaroos In Wyoming, But They’d Probably Freeze To Death
There seems to be some confusion over whether it’s legal to own a kangaroo in Wyoming. It is — but you’ll need a special permit, and as mostly outside pets, kangaroos probably couldn’t handle the Wyoming cold.
Mark HeinzApril 14, 2025

Agencies Tight-Lipped About Second Colorado Wolf Killed In Wyoming
A Wyoming law that protects the identities of wolf hunters seems to be behind an information blackout about the second Colorado wolf killed in Wyoming. That has people in both states frustrated.
Mark HeinzApril 14, 2025

Mountain Lions Blamed For Killing More Deer Than They Actually Do, Hunters Say
It’s widely assumed that an adult mountain lion kills a deer a week, but some seasoned mountain lion hunters question that. They say the big cats are blamed for killing more deer than they actually do.
Mark HeinzApril 13, 2025

Visitors Hold Spontaneous Cleanup Of Trashed Idaho Hot Spring
Piles of trash are the last thing anyone wants to see when visiting a hot spring. When it happened recently at Carey Hot Springs in Idaho, random hot springers banded together for a spontaneous cleanup.
David MadisonApril 13, 2025

Yellowstone's Poison Parsnips Can Fool Foragers — And Are Frequently Fatal
Water hemlock is considered the deadliest plant in North America, and these poison parsnips have caused at least two fatalities in Yellowstone National Park. The highly toxic roots can be mistaken for parsnips or carrots.
Andrew RossiApril 12, 2025

Momma Bobcat Makes Incredible Leap To Snag Turkey Out Of The Air
A trail camera captured a rare wildlife moment in Oregon, where a bobcat was recorded making an incredible leap to snag a wild turkey, mid-air. The video won the Trail Cam Pro 2025 video of the year award.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025

Dire Wolves Would Destroy Everything If Reintroduced In Wyoming, Biologists Say
A bioscience company’s announcement this week that it’s brought back long-extinct dire wolves raised a lot of eyebrows. But they would destroy everything if a breeding population of them were reintroduced in Wyoming, biologists say.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025

Second Colorado Wolf Reintroduced From Canada Dies In Wyoming
A second wolf that was transplanted from British Columbia, Canada, to Colorado crossed the state line into Wyoming and died here Wednesday, Colorado wildlife officials confirmed Friday.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025

52-Year-Old Federally-Led Grizzly Study Team May Be On Chopping Block
A federally-led grizzly bear study team that goes back to 1973 could soon be on the chopping block because of ongoing federal cuts. It’s unclear what that might mean for the future of Wyoming’s grizzlies.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2025

West Yellowstone Residents Share Their Homes With Herds Of Backyard Bison
Yellowstone National Park's bison are mostly contained to the park, but West Yellowstone, Montana, is one place where they roam freely. At wildlife photographer Trent Sizemore’s house, these backyard bison spar on the lawn and lounge in the driveway.
Andrew RossiApril 09, 2025

USAF Tested Its B-58 Jet Bomber By Ejecting A Bear Named Yogi At 35,000 Feet
In 1962, the Air Force ejected a bear named Yogi from a jet bomber going 870 mph at an altitude of 35,000 feet. In hindsight, a retired USAF colonel questions how anyone thought that was a good idea.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2025

Dire Wolves Resurrected From Prehistoric DNA As ‘World’s First De-Extinct Animals’
A company revealed Monday it’s created the “world’s first de-extinct animals,” two wolf pups genetically modified to resemble extinct dire wolves. The same company has said it also may soon "resurrect" woolly mammoths.
Andrew RossiApril 08, 2025

Yellowstone’s Blacktail Pond Is A Bison Death Trap, But A Buffet For Bears
The Blacktail Pond area in Yellowstone National Park can be a death trap for bison if they fall through ice or get trapped in muddy water and drown. But for the area's bears, it's a buffet.
Mark HeinzApril 07, 2025

Fearless Skunk Caught Stashing Its Dinner Of Roadkill In Mountain Lion’s Den
Skunks will eat just about anything and they’re fearless, as evidenced by a video of a skunk stashing its dinner of roadkill turkey in a mountain lion’s den.
Mark HeinzApril 07, 2025

Helicopter Plucks Trees From Colorado State Parks Like An Arcade Claw Game
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is using a contraption slung under a helicopter to pluck dead trees out of a state park, not unlike “claw machine” arcade games.
Mark HeinzApril 06, 2025

When Hunting Black Bears In Wyoming, Don’t Get Mauled By A Hangry Grizzly
After a relatively mild winter, Wyoming hunters are looking forward to spring black bear season. But lots of hangry and irritated grizzlies are out there, too.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2025

Think You Can Survive A Charging Grizzly? Take On Wyoming’s ‘Robobear’
Think you can survive a charging grizzly just because you have bear spray with you? Wyoming Game and Fish’s “Robobear” is an eye-opener, as Cowboy State Daily reporters Clair McFarland and Mark Heinz recently learned.
Mark Heinz & Clair McFarlandApril 05, 2025

During Brutal Winter Die-Off, Antelope Got Lost, Trapped By Fences And Roads
Many of the antelope that froze or starved during the brutal winter of 2022-2023 got lost and died after they hit fences they couldn’t cross, according to a new University of Wyoming-led study.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2025

Grizzly Killed A Man In Yellowstone In 1916, So They Blew It Up With Dynamite
The first documented fatal grizzly attack in Yellowstone National Park was in 1916 by a bear dubbed Old Two Toes. Federal workers responded by blowing the grizzly into oblivion using a garbage barrel booby-trapped with dynamite.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2025

Yellowstone's First ‘Red Dog’ Bison Calf Of 2025 Comes Early
Yellowstone's first bison calf of 2025 was spotted in the Lamar Valley on Sunday, making it an early addition to the park's bison herds. A Wyoming photographer got photos of the first “red dog” of the season.
Andrew RossiApril 04, 2025

Sweetwater County Turns To Hageman For Help On BLM Rock Springs Plan
It remains uncertain how the Bureau of Land Management’s plan for 3.6 million acres in south-central Wyoming will pan out. But Sweetwater County officials hope it stays to their liking.
Mark HeinzApril 02, 2025

Grizzly Chased From Old Faithful By Ornery Yellowstone Bison Herd
Yellowstone grizzlies may be at the top of the food chain, but even the apex predator has to think twice about tangling with a herd of ornery bison. The Old Faithful webcam Monday caught the herd sending a grizzly running for cover.
Andrew RossiMarch 31, 2025

Missouri Trainer Wants All The Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs She Can Get
A Missouri horse trainer says she’ll take all the curly-haired Wyoming mustangs she can get. She says they’d be perfect for a prisoner-rehabilitation program similar to what the Wyoming Honor Farm has.
Mark HeinzMarch 30, 2025

Butte Man’s Epic Canoe Trip From Montana To The Pacific Made Into Movie
For a guy who goes by “Mountain King” online, Robert Lester finds it a bit “crazy” that he’s become known for canoeing. His epic 52-day canoe trip from Butte, Montana, to the Pacific Ocean has been made into a documentary.
Anna-Louise JacksonMarch 30, 2025

Thousands Of Cranes Pour Into Wyoming For Spring Migration, Even A Few Whoopers
Sandhill cranes are pouring into Wyoming by the thousands during spring migration. A few rare whooping cranes are showing up too. Many cranes come here to nest and raise their young.
Mark HeinzMarch 29, 2025

People Love Spotting ‘Sitting Sasquatch Tree’ On Yellowstone Webcams
GeyserTimes is more than a real-time view of Yellowstone National Park, it's a venue for park fans to share data and banter about their favorite spot on the planet. Wildlife, geysers and even the “Sitting Sasquatch Tree” are favorites on its webcams.
Andrew RossiMarch 29, 2025

Wyoming Remains Huge Gap In 3,700-Mile Cross-Country Trail System
An ambitious effort to build more than 3,700 miles of trails across 12 states and Washington, D.C., moves ahead. But Wyoming remains a huge gap in connecting the West and East coasts.
Dale KillingbeckMarch 29, 2025

If Feds Delist Wolves Everywhere, Will Colorado’s Reintroduction Program Crash?
A push is underway to get wolves delisted from federal protection across the Lower 48, but it remains unclear how that might affect wolf management policies in Wyoming and Colorado.
Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2025

Man In Bear Suit Scares Off Black Bear; He’s Lucky It Wasn’t A Wyoming Grizzly
A North Carolina man uses a bear suit to scare black bears off his lawn. Some Wyomingites said trying that with a grizzly would be insane. They could maul you, or worse, try to get frisky.
Mark HeinzMarch 27, 2025

New Herd In Wyoming’s Red Desert Could Save Yellowstone Bison From Inbreeding
Yellowstone’s bison have merged into a “single breeding population,” according to a new study. Because of that, it might be necessary at some point to establish new herds in places like Wyoming’s Red Desert to prevent inbreeding.
Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2025

After 22 Years, A First For WYDOT Snowplow Driver — He Gets Stuck In A Drift
In what he calls a "humbling experience,” a veteran WYDOT snowplow driver got his plow stuck for the first time in 22 years Monday. He was trying to get through a 4-foot-deep drift blocking both lanes.
Andrew RossiMarch 25, 2025

Yellowstone Pool That Exploded Last Summer Is Still Closed — And Still Exploding
Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park has been closed since it violently exploded last July. As the park prepares for the summer tourism season, it remains closed — and is still exploding.
Andrew RossiMarch 25, 2025

Rock Springs Land Use Plan On Hold As Congress Revises BLM Western Priorities
Hope is running high in southwest Wyoming that millions of acres of federal land won’t be locked up as Harriet Hageman pushes Congress to revise Bureau of Land Management plans across the West.
Mark HeinzMarch 24, 2025

There Hasn't Been A New Name In Yellowstone In 25 Years (And May Never Happen Again)
Even when new thermal features appear in Yellowstone National Park, they are unlikely to get named. Getting a new name in Yellowstone is a lengthy process that hasn't happened in two decades — and might never happen again.
Andrew RossiMarch 23, 2025

There’s A $10,000 Fish Waiting To Be Caught In Montana’s Flathead Lake
Montana’s Flathead Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in the Western U.S. and has always been a big draw for anglers. There’s another reason to drop a line — there’s a $10,000 fish waiting to be caught, two fish worth $5,000 each, and five fish tagged for $1,000 each.
Anna-Louise JacksonMarch 23, 2025

Yellowstone Volcanologist Says Claims Of 1,000-Year Volcano Eruption "A Bunch Of Garbage"
Media hype that a volcano in Washington is about to blow up after 1,000 years is “garbage,” says Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Because Yellowstone sits on an active supervolcano, scientists monitor what might trigger it, and he says this isn't it.
Andrew RossiMarch 23, 2025

Why Bighorn Sheep Heads Don’t Explode When They Violently Smash Into Each Other
The violence of bighorn sheep smashing their heads together, focusing 2,000 pounds of pressure delivered at 30 mph, can make one wonder how their heads don’t explode. The basic answer is their thick horns and skulls are basically crash helmets.
Andrew RossiMarch 22, 2025

If Colorado Wolves Keep Crossing Into Wyoming, They Might Not Last Long
A transplanted wolf showing up in Wyoming wasn’t unexpected, neither was it being killed for preying on livestock. With Wyoming’s shoot-on-sight policy for wolves in most of the state, that’s not likely to change.
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

Taking Benadryl For Rattlesnake Bites Can Get You Killed, Medical Expert Says
An online rumor that children’s Benadryl can save people from rattlesnake bites has gone viral around Wyoming. But it’s false, and a medical expert says taking it after a rattler bites could get you killed.
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

Former Wyoming Resident Busted For Illegal Deer Killing 26 Years Later
A former Wyoming resident who had moved to Alabama was busted for illegally killing a deer 26 years after the fact, and after dodging a bench warrant for 24 years.
Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

Transplanted Colorado Wolf Killed In Wyoming Had Been Attacking Sheep
A wolf from Colorado that killed five sheep in north-central Wyoming was killed by USDA Wildlife Services on Saturday. It was one of the wolves brought into Colorado from British Columbia and released there as part of that state's reintroduction program.
Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

Federal Court To Decide Fate Of Wyoming’s Rare Curly-Haired Wild Mustangs
A panel of three federal judges in 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is considering whether mustangs, including rare curly-haired horses, will be rounded up and removed from southwest Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2025

Watch Is On For 399’s Cub Spirit: If He Survived, Will Anyone Recognize Him?
Grief over the death of Wyoming’s Grizzly 399 was tempered by hope that her cub, Spirit, might survive on his own. But even if he did, it might be impossible to distinguish Spirit from any other 2-year-old grizzly.
Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

Federal Court Sides With Hunters In Wyoming Corner-Crossing Case
A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled in favor of four hunters who “corner-crossed” to access public land next to a Wyoming ranch in 2021. The ruling could have broad implications for public lands use.
Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

Wyoming Baby Wombat Grabber Fires Back At Australia
A Wyoming-based social media influencer who set off international outrage after reportedly grabbing a baby wombat in Australia is firing back, stating that Australia’s government slaughters wombats by the thousands.
Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2025

Oops! Devils Tower Says Overnight Closure Temporary, Not Permanent
Devils Tower admits to having an oops moment last week when it announced the national monument would no longer be open 24/7. The overnight closure is temporary though March 30, not permanent.
Greg JohnsonMarch 17, 2025