Outdoors
News

Dozens Of New Burning Coal Seams Revealed Across Wyoming’s Northern Border
After an epic 2024 wildfire season burned vast areas across northern Wyoming and southern Montana, dozens of new burning coal seams are being revealed. In Montana, the Remington Fire burned almost 200,000 acres and left more than 100 new coal seam fires.
David MadisonJuly 10, 2025

Herd Of Giant Cows Team Up To Scare Off Grizzly Bear
A herd of exceptionally large cows teamed up last week to run off a grizzly bear in Montana. The herd of Charolais cattle, known for their huge size and aggressive nature, surrounded the grizzly and forced it to run away.
Andrew RossiJuly 10, 2025

Venomous — And Legally Protected — ‘Midget’ Rattlers Moving Into Green River
Green River is one of the only places in Wyoming to find midget faded rattlesnakes, which seem to invade the town about this time each year. It’s smaller and rarer than Wyoming’s other species with potent venom. But you can’t kill them; they’re protected.
Andrew RossiJuly 09, 2025

Grizzly 1063’s Last Surviving Cub Trapped, Relocated Off On Its Own
The last surviving cub of Grizzly 1063 in Grand Teton National Park was trapped and relocated because it was hanging around a settled area. A bear expert said the yearling has good odds of surviving on its own.
Mark HeinzJuly 09, 2025

Fans Of Popular Yellowstone Grizzly Raspberry Fear Another Bear Killed Her
Fans of Raspberry, one of Yellowstone National Park’s most beloved and popular grizzly bears, fear she’s dead, perhaps killed by another bear.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2025

Game And Fish Backs Off Unpopular Changes To Landowner Hunting Tags
A proposal to raise the amount of land Wyomingites must own to qualify for landowner hunting tags is apparently off the table. But hunters worry it could come back for consideration by the Legislature.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2025

Escaped Colorado Rodeo Bull Finally Caught After 5 Days Of Freedom
An elusive rodeo bull named Sauce Boss — or maybe Twinkle Toes — was caught Sunday after running away from a Colorado rodeo. He enjoyed five days of freedom in the rugged brush and woods of an upscale neighborhood before finally being corralled.
David MadisonJuly 07, 2025

Mystery Man Saves Two Cody Teens From Drowning In Beck Lake
Cody resident Jeanne Goodeill doesn't know the name of the man who saved the lives of her 18-year-old son and nephew from drowning in Beck Lake on Friday. She wants him to know he’s a hero for swimming to their rescue during a thunderstorm.
Andrew RossiJuly 07, 2025

Floater-Friendly Fences Could Cool Fighting Between Wyoming Boaters And Ranchers
Steel cables with rope “danglers” that allow boaters to pass through could help cool fighting between floaters and ranchers in Wyoming. One such fight is brewing on Pine Creek near Pinedale.
Mark HeinzJuly 06, 2025

Colorado Search And Rescue Saves Dog, Something Wyoming Teams Can't Do
A Colorado search and rescue team spent 10 hours last week rescuing an exhausted dog from the backcountry. But in Wyoming, dogs are on their own as humans are the only priority. "We don't have the resources," one rescuer said.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2025

Trail Horse Named Barmaid Escapes, Runs Free in Grand Teton For Two Weeks
A trail riding mare named Barmaid escaped from a corral and ran free in Grand Teton National Park for about two weeks. She was finally rounded up last weekend without having suffered a single scratch.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2025

Rural Cheyenne Garage Invaded By Stoat With Active Anal Glands
When Warren Meyer briefly opened his garage door this week, a stoat — or small weasel — darted-in unbeknownst to him. Meyer quickly found out that stoats have active and powerful anal glands.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2025

Independence Day: Bull Still On The Run 2 Days After Escaping Colorado Rodeo
A young bull that escaped the Snowmass Village, Colorado, rodeo grounds Wednesday is still free and independent on the Fourth of July. He ran into an upscale residential neighborhood, where he’s eluded searchers for two days.
David MadisonJuly 04, 2025

Tiny Montana Towns Adjust To Prairie Grizzlies And Attacks On Livestock
Grizzly bears continue to move back into prairie country in Montana. Near tiny rural communities, they’ve been attacking livestock and eating deer fawns. They've become so prevalent that "the cows didn't even seem to notice" them.
Mark HeinzJuly 04, 2025

Lightning Sparks 11 Wildfires In One Night Across Northeast Wyoming
Fire departments across three counties in northeast Wyoming were stretched thin Wednesday night when a thunderstorm rolled through and left 11 lightning-caused wildfires in its path.
David MadisonJuly 03, 2025

Wildfires Burn Nearly 1,000 Acres Around Thermopolis, Come Within 1 Mile Of Town
Fire crews from multiple agencies spent Wednesday assisting the Thermopolis Volunteer Fire Department with several wildfires sparked by a Tuesday thunderstorm. Nearly 1,000 acres have burned, and one fire came within a mile of town.
Andrew RossiJuly 02, 2025

Johnson County Pays Bounties By The Pound For Invasive Weeds
Anyone can be a bounty hunter in the war on invasive weeds in Johnson County, which pays cash to people who uproot and report them. People can get paid by the pound or earn a $50 reward for reporting patches of the damaging weeds.
Andrew RossiJune 30, 2025

Wyoming's Heart Mountain Formed By The Two Largest Landslides In Earth's History
The formation of Heart Mountain near Cody is a story of a block of rock the size of Rhode Island moving at 700 mph, an eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano, and two separate but equally cataclysmic events in Earth’s geologic history.
Andrew RossiJune 29, 2025

Hacking Live Trees To Make Lean-To On Trail Not Only Inconsiderate, It’s Illegal
Responsible users of the public trails on Casper Mountain were outraged this week when someone cut down about 20 young, live trees and made a lean-to on a trail. That’s not only inconsiderate, it’s illegal — if the perpetrators are ever caught.
Mark HeinzJune 28, 2025

It’s Sweet Home Alabama For Bears On Southern ‘Grizzly Ranch’
Alabama might be the last place you’d expect to find grizzly bears, but there are several of them thriving there on the Grizzly Ranch Bear Rescue. The man who runs it says it's his mission in life to rescue bears.
Mark HeinzJune 27, 2025

Grand Teton Tourist Dives Headfirst Through Open Car Window To Avoid Grizzly
A tourist in Grand Teton National Park found himself between a grizzly and its mate earlier this month, so he took the only escape available — he dove headfirst through the open window of his car. A tour guide got a photo of the man’s moment of escape.
Andrew RossiJune 27, 2025

Purple Heart Vet On Wyoming Hunt Almost Tangled With Moose — And Wants To Come Back
As a Purple Heart recipient, Hank Ward has seen a lot, but he’ll never forget the first time he saw a moose in the wild in Wyoming. He almost tangled with a young bull that didn’t see him. Like many vets treated to Wyoming hunts, Ward wants to come back.
Mark HeinzJune 25, 2025

Wyoming Hunters Say They’ll Oppose Public Land Sales, No Matter What
Wyoming hunters said they won’t budge from their staunch opposition to selling public land. That’s despite U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, still pushing for a revised version of his federal land sales measure in a Senate budget bill.
Mark HeinzJune 25, 2025

Hunters And Others Angry About Being Locked Out Of Popular Snowy Range Road
An elk hunter said he nearly trashed his truck and camper because he got locked onto Boswell Road in Albany County and had to drive out the back way in a blizzard. He’s not the only one, as debate continues about whether the road is public or private.
Mark HeinzJune 24, 2025

Yellowstone Visitors Watch Bison Die In 160-Degree Grand Prismatic Spring
Dozens of Yellowstone visitors were shocked to witness the death of a bison as it stepped into the water at the shallow edge of Grand Prismatic Spring on Saturday morning. Left behind is a carcass that will soon be "dissolved" by the 160-degree water.
Andrew RossiJune 24, 2025

Strong Personalities Behind Rift Keeping Star Plunge Closed
A pair of state senators tried to broker a deal last month that would reopen the popular Star Plunge at Hot Springs State Park. It didn’t work, and strong personalities on both sides have opened a rift that’s keeping Star Plunge closed.
Renée JeanJune 23, 2025

Legendary Outdoorsman Jack Dennis Says Pinedale Fight Fuels Tension Between Floaters, Landowners
A spat between anglers and a landowner over a natural water channel connecting Pine Creek and the New Fork River near Pinedale reflects a growing trend of tension between landowners and floaters across Wyoming. “It’s symbolic of greater issues,” outdoorsman Jack Dennis says.
Mark HeinzJune 22, 2025

Storm Chaser In Awe After Capturing ‘Once-In-A-Lifetime’ Tornado
Jim Tang has been chasing storms for a decade, but said the huge Nebraska tornado he got up close and personal with Monday is a “once-in-a-lifetime” encounter. “As a storm chaser, that kind of tornado is your career goal,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
Andrew RossiJune 21, 2025

After Breaking All But One Fishing Rod, Wyoming Man Catches Record Tiger Trout
Shelby Holder of Kemmerer had already broken three of his four fly rods when he decided to go fishing early on June 6. He ended up landing the new Wyoming state record tiger trout, a nearly 15-pound fish.
David MadisonJune 20, 2025

Wyoming's Wild Weather: Snow And Pushing 100 Degrees This Weekend
Wyoming’s weather will be wild this weekend with near-record highs, including pushing 100 in some areas, then snow and freezing temperatures. Whether it’s brutal heat or summer snow, “everyone’s going to be mad at me,” says meteorologist Don Day.
Andrew RossiJune 19, 2025

Selling Federal Public Land Draws Massive Backlash From Western Hunters
Hunters are up in arms over potential federal public land sales included in a U.S. Senate budget bill. Prominent groups like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wyoming's Muley Fanatic Foundation, and The Boone And Crockett Club all blasted the proposal.
Mark HeinzJune 19, 2025

Carbon County Sheriff Rescues 3 Teens Lost And Stranded On Medicine Bow Peak
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken left a meeting Monday night when he saw an alert that three teens were lost on Medicine Bow Peak. A former search and rescue volunteer, Bakken hiked up the mountain in the dark with another volunteer and found them.
Justin GeorgeJune 18, 2025

‘Cody Roberts Days’ Banner Greets Pro-Wolf Activists On Ride Through Daniel
When pro-wolf activists arrived in Daniel, Wyoming, on Saturday to protest the state’s wolf management policies, they were greeted by a large banner celebrating the man who made international headlines for reportedly running down a wolf with a snowmobile.
Mark HeinzJune 18, 2025

Angler Shoots, Kills Charging Cow Moose Near Resort In Bighorn Mountains
An angler shot and killed a cow moose he says charged him Saturday on the North Tongue River near Bear Lodge Resort in the Bighorn Mountains. The cow’s two young calves had to be put down.
Mark HeinzJune 17, 2025

Western Wyoming Wildfire Burns Close To Historic Lookout Post
The Horse Fire burning in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in western Wyoming on Tuesday has come within 2 miles of a historic fire lookout post on Prospect Peak. The outpost has been covered in an aluminum-based wrap as a precaution.
Greg JohnsonJune 17, 2025

Photographer Wanted To Shoot Lightning; He Found Rarely Seen Lightning Bugs
A photographer out to get shots of lightning Saturday found a field full of rarely seen lightning bugs near Clearmont, Wyoming. It was a rare sighting because the bugs typically come out in humid weather, something in short supply here.
Clair McFarlandJune 17, 2025

German Shepherd Jumps From Vehicle, Tries To Run Down Wolf In Yellowstone
A German shepherd showed its predator instincts Friday, leaping from a vehicle and chasing a wolf in Yellowstone National Park. A wildlife guide said the wolf, a juvenile, might have felt intimidated.
Mark HeinzJune 17, 2025

Grand Teton’s Popular Taggart Lake Trails To Get $8.5 Million Facelift
The Taggart Lake trail system is a popular Grand Teton National Park destination for hikers and outdoors enthusiasts. It’s about to get more popular with $8.5 million worth of improvements, including better parking.
Andrew RossiJune 15, 2025

It’s A Good Thing California Doesn’t Have Grizzlies, Bear Spray Is Banned There
While officials admonish hikers to carry bear spray in Wyoming’s Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, it’s banned in California’s Yosemite National Park. They consider it a weapon and are worried people will spray each other with it.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2025

Aircraft Fighting Wyoming Wildfire Grounded By Someone Flying A Drone
Aerial efforts to fight a nearly 800-acre wildfire burning in a rugged area of western Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest were grounded Saturday because someone flew a drone over the fire.
Greg JohnsonJune 15, 2025

Landowner Tag Changes Could Hurt Hunts For Disabled Vets, Organizers Worry
A proposal to raise the number of acres to qualify for landowner hunting tags in Wyoming from 160 to 640 has organizers of hunts for disabled veterans worried. Their concern is the change would shrink the pool of donated tags available to veterans.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2025

Marmots Might Seem Harmless, But They’ll Chew Up And Destroy Your Car
Marmots might seem pudgy and harmless, but they can disable vehicles by chewing up hoses and wires. Some people are now wrapping their cars in tarps to protect against the ravenous rodents.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2025

Wisconsin Man Sets New World Record For Largest Grizzly Ever Killed By A Hunter
A Wisconsin man has set a new world record for the largest grizzly ever killed by a hunter. The size of the Alaskan bear is "staggering" and experts say this record will be next to impossible to beat.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2025

Makeshift 399 Memorial At Spot She Was Killed Draws Fans, But May Not Be Legal
Since the death of Grizzly 399 last year, a wooden post along Highway 26/89 in the Snake River Canyon has served as the unofficial memorial for fans of the bear. People leave flowers, stuffed animals, and other artifacts. But it's probably not legal.
Andrew RossiJune 14, 2025

After Two Sasquatch Sightings In Colorado, Boulder County Puts On Bigfoot Hunt
Boulder County has been buzzing with Sasquatch fever after two reported sightings this year both in the vicinity of Longmont. So a group of Bigfoot-hunters went out on Friday night to track him down. Although they came up empty-handed, the group plans another outing this summer.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2025
The Bats Of Fort Laramie Have Returned For Another Summer In Bat Heaven
Thousands of bats have returned to Historic Fort Laramie in southeastern Wyoming. Right before each bat comes out into the night, their vocalizations suddenly stop. There’s a silent pause and then out they come with a dramatic entrance, gracefully, but silently, dipping and swooping.
Renée JeanJune 14, 2025

Montana Grizzly Killed By Landowner Is Seventh Killed This Year In State
A male grizzly was shot and killed Wednesday south of the northcentral Montana town of Havre on the northeast side of the Bear's Paw Mountains. It’s the seventh grizzly killed this year in the that state.
Jimmy OrrJune 13, 2025

Tourist Who Buzzed Yellowstone Osprey Nest With Drone Could Get Six Months In Jail
A tourist allegedly used a drone to buzz an osprey nest in Yellowstone National Park and could face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for the violation of park rules.
Mark HeinzJune 12, 2025

Interior Secretary Burgum Wants Foreign Visitor Fees, $1B Cut To National Parks
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wants to charge fees for foreigners visiting America’s national parks, as well as cut $1 billion from their budgets. Burgum defended the plan Wednesday during a Senate hearing.
Renée JeanJune 11, 2025

New Jersey Man Gored By Bison Near Old Faithful In Yellowstone
A New Jersey man on Tuesday became the second person this year to be gored by a bison in Yellowstone National Park. Authorities say the 30-year-old was near Old Faithful and got too close to the animal when it turned and gored him.
Andrew RossiJune 10, 2025

Yellowstone Antelope Relentlessly Chase Coyote That Tried To Snatch Fawn
Getting a meal is no easy task for coyotes in Yellowstone National Park. One unfortunate coyote was relentlessly pursued by some pronghorn after trying to snatch a fawn in the Lamar Valley.
Mark HeinzJune 10, 2025

‘Nonresident Native’ Tags Could Bring Former Wyomingites Back Home To Hunt
People born and raised in Wyoming who move to other states must pay expensive nonresident tag fees to come back to hunt. Legislators are considering lower-priced “nonresident native” hunting tags for them.
Mark HeinzJune 09, 2025

Popular Shell Falls In The Bighorns Is Closed, And Won’t Reopen For Two Years
Shell Falls, a popular outdoors attraction in Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest, is closed for the next two years for repairs. It’s the second out-of-commission spot in the region this summer on the heels of Crazy Woman Canyon’s unexpected closure.
Renée JeanJune 09, 2025

The Great Salt Lake Is Swarming With Billions Of Brine Flies
Just in time for tourist season, billions of brine flies are hatching at the Great Salt Lake. Although they've got a bad reputation among humans, they’re an immensely valuable food source for animals. Dozens of birds swoop their beaks into the lake to grab brine flies by the mouthful.
Andrew RossiJune 08, 2025

Lander-Based National Outdoor Leadership School Has Gone Global Over 6 Decades
It’s been 60 years since 100 men headed into the Wind River Range on June 8, 1965, the first National Outdoor Leadership School program. The Lander, Wyoming-based nonprofit has evolved to host thousands of students a year in locations across the globe.
Amber SteinmetzJune 07, 2025

Controversial Proposal To Let Landowners Sell Hunting Tags Revived
After being shot down during the Wyoming Legislature’s 2025 session, a proposal to let Wyoming landowners put their hunting tags up for sale was revived before a legislative committee Friday.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2025

Wyoming’s Golden Age Of Mule Deer Is Gone, With Fewer Than Half Of Peak Numbers
Wyoming has fewer than half of the 500,000 mule deer it did during the heyday of the 1960s to 1980s, and it will likely never see mule deer herds like that again, a Game and Fish official told legislators Friday.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025

It's Not Easy To Get Bison Off The Road (When They Don't Want To)
Bison are massive, obstinate, and have no regard for rules of the road. Even park rangers struggle to overcome their stubbornness, as evidenced by a recent game of “Ring Around the Rosie” between a bison and a Park Service SUV in Yellowstone National Park.
Andrew RossiJune 06, 2025

Photographers Aghast At Dimwitted Tourist Who Allowed Toddler Next To Bison
Wildlife photographers Rob and Jennifer Gunderson have seen a lot of questionable behavior over the years in Yellowstone. This week they were taken aback when they saw a woman allowing her toddler to stand right next to a full-grown 2,000-pound bison.
Andrew RossiJune 06, 2025

‘Sad Bear’ Signs Target Stretch Of Highway Where Grizzlies Keep Getting Hit
Researchers are taking a new route to keep drivers from barreling through Grand Teton grizzly habitat. They're tugging on people's heartstrings by putting up “sad bear” roadside signs, urging them to slow down.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025