Outdoors
News

Mouth-Ripping Barbed Hooks Banned On North Platte Blue-Ribbon Trout Fisheries
Barbed fishing hooks inflict ghastly injuries to prized trout in the North Platte River near Casper. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission this week banned barbed hooks along sections of the river, a move fishing guides say is overdue.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2025

Fox-Turned-Shoe Bandit Makes Grand Teton’s ‘Most Wanted’ List
At least one naughty fox has been making off with people’s shoes from a campground in Grand Teton National Park. At least 32 shoes have been stolen so far, prompting the park to put the fox on its “Most Wanted” list.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2025

Hageman Wants Answers About Prosecution Of Grand Teton Trail Runner
Idaho ultrarunner Michelino Sunseri is awaiting a verdict in a criminal trial for cutting a switchback while running up Grand Teton last fall. U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman says she’s investigating a possible overzealous prosecution.
Sean BarryJuly 17, 2025

Park Service Kills "Food-Conditioned" Black Bear In Yellowstone
The National Park Service announced Thursday that a black bear in Yellowstone was killed because it had developed a taste for human food. The last straw was ransacking a tent and tearing down food storage poles.
Andrew RossiJuly 17, 2025

Supreme Court Petition Is Final Hail Mary For Wyoming Corner-Crossing Landowner
The landowner at the center of Wyoming’s famous “corner-crossing” case has lost every court battle against hunters who crossed at the corner of his property to get to public land. Wednesday, he filed a petition for the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Montana Considers Killing Nearly Half Of Its Wolf Population
Montana is considering setting a wolf kill quota of 500 for the 2025-2026 wolf seasons, nearly half of its wolf population. It would allow hunters and trappers to take as many as 15 wolves each.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

After Hours Of Testimony, Commission Rejects Changes To Landowner Hunting Tags
After landowners showed up in force to oppose proposed changes to landowner hunting tag requirements, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission rejected the changes Tuesday.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2025

Hageman’s Bill To Delist Grizzlies Passes House Committee
A U.S. House committee advanced legislation Tuesday sponsored by U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyoming, to remove Yellowstone-area grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act list. The bill also would ban courts from blocking the delisting.
Sean BarryJuly 15, 2025

Federal Court Halts Roundup Of Rare Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs
A plan to round up rare curly-haired mustangs from herds in southcentral Wyoming is on hold after a Tuesday federal court ruling. The court sided with horse advocate groups against the BLM’s plan.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2025

Jackson Woman Stupefied By Dead Mystery Critter Floating In Shoshone River
A Jackson-area woman found a cat-sized dead animal floating in the South Fork of the Shoshone River on Saturday. She doesn’t know what it is and is going nuts trying to positively identify the critter. And it's not a cat.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2025

Black Bears In Sheridan County Towns So Routine People Say They're Neighbors
Black bears showing up in Sheridan, Story, Dayton and other towns around the Bighorn Mountains has become routine for folks there. Locals say they feel like the bears are neighbors, but “repeat offender” bears sometimes have to be killed.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2025

One Weekend A Year, Lander’s The Center Of The Rock Climbing World
Lander, Wyoming, is an international destination for rock climbers. This past weekend was the 32nd International Climbers’ Festival, which makes Lander the center of the rock-climbing world, drawing hundreds of rock climbers.
Renée JeanJuly 14, 2025

Yellowstone Announces Discovery Of A New Baby Blue Thermal Pool
Yellowstone National Park announced Monday the discovery of a new 13-foot baby blue hot spring. It emerged with little volcanic fanfare in the Norris Geyser Basin and has scientists excited.
Andrew RossiJuly 14, 2025

A Library Card Will Also Get You A Backpack And Into Wyoming State Parks
You can check out more than books at your local public library in Wyoming. A library card will also get you a backpack and free access to Wyoming state parks and historic sites under a program that’s expanding to all 23 counties.
Amber SteinmetzJuly 14, 2025

Killing Older Horses An Option To Trim Wyoming Mustang Herds, Coalition Says
A coalition of conservation and hunting groups claims that holding facilities for mustangs across the West are bursting at the seams. Euthanizing older horses could be a necessary last resort to get things under control, they say.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025

Hundreds Of Landowners Angry Over Proposed Wyoming Hunting Tag Changes
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday could face hundreds of landowners and residents angry over proposed changes to the landowner hunting tag program. The new regulations could cut as many as 70% of the current allotment of landowner tags.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025

Bells On Mountain Bikes Could Help Cyclists Avoid Grizzly Maulings
Mountain bikers and grizzlies aren’t a good combination, as a Montana cyclist learned in 2016 when he surprised a bear and was killed. With more mountain bikes than ever in the backcountry, bells, shouting and carrying bear spray might help.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2025

Teton County Search And Rescue Responding To More Calls Than Ever
Teton County Search and Rescue had its busiest six months ever from December 2024 through May 31. They had more calls in this six-month stretch than the team used to get in an entire year.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2025

‘Swamp Moose’ Sightings In Bighorn National Forest Was 8-Year-Old Prankster
Sightings of the dangerous and elusive "Swamp Moose" were reported in the Bighorn National Forest over the Fourth of July weekend. Turns out the Swamp Moose was a mischievous 8-year-old wearing a ghillie suit with a moose antler on his head.
Andrew RossiJuly 12, 2025

Trees Are Blocking Wyoming Trails, And They Can’t Be Cleared Fast Enough
Dead trees keep falling over onto trails across Wyoming. With federal trail crews in short supply, the work of clearing the trails is increasingly falling on private companies or local volunteer groups.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2025

Another Chunk Of Grand Teton’s Second Tower Falls Off
The Jenny Lake Rangers report that another chunk of the Second Tower on Grand Teton fell off over the Fourth of July weekend. It’s the second major collapse involving Second Tower since 2022, leaving experienced climbers saying “just stay away from it.”
Andrew RossiJuly 11, 2025

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