Outdoors

John Diepholz, 64, didn't return as scheduled Aug. 16 from a hiking trip in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming.

Missing Hiker Found Dead; Fell To Death Above Spider Lake In Sublette County

The body of missing hiker John Diepholz was found late Thursday morning above Spider Lake in the Wind River Mountains. Authorities say the 64-year-old Minnesota man likely fell to his death.

Jimmy OrrAugust 25, 2023

This dog, named Ruby, was tossed in the air and gored by a mountain goat in the Mount Timpanogos wilderness area in Utah in 2021. Three dogs were recently killed by mountain goats there.

Mountain Goats Are Killing Dogs On Crowded Utah Hiking Trails

Popular hiking trails near Orem, Utah, have gotten so crowded, mountain goats there aren’t afraid of people anymore, and have started killing hiker’s dogs, including three in the last three weeks.

Mark HeinzAugust 24, 2023

Wyoming’s beloved Grizzly 399, her cub of the year, Spirit in August 2023.

Grizzly 399 And Her ‘Absolutely Gigantic’ Cub Appear Again After Monthlong Absence

Wyoming’s most famous wild critters, Grizzly 399 and her "absolutely gigantic" cub Spirit, which has had a growth spurt, appeared this week for the first time in about a month, gorging on abundant forage in Teton National Park.

Mark HeinzAugust 23, 2023

Monster Bucks: Wet Summer Boosts Wyoming Big Game Antler Growth

Big game herds in some of Wyoming’s premier hunting areas suffered devastating winterkill losses, but the good news is, there could be some monster bucks lurking among the survivors.

Mark HeinzAugust 23, 2023

Knight Lake, formerly Swastika Lake, in southern Wyoming.

Wyoming's Swastika Lake To Get A Name Change

The executive director of the Wyoming Board on Geographic Names told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that the name of Swastika Lake outside Laramie is expected to be changed soon.

Leo WolfsonAugust 23, 2023

Joaquin is one of 15 llamas that work as pack animals for Yellowstone Llamas. He was last seen near Trout Lake in the Lama Valley on Aug. 16.

Pack Llama Named Joaquin Lost In Yellowstone Hasn’t Been Seen In A Week

Llamas can survive in the rugged terrain of Yellowstone National Park, but Joaquin the pack llama has been missing in the park since bolting Aug. 14 after being spooked by bison in rut.

Andrew RossiAugust 23, 2023

The King is a distinctive, and huge, Wyoming mule deer that's usually evasive during summers and fall. It's not known if he survived this past winter, which was brutal for big game winterkill.

Did Wyoming’s Rock Star Deer ‘The King’ Survive Winter? Nobody Knows

A huge Wyoming mule deer buck, called “The King” by his fans has garnered a huge social media following over the past few years. But it’s not known whether he survived this winter’s massive die-offs.

Mark HeinzAugust 22, 2023

Michael Frederick is a disabled Army vet from Minnesota who will get to hunt for Wyoming elk in the upcoming rifle season thanks to a donated tag.

Disabled Vet Gets Wyoming Elk Hunt Through Donated Tag

A disabled veteran from Minnesota can live his dream of hunting elk in the Cowboy State, because somebody from Wyoming anonymously donated their elk tag.

Mark HeinzAugust 22, 2023

Search On For Wind River Mountains Hiker, 64, Missing For A Week

A search has been launched for a 64-year-old man hiking in the Wind River Mountains who was supposed to return home on Aug. 16.

Andrew RossiAugust 22, 2023

Kelli Docker of Laramie said she felt overwhelming emotions, such as sadness and gratitude, after shooting a cow elk during her first-ever hunting trip.

First-Time Hunters Help Cull Overpopulated Elk In Black Hills

Some Wyoming outfitters, the state Game and Fish and landowners have teamed up to give first-time hunters an opportunity at elk, while also culling an over-abundance of elk in the Black Hills area

Mark HeinzAugust 21, 2023

Feds Spending $25 Million On Bison Restoration, But Won’t Give Details

The Department of the Interior announced its plans to restore wild bison herds in states across the West months ago, but has been quiet about the plan ever since. A Montana congressman is calling for transparency.

August 21, 2023

Outdoors and wildlife photographer Dave Bell of Pinedale took these photos of three grizzly bears gorging on a cattle carcass along the Chief Joseph Highway north of Cody.

Wyoming Wildlife Photographer Stumbles On To Three Grizzlies Feasting On Carcass

Wyoming wildlife photographer Dave Bell struck gold when he happened upon four grizzlies along the Chief Joseph Highway north of Cody, three of which were feasting on a cattle carcass in a mud bog.

Mark HeinzAugust 21, 2023

A European mount covered in leather make a Western Wyoming statement on this barbed-wire wrapped post.

Hunting Wyoming: Sierra Mortimer, Perfecting The Art Of European Skull Mounts

Preparing “European Mounts,” or just the skull and antlers or horns from cattle or big game, isn’t nearly as simple as people might think. Converse County's Sierra Mortimer has made a business of it.

Mark HeinzAugust 20, 2023

Kayaking on the Bighorn River makes for a great summer outing.

Wyoming Places: Creating The Bighorn River Blueway

Once established, the Bighorn River Blueway will include the entire 96-mile span of the Bighorn River from the Wedding of the Waters in Thermopolis to the Wyoming/Montana state line in the Bighorn National Recreation Area and possibly beyond.

Andrew RossiAugust 20, 2023

Karelian Bear Dogs can be trained to “shepherd” bears away from potential trouble spots, such as campgrounds.

Karelian Bear Dogs Help ‘Train’ Grizzlies To Stay Out Of Trouble

With the help of Karelian bear dogs, Carrie Hunt has been training grizzlies to stay out of trouble for nearly 30 years. As a bear biologist, Hunt says she has a profound respect for bears and doesn’t want to see them come to bad ends.

Mark HeinzAugust 19, 2023

Wyoming is working on projects, most notably wildlife crossings, that could reduce the number of roadkill incidents on highway around the state, which ranks eighth in the nation in that statistic.

Despite Having Fewest People, Wyoming Piles Up 8th Most Roadkill

Wyoming may have the fewest people of all 50 states, but when it comes to roadkill, Wyoming ranks No. 8 overall, behind northern neighbor Montana at No. 2.

Mark HeinzAugust 18, 2023

Massive Winterkill Is Impacting Wyoming Antelope Hunts

Massive winterkill prompted Wyoming Game and Fish to cut thousands of hunting tags, and some regular hunters say they’ll forego this season to help decimated herds recover.

Mark HeinzAugust 18, 2023

There is General consensus over preserving the Greater Little Mountain area in Sweetwater County, although a draft plan for managing other federal lands around it was slammed by Wyoming elected officials.

Wyoming Blasts BLM Over Plan To Limit Uses For 1.8 Million Acres

Gov. Mark Gordon and other Wyoming elected officials are blasting a draft BLM land management plan to limit uses on 1.8 million acres for environmental protection.

Mark HeinzAugust 17, 2023

Yellowstone Grizzly Death Count Hits 24, Including 20-Year-Old Shot Last Week

A 20-year-old grizzly killed in Montana last week for preying on cattle is the 24th grizzly to die so far this year in the Greater Yellowstone area. Six have been killed in Wyoming for livestock depredation.

Mark HeinzAugust 17, 2023

Anglers Warned Yellowstone River Fish May Be Poisoned From Train Crash

A train crash that dumped molten sulfur and asphalt into the Yellowstone River North of Yellowstone Park might have poisoned fish, and officials are warning anglers not to eat their catches from the river.

Mark HeinzAugust 16, 2023

This man photographed chasing wolves in Wyoming’s Lamar Valley could be the same man filmed jumping out his vehicle to charge at black bears by the roadside

Yellowstone Photographer Believes Shirtless Bear Chaser Started By Chasing Wolves

The mystery of an unidentified man caught on video harassing black bears has deepened – photos have surfaced of what could be the same shirtless man chasing wolves in Yellowstone

Mark HeinzAugust 16, 2023

Why Presidents Can’t Designate National Monuments In Wyoming

Democratic presidents dating back to Jimmy Carter have used the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments in Western states without any congressional participation. But it can't happen in the Cowboy State due to a legal loophole that Wyoming politicians pushed through in 1950.

August 15, 2023

Anti-Hunters Appointed To Colorado Wildlife Commission Could Be A Warning For Wyoming

A former Wyoming Game and Fish commissioner says Wyoming doesn't need to worry about anti-hunters infiltrating its wildlife commission now, but is concerned with "up-and-coming wildlife biologists" because of the bias they are taught in the university system.

Mark HeinzAugust 15, 2023

A young male black bear on to the porch of Roseanne and Kim Gentry’s home in Big Horn on the afternoon of June 20, and was later killed by game and fish wardens.

Bear Breaks Into 82-Year-Old Woman’s House In Colorado, Woman Comes Out Victorious

A black bear broke into an 82-year-old woman’s home near Trinidad, Colorado, late Friday and the two got into a shoving match before the bear gave up and ran away. It was the fourth bear attack reported this year in Colorado.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2023

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