Outdoors
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Population Boom Means There Are Tons Of Turkeys For Wyoming Hunters
There’s never been a better time to take up turkey hunting in Wyoming. A population boom means there are tons of wild turkeys around for the spring season.
Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

Short $16M In Federal Money In Limbo, Wildlife Crossing Near Dubois On Hold
Roughly $16 million in federal funding is on hold for a $28 million wildlife crossing along U.S. Highway 26 near Dubois. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others are determined to push the project forward anyway.
Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

Motorists Play Frogger With Falling Rocks In Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon In Spring
Spring means Wyoming’s Wind River Canyon Scenic Byway is at its most spectacular. It’s also the peak time for rockslides, meaning motorists on U.S. 20 play Frogger with falling rocks and mud.
Jackie DorothyMay 13, 2025

Ornery Bison Don't Just Gore People, They Break Bones And Crush Organs
Most bison “goring” attacks involve massive blunt force trauma, not people getting skewered by horns in the torso. An emergency room doctor says people who get too close can suffer broken bones, crushed organs and also can take a horn to the butt.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2025

Explore Wyoming: Deep Into Spirit Mountain Cave Above Cody
Not only is Spirit Mountain Cave above Cody full of history, it’s a passageway into a mysterious and dark underworld where even night goggles won't work. Only a few hundred people explore these caves every year.
Leo WolfsonMay 11, 2025

Latest Tactic To Keep Wolves Away From Livestock: Dive-Bomb Them With Drones
Dive-bombing wolves with drones equipped with lights and speakers have scared them away from cattle in Oregon and a wolf conservation advocate hopes to work with ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming to see if drones have a similar effect here.
Mark HeinzMay 11, 2025

Cannabis Sellers Warn Against Taking Marijuana Into Yellowstone
Smoking pot is legal in some states, but it’s not in Yellowstone. That's why West Yellowstone cannabis sellers warn against taking marijuana into the park as it becomes a federal crime -- and the charges can be harsh.
David MadisonMay 11, 2025

Bikepackers Explore Wyoming’s Famous Red Desert In New Documentary
People driving on WYO 28 outside of Lander are awed by the views of Red Canyon, but few have taken the time to explore it. Four bikepackers decided to do just that and their journey can be seen in a new documentary now on Wyoming PBS.
Amber SteinmetzMay 10, 2025

Casper-Based Company Wants To End Feuding Between Hunters, Landowners
Tensions between landowners and hunters seeking access to game herds are nothing new, even leading to national attention for Wyoming’s high-profile “corner-crossing” case. A Casper-based company thinks it’s found the solution.
Mark HeinzMay 09, 2025

Helicopter Drops Christmas Trees Into Popular Montana Lake To Save Yellow Perch
Walleyes were gobbling up too many yellow perch in Montana’s Canyon Ferry Lake. So, state officials started dropping old Christmas trees into water to provide spawning habitat and shelter for perch hatchlings.
Mark HeinzMay 08, 2025

Yellowstone Bison Goring The Latest In A Bad Week For Floridians Vs. Wildlife
A Florida man who was gored by a bison in Yellowstone on Wednesday was lucky. Another Floridian was killed by a bear this week, and yet another by an alligator.
Mark HeinzMay 08, 2025

Wandering Colorado Wolf Transplanted From Canada Logs 1,230 Miles Around State
Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have been making tracks all over the state, including one female that’s logged more than 1,200 miles. At least two are also known to have ranged into Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Florida Man Is First Bison Goring Of The Season At Yellowstone National Park
A 47-year-old man from Florida was gored when he got too close to a bison at Yellowstone National Park on Sunday. The National Park Service reported the goring Wednesday, confirming it’s the first of the season after two gorings in 2024.
Clair McFarland & Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Grizzly 399 Offspring Hit And Killed By Car In Grand Teton
Grizzly 1058, a male from Grizzly 399’s famed 2020 litter of quadruplets, was confirmed dead on Tuesday, after apparently being hit by a vehicle in Grand Teton National Park.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Vandals Break Into South Dakota BLM Area, Drive Heavy Equipment Into Ditch
Vandals broke into a South Dakota public recreation area near the Wyoming border over the weekend and drove several construction vehicles into a ditch. It’s another instance of vandalism on public lands that has Wyoming contractors watching.
Andrew RossiMay 06, 2025

Huge "Once-In-A-Decade" Fireball Seen Over Wyoming, Other Western States
Hundreds of people reported seeing a huge purple-green fireball streak over several Western states Saturday night. The “once-in-a-decade” event displayed a spectacular spectrum of colors as it burned across the sky.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

History Says Yellowstone, Grand Teton Parks Can Expect More Than 8.4M Visitors
The superintendents of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks are predicting an “outstanding” summer despite staff cuts to the federal parks system that have worried many outdoor enthusiasts.
Andrew RossiMay 05, 2025

Ringtail, Rare In Wyoming, Spotted Near Baggs — And Game And Fish Wants It
Ringtails, a distant cousin of raccoons, are a rare sight in Wyoming. A Baggs-area family spotted and photographed one, and Game and Fish hope to trap and release it somewhere safe from dogs.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2025

Wyoming’s Teton County Is World's First DarkSky-Certified County
The town of Jackson and Teton County became official International DarkSky Communities for efforts to reduce light pollution. While many towns have the DarkSky certification, this is the first time for an entire county.
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025

Expect More E-Bikes Than Ever On Wyoming Trails This Summer
From a new trail system in the Bighorns to a revised e-bike policy for U.S. Forest Service trails around Jackson, summer in Wyoming appears poised to bring out more e-bikers than ever.
David MadisonMay 04, 2025

Yellowstone Makes Earthquakes With 53,000-Pound Vibrator Truck To Study Volcano
Yellowstone is using a 53,000-pound vibrator truck to create custom-made earthquakes to study the supervolcano the park sits on. It’s a sophisticated machine that reveals what’s hidden miles underground.
Andrew RossiMay 04, 2025

Laramie Climber Wants Sixth Shot To Summit Highest Peak In Myanmar
Laramie's Mark Jenkins has tried five times to reach the highest peak in Myanmar. Although a successful summit has been elusive, if the political climate changes, the 66-year-old elite climber said he would try a sixth time “in a heartbeat.”
Jackie DorothyMay 03, 2025

Proposal To Change Landowner Hunting Tags Targets ‘Hunting Club’ Market
A proposal to more than double the amount of land needed to qualify for landowner hunting tags would favor Wyomingites over out-of-staters, supporters say.
Mark HeinzMay 02, 2025

Daring Coyote Bites Grizzly 610 On The Butt — Without Getting Torn To Shreds
A coyote wasn’t about to let Grizzly 610, one of Wyoming’s most famous bears, get away with raiding its food along the Snake River on Monday. The coyote boldly snuck up and bit her on the butt — then avoided getting torn to shreds by the annoyed bear.
Mark HeinzMay 02, 2025

Cody Woman First In Line For Yellowstone's East Opening For 7th Straight Year
For the seventh straight year, Stacy Boisseau of Cody was the first in line for Friday’s opening of the East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park. This was her first time solo with her three girls now older and doing their own things.
Andrew RossiMay 02, 2025

Mapping Countless Miles Of Fence Could Save Wyoming Wildlife From Gruesome Deaths
Wyoming deer, elk and antelope can suffer gruesome deaths when they get entangled, so mapping out the state's countless miles of fences are can help save wildlife, researchers believe.
Mark HeinzMay 01, 2025

Video Shows Bruno, Sire Of Many Of Grizzly 399’s Cubs, Isn't Great At Ice Fishing
Bruno the grizzly — best known for likely fathering many of Grizzly 399's cubs — recently tried his paws at ice fishing. While Alaska bears feast on fish, biologists say it’s a rare sight for bears in Grand Teton, and video shows Bruno's not great at it.
Mark HeinzMay 01, 2025

A Dozen Antelope Illegally Shot Near Kemmerer, Including Several Left Suffering
In an apparent case of mass wildlife thrill killing, 12 antelope were shot near Kemmerer, including several that were wounded and left to suffer, Wyoming Game and Fish reported.
Mark HeinzApril 30, 2025

Frustrated Californians Say Protected Wolves Have Them ‘Under Siege’
Frustrated Californians in Sierra County report wolves have them "under siege," attacking cattle and making their way into neighborhoods, including an elk slaughtered on someone's front porch. Wolves are protected in California, so nobody can touch them.
Mark HeinzApril 30, 2025

Fremont County, Casper Have Cleanest Air In The U.S., Lung Association Says
The American Lung Association has named Fremont County and Casper as having the cleanest air in the United States for year-round particles. Casper tied with Honolulu for the No. 1 ranking on the list of cleanest cities for year-round particle pollution.
David MadisonApril 29, 2025

Game And Fish Sick Of People Blasting Their Signs With Gunfire
Shooting signs might seem like a redneck cultural tradition, but it costs taxpayers big money. It’s also prompted Wyoming Game and Fish to close some public recreation areas to shooting.
Mark HeinzApril 28, 2025

Montana Anglers Fend Off Charging Grizzly With Gunfire
Two anglers were charged by a grizzly and scared it off by shooting at it in the popular Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife refuge in southwest Montana. It’s another area where grizzlies are expanding their range.
Mark HeinzApril 28, 2025

Rumbling Alaska Volcano On Watch For Eruption That Could Impact Wyoming
Mount Spurr, a volcano 78 miles from Anchorage, is being monitored for signs of a possible eruption. If it blows, Mount Spurr could impact air quality and economic distress that could reach to Wyoming and much of the world.
Andrew RossiApril 27, 2025

Rustic Airbnb RV And Cabin Rentals Are For Those Not Quite Ready To Rough It
As Wyoming continues to draw outdoors thrill-seekers, one entrepreneur thinks he’s found the ideal niche market. Airbnb-style rentals for people who want to avoid the mobs but aren’t quite ready to rough it.
Mark HeinzApril 26, 2025

When Hunters Would Massacre Entire Flocks Of Waterfowl With Giant Punt Guns
Punt guns are essentially waterborne cannons that can slaughter up to 100 waterfowl in a single blast. Because punt guns were so devastating to the bird populations, some states started banning them for hunting as far back as 1860.
Mark HeinzApril 26, 2025

Just As Rattlesnake Season Starts In Wyoming, Pet Vaccine Drying Up
A vaccine that helps protect dogs against rattlesnake venom might soon be unavailable, just as rattlesnake season begins in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 25, 2025

Study Says One Wolf Can Cost Ranchers More Than $160,000 In Losses
Wolves in California are costing ranchers millions of dollars far beyond just the price of cattle killed, according to a new study. A Wyoming rancher says the secondary costs of predation are well-known here.
Mark HeinzApril 25, 2025

Proposed Limits On Landowner Hunting Tags Could Cut Out Many Property Owners
Hunters worry that a plan to more than double the amount of land that people need to own to qualify for landowner hunting tags could cut out property owners across Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 24, 2025

Local Rancher Not Surprised Anatolian Pyrenees Dog Rescued Lost Arizona Toddler
Montana rancher Lauren Stoddard told Cowboy State Daily that she wasn’t the least bit surprised by the account of an Anatolian Pyrenees rescuing a lost toddler in Arizona this month. “These dogs identify need," Stoddard said.
Mark HeinzApril 24, 2025

New Ammo Sales Restriction In Colorado Could Push More Customers To Wyoming
A new Colorado law will require retailers to lock up the ammunition in their stores. A Wyoming gun store manager says Colorado’s firearms policies could push more customers toward Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 23, 2025

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