Outdoors

Logging, Shutdown Of Snowmobile Trails In Snowy Range A Go

Logging in the Snowy Range Mountains, which will effectively close about 36 miles of groomed snowmobile trails this winter, is a go for Dec. 15.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2023

A mother grizzly and her cubs move through the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Transplanting Montana Grizzlies To Yellowstone Could Speed Up Delisting

Wyoming’s Greater Yellowstone grizzlies and Montana’s Northern Continental Divide grizzlies apparently aren’t co-mingling fast enough, so Montana plans to move some northern bears into the Yellowstone Area.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2023

‘Messy Death Zone’ Near Kemmerer To Get $37 Million For Wildlife Crossings

Multiple wildlife crossings will be built on a 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 189 between Kemmerer and Evanston, which officials call a "messy death zone" for wildlife collisions. A $37 million federal grant will fund the crossings.

Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2023

Huge aftermarket pickup and SUV bumpers might mitigate the effects of hitting a Wyoming big game animal, but they’re no substitute for avoiding a critter collision in the first place.

Those Giant ‘Deer-Catcher’ Bumpers May Not Be Safer, Say Wyoming Auto Experts

Massive “deer-catcher” bumpers for pickups and SUVs might help lessen the blow of slamming into a Wyoming wild critter, but they can also create a false sense of security, automotive experts say.

Mark HeinzDecember 05, 2023

Members of the Green River Fire Department and its Swift Water Rescue Team with a large deer buck that broke through the ice at Expedition Island Sunday afternoon.

Large Buck Rescued From Green River After Breaking Through Ice

A sharp-eyed Wyoming state fire marshal likely saved a large buck deer when he spotted it had broken through and become stuck in the ice of the Green River on Sunday.

December 05, 2023

Wyoming’s Golden Eagle Population Doubles In Winter

Wyoming’s golden eagle population doubles during the winter, and conservationists hope that new mapping software can help protect them from getting killed by wind turbines and other hazards.

Mark HeinzDecember 04, 2023

What Happens When A Bear Hibernates?

In hibernation, a bear’s heart slow between 8 and 12 beats per minute — about a third of its normal rate. It takes a breath once, maybe twice a minute. Body temp is reduced from 98 to about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jake NicholsDecember 02, 2023

Wyoming's Snowy Range offers some of the nation's best snowmobiling.

Wyoming’s Snowy Range Still Has Prime Snowmobiling, Despite Logging

Although winter logging in the Snowy Range will take some trails out of commission, Wyoming’s prime snowmobiling should be disrupted too much.

Mark HeinzDecember 02, 2023

Story, Wyoming: Where The Whitetail Deer Nearly Outnumber People

Whitetail deer thrive and flourish in tiny unincorporated town of Story in Sheridan County. And despite them sometimes raiding flower beds, locals consider the deer part of the community.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2023

Good Samaritans Save Young Mule Deer Caught In Electric Fence

Two Wyoming men were driving between Dubois and Riverton on Saturday when they saw a young mule deer entangled in an electric fence. They quickly jumped out of their vehicle and saved its life.

Mark HeinzNovember 30, 2023

A Wyoming-based long-range rifle team set a world record in September 2022 by hitting a target from 4.4 miles away. They used a copper bullet for the shot, but a member of the team said the debate over lead ammunition isn't one for politicians and bureaucrats.

Wyoming Shooters Say Government Doesn’t Need To Meddle With Lead Ammo

Wyoming hunters and shooters are already choosing to switch to lead-free ammunition themselves, and say they don’t need it forced on them by government regulation.

Mark HeinzNovember 29, 2023

Hunting Wyoming: Platte County Has It All, But Access Can Be Difficult

Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting around Wyoming. In Platte County, there's an outstanding variety of big game and bird hunting, but getting access can be a challenge.

Mark HeinzNovember 29, 2023

The Bullock's oriole, left, and Swainson's hawk are two of dozens of birds that will be renamed in a move to not associate birds with people who may have controversial pasts.

Wyoming Birds To Get New Names In Latest ‘Cancel Culture’ Move

A number of birds that can be found in Wyoming, and around 70-80 types of birds nationwide, will have their names changed as a result of a national cancel-culture push to stop naming birds after people.

Leo WolfsonNovember 29, 2023

Logging Expected To Close More Snowy Range Snowmobile Trails This Winter

Logging is expected to shut down more trails in the Snowy Range this winter, which a local cabin owner says isn’t fair to other forest users.

Mark HeinzNovember 28, 2023

The Vedawoo area just east of Laramie, Wyoming, is an example of some of the ancient, stable rock that makes up the Wyoming craton, which has been the nexus for the formation of the North American continent we know today.

How North America Was Created From A Super-Stable Wyoming

Ego can prompt many into thinking the universe revolves around them, but for people in Wyoming, that’s true — to an extent. That’s because North America as we know it basically spun off from the giant stable block of the Earth’s crust that’s under present-day Wyoming.

Andrew RossiNovember 26, 2023

This image from Field & Stream magazine proves the legitimacy of Wyoming’s golden trout record, according to JoAn Neumayer, who said she was there when the fish was caught in 1948 by a client of her father, who was a fishing guide.

Pinedale Woman Says She Was There When Record 11-Pound Wyoming Golden Trout Was Caught

Although there has been speculation that Wyoming's 11-pound, 4-ounce golden trout record is suspect, a Pinedale woman says it's legitimate as she was there when the fish was caught in 1948 by a client of her father, who was a fishing guide.

Mark HeinzNovember 26, 2023

The Winchester Model 70 has been upheld as the gold standard for hunting rifles for nearly 90 years, earning the nickname "The Rifleman's Rifle."

Why The Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 Is Still ‘The Rifleman’s Rifle’

The Winchester Model 70 remains one of America’s most popular rifles, but pre-1964 models are particularly coveted by serious shooters and collectors. The rifle is so good it's called "The rifleman's rifle."

Mark HeinzNovember 25, 2023

‘Mercy Killing’ Wyoming Big Game Is Illegal — Unless You Have A Hunting Tag

If you come across an injured or wounded big game animal in Wyoming, and you don’t have a valid tag for that sex and species – legally, you have to let it suffer until a game warden or law enforcement officer can come shoot it.

Mark HeinzNovember 24, 2023

Rail Conductor Says There Are Too Many Drunk Grizzlies On Train Tracks

A train conductor said grizzlies' own stubbornness works against them, as they don’t move off the tracks despite warning horns from trains. It's a game of chicken between the drunk grizzlies and trains, and the bears lose every time.

Mark HeinzNovember 23, 2023

After years of hunting elusive Wyoming wolves, Tessa Fowler of Cody bagged this one in 2018.

Californian Moves To Wyoming, Embraces Wyoming, Loves Wyoming

Although born and raised in California, Tessa Fowler of Cody said she "never fit in" and couldn't wait to move to Wyoming. She worked on a ranch, guided mountain lion hunts, worked on trucks, and raised three boys. She now works as a wildlife photographer.

Mark HeinzNovember 23, 2023

DarkSky International has named Sinks Canyon State Park an official Dark Sky Park, the first to get the designation in Wyoming.

Sinks Canyon Is Wyoming's First Dark Sky Park, Now Skies Will Remain Dark Forever

Wyoming’s spectacular starry nights with little to no light pollution are a natural resource without official protection. After years of effort and determination, the skies above Sinks Canyon will remain dark forever.

Andrew RossiNovember 23, 2023

A turkey is lured in with a call and a decoy during a hunt near Devils Tower in northeast Wyoming.

Why Buy A Thanksgiving Turkey In Wyoming When You Can Go Shoot One?

Want to get your own turkey for Thanksgiving? Consider hunting a wild Wyoming turkey, but bear in mind that they’re a clever animal and much tougher birds than store-bought gobblers.

Mark HeinzNovember 20, 2023

Hunting Wyoming: Big Horn County Has Whitetails Down Low, Elk Up High

Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting in all 23 counties in Wyoming. In Big Horn County, there's a good mixture of lowland habitat for upland game birds, waterfowl and whitetail deer, while mountain slopes are teeming with elk.