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
