Outdoors
News

Biologists Worry People Getting Too Close To Cooke City Red Foxes With Rare Genetics
Biologists say red foxes in the Cooke City/Silvergate area near Yellowstone have rare, nearly pure wild genes dating back to the Ice Age. That could be ruined if they keep getting too close to people, they say.
Mark HeinzMay 24, 2026

As Trump Moves To Allow ‘Cyanide Bombs’ To Kill Coyotes, Some Worry Dogs Will Die
The Trump administration is moving to lift a three-year ban on spring-loaded cyanide bombs used to kill coyotes on public land. Some say that’s great news for ranchers, others argue that it will get dogs killed.
Mark HeinzMay 22, 2026

Bison Attacks And Kills Hiker On Trail In Custer State Park
A 70-year-old tourist was killed after being thrown six feet in the air by a bull bison on a popular hiking route in Custer State Park. “As they got closer to the bulls, one of them turned around and came at her,” the sheriff told Cowboy State Daily.
Kate MeadowsMay 22, 2026

Beartooth Highway Opening Delayed By Snow, Should Be Ready Saturday
The Beartooth Highway wasn't open as scheduled Friday morning after more than a foot of heavy snow was cleared from its summit. The National Park Service said it “tentatively” hopes the entire 64 miles will be open to travelers by Saturday morning.
Andrew RossiMay 22, 2026

Wyoming Firearms Companies Say YouTube Unfairly Targets Gun-Related Content
Some Wyoming firearms companies say YouTube is unfairly censoring and banning them without giving solid reasons why. "I hate to lose the audience, but I don't miss the BS,” said a video creator about dealing with YouTube before getting kicked off.
Mark HeinzMay 22, 2026

Filmmaker Finds 47 Grizzlies Gorging On Moths High Up Absaroka Mountains
A wildlife filmmaker spotted 47 grizzlies in the Absaroka Mountains before noon, more than twice as many as he's ever seen in one day in the Yellowstone area. They were feasting on moths, so he tried one. "They taste like honey-roasted peanuts,” he said.
Mark HeinzMay 21, 2026

Goshen County’s Hawk Springs Reservoir, A Favorite For Anglers, Drying Up Fast
Hawk Springs Reservoir in Goshen County is a popular fishing and boating spot for locals and other Wyomingites. But it’s already incredibly low, and might be dried up by the end of summer.
Mark HeinzMay 20, 2026

‘Our Resident Bear’: Scrawny Black Bear Hangs Out Around Rural Upton Neighborhood
A young, scrawny and seemingly confused black bear has been hanging around a rural Weston County neighborhood outside Upton. “He’s, like, our resident bear,” says one resident who had to shoo it away from garbage cans. So far, though, it’s behaving.
Mark HeinzMay 20, 2026

Flaming Gorge Marinas Race To Survive As 1M Acre-Feet Of Water Sent Downriver
Releases of up to 1 million acre-feet of water downriver from Flaming Gorge are gutting the gorge’s world-famous kokanee fishery and has marinas racing to survive. “This is like a holocaust for nature,” said one marina owner about the impact.
Renée JeanMay 20, 2026

Wyoming Veterans Fear Changing Disability Hunting Regs Could Freeze Them Out
Wyoming groups that host hunts for disabled veterans fear a proposal to change Game and Fish regulations on what counts as a disability could freeze out some vets. The change could disqualify vets with PTSD or disabilities that aren't apparent.
Mark HeinzMay 19, 2026

‘Holy Cow!’ Wyoming Hunter Bags Super-Sized Black Bear In Southeast Wyoming
On his first day out black bear hunting in southeast Wyoming, a Cheyenne hunter got his pickup hopelessly stuck, but on the second day bagged a super-sized black bear. "Holy cow! This sucker is size 5XL,” he said about spotting the bear.
Mark HeinzMay 18, 2026

Grizzly Paparazzi: Photographers Shove Each Other Over Bears On Togwotee Pass
Over the past decade, Togwotee Pass between Dubois and Moran Junction in Wyoming has become a circus of wildlife paparazzi around grizzlies. “There’s arguing, there’s threats,” says one photographer, adding that, “I don’t want to go up there anymore."
Mark HeinzMay 18, 2026

Pilot Peak Is One Of Yellowstone’s Most Famous Mountains, And Toughest To Climb
The 11,699-foot-tall Pilot Peak is one of the most famous mountains around Yellowstone, its sharp point making it one of Wyoming’s most recognizable. Known as a “mini-Matterhorn,” it's also one of the state's toughest climbs.
Andrew RossiMay 17, 2026

Former Powell Woman Recalls Being At Mount St. Helens When It Erupted 46 Years Ago
When the Mount St. Helens volcano blew up on May 18, 1980, a longtime Powell resident was a young forester at the site. "I glanced up at the mountain, and I saw the top of it shaking. And then I watched the whole thing come right off," she said.
Wendy CorrMay 16, 2026

Hiker Has Incredibly Rare Wolverine Encounter In Wyoming's Wind River Mountains
A software designer and wildlife watcher who was hiking in Wyoming last week had an incredibly rare encounter with a wolverine at the Green River Lakeside Trail in the Wind River Mountains. Photos he took clearly show a tracking collar on the animal.
Mark HeinzMay 16, 2026

Black Bear Killed In Subdivision North Of Cheyenne; 2nd Bear In Area This Week
A black bear was shot and killed late Friday morning in a subdivision north of Cheyenne. This is the second black bear spotted in the Cheyenne area this week. The property owner gave a neighbor, who had a bear hunting tag, permission to shoot the bear.
Mark HeinzMay 15, 2026

Why Google Maps Keeps Closing Yellowstone’s East Entrance When It’s Open
The East Entrance of Yellowstone opening this month was a big day for Cody businesses, but Google Maps told visitors it was closed. Randomly closing Yellowstone entrances in Wyoming is an ongoing problem that's no closer to being fixed, officials say.
Andrew RossiMay 15, 2026

Wyoming Hunter Angry After Putting Out Bait, Then Another Uses It To Shoot Bear
A Park County hunter is angry after putting out bear bait only to have other hunters use his bait to shoot a bear. He says that’s “unethical and immoral,” while one of the other hunters says they never got close and it’s a misunderstanding.
Mark HeinzMay 15, 2026

Raspberry, The ‘Grizzly 399 Of Yellowstone’ Missing For A Year, Feared To Be Dead
It’s been a year since the last sighting of Raspberry, the “Grizzly 399 of Yellowstone.” She usually emerged in May and was highly visible from the road on the park’s east side. Fans are worried she's succumbed to an injury from a 2022 vehicle strike.
Mark HeinzMay 14, 2026

Coyote Loses Bid Against Mountain Lion In Red Desert, Ends Up Becoming Supper
A coyote pushed its luck too far with a mountain lion in the Red Desert and ended up becoming supper. Most of the time, run-ins between the two end with both walking away unharmed. "It's a rough world out there," said biologist Franz Camenzind.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2026

Scientists Confirm 'Brain-Eating Amoeba' Is Widespread In Yellowstone and Grand Teton
Brain-eating amoebas are thriving in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and they’re probably more widespread than most people realize. Scientists say to avoid being infected don't stick your head in the water (which is a good tip around geysers too).
Andrew RossiMay 12, 2026

Black Bear Captured In Cheyenne Barn
A black bear caused a stir in Cheyenne early Tuesday when it was spotted wandering around the east side of town. It took shelter on a hayloft in a resident’s barn. “The bear probably thought that was a good place to hide,” the owner said.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2026

Trump Moves To Open National Parks, Other Federal Lands, To More Hunting
The Trump administration has moved to open more National Park Service land to hunting. But that doesn’t mean fluorescent orange hunting vests and rifle shots will light up Yellowstone National Park this fall during elk hunting season, however.
Mark HeinzMay 11, 2026

No Winter, Drought Has Firefighters On Alert For Repeat Of 1988 Yellowstone Fires
After winter essentially didn’t come to Wyoming, and drought and rising temperatures persist across the region, there are concerns the 2026 fire season could be like 1988 all over again. "It’s spooky,” said the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network.
Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026
