Outdoors
News

After Lightning Bolt Kills 220 Sheep, Carcass Composters Spring Into Action
When a bolt of lightning killed 220 sheep in southwest Montana’s remote Gravelly Range last month, it left the area littered with piles of electrocuted carcasses. The race was on to remove them before they became a magnet for hungry grizzly bears.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2026

Lifelong Wyoming Hunter Finally Bags His First Bull Elk Just Shy Of Turning 67
Though born in Wyoming and having spent his life here as an avid hunter, one goal eluded Mike Berryman: Bagging a bull elk. Two weeks before turning 67, he met that goal last week on the opening morning of rifle season in the South Fork area near Cody.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2026

Author And Former Longtime Ranger Says Dumb Tourists Think Yellowstone Is Disneyland
Author Bob Richard, who was a longtime ranger, says Yellowstone tourists don't pay attention to rules because they suffer from the "Disney Syndrome." “They think Yellowstone is a park,” he said, and to them it's a safe and controlled environment.
Andrew RossiOctober 04, 2026

1,289-Year-Old Whitebark Pine — World's Oldest — Found In Grand Teton, But It Was Dead
Two University of Wyoming scientists were excited and dejected discovering the world's oldest whitebark pine in Grand Teton National Park recently. That's because the 1,289-year-old tree had died in 2024. “Every tree has its limit," said a UW researcher.
Andrew RossiOctober 03, 2026

Landowners Fed Up With New Breed Of Trespassers Who Think Rules Don't Apply To Them
Landowners across Wyoming and the West say they are encountering a new breed of "entitled trespassers" who think gates and No Trespassing signs don't apply to them. They believe if they have a good reason for being there, they have a right to be there.
Kate MeadowsOctober 03, 2026

Massive Estes Park Bull Elk Nicknamed 'Smash' Fights Cars And Chases Golf Carts
A notorious bull elk in Estes Park known as Smash rammed a Colorado reporter's car recently as part his autumn-rut ritual of chasing golf carts and vehicles. Bull elk are "perpetually angry" this time of year, a wildlife biologist explains.
Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2026

Strangers Rally For Miracle Rescue Of Great Horned Owl Impaled On Barbed-Wire Fence
When Sharon and Scott Jacobs saw a great horned owl tangled and impaled in a barbed wire fence, they didn't look the other way. Thanks to their efforts and other caring strangers, the owl was saved. The Black Hills Raptor Center calls it a miracle.
Kate MeadowsOctober 02, 2026

Now Retired, Wyoming Sheriff Still Haunted 29 Years After Camper Went Missing
David Crouch, 27, went missing while camping in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in August 1997. He was last seen on the banks of Island Lake with a fishing rod in hand. His disappearance has haunted retired Sublette County Sheriff Hank Ruland for nearly three decades.
Jen KocherOctober 02, 2026

Pregnant Photographer Mooed At By Tourist Mob Talks About Viral Grand Teton Video
9 million people on TikTok have watched a pregnant Rock Springs photographer lose her temper at a line of tourists who taunted and mooed at her last week in Grand Teton. “Wyoming might be your vacation destination, but it’s also our home," she told them.
Emma Jane JacksonOctober 02, 2026

Colorado Backs Off Killing Wolves That Attack Cattle As Population Stalls At 45
Colorado's wolf population has leveled off at 45, half of them pups. With no new wolves coming because states won't send them and Canada is no longer an option, the state says it will be more selective about killing wolves that attack cattle.
Mark HeinzOctober 01, 2026

Montana Wildlife Officials Kill 14 Black Bears On One Property Near Bozeman
Wildlife officials this week killed 14 black bears that were reportedly being fed on a property near Bozeman, Montana. Locals say Bozeman is overrun with bears this year. “They poop in my yard every night,” one resident said.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

In Battle Of Rutting Colorado Elk, Bull Pulls Rival Under Water And Steals Harem
Two bull elk staged a furious fight in Colorado’s Lake Evergreen on Sunday, with the bigger bull using his antlers to hold his opponent underwater. To add insult to injury, the larger bull then walked over and stole the smaller elk's harem.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

Heartbreak: Photog Finds 3 Grizzly Cubs Killed By Vehicle On Highway Near Wapiti
A Cody photographer heading to Yellowstone found three dead grizzly cubs on the North Fork Highway on Tuesday morning. The photographer said the bears were stuck along a curve and the driver probably didn’t see the bears until it was too late.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

A Horse Is Living With Bison In Yellowstone And Is Not Interested In Coming Home
A 6-year-old horse named Evie has taken up with a herd of bison in Yellowstone since July. The Park Service wants her evicted before winter and her owner wants her back, but the horse has resisted all attempts to wrangle her. "She's not interested in being captured," one photographer said.
Andrew RossiSeptember 30, 2026

After Months Tracking Monster Mule Deer, Wyoming Hunter’s Trophy Goes Missing
After months of tracking a monster-sized mule deer buck and bagging it during a backcountry hunt in the rugged high country near Star Valley, a Wyoming man says his trophy’s head, antlers, and cape vanished. “I worked my butt off for that deer,” he said.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2026

Grizzly Advocates Hope Bear Spotted In North Idaho Means Territory Is Expanding
Grizzly recovery advocates are hoping that a bear spotted near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, means its territory is expanding. It's the third time this year one has been spotted in the area. "It gives a glimmer of hope," one advocate said.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2026

While Road Hunters Get Sneered At As Lazy, ‘Everybody Gets Old,’ Outdoorsman Says
While some might regard road hunters as the lazy bums of the outdoors world, seeking wildlife from a climate-controlled cab has its place, advocates said. “We all get old,” avid hunter Buzz Hettick of Laramie told Cowboy State Daily.
Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2026

Wildlife World Grieves Photographer Known For Iconic Images Of Yellowstone's Oldest Wolf
The wildlife world is grieving the loss of Yellowstone photographer Sylvia Borgonovo who captured some of the most famous images of Yellowstone's oldest known living wolf. She was a stalwart advocate for wolves, grizzlies, and other wildlife.
Mark HeinzSeptember 27, 2026

Wyoming Hunter Bags Antelope Buck With Supersized Double Set Of Horns
A pronghorn buck shot by a hunter in southeast Wyoming this week had a supersized double set of horns. That's because Instead of shedding last year’s horn sheaths, he just grew a new set right behind them. "I've Never seen anything like this," said one taxidermist.
Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2026

Conservationists Are Dragging Roadkill From Wyoming Roads Because Eagles Keep Getting Hit
Conservationists have a simple solution to keep eagles feasting on roadkill carcasses along Wyoming roads from becoming roadkill themselves — drag the carcasses away. Highway collisions have increasingly become a major cause of eagle deaths.
Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2026

"That Thing Was Strong": Cody Man Fights Mountain Lion To Save Dog
When a mountain lion attacked his dog Diesel, Adam Borkhus of Cody kicked it in the face and the lion turned on him. The cat “knocked me on my ass,” he said, which resulted in a 20-second ground battle — and excruciating rabies shots later.
Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2026

New Uniforms Make It Clear That Many National Park Rangers Are Real Cops
New uniforms make it clear that many National Park Service rangers are real cops — with “police federal officer” printed on their ballistic vests. Some say that makes it seem they’ve merged with other federal police, while others like the new branding.
Clair McFarlandSeptember 24, 2026

Yellowstone Visitors Worried About 'Spinning Bison' As Bull Circles Endlessly In Pond
Visitors in Yellowstone are worried about what’s wrong with “the spinning bison” which is circling endlessly in a pond. A wildlife photographer said the bull has "either injuries from a fight, near total blindness, neurological damage, or all the above."
Andrew RossiSeptember 24, 2026

Sheridan Man's Elk Hunt Ruined When Helicopter Dumps Water On Top Of Him
A Sheridan man says his elk hunt was ruined when a helicopter appeared above him in the Bighorn Mountains and dumped huge plumes of water on top of him. The Forest Service said it was a training flight and the crew probably didn't know he was there.
Mark HeinzSeptember 24, 2026
