Outdoors | Cowboy State Daily

Arkansas rice farmer Todd Gibson was so fed up with beavers ruining his crops, he built a gun platform on his 2025 Honda Pioneer UTV to hunt them down. Now, he uses it mostly to hunt coyotes.

Farmer Builds UTV 'Battle Buggy' With Gun Platform To Blast Pests And Predators

An Arkansas farmer fed up with beavers eating his crop built a "Battle Buggy" with a gun platform that could be the envy of Wyoming pest hunters. “If you like driving around and shooting, I can’t imagine anything more fun,” said a prairie dog hunter.

Mark HeinzOctober 25, 2026

Pictured here is one of three bull elk that was shot and left to rot near Hyattville sometime between Oct. 3 and Oct. 10.

Hunters Livid At Poachers Leaving Three Bull Elk And A Collared Cow Moose To Rot

Wyoming hunters are sounding off after poachers shot three bull elk near Hyattville, along with a collared moose near Dubois in another incident, and left them to rot. “Grow up, have some ethics,” one livid hunter told Cowboy State Daily.

Mark HeinzOctober 23, 2026

A large grizzly bear is pictured here in the backcountry of Glacier National Park in Montana. 2026 has been a busy year for bear attacks in North America, involving both grizzlies and black bears.

Creator Of New Public Bear Attack Database Says 2026 Has Been ‘Unprecedented’

An outdoorsman with a network of wildlife-agency contacts has created the first public database for bear attacks. He said 2026 has been "unprecedented." He's documented 64 attacks so far this year that has resulted in injury or death in North America.

Mark HeinzOctober 23, 2026

Hunters and wildlife watchers use trail cameras, sometimes called game cameras, to document animal activity in their favorite places. But left unattended, they’re vulnerable to theft.

Hunters Returning To Trail Cams Only To Find Memory Cards And Cameras Missing

Park County outfitter Chip Burgess was infuriated and baffled to find the memory card in his trail cam — with a month full of photos — missing. Turns out, other hunters are having their memory cards and cameras stolen too.

Mark HeinzOctober 23, 2026

Deer that are killed by either of the closely related epizootic hemorrhagic diseases (EHD) or bluetongue viruses will have bloody foam coming from their nose or mouth and swollen faces and/or necks.

Deadly Bluetongue Disease Has Deer Foaming At The Mouth In Parts Of Wyoming

Deadly diseases called bluetongue and EHD that leave deer with bloody foam coming from their noses and mouths has hit parts of Wyoming this year, especially white-tails. The disease, which has hit North Dakota hard, can kill up to 90% of a herd.

Mark HeinzOctober 22, 2026

Carbon County Undersheriff Abandons Vacation To Help Rescue Hunter In Snowy Range

Carbon County Undersheriff Shawn Kelley abandoned his vacation Sunday to help rescue a hunter in the Snowy Range. Sheriff Alex Bakken said he wasn't surprised. "He's the kind of guy that, if we have something going on, he's going to jump in and help."

Kate MeadowsOctober 22, 2026

Hero! Deputy Uses Tree Trimmers And Sweet Talk To Rescue Moose Tangled In Fence

When a moose calf became hopelessly tangled in wire fencing near an Idaho woman's home, sheriff's deputy Shiloh Frantz came to the rescue. It wasn't easy. The wire was stubborn, the moose was frightened, and an angry mother moose could have been nearby.

Kate MeadowsOctober 20, 2026

Sue, the fully tackled palomino, in the Bechler Region of Yellowstone National Park shortly after her was found and rescued on Friday.

Lost Yellowstone Horse Had An iPhone, So Why Couldn't Verizon Just 'Ping' It?

When a horse got lost in Yellowstone with an iPhone in his saddle last week, Verizon declined to ping its location to help. The owner was thrilled the horse was found safe, but remains unhappy with the company. "I still hate Verizon," she said.

Kolby FedoreOctober 19, 2026

"Horror Movie": Idaho Man Describes Terrifying Night He Fought Bear To Protect Family

At 3:30 a.m. on October 2, a bear entered Brian and Kim Heidemann's house in Salmon, Idaho. With no weapon and only his fists, Brian — to protect his family — brawled with the bear as it bit him in the back of the head and torso down to the bone.

Kaitlyn Hart & EastIdahoNews.comOctober 19, 2026

Deputies put down a mountain lion roaming a neighborhood northeast of Cheyenne. Nearby horse owners say the threat to foals and livestock was real, and the choice to euthanize was valid. “It would have been back,” one neighbor says.

Deputies Euthanize One Of Two Mountain Lions In Neighborhood North Of Cheyenne

Deputies put down one of two mountain lions roaming a neighborhood northeast of Cheyenne on Saturday. Nearby horse owners say the threat to foals was real, and the choice to euthanize was necessary. “It would have come back,” one resident said.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 19, 2026

Ken Wohl loved hunting in the Snowy Range mountains west of Laramie. He also loved his 1977 Chevy Scottsdale pickup he bought new.

Brothers Take Dad's 1977 Chevy Into Snowies To Spread His Ashes On Elk Hunt

After spreading their father’s ashes on an elk hunt in the Snowy Range, two Casper brothers used the 1977 Chevrolet Scottsdale pickup their dad bought new in Medicine Bow to recover an elk. “It was like one last hunt with Pop,” one brother said.

Mark HeinzOctober 18, 2026

Melody Rupple, in Lander, has already started an adaptive equipment lending library called TrekAbility, helping people with mobility challenges get outside without first buying thousands of dollars worth of specialized gear.

How A Jackson Quadriplegic And Lander Mom Are Opening Outdoors To The Disabled

Wyoming’s rugged terrain is difficult for people in top physical shape to navigate, and nearly impossible for those with disabilities. A Jackson quadriplegic and mom from Lander are changing that, making adaptive devices available when insurance won’t.

Renée JeanOctober 18, 2026

Sue’s Safe! Fully-Tacked Horse Rescued After A Week Lost In Yellowstone

Sue, a 15-year-old fully outfitted palomino gelding, was rescued Friday after spending a week lost in a remote area of southwest Yellowstone. "The only things lost were my bridle, my phone, and a little weight on Sue," the horse's owner told Cowboy State Daily.

Andrew RossiOctober 18, 2026

Images from a video taken by the Steve and Vlada March family shows a violent eruption of Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park on July 23, 2024.

15,000-Year-Old Geyser Data Found In Yellowstone Lakes Predicts Next 15,000 Years

New scientific research reveals how Yellowstone National Park's geysers have carved through the area over the past 15,000 years. They're using what they find at the bottom of freshwater lakes in the park's geyser basins to predict the next 15,000 years.

Andrew RossiOctober 18, 2026

Black-footed ferrets are doing OK in the vast Shirely Basin but are apparently struggling near Meeteetse, where they were discovered in 1981.

45 Years After Black-Footed Ferrets Found Near Meeteetse, None Show Up For Count

Forty-five years after black-footed ferrets thought to be extinct were surprisingly rediscovered near Meeteetse, the population is struggling again. None were spotted during the latest population survey there, which wrapped up last month.

Mark HeinzOctober 17, 2026

Nathan Hunter says he practically stepped on this big mule deer buck before the buck jumped up, giving him a shot opportunity.

'Being Too Lazy' Pays Off For Hunter Who Bags Buck When It Jumps Out At Him

A hunter said laziness turned to good fortune when a big mule deer buck hunkered down in hiding jumped out of brush when he was just a few feet away. Biologists say big bucks learn that the "dirty trick" of hiding is safer during hunting season.

Mark HeinzOctober 15, 2026

The moment Luna’s owners and rescuers found her in a Missy trap on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, after 34 days on the loose in Yellowstone National Park.

'We Got Her!’: 10 Pounds Lighter, Dog Rescued After 34 Days In Yellowstone

After surviving 34 days in Yellowstone National Park and losing 10 pounds, a 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier was safely trapped Wednesday and reunited with her family. Searchers say they had only a few days before having to suspend the search for the winter.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 14, 2026

BLM Plans To Round Up 1,800 Mustangs In Red Desert For Adoption And Re-Sale

Wild-horse advocates say they'll be watching beginning Thursday when the BLM begins rounding up 1,800 mustangs from the Red Desert Complex for adoption and re-sale. The agency says it must reduce the herd to "sustainable levels" of 480-720 horses.

Mark HeinzOctober 14, 2026

Matthew Stowe said this elk he shot south of Chugwater seemed perfectly healthy, but it was suffering from a rare condition called “nutmeg liver.”

Hunter Kills Elk, Finds Out It Has Rare ‘Nutmeg Liver,’ Decides To Eat Meat Anyway

A Cheyenne hunter was surprised by the bizarre speckles he found on his elk’s liver, a rare condition known in the hunting community as “nutmeg liver,” which is caused by a bad heart. He decided to eat the meat anyway, which a biologist says is OK.

Mark HeinzOctober 13, 2026

The Dodge Ram pickup truck owned by Jason and Marie Ann Jaskula was totaled Thursday night after hitting a 2,000-pound bull bison in Yellowstone National Park. The bison died from its injuries.

Yellowstone Seasonal Workers Stranded After Hitting 2,000-Pound Bison, Destroying Truck

Marie Ann and Jason Jaskula totaled their Dodge Ram when hitting a 2,000-pound bull bison in Yellowstone late last week. Now they have to find a way to haul out their fifth-wheel — also their home — before the park's interior roads close soon.

Andrew RossiOctober 12, 2026

Luna, an 18-pound Jack Russell, has been loose in Yellowstone National Park since Sept. 10, and the people trying to bring her home are running out of time.

Clock Is Ticking For Tiny Terrier Missing In Yellowstone For More Than A Month

An 18-pound Jack Russell terrier escaped a cabin and has survived more than a month in Yellowstone, but the clock is ticking. Last spotted on Friday, If she isn't caught in a week, search efforts will be suspended and Luna will be on her own for the winter.

Emma Jane JacksonOctober 12, 2026

Sue, a 15-year-old palomino, went missing during a packing trip near the Bechler Ranger Station in Yellowstone’s southwest corner on Friday. The horse's owners are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who finds and rescues the horse. "We are heartbroken, worried sick, and hoping for a good outcome," they told Cowboy State Daily.

Fully-Tacked Horse Missing Near Yellowstone's Most Remote Entrance

Another horse has gone missing and its owners desperately want it back. The 15-year-old palomino disappeared during a packing trip near Yellowstone’s most remote entrance Friday. "We are heartbroken," the owner said. “He’s very gentle and loves people."

Andrew RossiOctober 12, 2026

Marty Dupertuis Jr. bagged a huge bull elk while hunting with his dad in the South Fork near Cody.

'It Was Amazing': Autistic Teen Bags Big Bull Elk On Father-Son Hunting Trip

When autistic teen Marty Dupertuis Jr. killed a big bull elk last week, nobody was prouder than his parents, Maria and Marty Dupertuis. The Park County couple has discovered hunting is a great way to bond with their son and teach him life skills.

Mark HeinzOctober 12, 2026

Chandra Ahlquist owns Sterling Fox Taxidermy in Loveland, Colorado, where she makes floppy taxidermied animals — what she calls "the ultimate couch companions."

Colorado Woman Calls Her Floppy Taxidermy The ‘Ultimate Couch Companions’

The future of taxidermy will be cuddlier if it’s up to a Colorado woman who specializes in soft-mount animals — aka floppy taxidermy. They're as posable and huggable as a plush toy but made from real predator pelts. Why get a teddy bear when you can snuggle a coyote, she says.

Andrew RossiOctober 10, 2026