Rotund, plump, hefty — go ahead and pick the fat synonym and it’ll likely aptly describe Grizzly 566, the second-heaviest grizzly bear ever documented in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The 19-year-old male was well known to biologists in Yellowstone National Park, where the big bear resides. As a 3-year-old in 2007, he weighed in at […]
Animals
Posted inAnimals
Historic die-off at Wyoming elk feedground prompts management changes
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile Biologist Ben Wise received the first feedground reports of lethargic elk calves on Feb. 25. He had a hunch about what was coming. As the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s disease biologist for the Jackson Region, Wise has been around long enough to know what was likely about to happen. Hoof rot. And death. There […]
Posted inAnimals
A record brood of baby bruins
Jackson Hole resident Tim Mayo was headed over to Victor, Idaho, to run errands in the middle of an October day when he eyed something sure to turn a head: a black bear sow tailed by a string of cubs. A real estate agent with a passion for wildlife and landscape photography, Mayo had his […]
Posted inWyoming
Game and Fish: Fall fishing offers ample opportunity, few crowds
By Breanna Ball, WGFD Public Information Officer CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Wyoming’s largest reservoir will be a hot spot for lake trout again this fall, and anglers can help the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in its management of the fishery. Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which is nearly 91 miles long and stretches in Wyoming and Utah, can provide […]
Posted inAnimals
Movement matters for mule deer during the fall
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Most humans have a consistent address, living in the same location year-round. Although occasional moves happen, most people stick to one area for all seasons. But we all know someone who lives in a warmer location during the winter and returns to a more moderate climate as things start to heat up. It’s not […]
Posted inWyoming Game and Fish Department
Chronic wasting disease detected in new Wyoming deer hunt area
JACKSON, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has confirmed the presence of chronic wasting disease, or CWD, in Wyoming’s Deer Hunt Area 154. The disease was detected in a hunter-harvested buck mule deer in September. Deer Hunt Area 154 is in the Jackson Region and is bordered by three areas in which CWD was previously […]
Posted inCommunity
Registration now open for University of Wyoming’s 2nd High Altitude Bull Test
The 2023-2024 test and sale include divisions for both yearlings and two-year-old bulls.
Posted inWyoming
WYDOT to host ribbon cutting on Dry Piney wildlife crossing project
LA BARGE, Wyo. — The Dry Piney wildlife crossing project, led by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department of Transportation, is now complete, and big game animals are actively using the underpasses. The project includes nine underpasses and 17 miles of 8-foot tall fencing on both sides of U.S. Highway 189 […]
Posted inAnimals
A new owl species has bred in Wyoming. Not everyone’s thrilled.
It’s too early to tell what the barred owls’ nest in Grand Teton National Park means for other wildlife, but some scientists are concerned about ecosystem ramifications.
Posted inCommunity
Yellowstone Coalition buys out 1,600 acres from mining interest
CASPER, Wyo. — A nearly two-year effort to protect about 1,600 acres of wildlife habitat next to Yellowstone National Park from industrial gold mining was completed Sunday, according to a release Monday from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The campaign raised $6.25 million from thousands of donors nationwide to purchase the mineral rights, leases and claims […]
Posted inWyoming
Wondrous Wyoming (9/25/23)
CASPER, Wyo. — Wondrous Wyoming takes us to Casper Mountain on Thursday, Sept. 14, where Mike McLemore photographed Eric Easton, Mark Watson and Chris Smith. Do you have a photo that captures the beauty of Casper, Natrona County or Wyoming? Submit it via Facebook Messenger or email to news@oilcity.news and we may share it!
Posted inWyoming
Wondrous Wyoming (9/24/23)
CASPER, Wyo. — Wondrous Wyoming takes us to Sinclair, where photographer Jerry captured this image of deer taking a mid-September stroll! Do you have a photo that captures the beauty of Casper, Natrona County or Wyoming? Submit it via Facebook Messenger or email to news@oilcity.news and we may share it!
Posted inWyoming
Wondrous Wyoming (9/23/23)
CASPER, Wyo. — Wondrous Wyoming will take us to the Gros Ventre Wildnerness, where Lyle Morse of Jackson photographed this posing pronghorn! Do you have a photo that captures the beauty of Casper, Natrona County or Wyoming? Submit it via Facebook Messenger or email to news@oilcity.news and we may share it!
Posted inAnimals
Problem grizzly? Tribes find success diverting hikers in the Winds.
Rather than removing bears, tribal wildlife managers removed people to avoid conflicts. The approach has also been tried before in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Posted inAnimals
(PHOTOS) Cheyenne firefighters rescue bear from tree
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — An unexpected visitor stopped by Cheyenne the weekend of Sept. 9. A resident called to report a bear near Clear Creek Park. Its paw appeared to be hurt but it managed to climb up into a tree, according to a Facebook post by the Cheyenne Police Department. Officers worked with the Wyoming […]
Posted inAnimals
(VIDEO) Wondrous Wyoming: Bear steals bird feeder on Casper Mountain
CASPER, Wyo. — Wondrous Wyoming is usually a photo of our beautiful state, but Wyoming is wild, too. This video, shared by Gary Crosby, shows a bear that recently climbed onto his Casper Mountain home deck, about 12 feet off the ground. It jumped up on the railing, another 3 feet, and then reached out […]
Posted inAnimals
Wyoming is killing Colorado’s wolves, again, and the state’s keeping it secret
Wyoming officials say they’re muzzled, citing statute that protects the identity of those who legally kill wolves as grounds for not sharing any information with the public or even officials south of the state line.
Posted inCity
Metro Animal Services facilities get a boost from fifth-cent funds
CASPER, Wyo. — Metro Animal Services is set to use funds from One Cent No. 17, a cycle of the optional 1% sales tax also known as fifth-cent, in the amount of $150,000 for facility upgrades, with the aim of providing an enhanced experience for both the community and the animals Metro cares for, according […]
Posted inWyoming
How to wrangle Grand Teton crowds? Park seeks public input.
As visitation grows, GTNP is looking for input on how users view management instead of proposing specific plans like timed-entry or park reservations.
Posted inWyoming
Killing more lions to boost Wyoming deer draws scant support
by Mike Koshmrl, WyoFile Laramie resident Sylvia Bagdonas asked Wyoming Game and Fish commissioners to “not disappoint the public” as they mull a 50% hike in mountain lion hunting in western Wyoming to help mule deer populations that took a beating last winter. “After reading news accounts about this proposal it seems that the boosts in hunting quotas […]
Posted inNational Park
Caution advised as Yellowstone enters elk mating season
CASPER, Wyo. — The annual elk mating season, widely known as the rut, has started in Yellowstone National Park, and park officials are issuing stern warnings to visitors to keep their distance and prioritize safety. During this season, bull elk are especially unpredictable and can act aggressively, posing risks to those who get too close. […]
Posted inLatest News
Game and Fish: Sage grouse lek activity increases
GILLETTE, Wyo. — Male sage grouse numbers were up at active mating grounds this year, which wildlife managers are contributing to good moisture that benefitted habitat combined with natural population cycles. This spring, observers counted 21 male sage grouse per active mating ground, or lek, totaling over 18,000 male birds seen on 81% of known, […]
Posted inOutdoors
Yellowstone presents alternative bison strategies in draft plan
Park officials are soliciting public comment on the plan, which comes on the heels of a tumultuous year for bison and people who hunt them.
