Wyoming

Wyoming Has Plenty Of Elk, But Hunters Aren’t Finding Them This Year

Published

1 year ago

December 6, 2024

Wyoming Has Plenty Of Elk, But Hunters Aren’t Finding Them This Year

Wyoming has no shortage of elk, and many of the state’s herds are as big as they’ve ever been, but finding them has been supremely challenging for hunters this year.

Massive wildfires that burned more than 850,000 acres struck prime elk habitat in some parts of the state, such as in the Bighorn Mountains above Dayton.

Elk were pushed down out of the mountains there and into mostly privately owned lowlands much earlier than usual, which ruined hunting seasons in that region.

And hunting was less than ideal in much of the rest of the state as well.

“It seems like across the board, everybody had a little harder time hunting elk this year,” Cade Cole, and avid backcountry elk hunter and hunting guide from the Dubois area, told Cowboy State Daily.

There’s still some opportunity for elk hunters who haven’t yet filled their freezers, as some late-season hunts run through the end of December.

Fires Push Hunters Around

Even in areas where the elk herds weren’t directly hit by the fires, there was still a ripple effect. Hunters who had their chances ruined in the burn areas piled into areas in the other parts of Wyoming, upping the competition there.

“The fire that was going on west of Dubois, that really took a lot of the land that people were hunting away,” said Cole, who runs 3C Outfitting. “So there was a lot of hunters hunting in areas where they don’t normally go.

“I think there was increased hunter competition and a lot of hunter displacement, because they weren’t able to hunt where they normally hunt.”

Pat Ginder, owner of At Ease Hunting, offers guided hunts across central Wyoming, from Casper to Rawlins.

He told Cowboy State Daily that he didn’t see an uptick in elk hunters in that region.

That’s likely because the elk hunt areas his company guides in are limited quota. That means hunters must apply ahead of time to draw elk tags that are limited in number and specific to those areas.

He did, however, see a noticeable jump in the number of deer hunters this fall. Many of the deer hunt areas in that region are for general tags, which may be bought over the counter.

He thinks many of the newcomers out after deer might have been displaced from their usual hunting spots by the fires.

Hot Weather Didn’t Help Either

On top of the fires, it was also an usually hot, dry fall, Cole said. That could have thrown off the timing of the elk rut, or mating season.

Archery hunters in particular count on using calls to lure in bull elk during the rut.

Elk are “always on the move” anyway, and the hot, dry conditions could have changed the patterns of their movement, he said.

That could explain why some hunters weren’t seeing elk in areas where they had consistently found herds in the past, Cole said.

Cade Cole hunts and guides hunts for elk in the Dubois area. He said hunting was rough this year in the aftermath of massive wildfires. (Courtesy Cade Cole)

Scouting Pays Off

Ginder said he had a good year in central Wyoming, with numerous clients happy with filling elk tags. He credits that to thorough scouting of his hunt areas during the summer, well before the season opened.

Elk move in patterns, but those patterns can change because of a variety of factors, including weather, the availability of forage and water, and pressure from hunters, he said.

Herds also are led by wise, older cow elk.

“The lead cow is always going to take her herd where she feels it is safe,” he said.

Elk patterns changed this year because of a confluence of factors, Ginder said. There was the devastating winter of 2022-2023, during which many big game animals froze or starved to death.

That was followed by the relatively mild winter of 2023-2024, but then a drought came on the heels of that, Ginder said.

Factoring all of that in, scouting this summer wasn’t so much about spotting elk as it was a matter of gauging the quality of the habitat, he said.

“It’s not just electronic (checking online maps). It’s about getting out there and finding where there’s still water, where there’s still feed, and the places off the beaten path where there will be fewer people,” he said.

Competition Won’t Ease Up

Across much of Wyoming, and particularly in the eastern part of the state, elk herds continue to thrive. Some herd units remain well above population objectives set by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

But regardless of what Mother Nature does in terms of fires and weather, the competition among hunters will likely keep increasing too, Cole said.

“It seems almost like elk hunting has become a popular fad. I think there’s a lot of non-residents coming in, and a lot of residents who might not have been interested in it before, but have taken a greater interest in it,” he said.

Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Has Half Of The West’s 26 100-Year-Old Dude Ranches

Published

7 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Has Half Of The West’s 26 100-Year-Old Dude Ranches

Like many rabbit holes, it all started with a simple question.

About two years ago, Jaye Wells was at a small gathering in Cody when the topic of the 2026 centennial anniversary of the Dude Ranchers’ Association came up.

Wells asked how many dude ranches in the country had a comparable 100-year legacy to the Cody-based member organization.

“Nobody in the room knew,” said Wells, co-founder of the True Ranch Collection, with a portfolio of dude ranches around the West, including the Blackwater Creek Lodge and Guest Ranch in Cody.

Thus began a yearslong and, at times laborious, project of tracking down the number of dude ranches in operation since 1926, which are commemorated in “100 Years of Dude Ranching,” a coffee-table-style book published by Wells in December.

Though it took a lot of digging through records at the Wyoming Historical Society, old newspaper clippings and cross-referencing family records, the team behind the book finally identified a fitting answer to Wells’ question.

Of the 94 dude ranches that are members of the association today, 26 were in operation and accepting guests a century ago.

“That shocked us,” Wells said. “Every ranch has got its own little curiosity.”

The team behind the book was strict about the criteria it established: To be included in the book, a dude ranch must have been accepting guests in 1926. Had they expanded their criteria, the list would have been even longer.

“There are a lot of ranches that are 97 or 98 years old,” Wells said.

A Tribute To Hospitality

As much as the book celebrates the long legacy of dude ranching, it also serves as a tribute to a unique way of life — particularly in Wyoming.

The state is home to half of the 26 centennial ranches: A Bar A Ranch (Encampment), Absaroka Ranch (Dubois), Blackwater Creek Lodge and Guest Ranch (Cody), CM Ranch (Dubois), Crossed Sabres Ranch (Cody), Darwin Ranch (Jackson), Eatons’ Ranch (Wolf), the Hideout Lodge and Guest Ranch (Shell), Medicine Bow Lodge and Guest Ranch (Saratoga), Paradise Guest Ranch (Buffalo), Rimrock Ranch (Cody), Shoshone Lodge and Guest Ranch (Cody), and Triangle X Ranch (Moose).

As the book details, the origins of dude ranching trace back to the 1880s, when a ranch near modern-day Medora, North Dakota, began charging guests from back East room and board when they’d come out West to hunt bison and other big game.

The word “dude” had become a popular term by that time for a man with fancy duds.

More and more ranches started opening up to guests in the 1900s, including welcoming many young men whose parents had sent them West to dry out and stay out of trouble.

“You had to be wealthy to stay at a dude ranch back in the day,” Wells said.

But life on these ranches today might look surprisingly similar to a century ago.

Ranch hands might start rounding up horses at 4:30 in the morning and preparing breakfast so it’s ready for guests when they awaken, Wells said. In addition to historic photos of the ranches, photographer Scott Baxter spent four months on the road capturing how the ranches look now.

While still offering a vacation that’s more expensive than a typical tourist might be able to afford, Wells said one of the constants at the centennial ranches spread across four states is the service and experience they offer.

“The strongest element that’s kept dude ranching going all that time is a common denominator,” Wells said. “It’s the desire to offer great hospitality.”

As much as the book celebrates dude ranches, it’s also a tribute to a unique way of life, particularly in Wyoming. “It’s such a tough business, but it’s such a joy,” said Jaye Wells, who owns the Blackwater Creek Lodge & Guest Ranch in Cody. (Courtesy Scott T. Baxter)
It was while kicking around ideas for the 100-year anniversary of the Dude Ranching Association that Jaye Wells asked how many ranches have a similar legacy. “Nobody in the room knew,” Wells recalled. That’s how the new book “100 Years of Dude Ranching” was born. (Courtesy Scott T. Baxter)
As much as the book celebrates dude ranches, it’s also a tribute to a unique way of life, particularly in Wyoming. “It’s such a tough business, but it’s such a joy,” said Jaye Wells, who owns the Blackwater Creek Lodge & Guest Ranch in Cody. (Courtesy Scott T. Baxter)
As much as the book celebrates dude ranches, it’s also a tribute to a unique way of life, particularly in Wyoming. “It’s such a tough business, but it’s such a joy,” said Jaye Wells, who owns the Blackwater Creek Lodge & Guest Ranch in Cody. (Courtesy Scott T. Baxter)

Pressures To Modernize

Even so, dude ranch owners do feel some pressure to modernize to appease guests who have become downright uncomfortable unplugging.

Such changes have seen ranches offering Wi-Fi, say, or packing days with lots of activities.

Even though guests will quickly learn that riding a horse all day is exercise in and of itself, Wells said he’s felt that pressure, too. “We have a full-blown exercise room at White Stallion Ranch,” he said of one of his ranches near Tucson, Arizona. “You have to have it now.”

What’s more, even though guests will rave about how relaxing they find their stay or how much they appreciate the quality time with loved ones, they’re booking shorter and shorter stays.

In the 1920s, people from out East might come to a ranch for months at a time, and there was a time not so long ago when a one- or two-week stay was the norm.

“Now, guests only want to stay three nights. That’s the number one trend in the business we see,” Wells said. “We forget we’re so connected now, it’s almost too much. We’re being bombarded by information 24 hours a day.”

Wyoming has 13 100-year-old dude raches, half of the 26 centennial dude ranches in the West. That's one of the things the team behind the new book — Wyoming has 13 100-year-old dude raches, half of the 26 centennial dude ranches in the West. That’s one of the things the team behind the new book “100 Years of Dude Ranching” learned in documenting the industry’s century of Western hospitality. Above is a scene from the Blackwater Creek Ranch. (Courtesy Scott T. Baxter)

‘It’s Such A Joy’

Putting this book together gave Wells a newfound appreciation for the diversity of Wyoming’s topography and landscapes.

The project also offered constant reminders about why he loves dude ranching so much and how pivotal the business was to shaping the West.

Of course, he’s also reminded of how unique this business is while conversing with guests over the years — including tourists from abroad who marvel at the idea of being able to shoot a gun, spend a week bonding with a horse or simply get to decompress in a way they haven’t been able to do since childhood.

“I would venture to say it’s one of the most iconic symbols in the world,” Wells said of dude ranching. “It’s such a tough business, but it’s such a joy.”

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Wyoming

(PHOTOS) Casper Holistic Expo packs the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds

Published

19 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

(PHOTOS) Casper Holistic Expo packs the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds

CASPER, Wyo. — There was magic, or something like it, in the air on Saturday as the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds presented the 2026 Casper Holistic Expo, Casper’s longest running holistic expo and a hallmark of the beginning of spring in Natrona County.

Countless vendors from Casper and beyond gathered with their goodies to present them to eager customers searching for something a little different.

The holistic expo featured crystal and metaphysical shops, tattoo and body piercing studios, henna and glitter tattoo studios, holistic shops, tarot readings, fortune tellers, magic and so much more. There was truly something for everyone, and Christina Kuhn, the lead organizer, said that nobody who came to the expo would leave disappointed.

“This actually started over 20 years ago,” Kuhn said. “I’ve been doing it for years. My mom did it for seven years before me. And Judy Ick, who actually does our photography, she did it before that. So it’s been a very long, very longstanding and growing event.”

Kuhn said that the Holistic Expo has grown exponentially over the years.

“When Judy passed it down to mom, there were 38 booths,” she said. “After mom passed it down to me, there were 78. Now I think we’re up to, like, 98.”

The booths are as eclectic as the people who run them. There’s magic, mysticism and moonlight; storytellers and palm readers; conversationalists and creators. There are CBD products, organic teas, energy testing, and even fudge.

“Some of this is kind of a special niche,” Kuhn shared, “but some of it is not. We’ve got a chiropractor. We’ve got people that are working with healing modalities. Some of it’s spiritual stuff. We’ve got crafts, too.”

There’s a wide variety of vendors and customers as the Holistic Expo, and Kuhn said she wouldn’t want it any other way. The most important thing they do, Kuhn said, is donate to local nonprofits.

“People can either pay the $5 door fee — anybody that’s 13 or over — or they can donate five nonperishable goods,” Kuhn said. “We started donating that to poverty resistance, and then we did City Park Church. This year we’re donating to the Wyoming Food for Thought Project.”

Kuhn said this was just a simple way to give back to the community, a community she and her business have been a part of for years. Kuhn owns a store in downtown Casper called A Place for Passion, and the Holistic Expo also allows her to bring some merch from her store and put in on display with a variety of other items. It’s a fun way to spend a weekend, she said, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

“Good lord, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” she said. “I helped my mom with it for ages and she wanted somebody that would carry on and keep expanding and doing well with it. Before I was helping run the show and managing it, I was a booth. I started sharing a booth with my mom because I only had a few things and I wasn’t sure how well they’d sell. But then it just expanded and took off, and now here I am.”

Kuhn said it means a lot that she’s able to continue the Holistic Expo for her mother.

“It’s nice to keep expanding something, especially something that contributes so much to the community,” she said. “There are so many people that come out and enjoy everything that they get here. And it’s a big opportunity for them to connect with others, to connect with people that have stuff they want to offer them.”

That, Kuhn said, is her favorite part of the Holistic Expo — meeting people.

“It’s just nice connecting with people and helping them out in any way that you can,” she said. “Everybody’s got their own knowledge, gifts, products that they’re putting out — services, whatever it is. So being able to share that with others is awesome. You’ve got to come check it out. It’s an awesome experience. There’s a little something for everyone.”

The Casper Holistic Expo is happening Saturday until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Industrial Building at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds.

Photos from the Holistic Expo can be seen below:

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Wyoming

Wyoming teen discovers rare and ancient megalodon shark tooth off Florida coast

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming teen discovers rare and ancient megalodon shark tooth off Florida coast

A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida earlier this week.

Sixteen-year-old Aiden Andrews and his father Brian were on a guided dive with Fossil Junkies, a local fossil-hunting tour company.

Captain John Kreatsoulas told FOX 13 Tampa Bay reporter Kimberly Kuizon that while finding small megalodon teeth isn’t uncommon, finding one that size is quite rare.

Video captured the moments when Aiden and his father celebrated underwater after making the remarkable discovery.

Popularized by Hollywood monster movies, the Carcharocles megalodon was the largest shark to have ever lived, according to the Smithsonian Institution.

A 6-inch megalodon shark tooth was found by a Wyoming teen during a dive trip off Manasota Key, Florida. Fossil Junkies