In This Article
The Animals
Wyoming is a lot like Australia. It's massive, it's stunning, it's wild — and a surprising number of things in it want you dead. If you're thinking about moving here or just visiting, consider this your survival briefing.
1. Bears — Wyoming has both black bears and grizzlies. Black bears generally mind their own business. Grizzlies are territorial, enormous, and the reason "bear spray" is a line item in every Wyoming household budget. The population is booming, and encounters are increasing every year.
2. Buffalo (Bison) — Every year, the locals watch a tourist — affectionately called a "touron" — get way too close to a buffalo and get absolutely wrecked. Gored, trampled, launched into the air. These animals are massive, fast, and completely indifferent to your Instagram photo.
3. Wolves — The wolf packs around Yellowstone are getting huge. The Wapiti Lake pack runs 20 strong. They've learned to take down bison — an animal that made #2 on this list. Multiple backcountry encounters have included wolves entering camp at night, circling tents, sniffing around.
4. Mountain Lions — Wyoming has an estimated 2,000 mountain lions. They're generally afraid of anything over 90 pounds, but every couple years one moves into town and starts taking dogs out of yards.
The Smaller Killers
5. Black Widow Spiders — Wyoming's most venomous spider. Nobody's died from one since 1983, but a bite delivers 3-7 days of muscle spasms, abdominal cramps, and regret. The females are the dangerous ones.
6. Rattlesnakes — Two species: the midget faded rattlesnake and the prairie rattlesnake. Both aggressive, both everywhere. They show up on riverbanks while you're fly fishing, under outhouse lips on trailheads, and in tall grass halfway up Heart Mountain where you thought you were safely above rattlesnake elevation. You weren't. Talk to your vet about the rattlesnake vaccine — most vets in the Basin recommend it.
The Terrain
7. Hot Springs & the Supervolcano — Yellowstone's hot springs run around 205°F. Every few years, someone steps into one and is never found — just their shoes left on the edge. The supervolcano underneath it all is technically trying to kill everyone on the continent, but it's been charging up for 640,000 years, so we're cautiously optimistic.
8. Mountains & Falling — The Thoroughfare is the most remote stretch of land in the continental U.S. To access it, you cross a narrow passage called the Catwalk. Horses fall. Riders go with them. People die.
9. Avalanches — If you're snowmobiling or backcountry skiing in Wyoming, take the avalanche safety class. It's not optional — it's survival. Massive slabs break free without warning, and you're not outrunning one.
The Surprise Entries
10. Water Hemlock — Also called cowbane or poison parsnip. It looks almost identical to wild carrot and wild parsnip, grows in the same spots along streams, and will kill you if you eat it. The safest foraging strategy in Wyoming: skip the plants, eat beef. Identify a cow. Much easier. If you're interested in foraging, take a class with a local expert — misidentification in Wyoming can be fatal, and this article is not a field guide.
Bonus: February — Cold snaps can drop to -20°F — Cody averages 13 days a year at or below zero, and February hogs most of them. Keep a -35° sleeping bag in your truck, water, food, tire chains, and fire-starting supplies. February in Wyoming will absolutely try to kill you. Be a snowbird if you need to — head to Phoenix, come back in March.
This article is based on content from The Wyoming Project YouTube channel. Watch the full video here.
Despite everything on this list, Wyoming is still the most beautiful place in America. See what's available and come find out for yourself.
If something on this list actually shows up at your door — a moose in the yard, a rattlesnake in the garage — you can call us. Seriously. Our clients do. We've lived here long enough to know who to call for every weird situation Wyoming throws at you, and that doesn't expire when the paperwork is signed.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Reading this does not create a broker-client relationship. Some content was created with the assistance of AI tools and may contain errors — always verify current information with the appropriate local authorities, licensed professionals, and service providers before making any decisions. Regulations, costs, and market conditions change frequently. When in doubt, consult a qualified attorney, inspector, or other expert.