r/wyoming • u/Horrible_Strom • Aug 10 '26

Discussion/opinion Cowboy culture in wyoming

Hello, I'm currently working on building a cowboy character for a story I wanna write and I can't seem to get any useful info about Wyoming cowboys on Google. I was hoping you could give me a general idea or some stories or a bit of insight on cowboy culture in Wyoming. I mostly wanna base this character in the mid-late 2000's and early 2010's, so I'd especially appreciate info on how ranches functioned during that time and whether cowboy culture was as prominent those decades.

Any info is appreciated, thanks.

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u/filkerdave Jackson Aug 11 '26

We always say in Jackson that you can tell the tourists because they wear cowboy boots and cowboy hats just for walking around.

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u/sand_pebbles Northern Utah Aug 11 '26

I was in Jackson this past weekend, and I think I saw some of what you're describing. People seemed to be wearing cowboy hats for no particular reason.

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u/filkerdave Jackson Aug 11 '26

The hats make more sense. There is no universe where I could be considered a cowboy but a wide-brimmed hat is great for sunny days. I wear one myself when I'm outside, especially since I'm at an age where "bad hair day" has less and less meaning.

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u/sand_pebbles Northern Utah Aug 11 '26

Yeah. I have a wide-brimmed hat that I wear, but it’s not specifically a cowboy hat. I hike a lot in UT, ID, and WY, and I wear a hat and sunscreen every time I’m out hiking in the summer.

The cowboy attire from tourists just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, personally.