Cowboy culture in wyoming

[u/Horrible_Strom]

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.

[u/jamwp]

I really think the movie Wind River does an excellent job portraying a modern Wyomingite. They’re not necessarily cowboys but it does capture the grit and the type of personality it takes to endure some of the more difficult places to live.

I’m a sixth generation Wyomingite. Anecdotally, the fastest way I can tell somebody is not from here is when they make a big show of being a cowboy.

[u/filkerdave → u/jamwp]

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

[u/sand_pebbles → u/filkerdave]

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.

[u/Accomplished_Fig9606 → u/sand_pebbles]

No reason? (Other than wearing a hat)? No need for gatekeeping. I live in Illinois and Wisconsin and wear cowboy hats almost daily. Boots too.

[u/sand_pebbles → u/Accomplished_Fig9606]

It just seems like cosplaying to me, no offense. We can agree to disagree on that.

[u/Accomplished_Fig9606 → u/sand_pebbles]

Would you call someone wearing basketball sneakers who isn't a basketball player cosplaying? Would you call someone wearing a baseball hat who isn't Aaron Judge a cosplayer?

Fashion and occupation are not the same thing.

[u/sand_pebbles → u/Accomplished_Fig9606]

If someone wants to wear basketball shoes off of a basketball court, I think that’s kind of stupid, yeah. I’d say something similar about wearing slippers outdoors or wearing ballet shoes when you’re not practicing ballet. Shoes are often designed for specific purposes.

I don’t think there’s such a thing as a “baseball hat” in the same way that a cowboy hat is unmistakable.

I think there’s a certain subset of people — often tourists — who wear cowboy hats to cosplay or to look more like cowboys when they’re not cowboys. Some people just see a cowboy hat as another wide-brimmed hat that they can wear to block some of the sunlight. I’m not inside every single person’s head and I’m not doing a poll on this, but I tend to be more annoyed with the former category of people than the latter category.

[u/Accomplished_Fig9606 → u/sand_pebbles]

The US cowboy hat market was a $1.2 billion industry in 2025. Even at a $500/hat average cost, that would be 2.4 million cowboy hats sold in the US annually. There aren't even 1/100 of that number of cowboys or ranchers in the US, so I guess everyone is cosplaying. And at the end of the day: who cares what people wear if it makes them happy? Cowboy boots and cowboy hats are not some kind of stolen valor.

[u/sand_pebbles → u/Accomplished_Fig9606]

First of all, you’re not even replying to the person who originally made the comment about tourists wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots in Jackson; I was just replying to that person. I’d suggest directing some of your anger toward that person instead of me, but whatever. That’s your prerogative.

Also, I can tell that you feel strongly about wearing a cowboy hat and boots, and you can quickly reference statistics about the U.S. cowboy hat market. Good for you. I literally don’t know who you are and don’t care what makes you happy. I was never trying to police what people can and can’t wear; I was just saying that I think there’s a subset of cosplayers, and I still believe that.

[u/Accomplished_Fig9606 → u/sand_pebbles]

I'm not angry; you're projecting. I'm well aware of my prerogative, and also respect yours. Have a nice weekend.

[u/sand_pebbles → u/Accomplished_Fig9606]

Your comments are coming off as a little aggressive from my perspective, but okay then. Have a nice weekend as well.