Mark Heinz
Mark Heinz covers the outdoors and wildlife for Cowboy State Daily.
He previously worked or freelanced for numerous newspapers and magazines across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, covering all manner of news and feature stories. He has a strong background in topics related to wildlife, hunting, and wildlands conservation. He's written extensively since the 1990s about the controversies surrounding wolves, grizzly bears and mustangs.
He also enjoys people-centric stories with quirky edge of humor and has written several such pieces for Cowboy State Daily.
Mark lives in Laramie with his wife, Kendy, and the youngest of their five children.
Latest from Mark Heinz
Hunters Wonder How Far Is Too Far To Shoot Big Game Using Technology
Some hunters claim that technology, such as rifles designed to shoot 1,000 yards or more, is ruining the sport. The issue has also sparked a debate about how ethical it is to shoot game from extreme distances.
Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2025
30 Years Of Yellowstone Wolves: Feds Released Them In 1995 Without Telling Wyoming
30 years ago on Sunday, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone. Then-Wyoming Gov Jim Geringer recalls former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt gave the state no notice and told him not to worry because the wolves would never leave the park.
Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2025
Rescuers Risk Lives To Save Elk That Got Tangled In Rope On Colorado Cliffside
A young bull elk got its antlers tangled in a rope on a near-vertical hillside in Colorado last week, prompting a dangerous rescue attempt. Wildlife agents and a group of climbers risked their lives to save the animal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 10, 2025
In Brief: Wyoming Game And Fish Director Blasts Feds For Not Delisting Grizzlies
Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce on Thursday blasted the Biden administration’s decision to not take grizzly bears off the endangered list. She said the feds are undermining the state’s bear management work.
Mark HeinzJanuary 09, 2025
Proposed Bill Would Make Corner-Crossing Legal In Wyoming
The question of corner-crossing in Wyoming should be settled once and for all in favor of accessing public land, says a Wyoming legislator sponsoring a bill to make it legal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 09, 2025
Biden Won’t Delist Grizzlies; Gordon Blasts Decision As “Politics, Not Biology”
Grizzlies in the Lower 48 will remain under endangered species protection, federal officials announced Wednesday. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon slammed the decision as a parting shot from the outgoing Biden administration, calling it “politics, not policy.”
Mark HeinzJanuary 08, 2025
Owlmageddon! To Save Spotted Owls, Feds To Kill Nearly 500,000 Other Owls
To help save spotted owls, federal officials plan to kill nearly 500,000 of a similar species, barred owls. The barred owls are bigger and are hogging the spotted owls’ food, wildlife officials say.
Mark HeinzJanuary 08, 2025
If Wyoming Grizzlies Are Delisted, They Won’t Be On Restaurant Menus
Grizzlies might soon be delisted from federal protection and hunted in Wyoming, but don’t expect grizzly steaks on the menu at your favorite restaurant. Selling wild game meat is illegal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 07, 2025
Mutant Blue-Eyed Wyoming Mule Deer Fawn With A Light Coat Causing A Stir
A mutant Wyoming mule deer with striking blue eyes and a light coat is causing a stirr among wildlife watchers. It's a rare animal, but appears to be healthy, wildlife observers say.
Mark HeinzJanuary 06, 2025
Roadkill Lovers Using Tech So They Can Scoop Up & Eat
Fans of eating roadkill have created apps and social media alerts so as soon as roadkill is created, connoisseurs can go to the site, scoop up the remains and get them loaded up on a barbecue.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Tiny, Rare Wyoming Dog Tracks Down Elk For Hunters, Starred In TV Commercial
Mae, a tiny and rare Danish-Swedish farmdog from Cheyenne, tracks down elk and starred in a national TV commercial. She’s also one of only two of her breed known in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Wyoming Motorcycle Racer Recovers From Broken Back To Go Pro At 17
Jason Harris of Lyman, Wyoming, learned to ride a motorcycle at age 4. He broke his back in a 2023 crash, but recovered quickly and, at 17, is going pro as a long-distance racer.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Filtration Straws Are Good For Drinking From Rivers But Probably Not Raw Sewage
Specialized filtration straws allow people to drink safely from mountain streams, rivers, and lakes. Wyoming outdoorsmen told Cowboy State Daily they work great but don't recommend trying it on raw sewage.
Mark HeinzJanuary 04, 2025
Rare Whitetail-Mule Deer Fight Highlights Conflict Between Wyoming Species
A rare fight caught on video between a mule deer and whitetail buck highlights the conflict between the species in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2025
Once Just A Problem For Deer, Deadly CWD Now Might Explode In Wyoming Elk Herds
Chronic wasting disease has been a problem for deer herds in Wyoming. Now that it’s been found in an elk in the Jackson area, hunters might have to get used to it being everywhere.
Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025
Bigfoot Hunters Die Searching For Sasquatch In Washington Forest
Two men died looking for bigfoot in a remote part of Washington state, sparking a three-day search and rescue effort. A Wyoming archaeology professor says their deaths were in vain because the creatures have never been proven to exist.
Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025
Wyoming Fisherman Camped On Ice Wakes Up To Find He Drifted Away After Ice Broke
An ice fisherman camping on Ocean Lake in Fremont County was stranded after a section of ice broke off Saturday. He drifted into the lake only to wake up hundreds of yards from shore.
Mark HeinzDecember 31, 2024
Wyoming Moose Fear Wolves, But Coastal Moose Have To Watch Out For Killer Whales
In Wyoming, moose worry about wolves and grizzlies. In coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, moose have to look out to keep from being eaten by killer whales.
Mark HeinzDecember 30, 2024
Californians Freak Out Over Meat-Eating Squirrels, But They’ve Always Been Cannibals
A recent report about meat-eating ground squirrels has freaked out Californians, but it’s really nothing new. In Wyoming, the burrowing rodents are notorious for cannibalism.
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024
‘Big Wonderful Wyoming’ Mud Flaps Used To Be Everywhere. Now, They’re A Vintage Novelty
There was a time when nearly every pickup and Jeep in Wyoming — and neighboring states — sported huge “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mud flaps. Whatever happened to them?
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024
Yellowstone’s Famed One-Eyed Wolf 907F Dies After Fight With Rival Pack
After living triple the average wolf’s lifespan, Yellowstone National Park’s famed Wolf 907F died Christmas Day. She succumbed to injuries she suffered in a fight with other wolves a few days earlier.
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024