Outdoors Reporter

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.

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Latest from Mark Heinz

There’s a dispute over exactly where the boundary line is between land owned by the South Dakota ranchers Heather and Charles Maude and national grassland controlled by the Forest Service. The couple was served federal indictments alleging theft of government property.

Retired Rangers Alarmed, But Not Surprised, By Armed Fed Confronting S.D. Ranchers

Retired rangers say they’re alarmed, but not surprised, with the heavy-handed treatment a South Dakota ranch couple got. Instead of working out a solution to a fence dispute, they were given federal indictments by an armed agent in tactical gear.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2024

Madison Findley-Dickson, 3, was attacked by a black bear in her tent at a private campground near Yellowstone National Park on Sunday night, Aug. 11, 2024.

Black Bear Goes Into Tent To Attack 3-Year-Old Girl Near Yellowstone

A black bear went into a tent to attack a 3-year-old girl at a private campground near Yellowstone on Sunday. Wildlife officials later killed the bear, which was drawn in by food that had been left out at the campsite.

Mark HeinzAugust 14, 2024

Heather and Charles Maude, owners of Maude Hog & Cattle near Caputa, South Dakota, were each served with separate federal indictments over a fence line dispute with the U.S. Forest Service.

Outrage At Feds In Tactical Gear Indicting S.D. Ranchers Over 75-Year-Old Fenceline

Ranchers across the U.S. have expressed outrage over the Forest Service prosecuting a South Dakota ranch couple for allegedly stealing public land. The feds, who showed up armed and in tactical gear, say a fence that’s been on the owners' land for 75 years crosses a boundary with federal grasslands.

Mark HeinzAugust 13, 2024

Huge brown bear cubs at the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary in Alaksa.

Once Terrified Of Grizzlies, Wyoming Author Now Says They’re Just Misunderstood

Kevin Grange of Jackson, Wyoming, was once terrified of grizzly bears. But after years of living and working around them, he’s written a new book detailing how they’re just misunderstood.

Mark HeinzAugust 12, 2024

Wildlife photographer Pete Arnold captured this perfect moment with burrowing owls by putting a GoPro camera near their burrow on the edge of Cheyenne, and setting it to take photos every five seconds.

It Took 4,000 Shots, But Cheyenne Photographer Catches Owls At Perfect Moment

Armed with a GoPro camera and a ton of patience, Pete Arnold of Cheyenne caught a perfect image of tiny owls frolicking near their burrow on the edge of town. But it took almost 4,000 shots to get it.

Mark HeinzAugust 11, 2024

Owen Miller used a traditional recurve bow to kill this huge cinnamon-colored black bear in southern Wyoming. It’s in the running to be one of the biggest bears ever taken in the state.

Hunter Bags One Of Wyoming’s Biggest Bears Ever With Traditional Recurve Bow

A Wyoming hunter bagged one of the state’s biggest bears ever with a traditional recurve bow. Owen Miller started off with a rifle, then a compound bow, but finally switched to the more challenging recurve bow to get his black bear.

Mark HeinzAugust 11, 2024

An old injury, possibly from fighting with another deer, caused this mule deer buck’s rare club-shaped antler. A Green River homeowner said the buck’s been hanging out in his yard.

Weird-Looking Buck With Club Antler Joins Green River Urban Deer Herd

A young mule deer buck with a rare antler deformity has joined an urban herd in Green River, Wyoming. A homeowner said he doesn’t mind the deer with a club antler on his property, except when he has to clean up deer droppings.

Mark HeinzAugust 10, 2024

Smoke and sparks burst from the muzzle of an historically authentic black powder cartridge rifle during a shooting match at the Smithmoor BPCR Range near Carpenter on Thursday.

Smoke And Thunder Light Up Wyoming Family’s Premier Black Powder Rifle Range

During the 1980s farm crisis, the Smith Family nearly lost their land near Carpenter. Their farm is now the site of the Smithmoor BPCR Range – one of country’s premiere sites for competitive matches between old-fashioned rifle enthusiasts.

Mark HeinzAugust 10, 2024

A badger that was captured in Casper adjusts to its new home, right near a prairie dog town. Prairie dogs are badgers’ favorite prey.

Wyoming’s Urban Badgers Follow Prairie Dogs Into Towns

Urban badgers have been following prairie dogs into Wyoming towns and raising a ruckus. But don’t expect local animal control to handle them, because only certified critter catchers can get them out of town.

Mark HeinzAugust 10, 2024

A Wyoming bull elk with a group of females.

Wyoming Hunters: Out-Of-State Landowners Make It Tougher To Get To Elk

Across Wyoming and the U.S. West, elk herds are thriving, but hunting them is getting tougher. As more out-of-state landowners cut off access, hunting experts say still there’s plenty hunters can do.

Mark HeinzAugust 08, 2024

A Minnesota man posted photos of how his Cybertruck withstood an assault by raccoons. What people have been quick to point out is the critters think it looks like a dumpster.

Raccoons Mistake Cybertruck For Dumpster, And Wyoming Auto Experts Agree

A Minnesota man excited that his Cybertruck is raccoon proof has been teased mercilessly that the critters think his expensive EV is a dumpster. And Wyoming auto experts agree with the raccoons.

Mark HeinzAugust 06, 2024

Susannah Bletner of Lander captured this video of two large male Western diamondback rattlesnakes “dancing” in Sinks Canyon. It turns out the snakes were actually wrestling for territorial dominance.

“Dancing” Wyoming Rattlers Actually Rare Video Of Males Fighting For Territory

An avid hiker from Lander caught video of two large rattlesnakes “dancing” in Sinks Canyon last week. What she captured was rare video of two males wrestling for territorial dominance.

Mark HeinzAugust 05, 2024

Other Authors

Zach Martin and Konner Hafner of Rock Springs wanted a place to shoot near town during the evenings, without the setting sun in their eyes. So they set up this steel plate target, east of town and left it there for everybody to use.

Rock Springs Shooters Set Up Target So Everyone Can Smack Steel With Bullets

Some friends from Rock Springs who like collecting and shooting vintage military rifles also believe in community service. They cleaned up a patch of public land near town and set up a steel target so everybody can smack it with bullets.

Mark HeinzAugust 05, 2024

Canadian Cree Bella Twin, 63 at the time, poses with the hide of huge grizzly bear and the single-shot .22 rifle she used to kill the bear in 1953.

Grandma Who Killed Huge Grizzly With 1 Shot From .22 Still Amazes Wyoming Hunters

One of the largest grizzlies ever recorded was killed in 1953 with a single shot from a .22 rifle wielded by a 63-year-old grandmother in Canada. She had hunted and trapped her entire life, so she knew bear anatomy well -- and knew where to place the shot.

Mark HeinzAugust 04, 2024

Wyoming, Montana Done Waiting, Give Feds Deadline To Delist Grizzlies

The governors of Wyoming and Montana both say their states are done waiting for grizzly bears to be delisted from endangered status. Both governors said they will initiate lawsuits if the decision is not made quickly.

Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2024

Amanda Wylie of Queens, New York, fell in love with the West after a trip to Yellowstone years ago. This year, she had a terrifying close encounter with a grizzly in Montana’s Glacier National Park, but said she still wants to keep hiking out West.

New Yorker Has Terrifying Grizzly Encounter, Still Wants To Return To Wyoming

A hiker from Queens came face-to-face with a grizzly while hiking the Continental Divide earlier this summer. She filmed the encounter so when people found her phone, they would know how she died. But, because she didn't panic, she survived and wants to come back out west.

Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2024

A herd of Wyoming elk take a break at the foot of the Grand Tetons.

Frustrated Montana Landowners Want To Kill 50,000 Elk, Judge Says No

A Montana judge has shot down a demand by frustrated landowners let them kill 50,000 elk. Ranchers in Wyoming are dealing with similar problems with too many elk or deer eating their forage.

Mark HeinzAugust 02, 2024

The area where a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plane looped over Wyoming on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

Agency Says Plane That Looped Into Wyoming Airspace Wasn’t Tracking Wolves

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife plane that looped into Wyoming airspace Tuesday wasn’t tracking wolves, the agency says. But a Colorado wolf watchdog is skeptical and thinks the state isn’t being transparent about the predators.

Mark HeinzAugust 01, 2024

Spotting scopes made by Maven, a Lander optics company, are used by the Olympic archery teams from the USA, France and Great Britan.

Wyoming Optics Company On The World Stage At Paris Olympics

The precision spotting scopes being used by Olympic archery teams in Paris are made by a Lander, Wyoming, company. Maven has built a reputation for producing elite equipment for elite competitors.

Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2024

Don’t Believe Climatologist’s Claim It’s An Ideal 70 Degrees In Wyoming On Aug. 1

A climatologist is telling travelers they’ll have ideal 70-degree weather in Wyoming on Aug. 1. Anyone who believes that is going to roast, says meteorologist Don Day. It could actually get into the 80s, 90s or even triple digits.

Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2024

Abandoned or hazardous fences cause the deaths of countless wild animals around Wyoming.

Deaths of Wyoming Mule Deer Tangled In Old Barbed Wire Inspire Fence Removal

The prolonged, agonizing deaths of two Wyoming mule deer bucks that got entangled in barbed wire helped inspire the removal of 3 miles of old fence near Cody on Monday.

Mark HeinzJuly 30, 2024

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