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

University of Wyoming students and others packed into the UW Union on Thursday to grab lunch at a newly-opened Chick-Fil-A outlet, the second one in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s 2nd Chick-fil-A Opens To Long Lines At University Of Wyoming

Long lines and huge crowds awaited the opening of the second Chick-fil-A in the state of Wyoming. The grand opening at the University of Wyoming was attended by hundreds of people and the Chick-fil-A cow mascot, who was urging customers to buy more chicken.

Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2024

Limpy the coyote, also known as Tripod, frequents the roadside in Yellowstone National Park, where he tries to score snacks by looking pathetic for tourists.

Yellowstone’s "Limpy The Coyote" Now Teaching Other Critters To Beg

Limpy the Coyote, Yellowstone's best-known animal con artist, is teaching other critters how to beg tourists for food. Wildlife observers say other coyotes have been picking up on the scam and following Limpy’s lead.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2024

YouTube gun channel celebrity Brandon Herrera speaks Tuesday morning in front of the Colorado Capitol building at a rally protesting a proposed “assault weapons ban” bill.

Hundreds Protest, Testify Against So-Called ‘Assault Weapons Ban’ In Colorado

With the so-called “assault weapons ban” bill before the Colorado Legislature, hundreds of gun rights supporters protested at state Capitol in Denver on Tuesday. One of the organizers was Dudley Brown, a Gillette native and president of the National Association for Gun Rights.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2024

Jacob and Bethany Balser said that they and their dog, Mavrick, were cornered late Monday by three vicious canines that may have been wolves.

Was An Evanston Couple Cornered By Wolves, Or Dogs?

An Evanston couple said they were terrified late Monday while out walking their dogs when they were cornered by three vicious canines that they suspect were wolves.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2024

Lawsuit Threatened To Re-List Wyoming Wolves As Endangered Species

A coalition of environmental groups announced they are planning to sue the federal government to get wolves reilisted as endangered in Wyoming. But Wyoming conservationists scoffed at the news stating these groups are attempting to weaponize the court system.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2024

Wyoming Elk, Antelope Adapt Better To Housing, Energy Developments Than Mule Deer

As housing and energy development continues in Wyoming, elk and antelope are more likely to adapt to avoid humans. Mule deer on the other hand are too stubborn to move and will keep their migration routes.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2024

Scott Werbelow of Meeteetse has worked for 30 years as a Wyoming Game and Fish Department game warden, and is sharing his experiences as the son of an unapologetic poacher.

‘Son Of A Poacher’ Recalls Wyoming Game Warden’s Career With Book Series

Though his father was a poacher, Scott Werbelow of Meeteetse grew up to have a 30-year career as a Wyoming game warden, and is writing a series of books about his experiences.

Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2024

Patricia Wyer gives treats to rescued racoons at the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center east of Cheyenne.

Blind Fox, Bobcats And ‘Stinkerbell’ The Skunk Share A Home At Wyoming Rescue

The goal of the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center east of Cheyenne is to rehab wildlife and return them to the wild. But when disabilities don't allow that, like the blind fox named 'Vixen,' they’ll live out the rest of their lives on the property.

Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2024

Sheridan Joins Running For $10M Wyoming Shooting Complex

Competition for which Wyoming community will be the site of a sprawling, multimillion-dollar shooting complex just got more intense with Sheridan joining the running with eight others.

Mark HeinzMarch 15, 2024

A grizzly sow and her cubs in Yellowstone.

Whatever Happened With Delisting Wyoming’s Grizzlies?

A year ago, Gov Mark Gordon’s office announced that he had struck a deal with the Fish and Wildlife Service that would very likely get grizzlies delisted within a year. But nothing has changed.

Mark HeinzMarch 15, 2024

Will Gordon Keep Campaign Promise To Sign Repeal Of Gun-Free Zones?

Then-candidate Mark Gordon promised in a Wyoming Gun Owners survey during his 2018 campaign that he’d sign legislation to eliminate gun-free zones in Wyoming. Now that bill is on his desk.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2024

The weather's perfect for snowmobiling or just staying warm inside with friends at the iconic Deer Haven Lodge, which reopened Thursday under new ownership.

Iconic Deer Haven Lodge Near Ten Sleep Reopens

After months of hard work new owners reopened the storied Deer Haven Lodge near Ten Sleep on Thursday. The lodge, which dates back to 1917, has long been a beloved getaway for Wyoming residents and visitors.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2024

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Montana Man, 80, Pleads Guilty To Creating Giant Mutant Hybrid Bighorns

A Montana man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal charges stemming from his creation of giant mutant hybrid bighorn sheep. Wyoming biologists said they don’t want weird mutant hybrid species here.

Mark HeinzMarch 13, 2024

This huge male grizzly was the first bear of the season to emerge from the den in Yellowstone National Park. It, another large male, made short work of a bison carcass.

Here Come The Bears: First Grizzlies Of The Season Spotted In Yellowstone

Yellowstone’s first grizzlies of the season have emerged from hibernation, including a pair of male grizzlies that quickly devoured a bison carcass that some coyotes had hoped to get. As for Grizzly 399, she usually wakes up in May.

Mark HeinzMarch 13, 2024

Eight Communities Competing For $10 Million Wyoming Shooting Complex

There are eight communities vying to be the home of a $10 million world-class shooting complex in Wyoming. Locations include: Campbell County, Natrona County, Park County, Cheyenne, Fremont County, Hot Springs County, Uinta County and Guernsey.

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2024

To eat during the winter, coyotes in Yellowstone National Park frequently catch voles burrowing in the snow.

How Do Coyotes Compete Against Bears & Wolves In Yellowstone? It Ain't Easy.

A Yellowstone National Park wildlife tech has studied how coyotes eke out a hard living competing with grizzlies and wolves, the park’s apex predators. It often means munching on voles and, for brave coyotes, nipping at wolves.

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2024

Central Wyoming Bighorn Reintroduction All But Certain, Ranchers Still Not Happy

A bill that could pave the way for bighorn sheep to return to Wyoming’s remote Sweetwater Rocks area passed the Legislature, but some are worried the feds or anti-grazing advocates could use bighorns as leverage to push ranchers out.

Mark HeinzMarch 11, 2024

For more than 50 years, the unique angular 90-foot-tall First United Methodist Church in Laramie has been a landmark, nicknamed the "Boat Church."

Iconic Laramie 90-Foot-Tall ‘Boat Church’ To Be Demolished

Laramie’s “Boat Church," which opened in 1968, towers 90 feet tall. But acoustically, it's always been terrible. When it first opened it had a 7-second echo. Plus, it's falling apart. So, it's scheduled to be demolished next week.

Mark HeinzMarch 09, 2024

Summer is a draft horse up for adoption through the Broken Bandit Wildlife Center near Cheyenne.

Wyoming Animal Rescue Adopts Massive 2,500-Pound Draft Horses

Patricia Wyer of Cheyenne has rescued many small animals through her Broken Bandit Wildlife Center. Recently, she started also fostering massive 2,500-pound draft horses.

Mark HeinzMarch 09, 2024

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Will Gordon Sign Or Veto Bill Eliminating Wyoming’s Gun-Free Zones?

A bill that would eliminate Wyoming’s gun-free zones is on Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk. Opinions in the Legislature are mixed on whether he’ll sign it, veto it or simply let it pass into law without a signature.

Mark HeinzMarch 09, 2024

The Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne is a gun-free zone, but a bill is moving through the Legislature that could lift the designation for many public places.

Only A Veto By Gov. Gordon Can Keep Wyoming’s Gun-Free Zones

A bill to eliminate Wyoming’s gun-free zones easily passed its final vote before the state’s Senate Thursday, 28-8, and is headed to Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk where only his veto can stop it from becoming law.

Mark HeinzMarch 08, 2024

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