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
Grizzly Habitat In Yellowstone Ecosystem Is Filling Up Fast, Biologist Says
Going just by the numbers, the grizzly population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is more than double the 500 bears designated as “recovered,” a top bear biologist told the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2024
Wyoming, Utah Call For No Limits On Flaming Gorge Lake Trout
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday voted to eliminate the catch limit on most lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir because they are diminishing the kokanee salmon population.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2024
As Grizzlies Fill In Corners Of Montana, Are They Closer To Mingling With Wyoming Bears?
Montana wildlife officials are telling people they should be prepared to run into grizzlies anywhere west of Billings – but it remains unclear whether a long expected mingling of Wyoming and Montana bears is imminent.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2024
Game Warden Involved In Wolf Torture Investigation Charged With DUI
Herbert “Bubba” Haley, one of the game wardens who investigated the capture, torture and killing of a wolf in Sublette County was charged with driving under the influence, according to court records.
Mark Heinz & Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2024
Rock Springs ‘Desert Rats’ Know Wyoming’s Adobe Town Better Than Anybody
Three friends from Rock Springs who call themselves the desert rats know Wyoming’s Adobe Town better than anybody. They’ve been exploring the huge, rugged expanses of southwest Wyoming for decades and say they’ve seen only a fraction of what’s out there.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2024
A New Hobby? Wyoming Scientists Looking For People To Go Out And Collect Ticks
For those who can stomach the task, Wyoming scientists need volunteers to go out and pick up ticks. “We need tick wranglers, please,” entomologist Mikenna Smith told Cowboy State Daily.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2024
Congress To Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Outlaw Killing Wildlife By Snowmobile
The high-profile case of a Wyoming wolf run down with a snowmobile, then tortured and killed, is now on the radar of Congress. A bipartisan bill called the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act would ban the practice nationwide.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
Wyoming's Killpecker Sand Dunes: "Don't Drink The Water, It'll Kill Your Pecker"
The name for Wyoming’s famous Killpecker Sand Dunes is said to have originated with a soldier’s warning that the water there could have an undesirable effect upon a certain part of the male anatomy. Despite that side effect, it's a great place to visit.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
Traveling Wyoming: Adobe Town Is Like Another Planet In The Middle Of Nowhere
A visit to Adobe Town in southwest Wyoming’s Red Desert is like being on another planet. To get there, take the Point of Rocks exit off Interstate 80 west of Rock Springs, hit the gravel roads and keep going. And going and going.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
In Brief: Wildlife Groups Mad After Snubbed By Committee
Wildlife advocates said they were snubbed and not allowed to comment during a legislative meeting earlier this week. A co-chair of a Wyoming Legislature joint committee says it was just a technical glitch.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
Animal Activists Sue To Put Wolves Back On Endangered List In Wyoming
Environmental and animal welfare groups are suing to having wolves relisted as an endangered species in Wyoming. A retired federal wildlife manager in Cody says that probably won’t happen.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2024
Hunter Uses Handgun To Finish Off Angry, Charging 1,000-Pound Kodiak Bear
When Tyce Erickson was charged by an enraged 1,000-pound Kodiak bear, he dropped it with three shots from his Smith & Wesson handgun. He swears by the gun and told Cowboy State Daily he’ll pack it in Wyoming for his upcoming elk hunt.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2024
Ammo Vending Machines Are A Thing: Would They Work In Wyoming?
Folks in Alabama and Oklahoma can now buy ammunition from vending machines in grocery stores. Wyomingites might not be ready for such a thing, especially if it cuts into sales for small businesses.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2024
Wyoming Game Wardens Target Bear Breaking Into Cabins In Snowies
A cabin owner in the Snowy Range is hopeful that a bear that has been breaking into cabins will leave the area because if game wardens catch it, they'll likely have to kill it. "That's the policy because it's a danger to humans," he said.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
Jackson Council Passes Resolution Recognizing 'The Rights Of Nature’
A new resolution from the Jackson Town Council proclaims that nature has rights. But the town's ecosystem stewardship administrator said it's not legally binding and trees, soil and rivers won't have the same legal standing as humans.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
New Wyoming Game And Fish Director Announced On Friday, First Woman In Position
Gov. Mark Gordon announced Friday that Angi Bruce will be the new director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, She’s the first woman to head the agency and inherits a department that is financially stable but has plenty of challenges.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
Comedian Highlights The Differences Between Colorado And Wyoming On Fireworks
In Colorado, fireworks are limited to sparklers and that's about it. Cross the state line into Wyoming and almost anything goes. Comedian Taylor Calmus makes that distinction in a viral video he made showing the differences between the two states.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
In Brief: Pilot Accidentally Turns Off Fuel Switch, Flips Plane In Albany County
A pilot accidentally turned off the fuel switch mid-flight on his plane on Wednesday morning and crash landed in rural Albany County. He suffered minor injuries.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
Reporter’s Notebook: ‘Star Spangled Banner’ On A Chainsaw A CSD Tradition
What started out as a way for outdoors writer to annoy his neighbors has become a patriotic Cowboy State Daily tradition. Mark Heinz comes in with his 2024 chainsaw rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
Black Bears Moving Further East, Now Pushing To Black Hills & Northeast Wyoming
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department say there's been an uptick of black bear activity in northeast Wyoming. One bear that had been tagged in the Laramie Mountain Range had traveled more than 175 miles before it was shot near Newcastle.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
Like In Wyoming, Pelicans Gobble Down Prized Yellowstone Trout In Idaho
Much like what they've been doing at some premier trout fishing lakes west of Laramie, pelicans are eating up the Yellowstone cutthroat trout population at the Blackfoot Reservoir in Idaho. They have permission to haze and kill the pelicans too.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
Grizzly Baby Boom In Yellowstone: Unprecedented 18 Cubs In Park’s North Section
An area in northern Yellowstone National Park appears to be having a grizzly bear baby boom. Grizzly photographers, who have been in the area for decades, have counted an unprecedented 18 new cubs in a location where there’s usually fewer than a half-dozen.
Mark HeinzJuly 02, 2024
Wyoming Won't Be Ditching Traditional Fireworks For Drones On July 4
More cities -- such as Boulder, Colorado -- are ditching their traditional Fourth of July fireworks blowouts for elaborate, computer-choreographed drone light shows. Not in Wyoming though. We still like to watch stuff explode.
Mark HeinzJuly 02, 2024
Only Known Video Shows Rare White Bison’s First Moments; Hasn’t Been Seen Since
A retired biologist took the only known video of a rare white bison calf born in Yellowstone on June 4 and he shared it with Cowboy State Daily on Sunday. Nobody has seen the white bison since.
Mark HeinzJuly 01, 2024
Wild Horse Advocates Mad At Feds’ Plan To Cut Wyoming Herd From 3,000 To 300
The North Lander Mustang herd is one of Wyoming’s largest, with more than 3,000 horses. Starting Monday, the federal government will start reducing the herd by 90%, and horse advocates are incensed.
Mark HeinzJune 29, 2024
Gun Club Gets OK To Shoot Pelicans Eating All The Prized Trout In Wyoming Lake
Hungry pelicans had nearly picked clean 9-Mile Lake in southern Wyoming of its prized trout, so the gun club that owns the lake got permission to shoot some of them to bring the fishing back.
Mark HeinzJune 28, 2024
Wyoming Bristles At Surgeon General’s Claim Guns A Public Health Crisis
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared this week that gun violence is a public health crisis and called for an assault weapons ban. Wyoming gun owners bristled at the notion and said he doesn’t know what he’s talking about it.
Mark HeinzJune 28, 2024
Laramie Cemetery Warns Public About Aggressive Deer That Attacks Dogs
Warning signs at Greenhill Cemetery in Laramie are putting visitors and their canine companions on notice: There’s an aggressive deer hanging around and she is attacking people’s dogs.
Mark HeinzJune 27, 2024
Campbell, Park Counties Are Finalists For $10M Shooting Complex
Campbell County and Park County beat out seven other communities vying for a multi-million-dollar state shooting complex, it was announced Tuesday. Now one of them must beat the other.
Mark HeinzJune 27, 2024
Wyoming-Organized DC Rally Demands Ban On Running Down Wolves With Snowmobiles
While some in Wyoming defend running wolves and other predators down with snowmobiles, aka "wolf whacking," a group of Wyoming wildlife advocates rallied in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday demanding it be banned.
Mark HeinzJune 26, 2024
Once Legendary For Trout, Locals Say Pinedale’s Soda Lake Not Worth Fishing Now
Soda Lake, just northeast of Pinedale, used to be one of Wyoming’s most prized trout fishing spots. Then nearly all the fish died, and it’s not exactly clear why.
Mark HeinzJune 25, 2024
Running Predators Down With Snowmobiles Could Stay Legal In Wyoming
Despite outrage over a wolf being run down with a snowmobile in the infamous Daniel wolf torture incident, banning that practice in Wyoming doesn’t seem imminent. Some members of a legislative working group on Tuesday argued it should remain legal.
Mark HeinzJune 25, 2024
Black Bear Defending Cubs Chases Sheridan County Man Up Tree, Attacks Him
A black bear defending her cubs chased a Sheridan County man up a tree and attacked him Saturday, leaving him with undisclosed injuries. The bear had two young cubs-of-the-year with her and attacked the man in the North Fork of West Pass Creek.
Mark HeinzJune 24, 2024
Grizzly 399’s Huge Cub Could Avoid Trouble That Got 2022 Cub Killed
Of Grizzly 399’s 18 known cubs, 10 have died. Her latest cub, Spirit, has a better chance to survive, one wildlife photographer said, because 399 isn't taking him around settled areas.
Mark HeinzJune 24, 2024
Colorado Has A New Wolf Pup, Nobody Knows Yet If There’s A Whole Litter
Roughly six months after being reintroduced to Colorado, wolves have produced at least one confirmed pup. Although it is highly likely the pup is part of a larger litter, Colorado officials won't confirm any more.
Mark HeinzJune 23, 2024
Bam-Bam The Wyoming Bighorn Loved People, Peanut Butter And Ramming Cars
He’s been gone for more than a decade, but Wyomingites still fondly remember Bam-Bam, the peanut butter-loving, flower-devouring, car-ramming Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ram that ruled Sinks Canyon in the late 2000s.
Mark HeinzJune 23, 2024
Yellowstone Bears Can’t ‘Scratch Hind Ends’ Without Getting On Camera
Social media feeds are flooded with photos of Yellowstone bears, but it doesn’t mean there are more bears. It just means the park is packed with tourists, and the bears “can’t hardly scratch his hind end” without getting on camera.
Mark HeinzJune 23, 2024
Sportsman Outraged Over Littering Grand Teton River With Shotgun Targets
An angler on the Buffalo Fork River near Grand Teton National Park on Thursday was outraged to find someone had used the area for shotgun target practice, and left dozens of bright orange clay pigeons in the river. Plus, he said they were a terrible shot.
Mark HeinzJune 21, 2024
Donkey Named Diesel Living With California Elk Herd Was Never In Wyoming
It’s true that a donkey that’s gone viral named Diesel ran away from home to live with a wild elk herd in California. What’s not true despite numerous social media reports is that Diesel’s from Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJune 21, 2024
Moose Lucky Grizzly Chasing Him Near Wyoming State Line Wasn't Really Trying
A former Yellowstone bear biologist who caught video of a grizzly chasing a moose near the Wyoming state line said the moose was lucky the bear opted for a vegetarian option. Grizzlies usually, but not always, have an advantage over moose in a one-on-one fight.
Mark HeinzJune 20, 2024
Colorado Eliminates Over-The-Counter Archery Elk Tags For Non-Residents
Trying to lessen the numbers of hunters that flood Colorado every fall, the state has discontinued over-the-counter archery elk tags for non-residents. Colorado was known as the best last option for elk hunters who failed to draw elk tags anywhere else.
Mark HeinzJune 19, 2024
Wyoming Elk Poacher Nailed After Truck Gets Stuck And He Brags On Social Media
A Rawlins man might have thought he would get away with poaching a bull elk, until his truck got stuck. Then he posted photos of the elk and bragged about it on social media.
Mark HeinzJune 18, 2024
Family Says Its Ranch Near Wyoming State Line A ‘Grocery Store’ For Wolves
Many of the 24 cattle killed by wolves in Colorado since December have been on the Gittleson ranch just a few miles from the Wyoming state line. Since reintroduction of wolves in Colorado, the ranch has become a “grocery store” for them.
Mark HeinzJune 18, 2024
Texas Man Rescued After Trying Most Dangerous Rapid In River On "Walmart Raft"
A Texas man was rescued on Sunday after getting stranded on the Shoshone River. An expert kayaker from Cody, who rescued the man, said the Texan tried to "run the biggest rapid on the river during the highest water in a Walmart raft."
Mark HeinzJune 17, 2024
Southeast Wyoming Fishing Off To Slow Start But Will Change Soon
To put it bluntly, the fishing “sucks right now,” in southeast Wyoming, says Josh McPeak, a fishing guide with Four Seasons Anglers in Laramie. But the turnaround, he says, could come as early as this week.
Mark HeinzJune 16, 2024
There Are Plenty Of Coyotes And Wolves In Wyoming, So Why No Coywolves?
in the eastern United States, coyotes people encounter are likely to be coywolves, or coyote-wolf crossbreeds. But in Wyoming, wolves and coyotes tend to avoid each other and coywolves have not been documented.
Mark HeinzJune 16, 2024
It’s Mating Season, Which Means Bears Are Beating The Crap Out Of Each Other
When love is in the air among bears, it’s not exactly lovely. This is the time of year when male bears beat the crap out of each other, because it's mating season. That means bears in Wyoming and all over are fighting for access to females.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2024
After State Kills 3 Wyoming Bighorn, Wildlife Researcher Questions Policy
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department killed three bighorn sheep that wandered into Sinks Canyon State Park out of concern for disease, but a local wildlife researcher questions the need for the killings.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2024
Calif., Other States Still Grabbing For Wyoming’s Share Of Colorado River Water
Fighting between California and other states over Wyoming's share of water from the Colorado River, which is partly fed from Cowboy State sources, isn’t likely to be resolved anytime soon, a pair of experts say.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2024
Video Captures Black Bear Chomping On Trail Camera On Wyoming - Montana Border
Steve and Nancy Cerroni set up trail cameras around the Pryor Mountain wild horse range near the Wyoming-Montana border to monitor mustangs. But a black bear stole the show Tuesday when it chomped on a local trail camera.
Mark HeinzJune 13, 2024
Park Service: Don’t Try That ‘Secret Route’ To Jackson, You’ll Get Stuck In Snow
The National Park Service on Thursday advised travelers not to try the "secret route" Cowboy State Daily wrote about on Wednesday. Reclamation Road, between Idaho and Jackson, will be snowbound at least through Monday. Even then, it’s not a great road to take.
Mark HeinzJune 13, 2024
Wyoming Gun Dealers: Don’t Lie Like Hunter Biden Because You’ll Get Caught
After President Biden’s son Hunter was convicted Tuesday of lying on the background check form for a firearms purchase, some Wyoming gun dealers say they’re not surprised, because that’s a stupid move and nearly impossible to get away with.
Mark HeinzJune 11, 2024
Observers Say Yellowstone’s White Bison Is the Real Deal, Plan Ceremony With Native Elders
Although Yellowstone officials have yet to confirm the birth of an extremely rare white bison calf in the park last week, observers say they've seen it recently and Native American elders are planning to celebrate its birth.
Mark HeinzJune 10, 2024
Park Rangers Rescue 8 When Raft Flips, Strands 8 Overnight On Snake River
Grand Teton park rangers rescued eight people stranded overnight Saturday from a section of the Snake River called “The Black Hole." A whitewater guide told Cowboy State Daily the area is known as a truly gnarly and dangerous stretch of river.
Mark HeinzJune 10, 2024
With So Much Fentanyl in Wyoming, Even Game Wardens Packing Narcan
Fentanyl has become such a problem in Wyoming’s war on illegal drugs that Wyoming Game and Fish Department game wardens will start carrying Narcan to treat overdoses.
Mark HeinzJune 09, 2024
Wyoming Has Two Of The Three Remaining Animal Shelter Gas Chambers In US
Two of the three gas chambers in the United States still used for euthanasia at animal shelters are in Wyoming, one in Green River and the other in Evanston. And those who say it’s a cruel and inhumane way to dispose of animals want the gas chambers shut down.
Mark HeinzJune 08, 2024
After Wastewater Discharge, E. Coli Found At Some Boysen Reservoir Sites
The Wyoming Dept of Environmental Quality on Friday said there’s an “elevated risk of illness” from E. coli contamination in Boysen State Park after wastewater was discharged from the town of Hudson into the Popo Agie River last month.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2024
Deer 255, Wyoming’s Famous Record Long-Distance Doe, Dies In Red Desert
After trekking untold thousands of miles back and forth across Wyoming on record-setting migrations and gaining worldwide fame, Deer 255 has died. The deer met her end in the Red Desert, likely taken down by a mountain lion.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2024
How Eating Porcupine Brains Can Save Your Life When Lost And Starving In Wyoming
“Rabbit starvation,” or protein poisoning, is a real risk for people trying to survive in the Wyoming wilderness by eating only the red meat of what they catch. One expert says eating the brains of porcupines could save your life.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2024
Yellowstone Says Grizzly With Five Cubs The Most Ever Recorded In Park
A spokesperson for Yellowstone National Park on Thursday said since records have been kept in Yellowstone, this is the first time they've witnessed a grizzly with five cubs.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2024
Idaho Wardens Kill Bear In Crowded Park; Is Region In For Another Busy Bear Year?
There was trouble with black bears all over the Rocky Mountain West last summer and this year is getting off to an early start. Idaho game agents on Sunday killed a bear in a crowded city park. It could be an indication that this summer could be another doozy.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2024
Holy Cow! Yellowstone Grizzly Has Five Cubs, Topping Grizzly 399’s 2020 Quadruplets
Among grizzlies, twin cubs are somewhat common, triplets are rare and quadruplets rarer still. That’s why a Yellowstone tour guide on Wednesday was so surprised to see a grizzly with quintuplets — five cubs.
Mark HeinzJune 05, 2024
Rare Wild White Bison Born In Yellowstone, Photographer Gets Photos
A rare white bison calf was born late Tuesday in Yellowstone National Park. A wildlife photographer originally thought it was a coyote until she looked back and saw the calf. "It was amazing," she said.
Mark HeinzJune 05, 2024
Two Children Stomped, Injured By Elk In Estes Park, Colorado
In separate incidents less than a week apart, two children were injured by irate cow elk protecting their young in Estes Park, Colorado. The town is overtaken every spring and fall by a massive elk herd with Wyoming roots.
Mark HeinzJune 05, 2024
Would Hunting Grizzlies Make Bears Fear Humans More?
While everybody agrees that Wyoming’s grizzly bears are intelligent animals, there’s a growing debate in wildlife circles about whether that means hunting them would make the bears fear humans more.
Mark HeinzJune 04, 2024
Boysen Reservoir To Be Tested For E. Coli After Dump Of 210,000 Gallons Of Wastewater
A discharge of 210,000 gallons of wastewater Thursday or Friday from the Hudson, Wyoming, treatment lagoons into the Little Popo Agie River, prompted the state to plan E. coli testing at Boysen Reservoir.
Mark HeinzJune 04, 2024