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

More has been learned about Wyoming's pronghorns including their mating rituals and family dynamics.

In Wake Of Horrible Winterkill And Antelope Pneumonia Outbreak, Even More Wyoming Hunting Tags Cut

After previously cutting about 10,000 antelope tags, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission has opted to cut more, even as the hunting license application deadline looms. Some Wyoming outdoorsmen said they support the move.

Mark HeinzMay 26, 2023

Federal Court Ruling Saves Up To 72 Wyoming Grizzlies From Death

As many as 72 bears in the Upper Green River region near Pinedale are safe — for now. A federal court ruled Thursday that U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service violated federal law when it authorized killing the bears to protect grazing leases.

Mark HeinzMay 25, 2023

Pilot Who Used Helicopter To Access Elk Hunting Might Testify About Harassment In ‘Corner Crossing’ Civil Trial

A Colorado pilot claims he was confronted by the owners of the Iron Bar Ranch after he used a helicopter to fly over the property to hunt on adjacent public land. He might be called as a defense witness in the “corner crossing” lawsuit against four hunters.

Mark HeinzMay 25, 2023

Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have recovered enough that many Wyoming wildlife officials are pushing to delist them from endangered species status.

Plan To Delist Grizzlies In Wyoming, Elsewhere Still On Track As Bears Continue To Spark Political Debate

Despite ongoing political controversy and legal action, a plan to delist grizzly bears from endangered species protection in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho should still be on track, one former top Interior official said.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2023

Wyoming’s Rangelands Could Become A Lightning-Fueled Tinderbox This Fire Season, Firefighters Say

Just how bad the fire season could get across Wyoming’s vast rangelands this summer and fall isn’t clear. It all depends on the volatile mix of dry grass and lightning, say state wildfire experts.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2023

A 5th District Court of Appeals injunction on a ban on stabilizing braces for AR-15s and other weapons won't cover Wyoming gun owners.

Wyoming Gun Owners Not Covered By Injunction Halting Pistol Brace Restrictions

An injunction in Texas on the restriction of pistol braces for certain AR-15s and other popular firearms doesn’t cover Wyoming gun owners.

Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023

The waterline on the Colorado River as it runs through Nevada shows the stark reality of continuing stresses on the river and the 40 million people who rely on it.

Colorado River Deal Helps — For Now — But Anything Past 2026 Still Uncertain

A deal struck between California, Arizona and Nevada to trim their use of Colorado River water over the next three years is a good “short-term” move, but longer-term solutions may remain evasive.

Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023

Grizzly 399 and her 2023 cub were spotted for the first time in 2023 on May 16. (Photo is owned by Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven and may not be reproduced)

Grizzly 399’s Cub Not Likely To Get A Number Like Its Famous Mom; Public Undecided On A Name

Only bears collared for research get numbers, which means Grizzly 399’s cub may not be assigned a number like its mother. That will leave naming the cub up to the public, which still seems undecided.

Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023

Wildfires in western Canada have been throwing huge amounts of smoke that are creating hazy conditions all across the Rocky Mountain region, including Wyoming.

With Raging Wildfires Already Occurring In Canada, Is Wyoming Heading For Monster Fire Season?

Despite an early start to the wildfire season in Canada, Wyoming may be spared from a bad fire season due to shifts to an El Niño weather pattern

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2023

Cowboy State Daily outdoors reporter Mark Heinz gives "Robo-Bear" a snootful of bear spray during a demonstration in Lander over the weekend.

Facing Off Against Wyoming’s Dreaded ‘Robo Bear’ Is Trickier Than You Might Think

Cowboy State Daily outdoors reporter Mark Heinz and columnist Bill Sniffin survived grizzly attacks this weekend — sort of. They faced off against Wyoming’s dreaded robotic grizzly bear.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2023

This small band of mustangs are one of numerous such “family groups” that live on the open range in central Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Wild Mustangs Live Quietly On Open Range, Oblivious To Raging Controversy Over Their Existence

U.S. Highway 287 near Jeffrey City is pure Wyoming: isolated, with only sparse traffic and vast vistas stretching impossibly far on either side. On a sunny day last week, that quiet was interrupted by an unmistakable sound: The thunder of hooves.

Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023

Ed Fowler has been forging knives in his workshop near Riverton since the 1980s. He and his close friend and apprentice, Chris Amos, plan to take several custom-made knives to the world-class Blade Show, set for June 2-4 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Riverton Bladesmith Ed Fowler Crafts Custom Made Knives That Are Among The Best In The World

Riverton bladesmith Ed Fowler is a world class knife-maker. His custom-made knives, made from raw steel, sell for more than $2,000 each. Next month, he's taking 14 of his creations to the nation's largest and most prestigious knife show in Atlanta.

Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023

Other Authors

After Wyoming Says No To Giving Wolves To Colorado, Montana And Idaho May Also Refuse

Colorado still needs wolves for its planned reintroduction program, and after having getting a solid “no” from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, it’s not looking like Montana or Idaho will provide any of their wolves either.

Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023

Grizzly 399’s not-yet-named cub looks back toward admirers. (Photo is owned by Savannah Rose and may not be reproduced)

‘Rowdy,’ ‘Miracle' and 'Tuxedo’: Internet Abuzz With Picks To Name Teton Park's Grizzly 399's Newest Cub

“Rowdy,” “Miracle," "Tuxedo" and "Pearl" are just some of the suggested names for Grizzly 399’s new cub.

Mark HeinzMay 19, 2023

Grizzly 399's 2023 cub is seen exploring with his mother May 16. (Photo is owned by Jorn Vangoidtsenhoven and may not be reproduced)

Bear Expert Believes Grizzly 399 Should Live Long Enough To Raise Her New Cub

At age 27, Grizzly 399 might be the oldest grizzly momma on record, and one bear expert is confident that she’ll live at least two more years, long enough to raise her new cub to independence.

Mark HeinzMay 18, 2023

Casper Mountaineer Abandons Everest Conquest Due To Mob Scene On Mountain, Many Deaths

Mount Everest was such a mob scene, and so many people had died already that Wyoming mountaineer Dr. Joe McGinley of Casper told Cowboy State Daily he decided to turn back a few thousand feet from the summit.

Mark HeinzMay 17, 2023

Grizzly 399 Lives! And She's Got A New Cub!

The world's most famous bear, Grizzly 399, emerged from hibernation Tuesday with one cub. At age 27, she’s now the oldest grizzly mama on record.

Mark HeinzMay 17, 2023

More more than 20 years straight, Wyoming's wolf population has thrived.

Wyoming’s Wolves Have Thrived Above Expectations For More Than Two Decades

Wyoming has maintained a wolf population above federal expectations for more than two decades, according to a recent report from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other wildlife agencies.

Mark HeinzMay 16, 2023

A hunter who recently mistook a grizzly bear for a black bear wasn't the first in Wyoming to make that mistake, and wildlife experts say he won't be the last.

‘Mistaken Identity’ Grizzly Killings By Black Bear Hunters Likely To Continue, Experts Say

A male grizzly that was allegedly shot between Yellowstone Park and Cody because a hunter mistook it for a black bear was the third such grizzly to be killed there in the last decade. It’s a problem that’s likely to persist, local bear experts say.

Mark HeinzMay 16, 2023

Mother Nature is reclaiming the remains of thousands of antelope that died this winter near La Barge.

Wyoming Landscape A Big Game Graveyard In Places Where ‘All You Can Smell Is Death’

The vast stretches of big game winter range in the shadow of the Wyoming Range mountains near La Barge have become a graveyard for thousands of animals that died over the winter. Although in places locals say "all you can smell is death," the land is showing signs of renewal.

Mark HeinzMay 15, 2023

Facebook posts, such as this one on the Wild Love Images wildlife photography Facebook page, show photos of a grizzly bear that was reported to have been shot and left dead Monday on the North Fork Highway between Cody and Yellowstone Park.

Wapiti Man Admits Shooting Grizzly Near Cody, Wyoming, Says He Thought It Was A Black Bear

A Wapiti man turned himself in the day after he shot a grizzly bear about 30 yards off the North Fork Highway near Cody. He said he thought it was a black bear, but realized it was a grizzly when examining the carcass up close.

Clair McFarland & Mark HeinzMay 15, 2023

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