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

Hoback, a famous bull moose in Grand Teton National Park, was the first of the park’s moose to start shedding his antlers, on Dec. 10.

Beginning Of The End For Hoback, Grand Teton National Park's Most Famous Moose

Wildlife photographers say the reign of Hoback, the most famous moose in the Grand Tetons, could be coming to an end. Estimated to be around 18 years old, he shed his antlers early this year and is suffering from a recent wolf attack.

Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2025

Colorado is touting the Greenland overpass along Interstate 25 south of Denver as one of the largest wildlife crossings in the world.

Largest Wildlife Crossing In U.S. Opens In Colorado But Animals Aren't Using It Yet

Work is finished on what’s being touted as North America’s largest wildlife crossing bridge south of Denver — but it’s been so warm, animals haven’t started using it yet. The 200-foot-wide, 209-foot-long Greenland overpass spans six lanes of I-25.

Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2025

Outdoorsman Barrett Liquori uses a Springfield Hellcat 9 mm pistol to shoot off roughly half of a white-tailed buck’s antler to free it from entanglement with a dead buck’s antler.

Texas Hunter Shoots Buck’s Antler Off To Free It From Deadlocked Deer

A Texas hunter used his pistol to shoot off part of a buck’s antler and free it after it became entangled with a dead deer and was near death from exhaustion.

Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2025

Male ruffed grouse attract mates by cupping their wings and flapping them rapidly, to create a “drumming” sound that can be heard a quarter-mile away.

When A Ruffed Grouse Starts Air Drumming, He's Looking To Get It On

When a male ruffed grouse is looking for some action, he doesn't put on a Barry White record while having some Courvoisier. Instead he begins air drumming by beating the air with his wings. It’s rare to catch them in the act, as one lucky wildlife photographer did.

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2025

Ben McArthur of Casper and his son Mateo like filling their family’s freezer with elk mean from late cow elk tags.

Late-Season Cow Elk Hunts Fill Freezers But Test Hunters’ Grit In Wyoming

Elk hunter Ben McArthur said he appreciates availability of late-season cow elk tags in Wyoming as it's challenging. “It's fun because it matches up with holiday weekends. Weather conditions can be miserable, but if you get after it, you can be successful."

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2025

A popular Yellowstone National Park grizzly called Ojo claws the brains from a bison carcass. He was one of four male grizzlies feasting on the carcass.

Why A Yellowstone Grizzly Eating Bison Brains Is So Interesting

Wildlife biologists say it's rare for grizzlies to eat from the head of a bison because it would be difficult to get through the thick skull. That's what makes the instance of Ojo, a one-eyed Yellowstone bear, eating the brains of a bison so unique.

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2025

3D printing has revolutionized many fields, now it’s becoming an option for mounting hunters’ trophy antlers and horns, with 3D printed big game skulls.

3D-Printed Skulls Mean Hunters Don’t Have To Boil Heads To Mount Trophy Antlers

Until 3D printing technology along, hunters would boil an animal’s skinned head for hours making it easier to scrape off the remaining flesh or get a tank full of carnivorous beetles, eager to devour the flesh and brains, picking the skull clean.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2025

Grizzly 122, The Boss, is Canada’s favorite bear. He lives in Banff National Park, Alberta.

Meet 'The Boss,' Canada's Legendary 700-Pound, 28-Year-Old Grizzly Who Beat A Train

In Wyoming, the most famous bear was Grizzly 399. In Canada, it's a gigantic 700-pound grizzly known as "The Boss." Not only did he walk away after being hit by a train but biologists say he's fathered half the cubs in Banff National Park in Alberta.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2025

Buried In Snow, Yellowstone's Bison Have No Problems Weathering Winter

Wyoming’s Yellowstone bison look miserable when caked in snow and frost, but their thick coats, fat reserves and efficient digestion keep them warm and fueled through brutal winters. Snow acts as extra insulating layer, said one biologist.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2025

Moose, Wolf, Horse And Wombat Cruelty Allegations Staining Wyoming’s Reputation

The alleged torture of a moose in Uinta County is the latest in a string of Wyoming residents accused of cruelty to animals, raising concerns about the state’s reputation. “It makes us look like a bunch of freaking jackasses,” outdoorsman Zachary Key said.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

A riverbank improvement project West of Cody aims to save the country’s oldest ranger station from sliding into the North Fork river, while also helping Yellowstone cutthroat trout and bighorn sheep.

With 1,000 Logs, Project Aims To Save The Nation's Oldest Ranger Station

Crews are dropping more than 1,000 logs along the banks of the North Fork of the Shoshone River in hopes of protecting the nation’s oldest ranger station. The massive floods of 2022 caused severe erosion and the Wapiti Ranger Station is in danger of falling in.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

Glacier National Park Drops Reservation System As Crowds Keep Growing

Glacier National Park is ending its reservation system for getting into the park, which was meant to keep the park from getting mobbed. But insiders say national parks are getting overrun anyway.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2025

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Despite it being December, most of the angling at Flaming Gorge Reservoir is still open-water fishing.

Ice Fishing In Wyoming Way Behind Schedule, Anglers Still Fishing Open Water

Despite being early December, most Wyoming anglers are still fishing open water due to warm weather. It may not be until the beginning of the year until ice fishing season begins, which is more than a month behind schedule.

Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2025

A grizzly bear found shot to death outside Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming in a 2023 file photo.

Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Death Toll On Track To Match Last Year’s Record Of 72

So far this year, 71 grizzlies have died in and near Yellowstone, compared to a record of 72 in 2024. Seasoned black bear hunter Joe Kondelis of Cody said he's not surprised as he's seeing more grizzlies than ever. “This spring, I saw 35 grizzlies in 20 days,” he said.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2025

Buddy Gee, who is just shy of turning 82, shot this big white-tailed buck in Fremont County. He donated the meat to Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Food From the Field program for the needy. The Gee family, of Wyoming and Michigan, has hunted with these two rifles for decades: A Remington 700 BDL, chambered in .25-06, and a Winchester Model 1886, chambered in .45-90.

Hunter, 82, Still Bagging Wyoming Big Game With Rifle He Bought In 1968

Brian Gee started hunting in Wyoming in 1968 with a rifle he bought for $121 that year. Now nearly 82, Gee still hunts — and still bags big game with the same Remington BDL.

Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2025

Skinned black bear paws eerily resemble human hands, said bear hunter Owen Miller, who provided this photo of a skinned bear paw.

‘Human Hand’ Found In Park County Dump Turns Out To Be Skinned Bear Paw

A freaky-looking severed “human hand” reportedly found at the Park County dump turned out to be a skinned bear paw. Outdoorsman Owen Miller said it is an easy mistake to make because, when skinned, they can look so much like human hands it's "creepy."

Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2025

Tucker Bass, 12, of Shoshoni caught this 2-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass in Fremont County. It sets the new world record in the 4-pound line class, junior divison.

Father And Son Named Bass Reel In Wyoming’s First World-Record Largemouth

When John and Tucker Bass moved from Tennessee, they were unsure about Wyoming’s bass fishing. Then Tucker, 12, caught a world record-setting largemouth bass in Fremont County.

Mark HeinzDecember 04, 2025

In Colorado, Wolves Are Getting Closer To The Denver Metro Area

Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have been closing in on the Denver Metro area, but officials don’t expect trouble — as long as people don’t feed them.

Mark HeinzDecember 04, 2025

Helicopters are tight to begin with. They’re even more crowded when hauling out game.

Helicopter Hunters Challenge Ranchers Over Access To Landlocked Public Land

To access sections of Wyoming public land surrounded by private property, some hunters are chartering helicopter pilots to fly them in, upsetting adjacent ranchers.

Mark HeinzDecember 04, 2025

The Ferris-Seminoe bighorn sheep are prized as one of Wyoming’s healthiest, most vibrant herds.

Wyoming Officials Fear Seminoe Power Project Could Ruin Premier Bighorn Herd

Wyoming wildife officials and others fear a Utah-based company’s plan to build a 900-megawatt power project at Seminoe Reservoir could ruin the state's most-prized bighorn sheep herd and a blue-ribbon trout fishery.

Mark HeinzDecember 03, 2025

The Cheyenne East High School clay target team practices at a local range in this file photo.

Trump Administration Gives UW $1M To Create Second Amendment Program For Schools

With a $1 million grant from President Donald Trump’s Department of Education, the University of Wyoming’s Firearms Research Center is tasked with creating nonpartisan public school courses on the Second Amendment.

Mark HeinzDecember 03, 2025