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
Counting Dead Elk And Bison Carcasses Was This Man’s Job In Yellowstone
Over the course of 47 winters in Yellowstone, Jeff Henry has seen incredible changes. He can recall back when so many winter-killed bison and elk carcasses littered the basins near Old Faithful, counting them was his full-time job.
Mark HeinzOctober 10, 2025
Montana Hunters, Lawmakers Say Wolves Aren't Being Killed Fast Enough, File Lawsuit
Some Montana lawmakers and sportsmen claim that state’s wolf hunting regulations are too restrictive and won’t let them kill the wolves fast enough. They say unless regulations are loosened they won't be able to hit the kill quota of 452 wolves.
Mark HeinzOctober 09, 2025
Eastern States Go Digital With Electronic Deer Tags, Wyoming Sticks With Paper
A digital revolution in deer hunting is sweeping Eastern states with hunters being given the option to report their kills, and even “tag” deer electronically. Wyoming is likely to stick with the traditional paper route for now.
Mark HeinzOctober 08, 2025
83-Year-Old Basin Woman Bags Elk And Packs It Out By Noon On Opening Day
Take that, Father Time! At 83-years-old Neda Herman, from Basin, Wyoming, shot her elk on opening day. By noon, she quartered the elk with her son and packed it out.
Mark HeinzOctober 06, 2025
It's The Rut And Wyoming Pronghorn Bucks Are Battling To Build Their Harems
Right now for pronghorn bucks in Wyoming, it's like closing time at the bar. They're hot and heavy and looking for action to build a harem. When they’re not fighting off rival males, they keep an eye out for fickle does who may be looking for a better suitor.
Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2025
After Siblings Cannibalized, Grizzly 1063’s Last Cub Faces First Winter Alone
After its two siblings were cannibalized by a male bear earlier this year, the last surviving cub of famed Grand Teton Grizzly 1063 separated from its mom unusually early. The cub, named Miracle by fans, is still surviving and facing its first winter alone.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2025
Llamas Save Hunters The Backbreaking Task Of Packing Elk Out Of Remote Mountains
Llamas have a reputation for being ornery and spitting on people, but they’re also perfectly suited to Wyoming’s remote mountains. More hunters are renting the hardy critters to save them the backbreaking chore of packing out elk.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2025
Backcountry Bikers Rescue Exhausted, Nearly Naked Hiker Lost In Idaho Wilderness
A woman who was lost for three days, without shoes, in the remote mountains of central Idaho was rescued by three mountain bikers who just happened to find her. The woman was nearly naked because she wrapped her clothes around her feet to walk.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2025
Here We Go Again: Controversial BLM Rock Springs Plan Reopened For Public Comment
The Bureau of Land Management’s controversial plan for managing millions of acres in southwest Wyoming is again open for public comment. A Wyoming legislator said he’s confident that federal officials will get it right this time.
Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2025
Famed Wyoming Photographer Looks Back On 25-Year Friendship With Jane Goodall
Famed Wyoming wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen said his close friend, iconic British primatologist Jane Goodall, was driven in her mission, but charming enough to connect with all sorts of people. Goodall died Wednesday at age 91.
Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2025
Wyoming Hunter Calls Bull Moose To Within 10 Feet To Experience ‘Pure Rush’
A Wyoming hunter called in a bull moose to within 10 feet of where he stood while hunting elk Tuesday. The hunter said he experienced a “pure rush,” and was safe because he was behind a tree. “I’m brave, but I’m not an idiot,” he said.
Mark HeinzOctober 01, 2025
Baiting Elk With Salt Licks Was Once OK Wyoming, But Is Now Illegal
Baiting big game with corn, salt licks and other treats is illegal and frowned upon as unethical across the West. But it didn’t used to be, and was once standard practice in Wyoming. It’s still allowed in other places, such as Texas.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2025
Hunter Who Shot Huge Bull Elk On Public Land Accused Of Trespassing During Hunt
A Gillette hunter who says he shot the bull elk of a lifetime is facing a trespassing charge. A land manager says the hunter had to cross his private property to get to the public land where the bull was killed, and he was cited by a game warden.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2025
Hikers Rescued From Medicine Bow Peak Say GPS App Left Them Stranded
A pair of hikers claim that a GPS mapping app called AllTrails left them stranded in a storm on Medicine Bow Peak, prompting a rescue by Albany County Search and Rescue on Sunday. The app said they were on a trail that wasn't there.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2025
Wyoming Duck And Goose Seasons Open, But Still Too Warm To Bring Many Birds
The weather isn’t cooperating as Wyoming duck and goose seasons opens this weekend. It’s still too warm to bring many birds south, but that should change soon. Storms and cooler weather will draw more birds to the state.
Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2025
After Four Years Of Trying, Gillette Hunter Bags Gigantic Bull Elk On Public Land
Four years ago, Gillette elk hunter Terrance Monger spotted a gigantic bull elk in a public land hunting area in northeastern Wyoming. After hunting for it every season since, he finally bagged the behemoth Sept. 18.
Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2025
Wyoming Hunters Avoid Mobs By Hiking Deep Into The Wild
With Wyoming’s public hunting areas getting more crowded, it's possible to avoid the hordes of hunters by going in early and hiking far to escape the mobs. “If it looks like a sh*thole and it's hard to get into, there’s going to be elk,” one hunter said.
Mark HeinzSeptember 27, 2025
Taxidermist’s Robot Decoys Are So Life-Like They Turn, Twitch And Even Poop
The future of wildlife decoys is here, and a Wisconsin taxidermist is making some of the most realistic. They're so lifelike their tails wag, ears twitch, and mimic body heat. He even once made a robot deer for a customer that pooped M&Ms.
Mark HeinzSeptember 27, 2025
‘Attack Squirrel’ Terrorizes California Neighborhood, Sending Two To Hospital
A squirrel in California’s San Francisco Bay area has gone rogue, attacking at least five people, sending two to the emergency room. Wyoming biologists say squirrels may look cute, but can be meaner than people realize.
Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2025
Tour Guide Says Fed Shutdown Won't Squash Tourism In Yellowstone, Grand Teton
With threats of another government shutdown looming, Wyoming Republicans say Democrats will be to blame if Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks are closed. A veteran tour guide says it won’t squash a big season for tourism in the parks.
Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2025
Carcass Dumpsters Keep Landscape From Being Littered With Rotting Animal Parts
Wyoming Game and Fish has set up carcass dumpsters for hunters to dispose of their kills after dressing them out. The hope is to keep the landscape from being littered with rotting animal parts.
Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2025