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
Rare Black Fox Pops Out Along Roadside In Yellowstone
A fox with rare black fur made a brief roadside appearance in Yellowstone National Park last week. The fox’s coloring is probably the result of a condition called melanism.
Mark HeinzApril 21, 2025
Ravens Attack Lambs, But Are Protected In Wyoming, So You Can’t Shoot Them
With calving and lambing season underway, Wyoming ranchers must fend off predators. Ravens are among the worst with their attacks on lambs, but can’t be shot because they’re a protected species.
Mark HeinzApril 20, 2025
Group Wants Nearly 1,200 Grizzlies In California, But Could It Actually Happen?
A new study from a group that wants grizzlies reintroduced to California claims the state could handle nearly 1,200 bears. Wildlife officials say that’s unrealistic.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2025
Protecting Wyoming Pronghorn A Balancing Act Of Conservation, Energy Development
The “Path of the Pronghorn,” one of Wyoming’s most-used antelope travel routes, could be designated as an official migration corridor, possibly restricting energy development.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2025
Momma Black Bear, Tiny Cub Caught Crawling Out Of Their Yellowstone Den
Female bears with cubs usually don’t emerge from hibernation until May. But a lucky photographer got photos when one momma black bear was "like a sloth" venturing out of the den early with at least one tiny cub Monday in Yellowstone National Park.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2025
Limpy, Yellowstone’s Infamous Coyote Con Artist, Is At It Again
Limpy the coyote is Yellowstone National Park’s greatest con artist. He hangs out along the roadside, greatly exaggerating a leg injury, hoping to get snacks from soft-hearted tourists.
Mark HeinzApril 17, 2025
Prominent Wyoming Mule Deer Advocate Picked To Serve In Trump Administration
Prominent Wyoming wildlife conservationist Josh Coursey has been tapped to serve in President Donald Trump’s administration in a role he can't yet disclose. He joins a number of people with Wyoming ties picked by the administration.
Mark HeinzApril 17, 2025
Montana Hunter Kills Charging Grizzly In Year’s First Reported Human-Bear Clash
In the first reported major run-in between a grizzly and a human this year, a man hunting shed antlers in north-central Montana shot and killed a female grizzly bear that he says charged him.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2025
Famous Yellowstone Wolf Pack Hunting Calf Nearly Clobbered By Adult Bison
Yellowstone National Park’s Junction Butte wolf pack failed in a recent attempt to bring down a yearling bison calf. The calf and its mother ran to a group of adult bison, which in turn tried to clobber the wolves.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2025
It’s Legal To Own Kangaroos In Wyoming, But They’d Probably Freeze To Death
There seems to be some confusion over whether it’s legal to own a kangaroo in Wyoming. It is — but you’ll need a special permit, and as mostly outside pets, kangaroos probably couldn’t handle the Wyoming cold.
Mark HeinzApril 14, 2025
Agencies Tight-Lipped About Second Colorado Wolf Killed In Wyoming
A Wyoming law that protects the identities of wolf hunters seems to be behind an information blackout about the second Colorado wolf killed in Wyoming. That has people in both states frustrated.
Mark HeinzApril 14, 2025
Mountain Lions Blamed For Killing More Deer Than They Actually Do, Hunters Say
It’s widely assumed that an adult mountain lion kills a deer a week, but some seasoned mountain lion hunters question that. They say the big cats are blamed for killing more deer than they actually do.
Mark HeinzApril 13, 2025
Momma Bobcat Makes Incredible Leap To Snag Turkey Out Of The Air
A trail camera captured a rare wildlife moment in Oregon, where a bobcat was recorded making an incredible leap to snag a wild turkey, mid-air. The video won the Trail Cam Pro 2025 video of the year award.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025
Dire Wolves Would Destroy Everything If Reintroduced In Wyoming, Biologists Say
A bioscience company’s announcement this week that it’s brought back long-extinct dire wolves raised a lot of eyebrows. But they would destroy everything if a breeding population of them were reintroduced in Wyoming, biologists say.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025
Second Colorado Wolf Reintroduced From Canada Dies In Wyoming
A second wolf that was transplanted from British Columbia, Canada, to Colorado crossed the state line into Wyoming and died here Wednesday, Colorado wildlife officials confirmed Friday.
Mark HeinzApril 12, 2025
52-Year-Old Federally-Led Grizzly Study Team May Be On Chopping Block
A federally-led grizzly bear study team that goes back to 1973 could soon be on the chopping block because of ongoing federal cuts. It’s unclear what that might mean for the future of Wyoming’s grizzlies.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2025
Noem’s Rifle Pointing At Agent’s Face Broke Major Safety Rule, Wyoming Experts Say
Department of Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is taking heat this week after pointing a rifle at the head of an ICE agent during a photo op. Wyoming firearms experts say that breaks a major gun safety rule.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2025
Laramie Residents Balk At Guns In Schools, School Board Says There’s No Choice
A crowd of Laramie residents turned out Wednesday evening to tell their school board that they don’t want concealed firearms allowed in local schools. The board said there’s no choice, because the Legislature did away with gun-free zones in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 10, 2025
USAF Tested Its B-58 Jet Bomber By Ejecting A Bear Named Yogi At 35,000 Feet
In 1962, the Air Force ejected a bear named Yogi from a jet bomber going 870 mph at an altitude of 35,000 feet. In hindsight, a retired USAF colonel questions how anyone thought that was a good idea.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2025
Yellowstone’s Blacktail Pond Is A Bison Death Trap, But A Buffet For Bears
The Blacktail Pond area in Yellowstone National Park can be a death trap for bison if they fall through ice or get trapped in muddy water and drown. But for the area's bears, it's a buffet.
Mark HeinzApril 07, 2025
Fearless Skunk Caught Stashing Its Dinner Of Roadkill In Mountain Lion’s Den
Skunks will eat just about anything and they’re fearless, as evidenced by a video of a skunk stashing its dinner of roadkill turkey in a mountain lion’s den.
Mark HeinzApril 07, 2025