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

This moose, called The Beast, is on par with famous Teton titan bulls such as Hoback and Shoshone. But he’s on private property and doesn’t have to deal with mobs of tourists.

'The Beast' Is A Monster Wyoming Bull Moose, But Good Luck Getting A Glimpse

A bull moose called The Beast is huge enough to have a shot at dethroning Grand Teton celebrity bulls such as Hoback and Shoshone. But few see him because he lives on private property in southwest Wyoming, far away from wildlife paparazzi — and hunters.

Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2026

Volunteers load the carcasses of sheep killed by lightning on Sept. 23 in Montana’s Gravelly Range mountains into a trailer bound for a carcass composting site.

After Lightning Bolt Kills 220 Sheep, Carcass Composters Spring Into Action

When a bolt of lightning killed 220 sheep in southwest Montana’s remote Gravelly Range last month, it left the area littered with piles of electrocuted carcasses. The race was on to remove them before they became a magnet for hungry grizzly bears.

Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2026

Berryman of Ralston, just shy of turning 67, finally got his first bull elk.

Lifelong Wyoming Hunter Finally Bags His First Bull Elk Just Shy Of Turning 67

Though born in Wyoming and having spent his life here as an avid hunter, one goal eluded Mike Berryman: Bagging a bull elk. Two weeks before turning 67, he met that goal last week on the opening morning of rifle season in the South Fork area near Cody.

Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2026

Smash was living up to his nickname earlier this week when he was caught on video trying to battle with a small, white Honda sedan.

Massive Estes Park Bull Elk Nicknamed 'Smash' Fights Cars And Chases Golf Carts

A notorious bull elk in Estes Park known as Smash rammed a Colorado reporter's car recently as part his autumn-rut ritual of chasing golf carts and vehicles. Bull elk are "perpetually angry" this time of year, a wildlife biologist explains.

Mark HeinzOctober 02, 2026

One of five wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

Colorado Backs Off Killing Wolves That Attack Cattle As Population Stalls At 45

Colorado's wolf population has leveled off at 45, half of them pups. With no new wolves coming because states won't send them and Canada is no longer an option, the state says it will be more selective about killing wolves that attack cattle.

Mark HeinzOctober 01, 2026

Bear breaks into a dumpster in east Bozeman in the early morning on Sept. 28.

Montana Wildlife Officials Kill 14 Black Bears On One Property Near Bozeman

Wildlife officials this week killed 14 black bears that were reportedly being fed on a property near Bozeman, Montana. Locals say Bozeman is overrun with bears this year. “They poop in my yard every night,” one resident said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

A bull elk held his rival underwater for several seconds during a brutal fight in Evergreen Lake in Colorado early Sunday.

In Battle Of Rutting Colorado Elk, Bull Pulls Rival Under Water And Steals Harem

Two bull elk staged a furious fight in Colorado’s Lake Evergreen on Sunday, with the bigger bull using his antlers to hold his opponent underwater. To add insult to injury, the larger bull then walked over and stole the smaller elk's harem.

Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

Three grizzly cubs-of-the-year were stuck and killed on the North Fork Highway late Monday or early Tuesday.

Heartbreak: Photog Finds 3 Grizzly Cubs Killed By Vehicle On Highway Near Wapiti

A Cody photographer heading to Yellowstone found three dead grizzly cubs on the North Fork Highway on Tuesday morning. The photographer said the bears were stuck along a curve and the driver probably didn’t see the bears until it was too late.

Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2026

Dakota Smith bagged this trophy-sized mule deer buck deep in the backcountry near Star Valley, only to have its head, antlers, and cape go missing the next day. He suspects it was stolen.

After Months Tracking Monster Mule Deer, Wyoming Hunter’s Trophy Goes Missing

After months of tracking a monster-sized mule deer buck and bagging it during a backcountry hunt in the rugged high country near Star Valley, a Wyoming man says his trophy’s head, antlers, and cape vanished. “I worked my butt off for that deer,” he said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2026

A grizzly bear has shown up near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for the third this year, providing a “glimmer of hope” grizzlies might be expanding their territory into central Idaho, bear advocates say. On the other hand, the grizzly might've just been hungry.

Grizzly Advocates Hope Bear Spotted In North Idaho Means Territory Is Expanding

Grizzly recovery advocates are hoping that a bear spotted near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, means its territory is expanding. It's the third time this year one has been spotted in the area. "It gives a glimmer of hope," one advocate said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2026

Road hunting can be effective for spotting game, an option for elderly or disabled hunters, or just a lazier way to hunt.

While Road Hunters Get Sneered At As Lazy, ‘Everybody Gets Old,’ Outdoorsman Says

While some might regard road hunters as the lazy bums of the outdoors world, seeking wildlife from a climate-controlled cab has its place, advocates said. “We all get old,” avid hunter Buzz Hettick of Laramie told Cowboy State Daily.

Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2026

Some of wildlife photographer Sylvia Borgonovo’s most iconic images were of Yellowstone’s famous Wolf 1090F.

Wildlife World Grieves Photographer Known For Iconic Images Of Yellowstone's Oldest Wolf

The wildlife world is grieving the loss of Yellowstone photographer Sylvia Borgonovo who captured some of the most famous images of Yellowstone's oldest known living wolf. She was a stalwart advocate for wolves, grizzlies, and other wildlife.

Mark HeinzSeptember 27, 2026

Other Authors

Deb Tonsager-Burke shot this bizarre-looking pronghorn buck on Tuesday in southeast Wyoming.

Wyoming Hunter Bags Antelope Buck With Supersized Double Set Of Horns

A pronghorn buck shot by a hunter in southeast Wyoming this week had a supersized double set of horns. That's because Instead of shedding last year’s horn sheaths, he just grew a new set right behind them. "I've Never seen anything like this," said one taxidermist.

Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2026

A golden eagle perches on a deer carcass as a truck passes on a Wyoming highway.

Conservationists Are Dragging Roadkill From Wyoming Roads Because Eagles Keep Getting Hit

Conservationists have a simple solution to keep eagles feasting on roadkill carcasses along Wyoming roads from becoming roadkill themselves — drag the carcasses away. Highway collisions have increasingly become a major cause of eagle deaths.

Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2026

Adam Borkhus of Cody is 6-foot-3 and weighs 320 pounds, but he said a juvenile mountain lion “knocked me on my ass” after he kicked it in the face to save his dog, Diesel.

"That Thing Was Strong": Cody Man Fights Mountain Lion To Save Dog

When a mountain lion attacked his dog Diesel, Adam Borkhus of Cody kicked it in the face and the lion turned on him. The cat “knocked me on my ass,” he said, which resulted in a 20-second ground battle — and excruciating rabies shots later.

Mark HeinzSeptember 25, 2026

As an experienced elk hunter, Russel Rogers knows numerous events can spoil a hunt, but one thing he never expected was a huge helicopter appearing practically out of nowhere and dumping plumes of water almost on top of him.

Sheridan Man's Elk Hunt Ruined When Helicopter Dumps Water On Top Of Him

A Sheridan man says his elk hunt was ruined when a helicopter appeared above him in the Bighorn Mountains and dumped huge plumes of water on top of him. The Forest Service said it was a training flight and the crew probably didn't know he was there.

Mark HeinzSeptember 24, 2026

Conner Anthony Brown, a former Gillette baseball coach, faces a felony charge in Montana for allegedly lying about his residency to get hunting tags. He's no longer with the Gillette organization.

Ex-Gillette Coach Charged With Lying About Montana Residency For Hunting Tags

A former Gillette baseball coach is charged with lying about his residency to get hunting tags in Montana and killing a black bear, mountain lion, and white-tailed deer buck. If convicted, he could lose hunting privileges in all 50 states for life.

Mark HeinzSeptember 23, 2026

Trump Order Could Finally Settle Heated Corner-Crossing Debate In Hunters’ Favor

President Trump has moved to settle the corner-crossing issue with an executive order that appears to favor hunters, supporters say. A fact sheet released by the White House says it will include efforts to “unlock checkerboarded and landlocked parcels.”

Mark HeinzSeptember 23, 2026

Bowhunter Ron Niziolek poses with a bull he shot Sept. 19, 2025. The photo was taken the next morning after he discovered the elk was partially eaten by a grizzly.

Cody Bowhunter Says He Did Nothing Wrong By Leaving Elk Partly Devoured By Grizzly

A Cody bowhunter said he did nothing wrong by leaving an elk that was partly devoured by a grizzly. Although he was charged by Game and Fish, he said skinning and quartering an elk with likely-tainted meat wasn't worth the risk of a grizzly confrontation.

Mark HeinzSeptember 22, 2026

Hunters apparently took about five days to reach the four-wolf limit in an area where the famous Mollie’s pack denned, but no members of Yellowstone National Park's oldest pack were killed, a Wyoming Game and Fish official said Monday.

Game And Fish Confirms No Mollie's Pack Wolves Killed As Hunt Quota Reached

It took five days for hunters to reach the four-wolf quota in the Shoshone National Forest hunt areas where the famous Mollie’s Pack denned over the summer. Wyoming Game and Fish confirms that no wolves from Yellowstone's oldest pack were killed.

Mark HeinzSeptember 22, 2026

Hunter Craig Ritchey and guide Mollie Dahl look for a pronghorn buck near Jeffrey City during the One Shot Antelope Hunt on Sept. 19, 2026.

Wyoming’s One-Shot Antelope Hunt Is All About Dropping A Buck With One Bullet

The One Shot Antelope Hunt, a central Wyoming staple since 1940, is a test of skill for hunters — drop a buck pronghorn with a single shot. As hunters discovered near Jeffrey City on Saturday, it isn’t easy.

Mark HeinzSeptember 21, 2026