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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.

Find Mark Heinz

Latest from Mark Heinz

Two young bighorn sheep rams ventured into Cheyenne, it’s thought they might have come from either he Iron Mountain herd in southeast Wyoming, or a herd near Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Wyoming Game And Fish Kills Bighorns That Wandered Into Cheyenne

A pair of young bighorn sheep rams that wandered into Cheyenne were killed by Wyoming wildlife officials. However, one biologist and wildlife researcher says it's not necessary. He said they should be quarantined instead.

Mark HeinzJune 15, 2026

A Wyoming man named Aron Snyder confirms he’s the person seen tossing, kicking and stabbing a coyote in a video. The video is “a very bad optic,” he says while apologizing in a weekend social media post.

‘A Very Bad Optic’: Wyoming Man Apologizes For Controversial Coyote Killing Video

A Wyoming man named Aron Snyder confirms he’s the person seen tossing, kicking and stabbing a coyote in a video. The video is “a very bad optic,” he says while apologizing in a weekend social media post.

Mark HeinzJune 15, 2026

Move over ATVs and e-bikes, powered exoskeletons are giving people cyborg-like abilities in the Wyoming backcountry.

Powered Exoskeletons Could Turn Wyoming Hikers, Hunters Into Backcountry Cyborgs

Forget about e-bikes, ATVs and other wheeled vehicles. The latest powered outdoor trend is people strapping on powered exoskeletons and becoming faster, stronger cyborg versions of themselves. One company says it can boost climbing power by 30%.

Mark HeinzJune 14, 2026

Texas outfitters are worried that a screwworm outbreak there could ruin their hunting season. Some Wyoming outfitters and hunters say if the infestation hits here, it could be a wildlife disaster. "We don’t know yet whether to be scared,” said one.

Wyoming Outfitters, Hunters Say Screwworm Would Be Wildlife Disaster If It Hits State

Texas outfitters are worried that a screwworm outbreak there could ruin their hunting season. Wyoming outfitters and hunters say if the infestation hits here, it would be a wildlife disaster. "We don’t know yet whether to be scared,” said one.

Mark HeinzJune 13, 2026

Sandy and Jack Crawford say they’ve been essentially homeless a chimney fire damaged their house near Laramie in February 2025.

Couple Says Insurance Company’s Mishandling Of Fire Claim Has Made Them Homeless

An Albany County couple who lost most of their possessions in a fire that left their house unlivable say that their insurance company’s mishandling of the situation has left them essentially homeless for nearly a year and a half.  

Mark HeinzJune 13, 2026

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is investigating a graphic video where an alleged Wyoming man tortures a seemingly wounded coyote. The video shows a man grabbing the coyote by its tail and then tossing, kicking, stabbing, and taunting the animal.

Investigation Launched In Graphic Coyote Torture Video Allegedly Shot In Wyoming

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is investigating a graphic video where an alleged Wyoming man tortures a seemingly wounded coyote. The video shows a man grabbing the coyote by its tail and then tossing, kicking, stabbing, and taunting the animal.

Mark HeinzJune 12, 2026

Grizzly 122, The Boss, is pictured here last fall in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. This spring, he managed to slip out of his radio tracking collar, and nobody knows where he is.

Canada’s Favorite 700-Pound Grizzly ‘The Boss’ Rips Off Tracking Collar

Canada’s favorite grizzly, a 700-pound monster called The Boss, has lived a storied life, brawling with other males and surviving getting hit by a train. His latest stunt was removing an electronic tracking collar that wildlife agents had just put on him.

Mark HeinzJune 11, 2026

The view looking down the Green River to Squaretop Mountain in western Wyoming is one of the state’s most recognizable landmarks, even being on the license plate.

Amended Barrasso Bill Would Erase Clinton-Era Roadless Rule

The Clinton-era Roadless Rule on U.S. Forest Service lands will be erased if Wyoming Republicans U.S. Sen. John Barrasso and Rep. Harriet Hageman get their way. “I have been fighting the Roadless Rule since the day it was handed down,” said Hageman.

Mark HeinzJune 11, 2026

A Pinedale rancher told U.S. Senators on Wednesday that he and other Upper Basin farmers are tired of Wyoming giving up Colorado River water. Negotiations moved up a notch this week with Wyoming leaders meeting in Washington, D.C., with other states.

Pinedale Rancher Tells Senators He’s Tired Of Wyoming Giving Up Colorado River Water

A Pinedale rancher told U.S. Senators on Wednesday that he and other Upper Basin farmers are tired of Wyoming giving up Colorado River water. Negotiations moved up a notch this week with Wyoming leaders meeting in Washington, D.C., with other states.

Mark HeinzJune 10, 2026

A black bear strolled to within a few feet of a crowd of tourists at the Jenny Lake boat shuttle dock in Grand Teton National Park. Luckily, the bear and the tourists all behaved themselves.

Bear Walks Up To Grand Teton Crowd — And Tourists Didn't Do Anything Stupid

A young black bear wandered to within feet of a crowd at a Grand Teton boat ramp, but the tourists behaved themselves and no one got mauled. “I never expected to get that close to a bear,” said one visitor who got video of it.

Mark HeinzJune 10, 2026

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Cody River Guide Says Electric Wire Across River Nearly Sunk Raft With Child In It

A Cody river guide said his raft was nearly sunk by an electric fence wire strung too low across a river in Park County, while he was out on a float with his girlfriend and her young son on Sunday. "This could have gone bad fast," he said.

Mark HeinzJune 08, 2026

A grizzly trashes a tent during a demonstration about camping safely in bear country, put on by the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, Montana.

The Place Where Tourists Can Watch Grizzlies Destroy Campsites

Grizzlies at a center near Yellowstone have full-time jobs testing bear-resistant garbage cans and occasionally a fake campsite. The goal is to teach visitors what not to do while camping in grizzly country, and what can happen if they ignore rules.

Mark HeinzJune 06, 2026

Other Authors

A mallard drake is pictured with a blow dart in its back in Billings, Montana, where there’s been a rash of waterfowl getting shot with blow darts.

Deer Killed, Ducks Maimed: Montana Wildlife Keeps Getting Shot With Blow Darts

Montana game wardens are trying to crack the case of a mule deer fawn being killed with a blow dart, along with ducks and geese getting attacked. Aside from maiming and killing the animals, shooting them with blow darts is illegal.

Mark HeinzJune 05, 2026

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Trump Support For Logging Project Will Get Grizzly Bears Killed, Green Groups Say

To clear the way for a Montana logging project, the Trump administration wants to redefine secure grizzly habitat from 2,500 acres to 1 acre. Opponents say it will get bears killed but a retired Wyoming forester says logging is good for grizzlies.

Mark HeinzJune 05, 2026

Male Grizzly 288, called Quill, got aggressive with female Grizzly 864 while trying to mate with her in Yellowstone National Park

Grizzly Courtship Isn't Very Cuddly. In Fact, It Can Turn Into An Aggressive Fight.

Grizzly courtship isn’t always cuddly. It can look more like a brawl as a videographer captured earlier this week in Yellowstone. But, persistence and aggression can often pay off, one biologist told Cowboy State Daily.

Mark HeinzJune 05, 2026

President Trump lifting restrictions on motorized use of federal lands has some Wyoming motorsports enthusiasts cheering a move they say prioritizes much-deserved public access. Critics call it a “terrible” idea that will destroy those areas.

ATV Riders Cheer Trump Opening Access To Federal Lands, Critics Expect Disaster

President Trump’s lifting of restrictions on motorized use of federal lands dating back to the 1970s has some Wyoming motorsports enthusiasts cheering a move they say prioritizes public access. Others worry that it will cause a wildlands disaster.

Mark HeinzJune 04, 2026

A black bear snoozed without a care in the world as tourist activity buzzed all around it near Tower Junction in Yellowstone National Park.

Tired Of Mobs And Mating Season, Yellowstone Black Bear Zonks Out By Roadside

As Yellowstone buzzed with tourists and other bears were caught up in courtship, a black bear apparently decided he’d had enough and zonked out by the roadside near Tower Junction. The bear was out so hard, some people worried that it was dead.

Mark HeinzJune 03, 2026

Wild turkeys recently attacked an elderly California woman, leaving her bruised and bloody. Casper's urban turkeys also "have absolutely established a reputation for aggressive, bold, and disruptive behavior,” says Game And Fish.

When Urban Turkeys Attack: Like Those In Casper, Wild Flocks Can Become Bullies

Wild turkeys recently attacked an elderly California woman, leaving her bruised and bloody. Casper's urban turkeys also "have absolutely established a reputation for aggressive, bold, and disruptive behavior,” says Game And Fish.

Mark HeinzJune 02, 2026

A sandhill crane boldly defends its territory from a three-year old grizzly called Storm on Saturday in Yellowstone National Park.

Sandhill Crane Gets Aggressive To Scare Young Yellowstone Grizzly Away From Nest

A young grizzly called Storm got too close to a sandhill crane’s nest in Yellowstone, but the crane was having none of that and drove Storm off. "I'd put my money on the crane,” said a bird biologist about how protective sandhill cranes can be.

Mark HeinzJune 02, 2026

Yellowstone visitor Willow Holm recently captured video of a member of the Wapiti wolf pack harshly correcting one of its packmates on the west side of the park.

Wolves Putting The Smackdown On Each Other Is How Yellowstone Packs Maintain Order

For wolves in Yellowstone, it’s all about survival. Pack members sometimes put the smackdown on each other, just to maintain order. One biologist said a video captured last week by a visitor shows one wolf clearly telling another, "I'm in charge here."

Mark HeinzJune 01, 2026

This white pronghorn was spotted on Memorial Day in Goshen County. It’s unknown whether the animal is a true albino, or if it has a recessive gene that makes its hair white. Either way, it’s incredibly rare.

‘Extremely Rare’ All-White Antelope Captured On Video In Goshen County

Wildlife watchers in Goshen County got a rare treat on Memorial Day — a brief encounter captured on video of an all-white pronghorn. Such animals are “extremely rare," but usually not actual albinos, a biologist said.

Mark HeinzMay 31, 2026

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