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
Bear Cubs Whoop It Up On Ladder At Ski Resort Gondola Tower
It might have seemed odd and even dangerous watching video of a trio of black bear cubs that climbed a massive gondola tower at Steamboat ski resort in northwest Colorado on Saturday, but the bears were just having fun.
Mark HeinzApril 23, 2024
Elk Hunting In Wyoming’s Remote ‘Little Siberia’ Might Help Trim Herds
For Wyoming hunters, the acquisition of a $2.3 million piece of the Mule Creek Ranch will get them access to an area of Albany County teeming with elk. Two hours from anywhere, it's located in a stretch of mind-boggling vastness that locals call “Little Siberia.”
Mark HeinzApril 22, 2024
She’s Awake! Grizzly 399 And Gigantic Cub Emerge From Hibernation
The world’s most famous bear, Wyoming’s grizzly 399, along with her gigantic cub Spirit, have emerged from hibernation and were spotted briefly Sunday night in a confirmed sighting.
Mark HeinzApril 22, 2024
Mama Horse Stands Up To Wolf Trying To Kill Her Baby
For ranchers Gabby and Cole Thoreson, their timing couldn’t have been better. They went to check on their horses just in time to see one of their mares engaged in a tense standoff with a wolf that was apparently trying to kill her young foal.
Mark HeinzApril 21, 2024
Transylvania Is Famous For Vampires, But Also Has Lots Of Grizzlies And Wolves
Krisztina Gayler has a long history of ranching in grizzly and wolf country on two continents. She grew up on a ranch in Hungary and came to the U.S. in 2005. She maintains strong ties with ranchers here in Wyoming, as well as in Hungary, Romania, and Transylvania.
Mark HeinzApril 21, 2024
Animal Forensics Expert Calls For Examination Of Tortured Wolf Carcass
A Wyoming animal forensics expert is calling for an examination of the carcass of a wolf that was allegedly captured and tortured in Daniel, but it’s not clear whether the carcass is still available.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2024
To Beat The Heat, Yellowstone Grizzlies Jump Into ‘Bear Bathtubs’
Summer isn’t all fun and relaxation for Yellowstone’s bears, they’re busy packing on fat for the winter, which makes them heat magnets. So, they jump into “bear bathtubs” to cool off.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2024
Cattle Kill Count For Colorado Wolves Up To Six
Six cows have been killed by wolves in Colorado so far this year, and wolves with Wyoming roots might be involved in some of the attacks.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2024
$28M Crossing Project Planned On Deadly Highway For Wyoming Mule Deer
Hundreds of mule deer are killed along a 25-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26, roughly centered around Dubois, so a coalition of state agencies and tribal and private groups has pegged it for Wyoming’s next major wildlife crossing project.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2024
Angry People Travel From All Over Country To Voice Outrage Over Tortured Wolf
Lorraine Finazzo thought about using Zoom from her home in South Carolina to tell the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission her feelings about a wolf being captured, tortured and killed in Daniel. But felt she needed to make the trip instead.
Mark HeinzApril 17, 2024
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Blasts Wolf Abuse
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday issued a stark condemnation of the apparent capture, abuse and killing of a wolf in Sublette County. Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Gordon is “monitoring the situation.”
Mark HeinzApril 16, 2024
Animal Welfare Groups Offer $20,000 In Rewards For Wyoming Wolf Torture Info
Animal welfare groups are upping the ante on trying to get a Wyoming man to face more criminal penalties for allegedly tormenting a young wolf, offering $20,000 in reward money.
Mark HeinzApril 16, 2024
Grizzly Confirmed In Wyoming Bighorn Mountains; Bear Killed For Attacking Cattle
After years of rumors that there were grizzly bears roaming Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Monday confirmed that one has been killed for preying on cattle near Ten Sleep.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2024
Wyoming Officials Investigate If Having Wolf In Bar Is Food Safety Violation
The Wyoming Department of Agriculture is sending an inspector to the Green River Bar in Daniel to determine whether a live wolf being taken into the bar amounts to a food safety violation.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2024
Bee Rustlers Target Wyoming Hives Sent To Pollenate California Crops
Wyoming bees help pollinate massive almond groves in California, but while there, they’re at risk of being stolen by bee rustlers. Like the cattle rustlers of the Old West, modern day bee rustlers are organized, determined and crafty.
Mark HeinzApril 13, 2024
Wyoming Gun Dealers Say Biden’s Move To Close ‘Gun Show Loophole’ Won’t Change Anything
The Biden administration moved Thursday to close the so-called "gun show loophole" for background checks, but Wyoming gun show organizers and firearms dealers said they don’t expect it to change anything.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2024
Disturbing Video Released By Game And Fish Shows Tortured Wyoming Wolf
In response to a public records request, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Wednesday evening released two short disturbing video clips of a wolf that had been captured and tormented by a Wyoming, man before being killed.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2024
Advocacy Groups Could Use Wolf Torment To Push For Re-Listing Wolves
Environmentalists pushing to have Wyoming’s wolves re-listed under federal protection say the viral story of a wolf being tormented and killed in Sublette County strengthens their case.
Mark HeinzApril 10, 2024
Investigation Could Lead To More Charges For Accused Wyoming Wolf Tormentor
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that it’s investigating reports of a Wyoming wolf being tormented by a local resident, which could lead to additional criminal charges.
Mark HeinzApril 10, 2024
Wyoming Wolf Abuser Could Get Hunting Privileges Taken Away
Amid a growing outcry for stiffer penalties in the case of a Sublette County man who allegedly tortured a wolf, a retired federal game warden said it might be possible to revoke the man’s hunting privileges.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2024
Gillette Hospital Board Considers Allowing Guns In Some Areas
To get ahead of likely continued efforts to repeal Wyoming gun-free zones, the Campbell County Health board of trustees is considering lifting some firearms restrictions at the Gillette hospital.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2024