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

Retired Forest Service hydrologist and wildlife photographer Pete Bengeyfield has been watching and photographing grizzlies, such as this one, in Wyoming and Montana for decades and says bears are plentiful.

Even If Grizzlies Have ‘Recovered,’ Advocates Still Don’t Want The Bears Delisted

Grizzly advocate Pete Bengeyfield, who has been watching and photographing the bears for decades, said even he has to admit there are probably enough of them to consider the species “recovered." However, he still opposes having the bears delisted.

Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2026

Oldest Yellowstone Wolf Pack Strays Into Hunt Area, Activists Want Pack Protected

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack has strayed outside the park into a Wyoming wolf hunt area, and activists worry that 1090F will be shot this fall. They are requesting the pack be protected.

Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2026

The study, published in Ecology And Evolution found that cortisol levels in hair samples from cows indicate that cattle exposed to wolves experienced different levels of seasonal cortisol fluctuation, compared to those not exposed to wolves.

Study Says Wolves Stress Cows Out; Ranchers Say, ‘We Told You So’

Ranchers in Wyoming said a new study that shows cattle get stressed out by wolves is something they've been saying all along. “We ranchers have known about this for years. Why do you think our great-great grandfathers eradicated them?" one rancher said.

Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2026

Wyoming Gun Activists Increasingly Alarmed Over AI Cameras Searching For Guns

Although manufacturers of AI software that uses surveillance cameras to search for guns say it makes people safer, gun rights activists are alarmed. Buffalo's Mark Jones, of Gun Owners of America, says it violates the Second and Fourth Amendments.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2026

Eagles and other raptors are highly vulnerable to colliding with wind turbines.

Wyoming Wind Turbines Killed More Than 23,000 Birds And Bats Last Year

More than 23,000 birds and bats were killed by wind turbines in Wyoming in 2025, according to a report presented Wednesday to the state Game and Fish Commission. “They’re flying around and they’re not paying attention to those blades,” said an official.

Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2026

Grizzly bears, such as this female with cubs near Cody, would be brought under state management, according to a proposal put forward by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Full Implications Of Fed Move To Hand Grizzly Management Over To States Unclear

It remained unclear Wednesday whether a federal decision to hand management of grizzlies over to the state will set the stage for a full delisting of grizzlies. But Rep. Harriet Hageman said efforts will continue to get them delisted through legislation.

Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2026

Crews work on the arch structure for a wildlife overpass on U.S. Highway 189 near Kemmerer.

$30M Kemmerer Wildlife Crossing Ahead Of Schedule, $28M Dubois Project Stalled

A $30 million wildlife crossing in a “death zone” for deer on U.S. Highway 189 near Kemmerer is about a year ahead of schedule. But another $28 million project near Dubois, which conservationists say is equally vital, is stalled over money.

Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2026

With northwest Wyoming’s wolf population is at a 20-year low, the state Game and Fish Commission has cut the wolf hunt limits by more than half. Some advocates say that’s not enough, arguing to suspend hunting wolves altogether.

Wyoming Game And Fish Commission Cuts Wolf Hunt Quotas By More Than Half

With northwest Wyoming’s wolf population at a 20-year low, the state Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday cut the wolf hunt limits by more than half. Some advocates said that’s not enough, arguing to suspend hunting wolves altogether.

Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2026

Nonprofit groups, such as Vets 4 Huntin & Fishin, host hunts for military veterans from Wyoming and other states.

Wyoming Game And Fish Backs Off Proposal To Tighten Tag Regs For Disabled Vets

After an outcry, Game and Fish has backed off its proposal to prevent veterans with PTSD and other non-apparent disabilities from hunting during special early seasons. The public was "loud and clear," said Bill Brinegar of Hunting With Heroes,

Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2026

Laramie Elk Caller, 9, Guns For World Title Against Others Nearly Twice His Age

Laramie 9-year-old elk caller Axl Anton is set to compete against teens nearly twice his age in the world elk calling championship this month. He's already "in the top five best callers in the country, if not the best,” said a hunting industry insider.

Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2026

Wyoming’s mule deer are doing good so far this year, but there’s concern over their forage drying out before they can fatten up enough for winter.

Rain Gives Wyoming Mule Deer A Boost, But They’ll Need To Pack On Fat For Winter

Wyoming’s mule deer are enjoying lush forage for now in the high country, but there’s concern if the low country dries out and winter hits hard. "If it's any sort of normal winter, it's going to be rough," says Bill Ames of the Wyoming Mule Deer Alliance.

Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2026

Some say chainsaws should be allowed wilderness areas to clear trails of dead trees. Others argue that wilderness is no place for machinery of any kind.

As Dead Trees Clog Wyoming Wilderness Trails, Some Argue For Using Chainsaws

So many dead trees are piling up on Wyoming’s remote wilderness trails, some outfitters say they should be allowed to use chainsaws to clear them rather than working for days with hand tools. Chainsaws have been banned from those areas for 62 years.

Mark HeinzJuly 11, 2026

Other Authors

Investigators Say Colorado Bear That Ate Human Remains Shouldn’t Crave People

Investigators don’t think a bear or bears that ate parts of a human body found Sunday near Grand Mesa in western Colorado will develop a taste for people. They likely didn’t hunt the person, but instead scavenged someone already dead.

Mark HeinzJuly 10, 2026

For about 20 years, tire scars have marred the side of Fossil Hill near Sinks Canyon in Fremont County. Retired Forest Service ranger Karl Brauneis said.

Sinks Canyon Public Land Damaged By Illegal Off-Roaders 'May Never Recover'

Off-roading tire ruts have marred Fossil Hill at Sinks Canyon near Lander for more than two decades, and a retired ranger says such illegal drivers tearing up public lands are a growing problem. “I just don’t think that site is going to recover," he said.

Mark HeinzJuly 10, 2026

Screenshot of video taken in late June in the Dayton Gulch Road area of the Bighorn Mountains, shows what is allegedly a grizzly bear.

Distant Video Of Bear In Bighorn Mountains Reignites Debate Over Grizzlies In Area

A Lovell man says he thinks a bear he spotted off Dayton Gulch Road in the Bighorn Mountains last week was a grizzly. Casey Jones took a quick video of the bear and said,"The hump between the shoulders, that’s what got me to thinking it’s a grizzly."

Mark HeinzJuly 10, 2026

Shonna Kaye Dehl of Lovell (foreground) and Maggie Bassett of Powell have camped in the Bighorn Mountains for years. Their camp was trashed by an aggressive black bear late Sunday.

Aggressive Black Bear Drives Women From Bighorns Camp Before Shredding Tents

Two experienced Wyoming outdoorswomen said a large black bear aggressively entered their camp in the Bighorns late Sunday and turned it into "total chaos." When they returned the next day after escaping to a cabin, their camp was completely torn apart.

Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2026

Rich Guenzel, a retired Game and Fish biologist and pronghorn conservationist, made a “pronghorn swear jar” as a humorous way to correct people for calling the iconic Wyoming animals “antelope.”

Say 'Antelope' In Front Of Wyoming Pronghorn Activist, It'll Cost You $1

Conservationist Rich Guenzel understands why many people, including Wyoming Game and Fish, wrongly call one of the state's signature animals "antelope," but it's his pet peeve. It bugs him so much he has a “pronghorn swear jar” and makes people pay $1.

Mark HeinzJuly 06, 2026

Rancher Leah LaTray thinks her 8-year-old quarter horse mare was severely injured by a grizzly bear on her ranch near Lewistown, Montana. The horse is expected to survive.

Montana Rancher More Than 100 Miles From Rocky Mountains Says Grizzly Mauled Horse

A Montana rancher who lives more than 100 miles from grizzly territory says a bear mauled her quarter horse. Grizzlies aren't deliberately being reintroduced to prairie country. Instead, they’re moving back into those areas on their own.

Mark HeinzJuly 04, 2026

Mark Heinz celebrates America’s 250th anniversary by playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his Sthil 500i chainsaw.

The Tradition Continues: Mark Heinz Plays 'The Star Spangled Banner' On His Chainsaw

A Cowboy State Daily patriotic Independence Day tradition continues for the fourth straight year with outdoors writer Mark Heinz belting out “The Star Spangled Banner” on a chainsaw.

Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2026

Rancher Amanda Cerveney took video of two coyotes attacking one of her neighbor’s calves in Colorado this week. There’s also a pack of wolves in the area.

Rancher Says Wolves Making Colorado Coyotes More Aggressive With Livestock

Ranchers in northern Colorado wonder if the growing wolf population is causing coyotes to be more aggressive toward livestock. "In 30 years of doing this, I’ve never seen anything like that," a rancher said about two coyotes attacking healthy livestock.

Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2026

Washakie County Sheriff’s deputy Chris Hazen hoists a tranquilized female black bear Thursday in Worland. The bear was captured in a resident’s back yard.

Black Bear Leads Authorities On Two-Day Dumpster-Raiding Chase Through Worland

A female black bear evaded local law enforcement and wildlife authorities for two days as it ran in and around Worland. “She spent a couple of days running back and forth and was in every single dumpster,” said one local who observed the bear.

Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2026