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

$15,000 Reward For Finding Who Illegally Killed Grizzly In Idaho

A $15,000 reward is being offered in the case of an illegal grizzly killing that has stumped wildlife agents for months. The female was from the tiny, isolated Cabinet-Yaak grizzly subpopulation in Idaho and Montana.

Mark HeinzJanuary 23, 2026

By the early 1970s, there were 136 grizzlies left in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. There are about 1,000 now, and some say they should remain under federal protection.

Hageman's Push For Grizzly Hunt Slammed By Wyoming Wildlife Advocates

U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman calling for grizzlies to be delisted is a bad look for Wyoming, some Wyoming wildlife advocates say. Hageman and others for delisting say the growing number of bears across expanding territory makes their case.

Mark HeinzJanuary 23, 2026

A pine marten tries, but fails, to catch and kill a grey squirrel in Yellowstone National Park

Frustrated Yellowstone Pine Marten Can't Catch Elusive Squirrel Teasing It

A Yellowstone pine marten that was teased by a squirrel into chasing it in laps around a tree trunk shouldn’t feel bad. Squirrels evade all sorts of predators that way, a biologist says. A video offers rare footage of Wyoming's rodent hunters.

Mark HeinzJanuary 23, 2026

Invasive rats first started showing up in the Boise, Idaho, area a couple of years ago. Their population has exploded, and exterminators can’t keep up.

'Nuclear Bomb' Of Invasive Rats That Exploded In Boise Can Threaten Wyoming

Wyoming isn’t immune to a rat invasion like the infestation taking place in Boise that one exterminator called “a nuclear bomb of rats.” Spikes in rat populations can result from favorable conditions, such as mild winters, a Wyoming zoology professor said.

Mark HeinzJanuary 22, 2026

This helicopter, seen in a file photo by Wyoming Game and Fish Department, was one of two that collided near Parkman on Jan. 19, 2026, while doing contract work for the agency.

Choppers Collide During Wyoming Mule Deer Capture Operation

Two helicopters slammed into each other Monday while trying to land near Parkman in Sheridan County during a Wyoming Game and Fish operation to capture mule deer.

Mark HeinzJanuary 22, 2026

Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep rams put on a show for fans along the roadside near Corwin Springs, Montana, just outside Yellowstone National Park.

Bighorn Ewe Draws A Dozen Amorous Rams In Late Rut Frenzy Near Yellowstone

A single bighorn ewe kept a dozen or more rams busy for hours, butting heads and trying to mate with her. Observers say she was no worse for wear from the aggressive attention.

Mark HeinzJanuary 21, 2026

The American Prairie conservation organization has been grazing bison on Bureau of Land Management permits in northern Montana for 20 years. Now, the BLM is saying the bison should be removed and the land used for cattle grazing only.

Does BLM Pulling Montana Grazing Leases For Bison Reclassify Them As Wildlife?

A Wyoming bison rancher is concerned that a BLM Montana decision to pull grazing leases for bison could lead to reclassifying the large animals as wildlife. That could make raising bison illegal in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzJanuary 20, 2026

Wolf 1478F was the latest member of Yellowstone National Park’s famed Junction Butte pack to be killed. She’s thought to have been illegally poached in Montana.

Wolf From Yellowstone’s Famous Junction Butte Pack May Have Been Poached

Another wolf from Yellowstone National Park's famous Junction Butte Pack killed in Montana is being investigated as a poaching, once again raising questions over wolf hunting near the park.

Mark HeinzJanuary 19, 2026

Images of elk and deer with freakishly gargantuan antlers touted as the “new world record” pop up on social media, but the highly respected Boone and Crockett Club says those are probably captive animals that can’t make the official record books.

Why Captive Animal 'World Records' Are Banned From Official Hunting Records

Images of elk and deer with freakishly huge antlers touted as a “new world record” frequently pop up on social media. But the highly respected Boone and Crockett Club says those are probably captive animals that can’t make the official record books.

Mark HeinzJanuary 19, 2026

Gerald Gay of Casper got his Outrider Coyote all-terrain wheelchair for hunting, but says it’s handy around town as well.

Rugged Electric Buggy Allows Disabled Casper Man To Hunt Wyoming Backcountry

Gerald Gay of Casper thought he’d never hunt off-road again after becoming partially disabled in 2016, but an all-terrain electric buggy has changed that. He says such vehicles could be a breakthrough for disabled hunters.

Mark HeinzJanuary 18, 2026

Wamsutter post office. Inset photo: 3d rendering weapon glock 43 tactical

For 99 Years It’s Been Illegal To Mail A Handgun, That Soon Could Change

Wyoming gun advocates are applauding Thursday's U.S. Dept. of Justice opinion that says a 1927 law banning the practice of mailing handguns is unconstitutional. UW law professor George Moscary says to use caution, however, as "it's a complicated area of law."

Mark HeinzJanuary 16, 2026

Hageman To Nesvik: Grizzlies Need To Be Delisted Because They Keep Mauling Hunters

At a hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman told Fish & Wildlife Dir. Brian Nesvik that grizzlies need to be delisted because they are mauling too many hunters. Nesvik agreed and said he believes the grizzly population has recovered.

Mark HeinzJanuary 15, 2026

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Two coyotes square off in an aggressive display over who gets access to a bison carcass in Yellowstone National Park. It’s for show, experts say, coyotes don’t get into violent fights with each other.

Yellowstone Coyotes Square Off In Aggressive Standoff Biologists Say Is All Show

Two coyotes in standoff over a bison carcass in Yellowstone National Park arched their backs, raised their paws and bared their teeth so aggressively it might be easy to assume they were ready to rip each other apart. Biologists say it’s all for show.

Mark HeinzJanuary 14, 2026

Canada geese can rush in during early spring and hog prime high-elevation nesting sites from raptors, like osprey.

Geese Steal Osprey Nests, Forcing The Birds To Risk Electrocution

Canada geese sometimes hog elevated nesting platforms from osprey in Wyoming. So, the ospreys try building nests on powerline poles instead — and get electrocuted.

Mark HeinzJanuary 13, 2026

This young black bear was photographed still out and about on Christmas Eve near Kelly Warm Springs in the Jackson area. Witnesses reported spotting it still out in early January.

Young Jackson-Area Bear Still Out In January Might Be Confused By Warm Weather

A young black bear has caused a stir in the Jackson area, spotted still awake and running around in January. A local wildlife tour guide said it’s not unheard of, but the unseasonably warm weather may have confused the bear about when bedtime is.

Mark HeinzJanuary 12, 2026

The Bennett family of Big Piney found out that Dayton, 13, is a match to donate bone marrow to his little brother Traxton, 2, who is battling a rare form of leukemia.

Big Piney Teen To Donate Bone Marrow To Save Toddler Brother From Leukemia

Following up on a story we did last month, the medical verdict came in and 13-year-old Dayton of Big Piney is the perfect match to donate bone marrow to his 2-year-old brother Traxton, who is battling a rare form of leukemia.

Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2026

Mule deer, like these in Wyoming’s Prospect Mountains, are having their habitat threatened by invasive cheatgrass.

'It's Bad Stuff': Aftermath Of Huge Wyoming Wildfires Threatens Wyoming Mule Deer

As if Wyoming’s mule deer aren’t facing enough problems, invasive cheatgrass moving into areas scorched by Wyoming's huge 2024 wildfires is ruining their habitat. "It's bad stuff," one Wyoming rancher said, "I can't emphasize that enough."

Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2026

Nate Miller of Thermopolis shot this Shiras moose, left, in the Snowy Range Mountains. The massive bull could be one for the record books. This past season he also bagged this bighorn sheep, top right, and Rocky Mountain goat.

Wyoming Hunter Bags Coveted Big-Game Trifecta, Including Huge Moose

Nate Miller beat astronomical odds to draw Wyoming’s coveted three-species “trifecta" hunting tag, then bagged a bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and moose. He joked about selling his hunting rifles, because there’s no way to ever top this hunting season.

Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2026

In 1958, capturing black bears for research was completely nuts. They used ether to put the bears into a stupor and hoped for the best. Veteran conservationist Cliff Bampton said one of his teammates once had to literally wrestle a bear.

In The 1950s, Bear Researchers Used Ether And A Football Player Who Wrestled Them

The pioneering days of bear research in the 1950s were not standardized at all. One capture team using ether-soaked cotton to put bears into a stupor and then had a college football player wrestle the bear.

Mark HeinzJanuary 10, 2026

Wolf 1090F, of the Mollie’s pack in Yellowstone National Park, recently hit the age of 12 years. That makes her her the oldest living wolf in the park, and one of the oldest ever.

Nearly 12 And Huge, Yellowstone Wolf 1090F Earns Title Of Oldest In Yellowstone

At the age of 11 years, 9 months, Wolf 1090F has earned the title of the oldest living wolf in Yellowstone, which is remarkable considering the average lifespan of a wild wolf is 5 or 6. Like other members of the pack known as Mollie’s pack, she’s huge.

Mark HeinzJanuary 10, 2026

Sublette County Deputy Busts Through Ice To Save Mom And Baby Deer

Sublette County Deputy Jason Overbaugh plunged into the icy New Fork River near Big Piney on New Year’s Day to rescue a trapped mule deer doe and fawn. Ally Cogburn spotted the struggling animals, and both survived Overbaugh's heroic effort.

Mark HeinzJanuary 09, 2026

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