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

Float fishing on the Big Horn River never really stopped this winter, and the spring angling rush has already started.

'Flush' Of North Platte River Kicks Off Early Wyoming Spring Fishing Season

After a lackluster winter, the spring fishing season is on in Wyoming about a month early, unofficially kicked off by the flushing of the North Platte River. The yearly “flush” increases the river's flow by about eight times to simulate spring runoff.

Mark HeinzMarch 06, 2026

Supporters, including Rep. Robert Wharff, R-Evanston, argued that the bill doesn’t disparage Wyoming officers; it’s intended to protect Wyomingites from overzealous feds.

Gun Rights Bills Widely Opposed By Wyoming Cops, Sheriffs Clears Legislature

Though widely opposed by Wyoming law enforcement, the Second Amendment Protection Act cleared both chambers of the Legislature. “If an order is ever given federally to come seize firearms... our law enforcement can’t help them,” Rep. Bob Wharff said.

Mark HeinzMarch 05, 2026

Buzz Hettick, co-chair of the Wyoming chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said It might be best for hunters to just keep acting under the assumption that the 10th Circuit Court’s decision settled the matter and continue to corner cross

Why It Likely Doesn’t Make Any Difference That The Corner Crossing Bill Died

Hunters and law enforcement told Cowboy State Daily that the failure to pass a corner crossing bill really doesn’t make any difference. Just consider that the 10th Circuit Court’s decision settled the matter and continue to corner cross, they say.

Mark HeinzMarch 04, 2026

Colorado allows only cage traps for species such as bobcats. Some want to ban the commercial sale of wildlife fur there; trappers say it’s a ruse to try banning trapping altogether.

Colorado Braces For Mob Scene Over Proposal To Ban Sale Of Trapped Fur

A push to ban the sale of trapped wildlife fur has become an emotional powder keg in Colorado, with a vote on it expected Wednesday. Opponents say it’s an “extremist” move by “vegans and vegetarians," while supporters call it closing a loophole.

Mark HeinzMarch 04, 2026

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees looks through the sights of an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon during a USO visit to Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

West Virginia's Move To Legalize Machine Guns Could Lead Wyoming To Do The Same

If lawmakers in West Virginia are successful in legalizing fully automatic firearms, Wyoming could follow suit. Law professor and director of UW’s Firearms Research Center said, "I could totally see it catching on here in Wyoming and Montana."

Mark HeinzMarch 02, 2026

A young grizzly bear and two wolves had a close encounter in Yellowstone National Park. It was a passing moment, not the beginning of a best-buddies relationship between the apex predators.

Don't Read Too Much Into A Peaceful Moment Between Yellowstone Wolves And Grizzly

Although a spectacular photo taken by a wildlife photographer in Yellowstone may give the illusion that this grizzly and two wolves are buddies, they're not. Biologist Cecily Costello said It just means they’ve decided fighting right then wasn't worth the risk.

Mark HeinzMarch 02, 2026

Wyoming parents are calling for schools to dump Lifetouch photos after its parent company has an alleged link to notorious sex-trafficker Jeffery Epstein. One superintendent says the allegations aren’t strong enough to change photographers.

Wyoming Parents Push For Schools To Dump Lifetouch Photos After Alleged Epstein Tie

Some Wyoming parents are calling for schools to dump Lifetouch photos after an investor with its parent company has an alleged link to notorious sex-trafficker Jeffery Epstein. The schools shouldn’t be allowing it," said one Natrona County parent.

Mark HeinzMarch 01, 2026

Dan Kinneman of Riverton has been hunting crows since he was 14. He’s says crows are harder to hunt than ducks and geese, because they’re smarter.

Wyoming Crow Hunters Can Blast All They Want, But Nobody Eats The Birds

Mention of bird hunting might conjure up images of hunters and dogs pounding the brush in hopes of kicking up pheasants. But crow hunting is a thing in Wyoming too. No license is required, and there’s no bag limit. Hunters can just blast away.

Mark HeinzMarch 01, 2026

Wildlife biologists examine a mountain lion during research into the interactions between mountain lions and wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

Why Scientists Doped Up Mountain Lions And Climbed Down Trees With Them In Yellowstone

Faced with the quandary of how to get mountain lions out of trees for scientific analysis, researchers dosed them with ketamine, then climbed up to place harnesses on the still-conscious cats. “It’s definitely a little wild," one of the scientists said.

Mark HeinzFebruary 28, 2026

A Wyoming Senate committee forwarded a trio of gun bills, including one sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, that would allow freshmen to carry concealed weapons on campus at the University of Wyoming while upperclassmen would no longer need permits.

Senate Panel Backs Bills Letting 18-Year-Olds Carry Guns On UW Campus

A Wyoming Senate committee forwarded a trio of gun bills Friday, including one that would allow freshmen to carry concealed weapons on campus at the University of Wyoming while upperclassmen would no longer need permits.

Mark HeinzFebruary 27, 2026

Mobs Of Elk Leave National Elk Refuge Near Jackson With ‘False Sense Of Early Spring'

With what locals say is an unprecedentedly mild winter, elk are bailing out of the National Elk Refuge near Jackson, apparently thinking it's spring already. "Because the snowpack is so low, there is little reason to be there," said one photographer.

Mark HeinzFebruary 27, 2026

Representative Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, corner crossing on Thursday, February 26, 2026

Hunters, Ranchers Say Corner Crossing Bill Isn’t Ready As It Heads To Wyoming Senate

A corner-crossing bill received pushback from both hunters and ranchers Thursday but the committee still forwarded it to the Senate. One hunter said, “let’s just go out and corner-cross,” then write a new bill to address any problems that come up.

Mark HeinzFebruary 27, 2026

Other Authors

Representatives of Wyoming law enforcement agencies attend Wednesday's meeting of the House Revenue Committee at the Capitol in Cheyenne on Feb. 25, 2026.

Controversial Gun Rights Bill Passes Committee, Cops Still Don’t Like It

A Wyoming Senate committee on Wednesday forwarded a gun rights bill to the House floor. While tweaked, law enforcement officers still don’t like it, claiming it could allow criminals to sue them over technicalities.

Mark HeinzFebruary 26, 2026

A Laramie County rancher shot a roughly 2-year-old male wolf near Carpenter, Wyoming. Wildlife officials say it may be the first recorded legal wolf killing in the county, and its origin remains unclear.

"That Ain't No Coyote": Rancher Kills Wolf In Southeastern Wyoming Near Carpenter

A Laramie County rancher shot a roughly 2-year-old male wolf near Carpenter, Wyoming, where wolves are almost never seen. It may be the first recorded legal wolf killing in the county, and its origin remains unclear.

Mark HeinzFebruary 25, 2026

Thermopolis residents Matthew and Lindy Be Hughes rent a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They were there on Sunday when the city exploded in violence; vengeful drug cartel gangsters went on a rampage after the government killed their leader.

Wyoming Couple Weathers Chaos In Puerto Vallarta, Has No Plans To Leave

A Thermopolis couple who rent a vacation home in Puerto Vallarta is doing fine after cartel violence rocked the city. “Sunday was a day from hell. We didn’t know what was going on," Lindy Be Hughes told Cowboy State Daily. The couple has no plans to leave.

Mark HeinzFebruary 24, 2026

Outdoorsman Trinity Vandenacre (right) interviews a Colorado rancher about the effects of wolves on the cattle industry there.

Influential Outdoorsman Says Wolves Cost Western States More Than Tourism Brings In

It’s commonly argued that wolves are worth millions to the economies of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, because they’re such tourist magnets. Others, like outdoorsman Trinity Vandenacre, say wolves ultimately drain more from the states’ economies than they bring in.

Mark HeinzFebruary 24, 2026

Surveillance footage of poaching incident at Orofino Elementary School

Idaho Man Poaches Deer On Elementary School Lawn, Then Comes Back For Carcass

In a case that a wildlife officer described as "crazy" and “a first for me,” an Idaho man allegedly shot a deer on an elementary school lawn after dark, left for about two hours, and then came back and loaded the deer’s carcass into his pickup.

Mark HeinzFebruary 23, 2026

Elk might be regarded as walking septic tanks, insofar as the range of bacteria and other flora in their guts allows them to process all sorts of things that other animals, such as deer, might not be able to handle.

Did You Know? Elk Are Nature's Garbage Disposals, They'll Eat Anything

Elk could be regarded as walking septic tanks in that the range of bacteria in their gut allows them to eat things other animals can't handle. They have a multi-stomach digestive system and the first stomach is “essentially a fermentation vat."

Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2026

To ward off coyotes and other predators, some ranchers are attaching flashing ear tags to their livestock.

Ranchers Are Putting Flashing Lights On Cattle And Sheep To Keep Predators Away

Seeking a cheap and effective way to protect livestock from predators, Utah researchers think they have an answer — put flashing lights on sheep and cattle to scare them off. Critics say predators will get used to them and go back to killing livestock.

Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2026

Bald eagles and ravens compete for scraps from the carcass of a bison killed by the Wapiti wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park.

Circle Of Life: Eagles, Ravens Feast On Bison Killed By Wolves In Yellowstone

Bald eagles might be regarded as the most fearsome predators of the sky, but like any other wild creature, they do whatever it takes to survive winter. Accordingly, they scavenge more than hunt during the cold months, biologists told Cowboy State Daily.

Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2026

$Katrin Glenn-Bittner got photos of a dead Tex, the only grizzly bear on Texada Island in British Columbia, that were shared on the TEX — The Texada Island Grizzly Bear Facebook page.$

Death Of Grizzly Called ‘Tex’ In Canada Mirrors Controversies Over Wyoming Bears

The controversy over grizzlies in southwestern British Columbia mirrors the situation in Wyoming, as grizzlies wander into new places and run afoul of people and cattle. Such was the case with a grizzly called Tex who was killed by residents protecting their cows.

Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2026

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