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
Replacing Worn-Out 115-Year-Old LaPrele Dam Could Cost $190M, Start In 2026
Wyoming state engineers say there’s no saving the worn-out 115-year-old LaPrele Dam near Douglas, and it could cost $190 million to replace. Work on a new dam could start in 2026.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024
BLM Finalizes Controversial Rock Springs Plan, Now Only Congress Can Stop It
The BLM on Friday finalized its controversial Rock Springs Resource Management Plan for more than 3 million acres in Southwest Wyoming. Now only Congress can reverse it.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024
Close To Falling Apart, There’s No Saving LaPrele Dam, Says State Engineer
Wyoming's state engineer said Thursday that there’s no saving the 115-year-old LaPrele Dam near Douglas, which is close to falling apart. But one area rancher and legislator wants the planned demolition postponed.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024
Yes, Bears Falling Out Of Trees And Killing People Is A Real Thing
A Virginia man was killed when a bear another hunter shot tumbled out of a tree and landed on him. A veteran Wyoming predator hunter said the danger posed by large animals falling out of trees is a real thing.
Mark HeinzDecember 19, 2024
What3Words Claims To Be The Best Rescue App Ever, But Misses In Wyoming
A new app maps out the entire world into 3-yard squares and assigns three words to identify each square. It’s wildly popular with some emergency responders and is growing a base, but Wyoming rescue pros aren’t sold.
Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024
Story Of Birdshot Dropping Charging Grizzly Seems Unbelievable, Wyoming Hunters Say
A Montana man once stopped a charging grizzly bear with a load of birdshot from a .410 shotgun. That seems unbelievable to Wyoming hunters because of the gun’s relatively weak stopping power.
Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024
Did Nirvana’s Rise As Grunge Rock Royalty Begin With A Wyoming Garage Band?
The early 1970s was a heyday for Wyoming garage bands. Legend has it that a band from Casper went to Seattle and inspired Kurt Cobain to start the 1990s grunge rock movement.
Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2024
Shooting Drones Is Illegal, But A Shotgun Would Work Best If You Must
We're not recommending anyone shoot down a drone. That's illegal in Wyoming. But if someone needed to, a shotgun would be the right weapon, gun experts say.
Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024
Man-Made Nests Could Protect Eagles From Getting Slaughtered By Wind Turbines
With too many golden eagles getting slaughtered by wind turbines in central and southeast Wyoming, it’s hoped man-made nests can help. They create a safe haven for the raptors away from wind farms.
Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024
Much Of Wyoming May Be Safe If US Is Nuked, But Cheyenne Likely To Be Vaporized
A FEMA map showing the best places in the U.S. to survive a nuclear attack shows much of Wyoming clear. Cheyenne and surrounding areas, however, will likely be immediately annihilated.
Mark HeinzDecember 15, 2024
Forget About Silencers, People Are Putting ‘Loudeners’ On Their Guns
“Loudeners," or devices that increase a gun's noise and concussion, have a fan base. But some Wyoming shooters say there's no reason for them and loundeners are just stupid.
Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024
In Wake Of CEO Slaying, Wyomingites Not Spooked Over 3D Printed “Ghost Guns”
3D printed “ghost guns” are back in the news, as one might have been used in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Wyomingites say plastic 3D printed guns aren’t worth the trouble.
Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024
As Out-Of-Staters Mob Wyoming’s Prime Fishing Spots, Some Want To Regulate Guides
Out-of-staters are taking advantage of Wyoming’s loose regulations for fishing guides and crowding the state’s prime waters, say backers of a bill that would change that.
Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024
Ranchers Skeptical Range Riders Will Save Colorado Livestock From Wolves
As Colorado prepares to release more wolves, the state will use range riders to help protect livestock. Unless they’re allowed to kill interloping wolves, ranchers are skeptical range riders could make a difference.
Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024
1540s Bronze Cannon Dug Up In Arizona Is The Oldest Gun Ever Found In The U.S.
A nearly 500-year-old bronze cannon used by Spanish conquistadors was recently unearthed in Arizona, making it the oldest firearm ever found in the continental U.S. It’s also more than 200 years older than the first guns in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024
Some Eagles' Nests Weigh More Than 1,000 Pounds & Can Fit Several People
Eagles’ nests are huge, sometimes weighing more 1,000 pounds, and it takes generations of the raptors to build them. The most colossal ones can be big enough to seat several people inside.
Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024
Top Bear Biologist Argues For More Grizzlies; Wants Them To Roam Freely All Over The West
A top bear biologist is arguing against delisting grizzlies from federal protection and hunting them. Instead, he says there should be more — a “meta-population” of grizzlies from Canada to the southern end of Yellowstone National Park.
Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024
Feds Under Deadline To Decide On Delisting Grizzlies By Jan. 20
A judge’s order has ratcheted up the pressure on federal officials to decide whether Wyoming’s grizzlies should be delisted. Montana and Idaho are clamoring for delisting as well, with a Jan. 20 deadline looming.
Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024
Ethyl, The Grizzly That Wandered 5,000 Miles, Was Likely Trying To Get Back Home
Grizzlies are known to wander, but one named Ethyl took it to the next level, logging 5,000 miles wandering across Montana and Idaho.
Mark HeinzDecember 10, 2024
Despite What Wildlife Experts Say, Wyoming Has Plenty Of Opossums -- And They Reek
Cowboy State Daily readers reached out to us -- en masse -- to tell us although there may not be an "official" opossum population in Wyoming, they're here and there are a lot of them. And, as a bonus, they really stink.
Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024
Made In Wyoming: Gunsmith Gets Back To Basics Making Custom “Scout Rifles”
With the hunting rifle world increasingly dominated by magnum-caliber, extreme-range rifles, semiautomatics and super-powered scopes, a Sheridan gunmaker hopes to carve out his niche with compact, handy “scout rifles.”
Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024
Stone Age People Could Easily Hunt Packing A Baby, Wyoming Anthropologist Finds
Taking your toddler hunting is nothing new in Wyoming, or in human history for that matter. A University of Wyoming anthropologist says there's evidence that stone-age hunters took their kids hunting with them.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024
Horsehair Thieves Cutting Off Horse Tails And Manes In Albany County
Thieves supply a black market for horsehair by sneaking into pastures and stalls and cutting off the animals’ tails and manes. Horse owners say there’s been a rash of such crimes around Laramie.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024
Lodges That Let People "Sleep With The Wolves" A Bad Idea, Wyoming Wildlife Experts Say
A wildlife preserve in Canada has lodges where visitors have only a pane of glass between them and a pack of wolves. Billed as a chance to “sleep with the wolves,” Wyoming wildlife officials say it’s a terrible idea.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024
Yippie-Ki-Yay! Cody Gun Range Offers Holiday “Die Hard” Experience
For those who think “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie, a gun range in Cody will let you shoot the weapons Bruce Willis uses in the classic action film. Yippie-Ki-Yay!
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024
Canadian Man Severely Mauled After Jumping On Polar Bear To Save Wife
A Canadian man was severely mauled on Monday after jumping on a polar bear that was attacking his wife. His heroics are similar to how a Wyoming wrestler saved a friend by jumping on a grizzly bear in 2022.
Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2024
Wyoming Has Plenty Of Elk, But Hunters Aren’t Finding Them This Year
Even though parts of Wyoming have more elk than ever, hunters are reporting a poor season this year. Warm weather and the aftermath of massive wildfires are likely to blame.
Mark HeinzDecember 05, 2024
Retired Wyoming Professor Completely Surprised He Was A "Jeopardy!" Answer
Retired University of Wyoming archeology professor Robert Kelly doesn't watch TV, but his siblings do. He said he was completely surprised on Thanksgiving when he started getting texts telling him he was an answer on "Jeopardy!"
Mark HeinzDecember 03, 2024
App Aims To Keep Tourists From Getting Mauled When Taking Selfies With Wildlife
The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board is trying to keep tourists in Wyoming from getting gored and mauled by wildlife. Its Selfie Control Instagram app tells people when they’re too close for photos.
Mark HeinzDecember 02, 2024
Hunter Baffled By Elk’s Weirdly Deformed Hooves
A Colorado hunter killed a cow elk last week that looked normal and healthy — except for some weirdly deformed hooves. Biologists say the elk is not a mutant, but the bizarre hoof deformities mirror the effects of an elk disease that’s spreading in other states.
Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024