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
Ranger Who Quit Over Trump Policies Calls Removing Grand Teton Placard Censorship
A Park Service ranger who quit over Trump's policies says removing a placard at the Grand Teton visitor center about a massacre of Blackfeet was censorship. A retired ranger from Wyoming says Trump's just doing away with years of “woke” misguidance.
Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2026
End Of An Era: Grand Teton's Favorite Mighty Grizzly, Bruno, Is Getting Old
For years, a huge male grizzly called Bruno was one of the brawniest bears in Grand Teton National Park. But at roughly age 22, Bruno is past his prime and those who routinely watch him are saying he's gotten thinner and "is on the downhill side."
Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2026
How "Wire Winders" Roll Up Old Fencing Quickly, Keep Wildlife From Getting Tangled
With countless miles of rusty old fences threatening wildlife across Wyoming, conservationists say devices called wire winders are a game changer. They can roll up a half-mile of old fence in two minutes, a task that would take a half-day by hand,
Mark HeinzAugust 02, 2026
As Wyoming's Prime Trout Waters Heat Up, Anglers Urged To Quit Casting After Noon
Summer heat has sent water temperatures soaring above 70 degrees in some of Wyoming's prime trout fishing waters, so Game and Fish is urging anglers to quit before noon. When it gets that hot, catch-and-release fishing stress and can kill trout.
Mark HeinzAugust 01, 2026
Neighbors Rally Against Planned 95-Unit Apartment Complex Near Laramie Greenbelt
Opponents of a proposed 80-to-95-unit apartment complex along the Laramie Greenbelt say it will push floodwaters toward a historic neighborhood and ruin wildlife habitat. The city says "that isn't a major concern" and housing needs are urgent.
Mark HeinzAugust 01, 2026
Feds Release New 10-Year Plan For Colorado River Water, Gordon 'Encouraged'
Gov. Mark Gordon said he's "encouraged" the Department of the Interior's new 10-year plan for the Colorado River released Friday looks out for Upper Basin states. Arizona's governor called it a raft of “draconian water cutbacks" for Lower Basin states.
Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2026
Mustang Advocates Claim BLM Funneled Wyoming Wild Horses To Dealer For Slaughter
Mustang advocates are alleging that horses were funneled from a Bureau of Land Management holding facility near Lander to dealers in other states, who subsequently sold them for slaughter. A BLM spokesperson says the agency prioritizes adoption.
Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2026
No Joke: Scientists Launch OnlyFans Account To Raise Money For Marmot Project
Struggling for funding, researchers have launched an account on the racy OnlyFans website called OnlyMarms to raise money for a marmot project. Instead of erotica, the site features marmot videos. A Wyoming wildlife biologist describes the effort as "innovative."
Mark HeinzJuly 30, 2026
Advocates Offer $10,000 Bounty To Name Hunters Who Kill Famed Yellowstone Wolves
A social media influencer and others are offering a $10,000 bounty for the identities of hunters who shoot members of Yellowstone National Park's famed Mollie’s wolf pack this fall. Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce calls the bounty “outrageous.”
Mark HeinzJuly 29, 2026
No Trump Executive Order: Livestock Director Says Electronic Cattle Tags Here To Stay
Wyoming Livestock Board Director Steve True told state lawmakers in Casper on Tuesday that electronic ear tags for cattle are here to stay. A hoped-for executive order from President Trump rescinding the electronic tag requirement didn’t happen, he said.
Mark HeinzJuly 28, 2026
State Closes Popular Evanston Recreation Roads After Private Lands 'Torn Up'
After angry landowners near a recreation area north of Evanston complained of their property being "torn up," state officials closed the roads. "The landowners are sick of having their land torn up," BLM spokeswoman Courtney Whiteman said.
Mark HeinzJuly 28, 2026
Bighorn Basin Golden Eagle Hit By Car And Lead Poisoning Now Raising Young
A Wyoming eagle called Aurum was barely a year old and suffering from lead poisoning when she was hit by a car near Meeteetse. She somehow survived both and is now beating the odds by raising her young in the Bighorn Basin.
Mark HeinzJuly 27, 2026
Low Water Cancels Jackson Lake Boat Tours In Grand Teton Two Months Early
Scenic boat tours on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park have shut down two months early due to low water levels as southern Idaho agricultural users draw from the lake. Large boats are unable to get out of Colter Bay Marina onto the main lake.
Mark HeinzJuly 27, 2026
After Growing Fast Through July, Elk And Deer Antlers About As Big As They’ll Get
During the peak antler growing-season of spring and early summer, Wyoming bull elk and buck deer can add an inch per day to their antlers thanks to lush foliage. Now that it's the peak of summer, antler growth will grind almost to a halt.
Mark HeinzJuly 26, 2026
‘Rain Makers’ Say They Can Boost Wyoming’s Water Supply, Wyo Lawmakers Want Proof
A Colorado “rain maker” company claims it has used electricity to boost water supplies in two western states by 10-15% and can do it for Wyoming if lawmakers don't conflate their methods with cloud seeding. Two legislators say they want proof first.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2026
Mollie's Wolf Pack Was Just 'Looking For Food' When It Left Yellowstone
The famed Mollie’s Pack was just “looking for food” when it left Yellowstone to den on the Shoshone National Forest, a biologist says. But in doing so, the wolves kicked off a tempest of controversy over whether they should be hunted.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2026
Bison Biologist: Yellowstone Bulls Are Extra Ornery Because They're In A Rut
Ornery Yellowstone bull bison have now tossed a grandpa 8 feet in the air, chased a man around cabins and popped a car tire, because they're in their annual rut, says one bison biologist. A bison rancher says one solution is a face full of bear spray.
Mark HeinzJuly 22, 2026
"Nightmare Scenario": Victim Of Glacier Grizzly Attack Likely Surprised Bear In The Dark
Officials concluded Tuesday that a 33-year-old man likely surprised a grizzly in the dark before he was killed in Glacier National Park in May. Running into a bear in the dark is a “nightmare scenario,” said an outdoorsman who was in the park at the time.
Mark HeinzJuly 22, 2026
Tourists Stop To Look At Yellowstone Bear — But It Was Only A Pooping Dog
Tourists driving through Yellowstone thought they had spotted a bear, so they stopped their cars to look at it. They were disappointed to learn it was only a pooping German shepherd. "She looked very much like a small bear,” said the dog’s owner.
Mark HeinzJuly 21, 2026
Montana Grizzly Advocates Want Bear Spray Mandatory for Hunters, Trappers
Grizzly advocates in Montana submitted a petition Tuesday to make bear spray mandatory for hunters like wearing fluorescent orange is now. Guy Eastman of Cody has hunted numerous times in grizzly country and said the idea “isn’t going to fly with hunters.”
Mark HeinzJuly 21, 2026
Study: In Tourist Areas, Aggressive Elk Attack Far More People Than Grizzly Bears
Aggressive elk attack far more people than grizzlies, black bears, coyotes and mule deer — especially in tourist areas, according to an extensive study. Elk "can inflict serious damage with those stomps and kicks,” said a wildlife specialist.
Mark HeinzJuly 21, 2026