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
![A momma grizzly and her cub tussle over a scrap of food, with the cub apparently prevailing, early Wednesday in Yellowstone National Park.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Grizzlies-fight-over-food-7.25.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Grizzlies Fight Over Food Right Next To Wyoming Man’s Truck
Getting video of a grizzly mother and cub fighting over food, practically within arm’s reach (but taken safely from his truck), seemed cool enough to share on social media for a Cody man, but he didn’t expect it to catch fire.
Mark HeinzJuly 26, 2024
![Cody sign 7 25 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Cody-sign-7.25.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Critics Say Cody Too Isolated For $10 Million Wyoming Shooting Complex
Now that a spot about 7.5 miles south of Cody has been picked for the coveted $10 million Wyoming Shooting Complex, critics say it’s too isolated. Backers say that won’t discourage its target audience — competitive shooters and events.
Mark HeinzJuly 25, 2024
![Genetically-altered “Trojan” male brook trout were recently dumped into Game Creek, in the upper Snake River Drainage. They’ll turn the entire brookie population there male, so it will die off and make room for cutthroat trout. (Courtesy of Wyoming Game and Fish Department)](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/brook-trout-male-7-24-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Game And Fish Genetically Modify Brook Trout To Make Them All Male
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department have come up with a seemingly sci-fi way to combat brook trout that have been taking over habitat from native cutthroats. Turn the brookies all male by mixing them with genetically-altered “Trojan” fish.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2024
![Grizzly 769 was a well-known Yellowstone Park Bear. He started breaking into homes in and around Gardiner Montana, and wildlife agents shot the bear last week and left its carcass in the Yellowstone River, with the head and paws removed.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/no-head-grizzly.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Grizzly Killed, Left In River With Head, Paws Cut Off, Was Well-Known Yellowstone Bear
A grizzly carcass left in the Yellowstone River with its head and paws cut off is that of a well-known Yellowstone bear, Grizzly 769. Wildlife officials said they removed the parts after killing it last week so they wouldn't end up on the black market.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2024
![Park County has won a competive process to be home to a new $10 million Wyoming state shooting complex. It will be built on land about 7 miles south of Cody oaff Highway 120.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Cody-shooting-completx-IMG_2406-7.23.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
$10M Wyoming Shooting Complex To Be Built South Of Cody
A site about 7 miles south of Cody has been chosen for a $10 million Wyoming shooting complex, a state task force decided Monday. Construction could start next spring, and the complex could be open for business by spring 2026.
Mark HeinzJuly 23, 2024
![Muppet bear 7 23 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/muppet-bear-7.23.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Tourists Run Screaming From Yellowstone Bear That Looks Like A Muppet
A young black bear with different coloring that looked more like a Muppet than an apex predator freaked out Yellowstone tourists. But the bear, which had shaggy fur and racoon-like markings, was just a regular bear, an expert says.
Mark HeinzJuly 23, 2024
![Wild Horse advocate Gail Bumsted addresses protestors overlooking the Bureau of Land Management mustang holding corrals just north of Rock Springs on Monday.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Horse-protest-Horse-speaker-7.22.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Protesters Rally In Rock Springs To End Wyoming Mustang Roundup
Demonstrators from several states showed up in Rock Springs on Monday to protest the BLM's Wyoming mustang roundups. Next month, the BLM plans to round up about 500-600 wild horses in the White Mountain area, reducing that herd to roughly 300 horses.
Mark HeinzJuly 22, 2024
![Grizzly eating berries 7 19 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Grizzly-eating-berries-7.19.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
In Brief: Montana Grizzly Killed While Charging Man Picking Berries
A man told game wardens that he shot and killed a grizzly after it attacked him while he was picking berries in northern Montana on Thursday. It was the second grizzly killed that day.
Mark HeinzJuly 19, 2024
![A Raccoon named Rico has adapted well to living with a family near Lander, but a Riverton veterinarian who has treated many of the critters said raccoons generally don’t make good pets.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Rico-1-7.19.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming Family Has A 56-Pound Tank Of A Pet Raccoon Named Rico
Rico is a 56-pound tank of a raccoon that’s worked out as a loving pet for a family near Lander. But veterinarians say domesticating raccoons should be avoided because they can turn into possessed demons from hell.
Mark HeinzJuly 19, 2024
![Wildlife observers and officials are keeping a keen eye out for Grizzly 610 after she was hit by a vehicle.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Grizzly-610-10.11.23.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Montana Wildlife Agency Confirms Killing Of Grizzly That Was Breaking Into Homes
Montana wildlife officials confirmed they shot a grizzly bear that had been causing trouble around the Yellowstone gateway town of Gardiner, Mont., and was breaking into yet another house early Thursday. The bear was killed in the Yellowstone River.
Mark HeinzJuly 19, 2024
![Bear stop sign 3 7 18 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/bear-stop-sign-3-7-18-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Rumor That Town-Terrorizing Grizzly Bear Is Dead Brings Sadness And Relief
A large grizzly bear that’s been smashing house windows, breaking into vehicles and raising Hell in the tiny Yellowstone gateway town of Gardiner, Mont., might have been killed by wildlife agents on Thursday. Some townspeople are relieved to hear it.
Mark HeinzJuly 19, 2024
![Cougar 7 18 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/cougar-7-18-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Chatty Hikers Bother Wyoming’s Wildlife, Study Reveals
A new study published in a scientific journal in June show that animals are really annoyed by the sound of chatty hikers and mountain bikers. Black bears and elk were most skittish about human voices while cougars really don't care.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2024
![Grizzly crossing road 7 16 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/grizzly-crossing-road-7-16-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Grizzly Habitat In Yellowstone Ecosystem Is Filling Up Fast, Biologist Says
Going just by the numbers, the grizzly population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is more than double the 500 bears designated as “recovered,” a top bear biologist told the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2024
![Lake trout at Flaming Gorge](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Flaming-Gorge-fishing-1-6.25.23.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming, Utah Call For No Limits On Flaming Gorge Lake Trout
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday voted to eliminate the catch limit on most lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir because they are diminishing the kokanee salmon population.
Mark HeinzJuly 16, 2024
![Grizzly 2 7 15 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/grizzly-2-7-15-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
As Grizzlies Fill In Corners Of Montana, Are They Closer To Mingling With Wyoming Bears?
Montana wildlife officials are telling people they should be prepared to run into grizzlies anywhere west of Billings – but it remains unclear whether a long expected mingling of Wyoming and Montana bears is imminent.
Mark HeinzJuly 15, 2024
![Mix Collage 15 Jul 2024 12 51 PM 3015](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/MixCollage-15-Jul-2024-12-51-PM-3015.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Game Warden Involved In Wolf Torture Investigation Charged With DUI
Herbert “Bubba” Haley, one of the game wardens who investigated the capture, torture and killing of a wolf in Sublette County was charged with driving under the influence, according to court records.
Mark Heinz & Clair McFarlandJuly 15, 2024
![Three friends from Rock Springs who call themselves the desert rats — John Vase, from left, Kurt Hensley and Paul Ng — have been exploring the vast, harsh lands of southwest Wyoming for decades.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Desert-rats-7.14.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Rock Springs ‘Desert Rats’ Know Wyoming’s Adobe Town Better Than Anybody
Three friends from Rock Springs who call themselves the desert rats know Wyoming’s Adobe Town better than anybody. They’ve been exploring the huge, rugged expanses of southwest Wyoming for decades and say they’ve seen only a fraction of what’s out there.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2024
![Kelsey Mitchell, a biologist with the Teton County Weed & Pest District, collects ticks for research. Scientists are looking for volunteers to do the same.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Tick-Wrangler-collect-2-7.14.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
A New Hobby? Wyoming Scientists Looking For People To Go Out And Collect Ticks
For those who can stomach the task, Wyoming scientists need volunteers to go out and pick up ticks. “We need tick wranglers, please,” entomologist Mikenna Smith told Cowboy State Daily.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2024
![A wolf comes across a pair of snowmobilers in this photo posted by the Voyageurs Wolf Project in 2022. These snowmobilers didn't harm the wolf, but a recent incident with a wolf run down by a snowmobile in Wyoming has Congress considering a new law.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Snowmobiles-and-wolf-7.13.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Congress To Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Outlaw Killing Wildlife By Snowmobile
The high-profile case of a Wyoming wolf run down with a snowmobile, then tortured and killed, is now on the radar of Congress. A bipartisan bill called the Snowmobiles Aren’t Weapons Act would ban the practice nationwide.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
![The Killpecker Sand Dunes in southwest Wyoming are a unique landscape that draws visitors and hunters.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Killpecker-Sand-Dunes-BLM-1-7.13.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming's Killpecker Sand Dunes: "Don't Drink The Water, It'll Kill Your Pecker"
The name for Wyoming’s famous Killpecker Sand Dunes is said to have originated with a soldier’s warning that the water there could have an undesirable effect upon a certain part of the male anatomy. Despite that side effect, it's a great place to visit.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
![The sun peeks over the horizon over Adobe Town in Wyoming's Red Desert.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Adobe-Town-Kyle-Spradley-adobesatock-7.13.24.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Traveling Wyoming: Adobe Town Is Like Another Planet In The Middle Of Nowhere
A visit to Adobe Town in southwest Wyoming’s Red Desert is like being on another planet. To get there, take the Point of Rocks exit off Interstate 80 west of Rock Springs, hit the gravel roads and keep going. And going and going.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
![Wyoming Capitol 202420240219 capitol 9665](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Wyoming.-Capitol-202420240219_capitol_9665.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
In Brief: Wildlife Groups Mad After Snubbed By Committee
Wildlife advocates said they were snubbed and not allowed to comment during a legislative meeting earlier this week. A co-chair of a Wyoming Legislature joint committee says it was just a technical glitch.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2024
![A pair of wolves just outside of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Yellowstone-wolves-7.12.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Animal Activists Sue To Put Wolves Back On Endangered List In Wyoming
Environmental and animal welfare groups are suing to having wolves relisted as an endangered species in Wyoming. A retired federal wildlife manager in Cody says that probably won’t happen.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2024
![Tyce Erickson used a 10 mm pistol to stop this 1,000-pound Kodiak bear that charged his hunting guide in Alaska. The 10 mm round is popular for bear defense. Lee Francis of Evanston used a similar pistol to fight off a grizzly in the Wyoming backcountry in 2022.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Huge-bear-Tyce-2-7.7.24-v2.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Hunter Uses Handgun To Finish Off Angry, Charging 1,000-Pound Kodiak Bear
When Tyce Erickson was charged by an enraged 1,000-pound Kodiak bear, he dropped it with three shots from his Smith & Wesson handgun. He swears by the gun and told Cowboy State Daily he’ll pack it in Wyoming for his upcoming elk hunt.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2024
![A company called American Rounds has developed an ammo vending machine that uses AI to verify ID and legal purchasaes of ammunition.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Ammo-vending-machine-7.8.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Ammo Vending Machines Are A Thing: Would They Work In Wyoming?
Folks in Alabama and Oklahoma can now buy ammunition from vending machines in grocery stores. Wyomingites might not be ready for such a thing, especially if it cuts into sales for small businesses.
Mark HeinzJuly 08, 2024
![A bear trap and warning sign are posted in an area near private cabins in the Snowy Range in southern Wyoming.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/dave-bear-sign-7-5-24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Wyoming Game Wardens Target Bear Breaking Into Cabins In Snowies
A cabin owner in the Snowy Range is hopeful that a bear that has been breaking into cabins will leave the area because if game wardens catch it, they'll likely have to kill it. "That's the policy because it's a danger to humans," he said.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
![Jackson arch summer 7 5 24](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Jackson-arch-summer-7.5.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Jackson Council Passes Resolution Recognizing 'The Rights Of Nature’
A new resolution from the Jackson Town Council proclaims that nature has rights. But the town's ecosystem stewardship administrator said it's not legally binding and trees, soil and rivers won't have the same legal standing as humans.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
![Angi Bruce, left, and Brian Nesvik.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Angi-Bruce-and-Brian-Nesvik-7.5.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
New Wyoming Game And Fish Director Announced On Friday, First Woman In Position
Gov. Mark Gordon announced Friday that Angi Bruce will be the new director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, She’s the first woman to head the agency and inherits a department that is financially stable but has plenty of challenges.
Mark HeinzJuly 05, 2024
![Mix Collage 03 Jul 2024 04 04 PM 5554](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/MixCollage-03-Jul-2024-04-04-PM-5554.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
Comedian Highlights The Differences Between Colorado And Wyoming On Fireworks
In Colorado, fireworks are limited to sparklers and that's about it. Cross the state line into Wyoming and almost anything goes. Comedian Taylor Calmus makes that distinction in a viral video he made showing the differences between the two states.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024
![A pilot suffered only minor injuries when a small plane crashed Wednesday after shutting off the plane’s fuel. The aircraft flipped while making an emergency landing in Albany County.](https://cowboystatedaily.imgix.net/Small-plane-crash-albany-county-1-7.3.24.jpg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&q=75&auto=format%2Ccompress&ar=3%3A2&fit=crop)
In Brief: Pilot Accidentally Turns Off Fuel Switch, Flips Plane In Albany County
A pilot accidentally turned off the fuel switch mid-flight on his plane on Wednesday morning and crash landed in rural Albany County. He suffered minor injuries.
Mark HeinzJuly 03, 2024