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

Fed up with raccoons killing his chickens, Cheyenne-area resident Kevin Gunter built a “chicken fortress,” which he dubbed “The Henitentiary."

Laramie County Man Declares War On Killer Raccoons, Builds ‘Chicken Fortress'

A Cheyenne-area man says he’s “not messing around anymore,” declaring war on the raccoons that keep killing his chickens. He spent $1,300 building an impenetrable “chicken fortress” to protect his flock.

Mark HeinzApril 15, 2026

This refurbished 1971 Ford Bronco Sport sold at auction in Nebraska for $56,000 on Tuesday, April 15, 2026.

Vintage Ford Broncos Are Still All The Rage, Easily Selling For $50,000 Or More

First-generation Ford Broncos are all the rage with collectors, easily fetching $50,000 or more. A 1971 Ford Bronco Sport sold at a Nebraska auction Tuesday for $56,000, which a Wyoming vintage Bronco fanatic says was a bargain.

Mark HeinzApril 15, 2026

After a Laramie man totaled his car colliding with a moose, he and his fiancée hoped that they could at least claim the meat. But then somebody else came along and stole their roadkill.

A Moose Totaled Laramie Couple's Car, Then Somebody Took Their Roadkill

After a Laramie man totaled his car colliding with a moose in the dark early morning hours Monday, he and his fiancée hoped that they could at least claim the meat. But then somebody else came along and stole their roadkill.

Mark HeinzApril 14, 2026

Owen Miller of northeast Wyoming and Zac Hearon of Hardin, Montana have been hunting Wyoming turkeys together for years.

Huge Wyoming Turkey Season Expected On Heels Of Warm Winter

A mild winter has produced a bumper crop of Wyoming turkeys, and the territorial gobbling rituals have started early this year. “The population is going to explode,” say seasoned turkey hunters, leading to a huge season.

Mark HeinzApril 14, 2026

Students from several Wyoming high schools are participating in a new fly-fishing school club program.

Wyoming High School Teams Compete In Newest Club Sport — Fly-Fishing

Fly-fishing teams from seven Wyoming high schools are competing in the state’s newest club sport — fly-fishing. “They’ve all built their fishing rods, tied their flies, and now it’s time to compete,” seasoned fly-fishing guide Joey Puettman said.

Mark HeinzApril 14, 2026

Wyoming Concealed Carriers Want Permits Honored In 50 States, Trump Says Yes

As things stand now, Wyomingites with Concealed Carry Weapons Permits enter murky territory when they travel. Congress is considering bills to make the rules the same across the country. President Trump says he'll sign a bill if it crosses his desk.

Mark HeinzApril 13, 2026

Lynx are rare and elusive. They’re thought to be in numerous Wyoming counties, but are seldom seen.

Lynx Are So Rare And Elusive, Nobody Really Knows How Many Are In Wyoming

Once more common across much of the North American Rockies, lynx are now elusive and rare. A Wyoming wildlife researcher says there are lynx in the Cowboy State, but nobody’s really sure how many are out there.

Mark HeinzApril 12, 2026

Flaming Gorge Could Be Tapped To Make Up For ‘Horrible’ Colorado River Levels

Flaming Gorge is preparing to be drained by up to a third to make up for the “horrible” Colorado River levels. Wyoming and other Upper Basin states could be left dry in response to desperate downriver water shortages.

Mark HeinzApril 11, 2026

Lonesome Lake is one of Wyoming’s premiere hiking destinations, at the foot of the Cirque of Towers, at the southern end of the Wind River Range mountains.

Wyoming’s Lonesome Lake Not So Lonesome; Hikers Say It’s Turning Into Mob Scene

The 9-mile hike into Lonesome Lake in the Wind River Range mountains takes hikers to the stunning Cirque of Towers. Some veteran hikers say social media has turned it into a mob scene and it's getting "loved to death."

Mark HeinzApril 11, 2026

After mistaking his own reflection in a sliding glass door for a rival ram, a desert bighorn sheep headbutted the door, and then fled, startled by the shattering glass.

Bighorn Ram Destroys Sliding Glass Door After Mistaking Reflection For Rival Ram

A bighorn sheep ram destroyed a sliding glass door in Yuma, Arizona, last week after seeing his own reflection and mistaking it for another ram. A former Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife supervisor wasn't surprised. "That's normal behavior," he said.

Mark HeinzApril 09, 2026

A Bison cow managed to pull herself free of the water in muck in Yellowstone National Park’s Blacktail Pond. The area is notorious for bison drownings.

Yellowstone Photographer Captures Bison's Heroic Escape From Notorious Death Trap

Yellowstone’s Blacktail Pond is a death trap for bison when they fall through ice or get stuck in mud there. Wildlife photographer Pete Bengeyfield thought for sure that one unfortunate bison was doomed but was thrilled to see her escape.

Mark HeinzApril 09, 2026

A grizzly feasts on a carcass in Yellowstone National Park.

Grizzlies Face Carcass Shortage After Mild Winter And Wolves Getting Them First

A mild winter means fewer rotting big game carcasses for Wyoming grizzlies to feast on this spring and wolves are getting them first. "I had three feet of snow in my yard last year. Now I have three inches of grass,” said wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen

Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Other Authors

Hunters worry that the wording of the Greyhound Protection Act inserted into the U.S. House Farm Bill could lead to bans on training hunting dogs.

Hunters Say Federal ‘Greyhound Protection Act’ A Sneaky Way To Ban Working Dogs

Hunters worry that language slipped into the federal Farm Bill to protect racing greyhounds could ban the training of hunting and cattle dogs with “live lures." A Wyoming outdoorsman says the language is so vague it could even include police dogs.

Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Grizzly 760, the grandson of Wyoming’s famed grizzly 399, had a reputation for being mellow and polite toward people.

Fans Still Mourn Death Of Grizzly 760, Wyoming’s Most Polite Bear

Grizzly 760 was the grandson of the famed Grizzly 399, said to be mellow and Wyoming’s most polite bear. He was killed in 2014 after stealing a hunter’s deer carcass, which fans of the bear are still mad about.

Mark HeinzApril 08, 2026

Mule deer are pictured here on the move alongside Elkhart Road near Pinedale. Deer advocates say a proposed new trail system in the area would disrupt the animals’ migration.

Opponents Say Bike Trail Could Cut Off Migration Route For Prized Deer Herd

Opponents of a proposed Pinedale-area bike trail say they fear it will cut off “the bottleneck,” a migration route for the area’s prized Sublette mule deer herd. Supporters say it won’t, but will open more outdoor recreation opportunities.

Mark HeinzApril 07, 2026

Every spring, hundreds of turkey vultures show up on the University of Wyoming campus and stay until fall.

Wyoming's Turkey Vultures Do Much More Than Hang Around Looking Creepy

The turkey vultures are back. They return to Wyoming each spring, roosting by the hundreds on the UW campus and in Casper. Researchers say they do more than just poop all over trees, barf up pellets of leftover gristle, and hang around looking creepy

Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2026

Yellowstone Ravens Cleverly Predict Where Wolves Will Make Kills

A new study finds Yellowstone’s ravens don’t just follow wolves but use mental “maps” to predict likely kill sites. Researchers say the birds’ memory and human food sources may shape their scavenging habits.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2026

Utah Law Makes People Buy Hunting/Fishing Licenses To Use State Lands

Utah passed a law that could require anyone using its wildlife management areas to buy hunting or fishing licenses, even if they’re not hunting or fishing. Some Wyoming outdoors enthusiasts say that’s unfair and prefer general user fees instead.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2026

Fremont County residents Leah Edwards and John Bass are among many Wyomingites who love fishing for walleye.

Wyoming Anglers Excited For State Hatchery To Produce 1.28 Million Walleye Per Year

A Wyoming fish hatchery is expected to churn out well over 1 million walleye per year, and anglers are excited. Wyoming might be primarily known for trout, but walleye are also a favorite game fish.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2026

There Were More Than 6,000 Human-Grizzly Conflicts In Wyoming Over The Last 40 Years

According to a report to the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission earlier this week, there were more than 6,000 human-grizzly conflicts in Wyoming from 1982 to 2025, including 220 in 2025. Neither attack last year resulted in life-threatening injuries.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2026

A cow elk boldly strode out onto the sod roof of a building in Gardiner, Montana early Tuesday, to graze on the sod.

Elk Boldly Climbs On Sod Roof To Graze In Gardiner As Locals Watch In Amazement

A cow elk walked out onto the roof of a building in Gardiner, Montana, just outside of Yellowstone National Park to the amazement of onlookers. Apparently, she wanted the roof’s sod all to herself.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2026

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