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
Animal Forensics Expert Calls For Examination Of Tortured Wolf Carcass
A Wyoming animal forensics expert is calling for an examination of the carcass of a wolf that was allegedly captured and tortured in Daniel, but it’s not clear whether the carcass is still available.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2024
To Beat The Heat, Yellowstone Grizzlies Jump Into ‘Bear Bathtubs’
Summer isn’t all fun and relaxation for Yellowstone’s bears, they’re busy packing on fat for the winter, which makes them heat magnets. So, they jump into “bear bathtubs” to cool off.
Mark HeinzApril 19, 2024
Cattle Kill Count For Colorado Wolves Up To Six
Six cows have been killed by wolves in Colorado so far this year, and wolves with Wyoming roots might be involved in some of the attacks.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2024
$28M Crossing Project Planned On Deadly Highway For Wyoming Mule Deer
Hundreds of mule deer are killed along a 25-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 26, roughly centered around Dubois, so a coalition of state agencies and tribal and private groups has pegged it for Wyoming’s next major wildlife crossing project.
Mark HeinzApril 18, 2024
Angry People Travel From All Over Country To Voice Outrage Over Tortured Wolf
Lorraine Finazzo thought about using Zoom from her home in South Carolina to tell the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission her feelings about a wolf being captured, tortured and killed in Daniel. But felt she needed to make the trip instead.
Mark HeinzApril 17, 2024
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Blasts Wolf Abuse
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Tuesday issued a stark condemnation of the apparent capture, abuse and killing of a wolf in Sublette County. Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Gordon is “monitoring the situation.”
Mark HeinzApril 16, 2024
Animal Welfare Groups Offer $20,000 In Rewards For Wyoming Wolf Torture Info
Animal welfare groups are upping the ante on trying to get a Wyoming man to face more criminal penalties for allegedly tormenting a young wolf, offering $20,000 in reward money.
Mark HeinzApril 16, 2024
Grizzly Confirmed In Wyoming Bighorn Mountains; Bear Killed For Attacking Cattle
After years of rumors that there were grizzly bears roaming Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Monday confirmed that one has been killed for preying on cattle near Ten Sleep.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2024
Wyoming Officials Investigate If Having Wolf In Bar Is Food Safety Violation
The Wyoming Department of Agriculture is sending an inspector to the Green River Bar in Daniel to determine whether a live wolf being taken into the bar amounts to a food safety violation.
Mark HeinzApril 15, 2024
Bee Rustlers Target Wyoming Hives Sent To Pollenate California Crops
Wyoming bees help pollinate massive almond groves in California, but while there, they’re at risk of being stolen by bee rustlers. Like the cattle rustlers of the Old West, modern day bee rustlers are organized, determined and crafty.
Mark HeinzApril 13, 2024
Wyoming Gun Dealers Say Biden’s Move To Close ‘Gun Show Loophole’ Won’t Change Anything
The Biden administration moved Thursday to close the so-called "gun show loophole" for background checks, but Wyoming gun show organizers and firearms dealers said they don’t expect it to change anything.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2024
Disturbing Video Released By Game And Fish Shows Tortured Wyoming Wolf
In response to a public records request, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on Wednesday evening released two short disturbing video clips of a wolf that had been captured and tormented by a Wyoming, man before being killed.
Mark HeinzApril 11, 2024
Advocacy Groups Could Use Wolf Torment To Push For Re-Listing Wolves
Environmentalists pushing to have Wyoming’s wolves re-listed under federal protection say the viral story of a wolf being tormented and killed in Sublette County strengthens their case.
Mark HeinzApril 10, 2024
Investigation Could Lead To More Charges For Accused Wyoming Wolf Tormentor
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that it’s investigating reports of a Wyoming wolf being tormented by a local resident, which could lead to additional criminal charges.
Mark HeinzApril 10, 2024
Wyoming Wolf Abuser Could Get Hunting Privileges Taken Away
Amid a growing outcry for stiffer penalties in the case of a Sublette County man who allegedly tortured a wolf, a retired federal game warden said it might be possible to revoke the man’s hunting privileges.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2024
Gillette Hospital Board Considers Allowing Guns In Some Areas
To get ahead of likely continued efforts to repeal Wyoming gun-free zones, the Campbell County Health board of trustees is considering lifting some firearms restrictions at the Gillette hospital.
Mark HeinzApril 09, 2024
Wyoming Men With Same Name As Alleged Wolf Tormentor Get Death Threats
Cody Roberts of Daniel, Wyoming is at the center of outrage over allegations he tortured a wolf. Now other Wyoming men with the name have been getting threats from all over the world.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2024
Gov. Gordon Joins ‘Outrage’ Over Torment Of Wyoming Wolf
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said Monday that he’s “outraged” over the capture, torment and killing of a Wyoming wolf. Meanwhile, the alleged perpetrator's aunt posted a photo seeming to mock the incident.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2024
Director Says Wyoming Game And Fish Not Hiding Anything In Wolf Torment Case
Brian Nesvik, the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, told Cowboy State Daily on Monday that the agency isn’t being secretive about the alleged torment and killing of wolf in Sublette County. He said the statues related to releasing information about wolf hunting are complex.
Mark HeinzApril 08, 2024
70 Years Ago, Old Faithful Caretaker Kept Elderly Elk And Coyote Alive With Pancakes
Jimmy the Coyote and Molly the Elk were old and all but toothless during the winter of 1954-1955. By the rules of nature, they should have died. But the caretaker at Old Faithful took pity upon them and started feeding them pancakes.
Mark HeinzApril 06, 2024
Photo Shows Wyoming Man With Tormented Wolf Before It Was Killed
Cowboy State Daily has obtained a photo of a wolf that was captured and had its mouth taped shut while it was reportedly taken to a local man’s house and a bar in rural Daniel, Wyoming, before it was killed.
Greg Johnson & Mark HeinzApril 06, 2024
National Animal Rights Groups Push For Cruelty Charges Over Wyoming Wolf Abuse
Two national animal rights groups are calling on Sublette County officials to bring animal cruelty charges against a local man who allegedly captured, tortured and killed a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
Truck Carrying 102,000 Salmon In Oregon Crashes, Dumps Them In Wrong River
A truck carrying 102,000 salmon in Oregon crashed and spilled nearly 80,000 of them into to the wrong river. The other 22,000 fish didn't make it to the waterway and died.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
Why Hasn't One Of Wyoming’s Oldest — And Largest — Mansions Sold?
Laramie’s Holliday House, originally built downtown in 1878 and moved out of town in 1978, features 13 bedrooms, seven baths and 7,000 square feet of space. Most recently it was the home of a socialist LGBTQ commune. The listing price has decreased by nearly $300K but it still hasn't found an owner.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
First Calf Killed By Wolves In Colorado, Wyoming Rancher, Of Course, Not Surprised
A calf in Grand County, Colorado, was apparently killed by wolves this week — the first verified instance of the predators killing cattle in Colorado since wolves were released there in December.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2024
Wyoming Animal Cruelty Laws Don’t Apply To Alleged Wolf Torment Case
Animal cruelty charges can’t be filed in the case of a man allegedly tormenting a wolf in Sublette County, because a “predatory animal” is exempted from Wyoming cruelty statutes.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2024
Wyoming Game And Fish Director Brian Nesvik To Retire
After announcing his pending September retirement Wednesday, Brian Nesvik received high praise from people he worked with as director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Mark HeinzApril 03, 2024
Hunters, Biologists Angered Over Alleged Wolf Torture Case
Hunters and biologists on Wednesday said the alleged capture and abuse of a wolf in Sublette County was not only inhumane and wrong but plays right into the hands of anti-hunting groups who will try to use this to further their agenda.
Mark HeinzApril 03, 2024
Wyoming Man Cited For Capturing Live Wolf, Reportedly Showed It Off In Bar Before Killing It
On Feb. 29, a Sublette County man reportedly captured and tormented a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming. He allegedly taped its mouth shut and showed it off in a bar before taking it out back and shooting it. The man has been charged with possession of a live wolf.
Mark HeinzApril 02, 2024
Disease That Has Killed Millions Of Bats Threatens Wyoming Populations
A fungal infection that can wipe out entire bat populations, has popped up near southeast Wyoming in Colorado — and it’s already been detected in eastern and northeastern Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 01, 2024