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

This grizzly bear was photographed Wednesday in Glacier National Park, roughly 15 miles from where the body of a suspected fatal grizzly attack victim was found that same day.

Montana Suspected Fatal Grizzly Attack Happened Same Day As Yellowstone Mauling

A suspected fatal grizzly attack in Glacier National Park is thought to have happened the same day two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone. Outdoorsman say the attacks are the beginning of “human-bear conflict season."

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Day After Grizzly Attack, Dimwitted Tourist Takes Video Of Bear From 5 Feet Away

A day after two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, a dimwitted tourist was spotted five feet from a bear taking video on his phone. Retired biologist Gary Gaston said the scene was “so absurd” he had to leave.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Man Cited For Trespass After 7-Year-Old Son Grabs Antlers With Tracking Device

To nab trespassers hunting shed antlers on a ranch in Hot Springs County, Game and Fish put tracking devices in antlers and planted them around the ranch. The first one was picked up by a local 7-year-old boy, which got his father a ticket.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Beryl, a popular grizzly in Yellowstone National Park, is pictured here with her two cubs, about age 3.5 years.

Yellowstone Grizzly Still Has Cubs With Her Past Age 3, When Most Leave At 2

A popular female grizzly called Beryl in Yellowstone still has two cubs with her that are roughly 3.5 years old, and nearly as big as her. Most cubs leave around age 2, but "it’s nearly impossible to explain why” some stay longer, says a bear biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

This grizzly bear was one of several bears and wolves that gathered around a bison carcass in the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Park rangers had to shut the area down Tuesday, because tourists were crowding the predators.

Day After Bear Attack, Rangers Yelled At By Tourists Too Close To Grizzlies

The day after two hikers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, tourists yelled at rangers who were warning them to get away from grizzlies and wolves. “They were just walking right up to them," said a Park Service biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

A grizzly bear appears to be smacking a wolf in this image. However, Julie Argyle said the angle from which the took the photo just makes it look that way. The bear and wolf never made actual contact as they fought over a bison carcass.

Grizzly Roars Echo As Bear, Wolf Clash Over Yellowstone Bison Carcass

The roars of a grizzly echoed from a riverbank in Yellowstone National Park on Sunday, as it postured with a wolf over a bison carcass. A biologist said actual fights between the species are rare because neither wants to risk injury.

Mark HeinzMay 05, 2026

A pair of coyotes ran off a young grizzly bear after it apparently got too close to the coyotes’ den with pups in it in Yellowstone National Park.

Bold Yellowstone Coyotes Charge Grizzly That Got Too Close To Their Pup Den

A grizzly bear chased by a pair of coyotes seemed so unlikely, even those watching weren’t sure they believed it. This bear got too close to their den of pups, which motivated them to be aggressive with a predator that could have torn them apart.

Mark HeinzMay 04, 2026

Colorado Parks and Wildlife agents used a taser to subdue a deer that had its antlers entangled in playground equipment. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department uses the same technique.

Game Agents Use Tasers To Subdue Animals, But Don’t Try It On A Charging Grizzly

When animals become stuck or get ornery with people, wildlife agents reach for Tasers to subdue them. But one thing they don't do is use them on charging grizzlies as the odds of landing an effective hit would be astronomical. "It would get you mauled," one biologist said.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

“Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” makes for a great pro-gun novelty sign, but such messages could open firearms owners to liability or theft, experts say.

Signs About Shooting Trespassers Good For Laughs, But Also Could Lead To Trouble

Novelty signs that say things like “trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” are good for laughs in gun-friendly Wyoming. But legal authorities say prosecutors could use the sign to allege the shooter had a predisposition to violence.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

Wyoming outfitter Dax McCarty (left) is pictured here with hunter Ernie Dosio, of California (center) and hunting guide AJ Henson. McCarty was good friends with Dosio, who was killed by an elephant in Africa.

Man Killed By Elephants Was Frequent Wyoming Hunter, Close Friends With Outfitter

A California man who was killed by elephants while on safari in Africa was a frequent hunter in Wyoming and close friends with a Douglas outfitter. Dax McCarty said the media portrayal of his friend is wrong. “He dang sure respected animals," he said.

Mark HeinzMay 02, 2026

Soda Lake, just north of Pinedale, was once a world-class brown and brook trout fishery. The fishing has tanked so badly there over the past few years, many locals don’t even bother going there anymore.

Pinedale’s Soda Lake, ‘Still Struggling,’ Anglers Should Lower Expectations

Soda Lake near Pinedale was once a premier trout fishery. The fishing there started to nosedive, and Wyoming Game and Fish says the lake is “still struggling” and angling will remain limited for the fifth consecutive year.

Mark HeinzMay 01, 2026

Golden eagles like to hunt for rabbits and other prey on land where the Wyoming State Shooting Complex is being built near Cody.

Gunfire From State’s $19.5M Shooting Range Near Cody Could Drive Eagles Away

Some are concerned that gunfire from Wyoming’s new $19.5 million shooting complex near Cody will drive eagles away from prime hunting and nesting grounds. “Eagles will avoid people and gunshots,” says the conservation director for the Teton Raptor Center.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2026

Other Authors

In this photo looking north-northwest, Fontenelle can be see flowing into an extremely low Fontenelle Reservoir in Lincoln County.

Fontenelle Reservoir About Half-Full As Downstream States Demand More Water

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is being drawn down up to 1 million acre-feet to supply water to thirsty downstream states. That has some worried that Wyoming’s Fontenelle Reservoir, upstream from Flaming Gorge, is next.

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026

ic George of Sheridan started with a basic bolt-action rifle receiver, bearing a firearm serial number, to build this custom rifle.

Court Rules 2nd Amendment Covers Firearms Parts, Good News for Those Who Build Guns

A federal court ruled that firearms parts without serial numbers could be protected under the Second Amendment. That’s good news for Wyomingites who build or customize their own guns, which one enthusiast likened to “Barbie dolls for men.”

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026

Self-defense experts recommend people who carry firearms in Wyoming get training.

In Gun-Friendly Wyoming, When Is It OK To Shoot Somebody?

Wyoming law is about as friendly as it gets toward gun rights and self-defense, but even here, the rules for opening fire on somebody are complicated. The wrong decision can land a shooter in big legal trouble.

Mark HeinzApril 27, 2026

Brutal And Deadly ’22-’23 Wildlife Winter Inspires New Sportsman Group

The brutal, historic and deadly winter of 2022-2023 that killed tens of thousands of Wyoming deer, pronghorn and elk has inspired a new sportsman-driven conservation group. The group raised $250,000 at its first event.

Mark HeinzApril 26, 2026

Grizzly 970 is a massive male grizzly called “van Gogh” because he’s missing his right ear.

Inside Yellowstone: Grizzly 970 Or ‘Van Gogh' Is King Of West Yellowstone

Grizzly 970 is known as "Van Gogh" because he lost his right ear in a fight with another male. Wildlife photographers love him and other bears in his territory dread him. He's a fighter and known as the king of the west side of Yellowstone.

Mark HeinzApril 26, 2026

Great blue herons have set up a rookery, or collection of family nests, near Buffalo Bill Reservoir in Park County.

Great Blue Herons, Uncommon In Wyoming, Nesting Near Buffalo Bill Reservoir

Great blue herons are uncommon in Wyoming, but a growing number of them have set up a nesting area near Buffalo Bill Reservoir. “They’re really going to town” building new nests to lay eggs, says Cody wildlife photographer Phil Hilson.

Mark HeinzApril 25, 2026

In Japan, civilians are being trained to respond to a growing number of bear attacks by shooting darts at a man in a bear suit.

In Japan, People Shoot Darts At Guy In A Bear Suit To Train For Attacks

There have been so many bear attacks in Japan, civilians are being trained to deal with them by shooting darts at a guy in a bear suit. There have been 230 bear attacks in 2025, 13 of them fatal. The government has proposed killing 10,000 bears.

Mark HeinzApril 25, 2026

Wyoming Faces Competition From Utah, Other States, To Recruit Firearms Companies

As more firearms companies set up shop in Second Amendment-friendly states, Wyoming faces challenges, such as limited housing, in competing with states like Utah. Those gun laws are a major reason firearms companies relocate.

Mark HeinzApril 25, 2026

Wildlife Officials Say Colorado Wolves Aren't Wandering Because Pups Expected Soon

Colorado’s wolves are wandering less as of late; some say it could be because the most far-ranging wolves have left the state. But wildlife officials think it’s because packs are hunkering down close to dens, waiting for a new crop of pups this spring.

Mark HeinzApril 24, 2026

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