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
Owlmageddon! To Save Spotted Owls, Feds To Kill Nearly 500,000 Other Owls
To help save spotted owls, federal officials plan to kill nearly 500,000 of a similar species, barred owls. The barred owls are bigger and are hogging the spotted owls’ food, wildlife officials say.
Mark HeinzJanuary 08, 2025
If Wyoming Grizzlies Are Delisted, They Won’t Be On Restaurant Menus
Grizzlies might soon be delisted from federal protection and hunted in Wyoming, but don’t expect grizzly steaks on the menu at your favorite restaurant. Selling wild game meat is illegal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 07, 2025
Mutant Blue-Eyed Wyoming Mule Deer Fawn With A Light Coat Causing A Stir
A mutant Wyoming mule deer with striking blue eyes and a light coat is causing a stirr among wildlife watchers. It's a rare animal, but appears to be healthy, wildlife observers say.
Mark HeinzJanuary 06, 2025
Roadkill Lovers Using Tech So They Can Scoop Up & Eat
Fans of eating roadkill have created apps and social media alerts so as soon as roadkill is created, connoisseurs can go to the site, scoop up the remains and get them loaded up on a barbecue.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Tiny, Rare Wyoming Dog Tracks Down Elk For Hunters, Starred In TV Commercial
Mae, a tiny and rare Danish-Swedish farmdog from Cheyenne, tracks down elk and starred in a national TV commercial. She’s also one of only two of her breed known in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Wyoming Motorcycle Racer Recovers From Broken Back To Go Pro At 17
Jason Harris of Lyman, Wyoming, learned to ride a motorcycle at age 4. He broke his back in a 2023 crash, but recovered quickly and, at 17, is going pro as a long-distance racer.
Mark HeinzJanuary 05, 2025
Filtration Straws Are Good For Drinking From Rivers But Probably Not Raw Sewage
Specialized filtration straws allow people to drink safely from mountain streams, rivers, and lakes. Wyoming outdoorsmen told Cowboy State Daily they work great but don't recommend trying it on raw sewage.
Mark HeinzJanuary 04, 2025
Rare Whitetail-Mule Deer Fight Highlights Conflict Between Wyoming Species
A rare fight caught on video between a mule deer and whitetail buck highlights the conflict between the species in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzJanuary 03, 2025
Once Just A Problem For Deer, Deadly CWD Now Might Explode In Wyoming Elk Herds
Chronic wasting disease has been a problem for deer herds in Wyoming. Now that it’s been found in an elk in the Jackson area, hunters might have to get used to it being everywhere.
Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025
Bigfoot Hunters Die Searching For Sasquatch In Washington Forest
Two men died looking for bigfoot in a remote part of Washington state, sparking a three-day search and rescue effort. A Wyoming archaeology professor says their deaths were in vain because the creatures have never been proven to exist.
Mark HeinzJanuary 01, 2025
Wyoming Fisherman Camped On Ice Wakes Up To Find He Drifted Away After Ice Broke
An ice fisherman camping on Ocean Lake in Fremont County was stranded after a section of ice broke off Saturday. He drifted into the lake only to wake up hundreds of yards from shore.
Mark HeinzDecember 31, 2024
Wyoming Moose Fear Wolves, But Coastal Moose Have To Watch Out For Killer Whales
In Wyoming, moose worry about wolves and grizzlies. In coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, moose have to look out to keep from being eaten by killer whales.
Mark HeinzDecember 30, 2024
Californians Freak Out Over Meat-Eating Squirrels, But They’ve Always Been Cannibals
A recent report about meat-eating ground squirrels has freaked out Californians, but it’s really nothing new. In Wyoming, the burrowing rodents are notorious for cannibalism.
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024
‘Big Wonderful Wyoming’ Mud Flaps Used To Be Everywhere. Now, They’re A Vintage Novelty
There was a time when nearly every pickup and Jeep in Wyoming — and neighboring states — sported huge “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mud flaps. Whatever happened to them?
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024
Yellowstone’s Famed One-Eyed Wolf 907F Dies After Fight With Rival Pack
After living triple the average wolf’s lifespan, Yellowstone National Park’s famed Wolf 907F died Christmas Day. She succumbed to injuries she suffered in a fight with other wolves a few days earlier.
Mark HeinzDecember 28, 2024
No Limits On Fish Gobbling Up Prized Flaming Gorge Kokanee Salmon
It’s open season on small lake trout and burbot in Flaming Gorge Reservoir as Wyoming Game and Fish officials have put no limits on both species. That’s because they’re gobbling up the reservoir’s prized kokanee salmon.
Mark HeinzDecember 26, 2024
Cutting Your Own Tree Doesn’t Have To Be A “Christmas Vacation” Experience
Going out into the woods to cut your own Christmas tree is a time-honored Wyoming tradition. The Williams family of Laramie has been doing it for years, and it’s not a “Christmas Vacation” experience.
Mark HeinzDecember 24, 2024
Escape From Chicago: Wyoming Firearms Founder Makes World’s Most Powerful AR-Style Rifle
Greg Buchel was born and raised in Chicago but “escaped Illinois” to move to Wyoming and founded Big Horn Armory which touts its AR500 as the world’s most powerful AR-style rifle. Buchel says it will down anything from "pachyderms to Peterbilts."
Mark HeinzDecember 24, 2024
Sweetwater County Clings To Hope Congress Will Kill Controversial BLM Plan
Sweetwater County officials say they feel in limbo at the center of a controversial BLM plan to manage 3.6 million acres of federal land in Wyoming. Their best hope to kill the plan now sit with Congress.
Mark HeinzDecember 23, 2024
BLM Plans To Round Up Extremely Rare Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs
Vast stretches of harsh desert near Rock Springs are among the few places in the world where mustangs with curly coats can be found, but the Bureau of Land Management plans to round them up, which has horse advocates upset.
Mark HeinzDecember 22, 2024
Replacing Worn-Out 115-Year-Old LaPrele Dam Could Cost $190M, Start In 2026
Wyoming state engineers say there’s no saving the worn-out 115-year-old LaPrele Dam near Douglas, and it could cost $190 million to replace. Work on a new dam could start in 2026.
Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024