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
Snowmobilers Stoked Snow Is Finally Piling Up Around Wyoming
After a slow start to the snowmobiling season, with little of the white stuff in December, Wyoming snowmobilers are stoked it’s filing piling up. It’s good news for Cowboy State lodges, too.
Mark HeinzJanuary 18, 2025
Big Horn ATF Raid Eerily Similar To "Clown Show" In 2002, Former Sheriff Says
A former Sublette County Sheriff says an ATF raid on a couple in Big Horn, Wyoming, mirrors a 2002 incident in his county. He says his office was misled by the federal agency and calls the response a “clown show.”
Mark HeinzJanuary 18, 2025
Repealing Gun-Free Zones Won’t Mean AR-15s In Wyoming Capitol, Sponsor Says
The debate over whether to repeal Wyoming’s gun-free zones heated up again Friday. A bill before the Legislature similar to one Gov. Mark Gordon vetoed last year is back, but its sponsor says it wouldn’t mean AR-15s in the state Capitol.
Mark HeinzJanuary 17, 2025
Responding To Daniel Wolf Torture, Wyoming Hunters Back "Clean Kill Bill"
In response to the notorious case of a wolf being run over with a snowmobile and tortured, a bill before the Wyoming Legislature aims to make wildlife abuse a felony offence. It’s backed by a coalition of Wyoming hunters.
Mark HeinzJanuary 17, 2025
“It Was Hell,” Wyoming Couple Says About Pre-Dawn Raid By ATF Agents
A Big Horn couple says an ATF raid for their firearms “was hell.” But the state of Wyoming says their firearms were legal, and they have the paperwork to prove it. A bill planned for this session aims to “clarify” that state-federal conflict.
Mark HeinzJanuary 17, 2025
Harshman Introduces Bill To Build A Mount Rushmore-Type Monument In Wyoming
Rep. Steve Harshman told Cowboy State Daily that his bill to build a "Monument to America" in Wyoming would create a monument "similar in size and scope to Mount Rushmore" and feature important historical American figures.
Mark HeinzJanuary 15, 2025
Bill Would Hike Wyoming Hunting License Application Fees By 300% To 400%
Hunting license application fees could see huge increases in Wyoming, jumping 300% for Wyomingites and 400% for nonresidents under a legislative bill. Game and Fish would put that money to good use, proponents say.
Mark HeinzJanuary 15, 2025
Wyoming Closely Watching Aggressive Colorado Bill To Ban Semiautomatic Weapons
Wyoming gun owners are watching the progress of an aggressive proposed ban on semiautomatic firearms in Colorado. It would ban many guns with detachable magazines, including many modern pistols and even some duck hunters' shotguns.
Mark HeinzJanuary 14, 2025
Wolves From Canada Arrive In Colorado, Nobody’s Saying Where They’ll Be Released
A group of wolves have been flown from Canada to Colorado for another round of reintroductions, which has been highly controversial. There’s no word yet on when and where they’ll be released.
Mark HeinzJanuary 13, 2025
Bill Splitting Deer Seasons Would Just Get More Mule Deer Shot, Biologist Says
Advocates of legislative bill to split Wyoming hunting seasons for white-tailed and mule deer say it will help save mule deer. A retired wildlife biologist says that would just get more mule deer killed.
Mark HeinzJanuary 13, 2025
Getting Back To The Roots Of Hunting: Wyoming Man Tests Himself On Primitive Elk Hunt
A Wyoming hunter tested his ability to survive in the woods, taking only a recurve bow, two horses and a mule on a several-day hunt — but no food, water or matches. He lived off the land for days before bagging a bull elk.
Mark HeinzJanuary 12, 2025
Hunters Wonder How Far Is Too Far To Shoot Big Game Using Technology
Some hunters claim that technology, such as rifles designed to shoot 1,000 yards or more, is ruining the sport. The issue has also sparked a debate about how ethical it is to shoot game from extreme distances.
Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2025
30 Years Of Yellowstone Wolves: Feds Released Them In 1995 Without Telling Wyoming
30 years ago on Sunday, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone. Then-Wyoming Gov Jim Geringer recalls former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt gave the state no notice and told him not to worry because the wolves would never leave the park.
Mark HeinzJanuary 11, 2025
Rescuers Risk Lives To Save Elk That Got Tangled In Rope On Colorado Cliffside
A young bull elk got its antlers tangled in a rope on a near-vertical hillside in Colorado last week, prompting a dangerous rescue attempt. Wildlife agents and a group of climbers risked their lives to save the animal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 10, 2025
In Brief: Wyoming Game And Fish Director Blasts Feds For Not Delisting Grizzlies
Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce on Thursday blasted the Biden administration’s decision to not take grizzly bears off the endangered list. She said the feds are undermining the state’s bear management work.
Mark HeinzJanuary 09, 2025
Proposed Bill Would Make Corner-Crossing Legal In Wyoming
The question of corner-crossing in Wyoming should be settled once and for all in favor of accessing public land, says a Wyoming legislator sponsoring a bill to make it legal.
Mark HeinzJanuary 09, 2025
Biden Won’t Delist Grizzlies; Gordon Blasts Decision As “Politics, Not Biology”
Grizzlies in the Lower 48 will remain under endangered species protection, federal officials announced Wednesday. Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon slammed the decision as a parting shot from the outgoing Biden administration, calling it “politics, not policy.”
Mark HeinzJanuary 08, 2025
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