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

LaPrele Dam has been standing for 115 years, more than double its original 50-year lifespan.

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

BLM Finalizes Controversial Rock Springs Plan, Now Only Congress Can Stop It

The BLM on Friday finalized its controversial Rock Springs Resource Management Plan for more than 3 million acres in Southwest Wyoming. Now only Congress can reverse it.

Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024

Close To Falling Apart, There’s No Saving LaPrele Dam, Says State Engineer

Wyoming's state engineer said Thursday that there’s no saving the 115-year-old LaPrele Dam near Douglas, which is close to falling apart. But one area rancher and legislator wants the planned demolition postponed.

Mark HeinzDecember 20, 2024

Yes, Bears Falling Out Of Trees And Killing People Is A Real Thing

A Virginia man was killed when a bear another hunter shot tumbled out of a tree and landed on him. A veteran Wyoming predator hunter said the danger posed by large animals falling out of trees is a real thing.

Mark HeinzDecember 19, 2024

What3Words Claims To Be The Best Rescue App Ever, But Misses In Wyoming

A new app maps out the entire world into 3-yard squares and assigns three words to identify each square. It’s wildly popular with some emergency responders and is growing a base, but Wyoming rescue pros aren’t sold.

Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024

Story Of Birdshot Dropping Charging Grizzly Seems Unbelievable, Wyoming Hunters Say

A Montana man once stopped a charging grizzly bear with a load of birdshot from a .410 shotgun. That seems unbelievable to Wyoming hunters because of the gun’s relatively weak stopping power.

Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2024

Casper guitarist and songwriter Cory McDaniel, inset center, was a member of the Tremors, a prominent band in the Northwest during the 1970s and 1980s. He still occasionally returns to Seattle to play with old friends there.

Did Nirvana’s Rise As Grunge Rock Royalty Begin With A Wyoming Garage Band?

The early 1970s was a heyday for Wyoming garage bands. Legend has it that a band from Casper went to Seattle and inspired Kurt Cobain to start the 1990s grunge rock movement.

Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2024

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Shooting Drones Is Illegal, But A Shotgun Would Work Best If You Must

We're not recommending anyone shoot down a drone. That's illegal in Wyoming. But if someone needed to, a shotgun would be the right weapon, gun experts say.

Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024

Bryan Bedrosian, the conservation director for the Teton Raptor Center, wants to do all he can to help Wyoming’s golden eagle population.

Man-Made Nests Could Protect Eagles From Getting Slaughtered By Wind Turbines

With too many golden eagles getting slaughtered by wind turbines in central and southeast Wyoming, it’s hoped man-made nests can help. They create a safe haven for the raptors away from wind farms.

Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2024

This map from the Federalo Emergency Management Agency shows places where people can buy homes to avoid the impacts of nuclear war, as much as that's possible. Much of Wyoming is clear, except Cheyenne and the southeast corner of the state, which would likely be vaporized.

Much Of Wyoming May Be Safe If US Is Nuked, But Cheyenne Likely To Be Vaporized

A FEMA map showing the best places in the U.S. to survive a nuclear attack shows much of Wyoming clear. Cheyenne and surrounding areas, however, will likely be immediately annihilated.

Mark HeinzDecember 15, 2024

A shooter wears ear protection as he demonstrates a pistol equipped with a "loudener," in this case a funnel-like device attached to the end of the gun to amplify its sound.

Forget About Silencers, People Are Putting ‘Loudeners’ On Their Guns

“Loudeners," or devices that increase a gun's noise and concussion, have a fan base. But some Wyoming shooters say there's no reason for them and loundeners are just stupid.

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024

In Wake Of CEO Slaying, Wyomingites Not Spooked Over 3D Printed “Ghost Guns”

3D printed “ghost guns” are back in the news, as one might have been used in the ambush killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Wyomingites say plastic 3D printed guns aren’t worth the trouble.

Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2024

Other Authors

Noted Wyoming Outdoorsman Paul Ulrich, a fishing guide for Two Rivers Fishing Company of Pinedale, worries about Wyoming’s waters getting too crowded.

As Out-Of-Staters Mob Wyoming’s Prime Fishing Spots, Some Want To Regulate Guides

Out-of-staters are taking advantage of Wyoming’s loose regulations for fishing guides and crowding the state’s prime waters, say backers of a bill that would change that.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024

Colorado will use range riders to help ranchers protect their livestock from that state's reintrocuded wolves.

Ranchers Skeptical Range Riders Will Save Colorado Livestock From Wolves

As Colorado prepares to release more wolves, the state will use range riders to help protect livestock. Unless they’re allowed to kill interloping wolves, ranchers are skeptical range riders could make a difference.

Mark HeinzDecember 13, 2024

This bronze cannon recently unearthed in Arizona is the oldest firearm ever found in the continental United States. It was used during a Spanish expedition in the 1540s.

1540s Bronze Cannon Dug Up In Arizona Is The Oldest Gun Ever Found In The U.S.

A nearly 500-year-old bronze cannon used by Spanish conquistadors was recently unearthed in Arizona, making it the oldest firearm ever found in the continental U.S. It’s also more than 200 years older than the first guns in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024

Some Eagles' Nests Weigh More Than 1,000 Pounds & Can Fit Several People

Eagles’ nests are huge, sometimes weighing more 1,000 pounds, and it takes generations of the raptors to build them. The most colossal ones can be big enough to seat several people inside.

Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2024

Top Bear Biologist Argues For More Grizzlies; Wants Them To Roam Freely All Over The West

A top bear biologist is arguing against delisting grizzlies from federal protection and hunting them. Instead, he says there should be more — a “meta-population” of grizzlies from Canada to the southern end of Yellowstone National Park.

Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024

A grizzly sow and her cubs in Yellowstone.

Feds Under Deadline To Decide On Delisting Grizzlies By Jan. 20

A judge’s order has ratcheted up the pressure on federal officials to decide whether Wyoming’s grizzlies should be delisted. Montana and Idaho are clamoring for delisting as well, with a Jan. 20 deadline looming.

Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2024

A grizzly bear named Ethyl wandered 5,000 miles across Montana and Idaho. Biologists think it might have been because she couldn’t find her way back home.

Ethyl, The Grizzly That Wandered 5,000 Miles, Was Likely Trying To Get Back Home

Grizzlies are known to wander, but one named Ethyl took it to the next level, logging 5,000 miles wandering across Montana and Idaho.

Mark HeinzDecember 10, 2024

A Sweetwater County animal control officer holds George, a pesky opossum that was living under a local resident's home in summer 2022.

Despite What Wildlife Experts Say, Wyoming Has Plenty Of Opossums -- And They Reek

Cowboy State Daily readers reached out to us -- en masse -- to tell us although there may not be an "official" opossum population in Wyoming, they're here and there are a lot of them. And, as a bonus, they really stink.

Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024

A scout rifle is a short-barreled, all-purpose rifle with a low-powered scope for quick target acquisition. The design was conceived by Marine Corps veteran and legendary small arms expert Jeff Cooper. Van Dorsten Custom Firearms in Sheridan specializes in scout rifles.

Made In Wyoming: Gunsmith Gets Back To Basics Making Custom “Scout Rifles”

With the hunting rifle world increasingly dominated by magnum-caliber, extreme-range rifles, semiautomatics and super-powered scopes, a Sheridan gunmaker hopes to carve out his niche with compact, handy “scout rifles.”

Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2024

Randy Haas, an assistant professor in the University of Wyoming department of anthropology practices using an ancient weapon called an atlatl. He did it with his son, Hank, on his back to see if it was possible for ancient people to hunt huge beasts like mammoths while packing their kids.

Stone Age People Could Easily Hunt Packing A Baby, Wyoming Anthropologist Finds

Taking your toddler hunting is nothing new in Wyoming, or in human history for that matter. A University of Wyoming anthropologist says there's evidence that stone-age hunters took their kids hunting with them.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Thieves are targeting horses, stealing their tails to sell on the black market for big money.

Horsehair Thieves Cutting Off Horse Tails And Manes In Albany County

Thieves supply a black market for horsehair by sneaking into pastures and stalls and cutting off the animals’ tails and manes. Horse owners say there’s been a rash of such crimes around Laramie.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Parc Omega is a wildlife preserve in Canada that lets people stay in lodges next to a wolf preserve, with large picture windows to view the predators up close.

Lodges That Let People "Sleep With The Wolves" A Bad Idea, Wyoming Wildlife Experts Say

A wildlife preserve in Canada has lodges where visitors have only a pane of glass between them and a pack of wolves. Billed as a chance to “sleep with the wolves,” Wyoming wildlife officials say it’s a terrible idea.

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Yippie-Ki-Yay! Cody Gun Range Offers Holiday “Die Hard” Experience

For those who think “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie, a gun range in Cody will let you shoot the weapons Bruce Willis uses in the classic action film. Yippie-Ki-Yay!

Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2024

Canadian Man Severely Mauled After Jumping On Polar Bear To Save Wife

A Canadian man was severely mauled on Monday after jumping on a polar bear that was attacking his wife. His heroics are similar to how a Wyoming wrestler saved a friend by jumping on a grizzly bear in 2022.

Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2024

Cade Cole hunts and guides hunts for elk in the Dubois area. He said hunting was rough this year in the aftermath of massive wildfires.

Wyoming Has Plenty Of Elk, But Hunters Aren’t Finding Them This Year

Even though parts of Wyoming have more elk than ever, hunters are reporting a poor season this year. Warm weather and the aftermath of massive wildfires are likely to blame.

Mark HeinzDecember 05, 2024

A clue on a recent episode of the nationally syndicated quiz show "Jeopardy!" featured a direct reference to retired University of Wyoming archeology professor Robert Kelly.

Retired Wyoming Professor Completely Surprised He Was A "Jeopardy!" Answer

Retired University of Wyoming archeology professor Robert Kelly doesn't watch TV, but his siblings do. He said he was completely surprised on Thanksgiving when he started getting texts telling him he was an answer on "Jeopardy!"

Mark HeinzDecember 03, 2024

The Selfie Control Instagram filter from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board tells people when they're too close to take photos of wildlife.

App Aims To Keep Tourists From Getting Mauled When Taking Selfies With Wildlife

The Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board is trying to keep tourists in Wyoming from getting gored and mauled by wildlife. Its Selfie Control Instagram app tells people when they’re too close for photos.

Mark HeinzDecember 02, 2024

A hunter killed a cow elk in southeast Colorado last week and discovered these bizarre deformities to the animal’s hooves. He’s not certain what caused the weird growth, but it seems to mirror the effects of an elk hoof disease that’s been spreading in Washington State.

Hunter Baffled By Elk’s Weirdly Deformed Hooves

A Colorado hunter killed a cow elk last week that looked normal and healthy — except for some weirdly deformed hooves. Biologists say the elk is not a mutant, but the bizarre hoof deformities mirror the effects of an elk disease that’s spreading in other states.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

Critics Say Unchecked Traps Killing Wyoming Mountain Lions, Pets

Some claim traps should be checked more often to save pets and wildlife that get caught in them. But one experienced trapper says they already do that, and freeing a mistakenly trapped grizzly isn’t a DIY job.

Mark HeinzDecember 01, 2024

This opossum showed up last week in a garage in Pine Bluffs. Opossums aren’t known to permanently occupy Wyoming, but they might occasionally wander in from Nebraska.

Wyoming Isn't Known For Having Opossums But It's Got At Least One

Wyoming doesn’t have a known wild opossum population, but that could change as two neighboring states have them -- Nebraska and Colorado. One showed up in Pine Bluffs last week and seems to have a fondness for cat food.

Mark HeinzNovember 30, 2024

Flocks of wild turkeys are moving about Casper. Although the city outlawed feeding them about a year ago, it hasn't seemed to cut down on the wild turkeys coming into town.

No, You Can’t Make Wild Turkeys In Sheridan And Casper Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Mobs of wild urban turkeys in Sheridan and Casper, Wyoming, can be thankful they’re not on the Thanksgiving menu. It’s illegal to hunt turkeys in those cities, although that could change in Sheridan.

Mark HeinzNovember 28, 2024

An Estes Park, Colorado couple got to see the inside of a bear’s mouth the safe way – when it tried eating one of the nine Ring cameras they have set up to capture wildlife videos.

Bear Caught On Video Trying To Eat Colorado Couple's Ring Camera

An Estes Park, Colorado, couple got to see the inside of a bear’s mouth the safe way last week — when it tried eating one of their nine Ring cameras. They've caputured lots of wildlife on the cameras, including an elk sneezing on one.

Mark HeinzNovember 27, 2024

After chasing off a photographer that got too close, a bull moose checks out a camera near Wyoming’s Grand Tetons.

Spot Near Grand Teton Is A Moose Magnet, But Too Many People Could Ruin It

If you want to see a moose, there's a spot near Kelly, Wyoming, that draws a ton of them during the early winter. It's so popular that locals are worried that the area will be discovered and ruined by the gawking humans.

Mark HeinzNovember 25, 2024

Wojtek was an orphaned brown bear cub that was adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II and served honorably during the war. He helped move ammunition during battle and achieved the rank of corporal.

Polish Army Fought Alongside 600-Pound Bear Who Liked Booze & Cigarettes In World War II

As a Polish war unit prepared to enter the war zone in Italy in 1943, they hit a snag because animals were not allowed to accompany troops into battle but they got around that rule. They officially enlisted the bear as a private, giving him a salary and a serial number.

Mark HeinzNovember 24, 2024

Fierce Loyalty Of Wyoming’s Wolf Packs Make It Easier To Track Them

Wyoming's 350 wolves are scattered among 30 packs, raising the question of how those wolves, packs and pack membership are tracked. It's quite simple. They don't veer outside their packs. They live and die with the packs they were born into.

Mark HeinzNovember 23, 2024

A station with bags for people to pick up and pack out their poo while hiking on Mount Elbert in Colorado, the second tallest peak in the Lower 48.

No More Free-Range Pooping: Human-Poop Bags At Hiking Trailheads Are A Thing Now

“Sustainable pooping” has become an outdoors recreation catchphrase, with people expected to pack their own human waste out in plastic bags. Kiosks with these human-poop bags are popping up along popular hiking trails, like Mount Elbert in Colorado.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2024

If Wyoming Grizzlies Make It To Utah, They’ll Probably Get Sent Back

While it’s almost certain that Wyoming grizzlies will eventually migrate into Utah, they won’t be welcome to stay there. Unlike Wyoming, Utah does not have a sustainable habitat for grizzly bears.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2024