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.

Follow Mark Heinz

Envelope

Latest from Mark Heinz

The city of Rock Springs has contracted with the Wyoming-based Goat-Green LLC company to bring in 300 goats. The goats are gobbling their way through brush and grass that’s clogging up drainages near the city center.

Rock Springs Hires Goat Army To Munch Its Way Through Clogged Canals

Rock Springs has weeds, brush and grass clogging vital drainage canals through the heart of town. An army of 300 goats has been let loose to gobble their way through.

Mark HeinzApril 01, 2025

There’s a dispute over exactly where the boundary line is between land owned by the South Dakota ranchers Heather and Charles Maude and national grassland controlled by the Forest Service. The couple was served federal indictments alleging theft of government property.

Federal Fence Line Fight With Ranchers Is ‘Odd,’ Wyoming Attorney Says

An ongoing fence line fight between a South Dakota ranch family and the U.S. Forest Service has grabbed national attention. It also seems “odd,” says a Wyoming attorney who has handled land disputes.

Mark HeinzMarch 31, 2025

Candida Haasch runs the Warriors of the Rainbow Horse Sanctuary in Missouri and would love to adopt curly-haired mustangs from Wyoming.

Missouri Trainer Wants All The Wyoming Curly-Haired Mustangs She Can Get

A Missouri horse trainer says she’ll take all the curly-haired Wyoming mustangs she can get. She says they’d be perfect for a prisoner-rehabilitation program similar to what the Wyoming Honor Farm has.

Mark HeinzMarch 30, 2025

Sandhill cranes take flight at Wyoming’s Table Mountain wildlife habitat management area.

Thousands Of Cranes Pour Into Wyoming For Spring Migration, Even A Few Whoopers

Sandhill cranes are pouring into Wyoming by the thousands during spring migration. A few rare whooping cranes are showing up too. Many cranes come here to nest and raise their young.

Mark HeinzMarch 29, 2025

Even In Wyoming, Experts Say Shooting At Someone Stealing Your Stuff Not A Good Idea

It’s best to know what the law says about using a gun to defend yourself, your home and possessions in Wyoming before opening fire, experts say. A Casper man may learn that after unloading at his own truck while a guy was stealing it.

Mark HeinzMarch 29, 2025

Heather and Charles Maude, owners of Maude Hog & Cattle near Caputa, South Dakota, were each served with separate federal indictments over a fence line dispute with the U.S. Forest Service.

Wyoming Ranchers Ask Trump For Help In Family's Fence Line Fight With Feds

Wyoming ranchers have asked President Donald Trump to intervene in their daughter and son-in-law’s property dispute with the U.S. Forest Service in South Dakota.

Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2025

Lummis Wants End To ‘Silly’ Restrictions On Short-Barreled Rifles, Shotguns

Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis is a backing a bill to lift 90-year-old restrictions on short-barreled rifles and shotguns. A Wyoming firearms law expert agrees, calling the restrictions “silly.”

Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2025

A pack of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

If Feds Delist Wolves Everywhere, Will Colorado’s Reintroduction Program Crash?

A push is underway to get wolves delisted from federal protection across the Lower 48, but it remains unclear how that might affect wolf management policies in Wyoming and Colorado.

Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2025

A North Carolina man uses a bear suit black bears off his lawn. Some Wyomingites said trying that with a grizzly would be insane. They could maul you, or worse, try to get frisky.

Man In Bear Suit Scares Off Black Bear; He’s Lucky It Wasn’t A Wyoming Grizzly

A North Carolina man uses a bear suit to scare black bears off his lawn. Some Wyomingites said trying that with a grizzly would be insane. They could maul you, or worse, try to get frisky.

Mark HeinzMarch 27, 2025

Wyoming Gun Owners Blast Supreme Court For Upholding Biden-Era ‘Ghost Gun’ Rules

Wyoming gun rights advocates are blasting a Wednesday U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding Biden-era “ghost gun” rules. The regs require serial numbers and background checks for self-made firearms.

Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2025

Yellowstone’s Bison have merged into a “single breeding population,” according to a new study. It might be necessary to establish new herds in places like Wyoming’s Red Desert to prevent inbreeding.

New Herd In Wyoming’s Red Desert Could Save Yellowstone Bison From Inbreeding

Yellowstone’s bison have merged into a “single breeding population,” according to a new study. Because of that, it might be necessary at some point to establish new herds in places like Wyoming’s Red Desert to prevent inbreeding.

Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2025

Hope is running high in Sweetwater County that millions of acres of federal land won’t be locked up as Harriet Hageman pushes to revise Bureau of Land Management plans across the West, including Wyoming's vast Red Desert.

Rock Springs Land Use Plan On Hold As Congress Revises BLM Western Priorities

Hope is running high in southwest Wyoming that millions of acres of federal land won’t be locked up as Harriet Hageman pushes Congress to revise Bureau of Land Management plans across the West.

Mark HeinzMarch 24, 2025

Other Authors

If Colorado Wolves Keep Crossing Into Wyoming, They Might Not Last Long

A transplanted wolf showing up in Wyoming wasn’t unexpected, neither was it being killed for preying on livestock. With Wyoming’s shoot-on-sight policy for wolves in most of the state, that’s not likely to change.

Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

Taking Benadryl For Rattlesnake Bites Can Get You Killed, Medical Expert Says

An online rumor that children’s Benadryl can save people from rattlesnake bites has gone viral around Wyoming. But it’s false, and a medical expert says taking it after a rattler bites could get you killed.

Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2025

Former Wyoming Resident Busted For Illegal Deer Killing 26 Years Later

A former Wyoming resident who had moved to Alabama was busted for illegally killing a deer 26 years after the fact, and after dodging a bench warrant for 24 years.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

One of the wolves brought into Colorado from British Columbia in January and released in Colorado was killed in Wyoming on Friday. It had killed five sheep in north-central Wyoming, wildlife officials report.

Transplanted Colorado Wolf Killed In Wyoming Had Been Attacking Sheep

A wolf from Colorado that killed five sheep in north-central Wyoming was killed by USDA Wildlife Services on Saturday. It was one of the wolves brought into Colorado from British Columbia and released there as part of that state's reintroduction program.

Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2025

Environmentalists Push To Block Brian Nesvik As Pick To Lead Fish & Wildlife

Environmental groups are pushing to block the nomination of former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik to head the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But a former FWS warden says he’s the right pick.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2025

A federal court will decide whether a herd of rare curly-haired mustangs will be rounded up and removed from southwest Wyoming.

Federal Court To Decide Fate Of Wyoming’s Rare Curly-Haired Wild Mustangs

A panel of three federal judges in 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is considering whether mustangs, including rare curly-haired horses, will be rounded up and removed from southwest Wyoming.

Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2025

Many hope that Spirit, the last cub of Grizzly 399, is still alive and will emerge from hibernation this spring.

Watch Is On For 399’s Cub Spirit: If He Survived, Will Anyone Recognize Him?

Grief over the death of Wyoming’s Grizzly 399 was tempered by hope that her cub, Spirit, might survive on his own. But even if he did, it might be impossible to distinguish Spirit from any other 2-year-old grizzly.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

A federal appeals court Tuesday, March 18, 2025, ruled in favor of four hunters who “corner-crossed” to access public land next to a Wyoming ranch in 2021. The ruling could have broad implications for public lands use.

Federal Court Sides With Hunters In Wyoming Corner-Crossing Case

A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled in favor of four hunters who “corner-crossed” to access public land next to a Wyoming ranch in 2021. The ruling could have broad implications for public lands use.

Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2025

UW Breaks Ties With National Ph.D. Group After Trump’s DEI Scrutiny

University of Wyoming has cut ties with a nonprofit allegedly trying to “diversify corporate America.” The move is a response to President Trump’s push for academia to pull away from DEI.

Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2025

Wyoming Baby Wombat Grabber Fires Back At Australia

A Wyoming-based social media influencer who set off international outrage after reportedly grabbing a baby wombat in Australia is firing back, stating that Australia’s government slaughters wombats by the thousands.

Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2025

Close Up Of An Adult Female, An Adult Male, Nymph And Larva Tick. Ticks Cause An Acute Inflammatory Disease Characterized By Skin Changes, Joint Inflammation, And Flu-Like Symptoms Called Lyme Disease.

Tick Bite Victims Say Resulting Diseases Caused Them Years Of Misery

As tick season nears, victims told Cowboy State Daily about years of suffering, and the frustration of going to one doctor after another – with baffling symptoms – and still not getting a proper diagnosis.

Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2025

Wyoming’s oldest coal-burning steam locomotive, Ol’ Sadie

Cheyenne Botanic Garden Founder Says Cheyenne ‘Stealing’ Famous Locomotive

Shane Smith, the founder of the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens, says plans to move Wyoming's oldest coal steam locomotive to a downtown location would amount to “stealing” it from the facility, as well as from all the people who donated time and money to put Ol’ Sadie there.

Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2025

A pack of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.

Why Wolves In Wyoming Aren’t Attacking And Killing People Like They Are In India

While a district in northern India is reeling from wolf attacks that have killed at least 10 people, many of them children, wildlife biologists say the chances of humans being attacked by wolves in Wyoming remain virtually zero.

Mark HeinzMarch 15, 2025

Wildlife photographer Trent Sizemore captured video of a grizzly walking past a trail camera on March 13, 2025

Well-Known Bear Likely First Grizzly Caught On Video This Year, Near West Yellowstone

Photographers believe the grizzly seen ambling past a trail camera on Thursday night in Yellowstone is the same huge male that is often one of the first bears to make an appearance each spring.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2025

Gun Advocates Praise Study Showing Citizens Stop More Mass Shooters Than Police

Wyoming gun rights advocate Mark Jones told Cowboy State Daily that a new study showing armed citizens stopped more active shootings than police proved Wyoming was right to repeal gun-free zones.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2025

Screenshot of Samantha Strable holding a baby wombat in Australia

Australian Prime Minister Blasts Wyoming Outdoors Influencer For Grabbing Baby Wombat

Australians, including the prime minister, are livid at a Wyoming-based social media influencer, after a video surfaced of her grabbing a baby wombat. Samantha Strable, who has lived in Pinedale, could lose her visa as a result.

Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2025

Kelsey Mitchell, a biologist with the Teton County Weed & Pest District, collects ticks for research. Scientists are looking for volunteers to do the same.

As Ticks Begin To Emerge in Wyoming, Entomologists On Lookout For Two New Species

Wyoming entomologists say ticks are beginning to come out and are warning about two new species that are particularly awful. One carries Lyme disease and the other likes to “chase you down.”

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2025

A bald eagle riding a dead skunk like a snowboard isn’t something you see everyday, but a woman in Maine got it on video. It also doesn’t surprise raptor experts, because eagles really like to cling to their food.

Bald Eagle Won’t Let Go Of Its Dinner, Turns Roadkill Skunk Into A Snowboard

A bald eagle riding a dead skunk like a snowboard isn’t something you see every day, but a woman in Maine got it on video. It also doesn’t surprise Wyoming raptor experts, because eagles really like to cling to their food.

Mark HeinzMarch 12, 2025

Trees fused together in an “H” shape, with a single huge branch between them, are extremely rare, tree experts say — and perhaps the result of human meddling. This photo from the 1970s shows "H" trees in Idaho.

Trees Fused Together By Common Branch Extremely Rare, Sometimes Helped By Humans

Trees fused together in an “H” shape, with a single huge branch between them, are extremely rare, tree experts say, but they do happen. Horticulturalist Shane Smith told Cowboy State Daily usually there's some degree of human manipulation, but not always.

Mark HeinzMarch 10, 2025

Buildup of dead timber is a concern on National Forests in Wyoming and other Western States. Some forest users hope that under new leadership, the Forest Service will start cleaning it up. Here, large stands of dead trees in the Medicine Bow National Forest in southern Wyoming pose a wildfire risk.

Wyoming National Forest Users Mixed On Big Changes Under Trump

With the U.S. Forest Service undergoing changes in the new Trump administration, people who use those public lands are mixed. One Wyoming user says she’s worried, while another says he’s hopeful to weed out those “just there for a paycheck.”

Mark HeinzMarch 08, 2025

Hunters and trappers in Montana killed 289 wolves last year, and legislators there are pushing for more. But wolf conservation advocates plan to push back.

After 289 Wolves Killed In Montana Last Year, Bills Push For More Hunting

Hunters and trappers in Montana killed 289 wolves last year, and legislators there are pushing for more. One bill would extend hunting and trapping seasons by three months, and another would allow the use of thermal imaging and night vision scopes.

Mark HeinzMarch 08, 2025

Farmers and ranchers in eastern Laramie County are worried about whether huge data centers springing up in Cheyenne will leave them with enough water for their cattle and crops.

Cheyenne Farmers Worry Huge Data Center Will Suck Up Their Irrigation Water

Farmers and ranchers in eastern Laramie County are worried that a massive Facebook (Meta) data center, along with similar future projects, will suck up the water they need. Cheyenne's mayor reassures them it won't.

Mark HeinzMarch 07, 2025

State Sens. Chris Rothfuss, D-Laramie, left, and Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, successfully argued to restore money for a world-class shooting range near Cody.

Last-Minute Amendment Brings $19.5 Million Shooting Complex Back From The Dead

A $19.5 million Wyoming state shooting complex was declared dead after the Legislature refused to pitch in $10 million in state funds. A last-ditch amendment revived the project Thursday on the last day of the 2025 legislative session.

Mark HeinzMarch 07, 2025

Wyoming Otters No Longer Protected, But Won’t Get Slaughtered

Otters are no longer classified as a protected species in Wyoming, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be getting killed anytime soon, according to Game and Fish officials.

Mark HeinzMarch 06, 2025

A rabbit species called Omiltemi cottontail thought to be extinct for 120 years was recently found in Mexico, mirroring the rediscovery of black-footed ferrets near Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981.

Rediscovery Of ‘Extinct’ Rabbit Mirrors Finding Wyoming Black-Footed Ferrets

A rabbit species thought to be extinct for 120 years was recently found in Mexico, mirroring the rediscovery of black-footed ferrets near Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981.

Mark HeinzMarch 05, 2025

Wolf Torture Leads List Of New High-Profile Wyoming Wildlife Laws

A “clean-kill” predator law prompted by the high-profile torture of a wolf leads a list of new Wyoming wildlife rules. This 2025 session also saw new regulations for fishing guides and dogs caught in traps.

Mark HeinzMarch 05, 2025

Wyoming Can’t Cut Trees Fast Or Soon Enough, Timber Industry Says

Wyoming needs to kick its timber cutting into high gear or risk another catastrophic wildfire season, foresters told the Legislature on Tuesday. The danger is especially high in the Black Hills region, they say.

Mark HeinzMarch 04, 2025