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

Kaci Bulkley,12, dropped this bull, her first elk, with a single 600-yard shot.

Wyoming Girl, 12, Stuns With One-Shot Kill From 600 Yards To Bag Huge Elk

At age 12, Kaci Bulkley of Campbell County is already an accomplished hunter. This fall, she stunned even seasoned hunters with decades of experience by dropping a huge bull elk with one shot from 600 yards away.

Mark HeinzNovember 29, 2025

Hunters Fear Bill Would Turn Wilderness Into Militarized Surveillance Zone

Critics of a bill co-sponsored by Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso say it would turn prime wilderness into a surveillance zone. Barrasso says it would protect wildlands from being trashed by smugglers and illegal immigrants.

Mark HeinzNovember 28, 2025

During the rut, or mating season, for bighorn sheep, rams gather to crack horns in an area near Dubois that fans call “Ramland Wyoming.”

Famed Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Herd Still Recovering From Brutal Winter Of '85

The famed Whiskey Mountain bighorn sheep herd near Dubois is a shell of what it used to be, down from 2,500 sheep to about 750. A wildlife artist who has watched the sheep for decades says the decline started with the bitterly cold winter of 1985.

Mark HeinzNovember 28, 2025

Welcome To Thanksgiving Hell: Wyoming Plumbers Brace For ‘Brown Friday’

Although the Thanksgiving holiday might be a time of food, football, and family for many people, there's a price to pay for the festivity. "Brown Friday" is real and it's the busiest day of the year for many Wyoming plumbers.

Mark HeinzNovember 27, 2025

How Desperate Would You Have To Be To Eat A Prairie Dog?

When it comes to gross things to eat in a survival situation, Wyoming has quite a few options, but it raises the question — who would resort to campfire-roasted prairie dog?

Mark HeinzNovember 26, 2025

Authorities say somebody shot and killed this young-of-the-year black bear cub near Stevensville, Montana sometime between Nov. 20 and Nov. 22.

Game Warden Says Montana Black Bear Cub Shooting ‘As Bad As It Gets’

Montana authorities are searching for whoever shot a black bear cub and left its carcass to rot, a wildlife code violation punishable by up to $2,000 in fines and jail time. As far as wildlife crimes go, this is "as bad as it gets," a game warden said.

Mark HeinzNovember 26, 2025

Samantha Strable, the woman caught on video earlier this year harassing a baby wombat in Australia, faces multiple charges claiming that she lied about her residency to get hunting tags in Wyoming.

Woman Who Harassed Wombat In Australia Accused Of Wyoming Hunting Violations

A woman caught on video earlier this year harassing a baby wombat in Australia faces multiple charges claiming that she lied about her residency to get hunting tags in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzNovember 26, 2025

A grizzly bear attack on a group of about 20 on a school picnic in remote British Columbia, Canada, was a rare occurrence that has left bear experts puzzled. Four people, including three children, were seriously hurt.

Grizzly Mauling Of School Picknickers In Canada Baffles Experts

Bear experts are baffled over the grizzly bear attack on a group of about 20 on a school picnic in remote British Columbia, Canada. Four people, including three children, were hospitalized. Some are in critical condition.

Mark HeinzNovember 25, 2025

Hunter Ryan Chuckel is pictured with a bull elk he recently shot on public land in the southern Bighorn Mountains, left. He and his hunting companions claim that an adjacent rancher later tried to steal the elk’s head. Right, a helicopter ferries out elk meat and heads with antlers from an isolated area of public land in the southern Bighorn Mountains.

Wyoming Rancher Accused Of Trying To Steal Trophy Elk Head From Helicopter Hunters

Some hunters claim that after they helicoptered into an isolated public land area in the Bighorn Mountains and killed bull elk, an adjacent landowner tried to swipe one of their trophy elk heads.

Mark HeinzNovember 24, 2025

Researchers claim that wolves pulling on lines to steal bait from underwater crab traps is proof that they’re “using tools.” But some wolf experts dispute that idea.

Researchers Say Wolves Are Smart Enough To Use Tools

Wolves have been stealing bait from underwater crab traps in British Columbia which some researchers claim amounts to “tool use." Some Rocky Mountain wolf experts say it’s impressive behavior, but a stretch to call it that.

Mark HeinzNovember 23, 2025

Big game carcasses are butchered at Yellowstone Wild Game Processing near Bozeman, Montana.

Fewer Wyoming Wild Game Butchers Struggle To Keep Up With Hunter Demand

Butcher shops that will process hunters’ wild game meat are getting fewer and farther between in Wyoming. That means this time of year the ones left are doing a booming business — and struggling to keep up with hunter demand.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2025

Harriet Hageman says California has neglected its water infrastructure while demanding more Colorado River water from Wyoming. She says it and other Lower Basin states need to get in gear with that before going after more from Upper Basin states.

Hageman Says California Needs To Get In Gear, Stop Going After Wyoming’s Water

Harriet Hageman says California has neglected its water infrastructure while demanding more Colorado River water from Wyoming. She says California and other Lower Basin states need to get in gear with that before going after more from Upper Basin states.

Mark HeinzNovember 22, 2025

Other Authors

A growing program pairs generous hunters who donate their kills to veterans no longer able to hunt for themselves. Hunters like Biran Monahan, inset, say it's gratifying to show appreciation for veterans like Joe Rose, pictured, who's no longer physically able to hunt big game.

Hunters, Game Processors Partner For Veterans Who Can’t Hunt Big Game Anymore

A growing program has hunters and game processors partnering to get fresh game meat to military veterans who can't hunt big game anymore. The effort started in Missouri and wants to expand into states like Wyoming and Montana.

Mark HeinzNovember 21, 2025

Elk Hunter Chris Holden found these aircraft parts Wednesday afternoon near Laramie Peak in Converse County. It’s thought that they might have blown off a plane in mid-flight.

Wyoming Hunter Finds Aircraft Parts That Blew Off Cessna Jet In 2019

A Wyoming hunter found aircraft parts Wednesday scattered near Laramie Peak. The Converse County Sheriff's Office confirmed late Thursday the parts came from a Cessna Citation jet that took off in 2019 from Casper and landed safely in Scottsbluff.

Mark HeinzNovember 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.

Canada, Oregon And Now Washington Won't Send More Wolves To Colorado

Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program may have hit a wall. It probably can’t get any more wolves from Canada, Oregon has said no more, and now Washington state is also refusing to send more wolves for the program.

Mark HeinzNovember 19, 2025

Wildlife experts say a man was foolish and inconsiderate to press within a few yards of a group of juvenile wolves in Yellowstone National Park. On a video of the incident, onlookers remark that, "This could end very badly for that guy."

Dimwitted Man Taunts Yellowstone Wolves: 'This Could End Really Badly For That Guy'

Wildlife experts say a man was foolish and inconsiderate to press within a few yards of a group of juvenile wolves in Yellowstone. On a video of the incident, onlookers remark that, "This could end really badly for that guy."

Mark HeinzNovember 19, 2025

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service game warden inspects the carcass of Slingshot, a famous mule deer buck at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

Slingshot, Colorado’s Famed Giant Mule Deer, Dies After Brutal Buck Fight

Slingshot, a massive and beloved mule deer at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal refuge near Denver, died Sunday after likely being gored by another buck during the rut. Wildlife fans are mourning the popular deer known for his gigantic antlers.

Mark HeinzNovember 18, 2025

Mitchell Wolfe found this bull elk Saturday morning near a roadside south of Rock Springs. The bull was utterly exhausted, after being tangled in a barbed wire fence for hours.

Wyoming Hunter Saves Elk Tangled In Barbed Wire From A Slow, Miserable Death

A Wyoming oil field worker said his heart sank Saturday when he saw an exhausted bull elk trapped in a barbed wire fence facing a slow, miserable death. He untangled the elk, praying it would survive. It did.

Mark HeinzNovember 17, 2025

Wyoming pilot Matt Guthmiller, right, and Mexican comedian Juanpa Zurita are featured in the Disney+ comedy series “The Worst Flight Around The World.”

Wyoming Pilot Who Owns A Fighter Jet Co-Stars In New Disney+ Comedy

Pilot Matt Guthmiller of Alpine, Wyoming, owns his own fighter jet and was the youngest person to fly solo around the world in 2014. His latest adventure is co-starring in a new Disney+ comedy series, “The Worst Flight Around The World."

Mark HeinzNovember 16, 2025

Fremont County resident Patrick Edwards loves angling for walleye. Fishing for them is challenging, and they’re excellent table fare, he said.

Future For Wyoming's Walleye Fishing Shaky As Major Hatchery Faces Risks

There’s a huge demand for walleye in Wyoming but the main supply of walleye, from a North Dakota hatchery is in doubt because of a zebra mussel threat. To get ahead of the problem, Wyoming's Game and Fish Department is looking to ramp up its walleye hatchery program here.

Mark HeinzNovember 15, 2025

This 1985 Chevy Silverado pickup recently sold for $27,000.

40 Years Later, Wyoming Still Loves Legendary Square Body Trucks

Chevrolet and GMC ended their legendary square body pickup line in 1987, and their square body Suburban and Blazer line a few years later. Now they’re hot again, and truck nuts around Wyoming want them.

Mark HeinzNovember 15, 2025