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

Non-Residents Willing To Shell Out Up To $30,000 For A Wyoming Elk Hunt

Nonresidents wanting to fulfill their dreams of a Wyoming elk hunt should be willing to shell out a median of $8,000 for a guided hunt, while high-end adventures can hit $30,000. Wyoming is the sweet-spot for big-game hunters, says Guy Eastman.

Mark HeinzSeptember 19, 2026

A mob of grizzlies homed in on a single big game carcass north of Yellowstone National Park. Luckily, there were no fights as they took turns eating.

19 Grizzlies Having A Feeding Frenzy On A Carcass Wows Yellowstone Visitors

Tourists experienced a rare sight this past weekend when up to 19 grizzlies had a feeding frenzy on a carcass north of Yellowstone National Park. While usually solitary, bears can be semi-social when the right feeding opportunities arise.

Mark HeinzSeptember 19, 2026

Former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik is proposing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service redefine what it means to “take” an animal protected under the Endangered Species Act. Conservationists say it'll get more grizzlies killed in Wyoming.

Fish & Wildlife Chief Nesvik Wants To Ease Laws For 'Taking' Endangered Species

Former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik, now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service chief, wants to redefine what it means to “take” animals protected under the Endangered Species Act. Critics say that would get more grizzlies killed in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzSeptember 18, 2026

Grizzlies Killing Livestock Cost Wyoming Nearly $1M, Blows Budget Out Of Water

Wyoming Game and Fish shelled out nearly $1 million to compensate ranchers for livestock killed by grizzly bears in 2025. That’s nearly double the agency’s animal-damage budget. Whether delisting grizzlies would help is up for debate.

Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2026

Estes Park Bull Elk Struts Around Town With Rival Elk’s Antler Stuck In His Neck

A bull elk in Estes Park, Colorado, has been strutting around town with an antler stuck in its neck after a fight during rutting season. Elk sometimes get their antler racks entangled in a fight, but one ecologist said he's "never seen anything like that."

Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2026

This young black bear showed up on Mark Potter’s property in the Wind River Canyon. He doesn’t think it is the same bear that was later struck and killed on the highway going through the canyon.

Bear Hit And Killed In Wind River Canyon Has Residents Afraid For Other Local Bears

Residents in the Wind River Canyon between Shoshoni and Thermopolis were saddened that a young black bear was hit and killed on the highway earlier this week. They say it makes them afraid for at least two other black bears in the area.

Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2026

The Mollie’s Pack is Yellowstone's oldest wolf pack and includes the famous Wolf 1090F. The pack is safe, for now, after returning to Yellowstone National Park just before the start of Wyoming's hunting season Tuesday.

Just As Wyoming Wolf Season Begins, Famous Mollie's Pack Returns To Yellowstone

The famous Mollie’s wolf pack is safe, for now, after returning to Yellowstone National Park just before the start of Wyoming's hunting season Tuesday. But hunters are hopeful they will stray back out of the park before hunting season closes in December.

Mark HeinzSeptember 15, 2026

Snow, one of Yellowstone’s favorite grizzlies, appears to have been piling on the pounds. One of her fans described her as “bootylicous.”

Yellowstone's Famous Grizzly Snow Gets A Motorcade Escort On Dark Highway

Fans of the famous Yellowstone grizzly Snow gave her a motorcade escort Sunday to save her from being hit on a highway on the park's east side. Snow ambled behind and in front of flashing hazard lights for roughly a mile before heading into the woods.

Mark HeinzSeptember 15, 2026

Ron Micheli, a Fort Bridger area rancher and former Wyoming legislator, said he and other ranchers along Wyoming’s Upper Green River are dependent upon snowpack to fill the river. And this year’s snowpack was one of the worst on record.

Wyoming, Upper Basin States: Water Taken From Flaming Gorge Should Be Replaced

Water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir kept Lake Powell from hitting "dead pool" this year, so Wyoming and the Upper Basin States limping through severe drought want it replaced. Wyoming rancher Ron Micheli said, 'If we don't have snow, we don't have water."

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2026

Former Commissioner: Game and Fish Caused Its Own Financial Woes by Overspending

Former Game and Fish commissioner Mike Schmid said the organization's looming financial crisis could be because of unnecessary spending and he's skeptical of a trust fund. “I think there was some self-inflicted pain there,” Schmid said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2026

His 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL 1 is Nick Young’s prize possession. When on the road and he can't put it under a roof, he protects it from hail damage with an inflatable car cocoon.

To Escape Hail Damage, People Wrap Their Cars In Gigantic Inflatable Cocoons

Some drivers who want protection from hail damage for cars are turning to inflatable cocoons — gigantic shells of heavy-duty fabric that inflate to surround a vehicle. Not everyone is sold on them, with one skeptic calling the cocoon “a metallic turd.”

Mark HeinzSeptember 13, 2026

Left, Boo the bull elk is shown here in his prime, circa 2016, sporting an impressive set of antlers. Right, now nearly age 18, he no longer grows antlers and has lived several years longer than bull elk typically survive in the wild.

Popular Elk Named Boo At Bear River State Park Is So Old He Stopped Growing Antlers

Boo, a popular bull elk at Bear River State Park near Evanston, Wyoming, has grown so old at age 18 that he no longer grows antlers. Bull elk in the wild rarely live past 12 and almost never long enough to hit the antlerless stage.

Mark HeinzSeptember 13, 2026

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Cam Sholly, pictured here in front of Elk Peak in Yellowstone National Park, is ending his nearly 8-year run as the park’s superintendent.

Cam Sholly Leaving As Yellowstone National Park Superintendent After 8-Year Run

Cam Sholly is stepping down as Yellowstone National Park superintendent after eight years that included dealing with COVID-19, massive flooding and record crowds. He said his departure has nothing to do with a rumored conflict with the administration.

Mark HeinzSeptember 11, 2026

Lawmakers: Game And Fish Commission Meeting Not Place To Ask About Departed Director

Legislators and Wyoming Game and Fish Department top brass said Thursday that meetings to discuss the agency's funding weren't the place to bring up Angi Bruce's departure as director. Some cited "personnel matters" for not talking publicly about Bruce.

Mark HeinzSeptember 11, 2026

Page and Keith Mamot found this 2-year-old black bear in their second home near Driggs, Idaho. The bear was shot and killed soon after by sheriff’s deputies under a zero-tolerance policy related to occupied structures.

Casper Couple Saddened By Bear Killed For Entering Their Second Home In Idaho

A Casper couple said they’re saddened because a black bear that broke into their second home near Driggs, Idaho, was killed under a zero-tolerance policy for bears that enter occupied structures. “He wasn’t mean or aggressive,” Page Mamot said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 10, 2026

Wildlife Groups Applaud Trust Fund As Way To Save Game and Fish From Budget Crisis

With Wyoming Game and Fish facing what its interim director calls a “dire” looming budget shortfall, wildlife groups say a trust fund proposed by a legislative committee has a "juggernaut of support." "God, I hope we dream big," one advocate said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 10, 2026

Wyoming Game and Fish Game and Fish Interim Director Eric Wiltanger, Game and Fish CFO Meredith Wood, and Game and Fish Commissioner Rusty Bell speak with legislators Wednesday in Jackson.

Game And Fish Facing ‘Dire’ Financial Trouble, Interim Director Tells Lawmakers

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department budget could hit crisis level within the next few years due to inflation and a decline in deer tags, the agency’s interim director told lawmakers Wednesday. “We’re not dire right now, but we’re going to be,” he said.

Mark HeinzSeptember 10, 2026

A tranquilized female black bear, about 19 to 20 months old, is carried by Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers Stephanie Taylor and Ty Smith after being captured in Durango on Tuesday.

Colorado Has Killed Nearly 300 Black Bears This Year, Quadruple Last Year's Amount

Colorado wildlife officials have killed nearly 300 black bears this year, almost four times as many as a year ago. “I think what people aren’t realizing is that trash is the primary reason for bears being in towns,” said one official.

Mark HeinzSeptember 08, 2026

Nic Buxman of Afton had set up his blind for pronghorn hunting next to a water hole in Natrona County. When he returned from scouting, it was gone.

Wyoming Outdoorsman Baffled By Theft Of Blind While He Was Pronghorn Hunting

An Afton hunter was surprised to return to the spot where he set up a pronghorn blind only to find someone had stolen it. He said the incident shook him because it's such an egregious violation of the time-honored unwritten hunters’ code of conduct.

Mark HeinzSeptember 06, 2026

Ryan Hansen got this mule deer buck during a 2025 hunt in southwest Wyoming. Hunters might have to work hard for bucks this year, according to Game and Fish.

Hunting Wyoming: With Lower Mule Deer Populations, Monster Bucks Still Out There

Mule deer populations are “languishing” in parts of Wyoming, but with archery season underway, hunters say record trophy bucks are still out there. After an unusually mild 2025-2026 winter, many deer stayed fat and growing larger antler racks.

Mark HeinzSeptember 05, 2026

Bison graze on federal land near Grand Teton in northwest Wyoming.

Judge Halts BLM Directive To Removal Bison From Federal Grazing Allotments

A federal judge on Friday blocked a BLM directive to remove bison from Montana federal grazing allotments because they're being managed as wildlife, not livestock, in a move that a Wyoming bison rancher said is good news across the West.

Mark HeinzSeptember 04, 2026

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