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

A cat named Tuffitt loves hanging out with a young buck white-tailed deer in a homeowner’s backyard north of Buffalo.

Oh Good, A Wyoming Cat And A Deer Have Become Best Friends

A white-tailed deer born last spring in a backyard near Buffalo has grown up to become best friends with a female named cat named Tuffitt. “He’s been around cats since he was tiny, and she’s an outgoing, friendly little cat,” said the homeowner.

Mark HeinzMay 30, 2026

This large male grizzly was photographed this month in the backcountry of Glacier National Park. There have allegedly been two bear attacks in the park, one of them fatal.

Glacier Park Reports Second Bear Attack Less Than A Month After Man Killed

Less than a month after a man was apparently killed by a grizzly in Glacier National Park, there were reports of another possible bear attack on a hiker on Thursday. It was a “surprise encounter involving a hiker and a bear,” said a park official.

Mark HeinzMay 30, 2026

Greg Hurley is a disabled veteran who has been hosted by the Hunting With Heroes Wyoming program.

Official Says Early Hunts Meant For People With ‘Severe’ Mobility Issues

Advocates for veterans say defining early big game hunting for those with “severe mobility” issues leaves out those with invisible wounds, like PTSD. "There are not enough hunting permits or licenses in the world to thank veterans,” said a state official.

Mark HeinzMay 29, 2026

he North Platte River’s Miracle Mile section near Casper is a prized trout fishery. There’s concern that a pumped water storage project on Seminoe Reservoir could ruin the fishery

Critics Say Seminoe Project Threatens Miracle Mile Trout Fishery, Casper's Water

Critics told legislators Thursday that a proposed 972-megawatt power project at Seminoe Reservoir in Carbon County could threaten Wyoming’s legendary Miracle Mile trout fishery. It also could impact Casper’s water supply, they said.

Mark HeinzMay 28, 2026

Wyoming is killing more "conflict" grizzlies than would be killed by hunters if the bears were delisted, Wyoming Game and Fish Director Angi Bruce said Wednesday. One legislator said that if the goal is to kill fewer grizzlies, hunting might be the better option.

Director Says Game And Fish Likely Killing More Grizzlies Than Hunters Would

Wyoming is killing more "conflict" grizzlies than would be killed by hunters if the bears were delisted, the state Game and Fish director said Wednesday. One legislator said that if the goal is to kill fewer grizzlies, hunting might be the better option.

Mark HeinzMay 27, 2026

Miracle, a 2.5-year-old female grizzly, passed through the Colter Bay area in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday almost a year to the day since appearing in the same spot in May 2025.

Hooray! Miracle The Young Grizzly Survives Winter, Shows Up At Colter Bay

After losing both of her siblings to a male grizzly’s attack last spring and then splitting from her mother at an unusually tender age, the young grizzly named Miracle survived winter on her own and showed up at Colter Bay on Sunday.

Mark HeinzMay 26, 2026

This wolverine was spotted earlier this month near the Lower Green River Lakeside Trail in the Wind River Mountains.

Wolverine That Wyoming Hiker Saw In Wind Rivers Was Tracked Over 200 Square Miles

Wyoming biologists say a wolverine that had a rare close-range encounter with a hiker in the Wind River Range mountains is the same animal they’ve been tracking for more than a year. And it has a huge range, being tracked over 200 square miles.

Mark HeinzMay 26, 2026

Opponents of a smartphone app that pings the location of animals in Yellowstone say it will ratchet up the intensity of wildlife mobs. “Yellowstone’s not a zoo,” says a photographer. "We don’t want to know that you can ‘drive 1.5 miles down the road, take a left and see an elk.’"

Critics Say App That Shows Where Yellowstone Wildlife Is Makes Mob Scenes Worse

Critics of a smartphone app that tells users where animals are in Yellowstone say it will make wildlife mob scenes worse. “It will cause a whole bunch of people to drive to the same place at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?” one photographer said.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2026

A male grizzly called Quill and a female, Snow, delighted crowds by cuddling during their courtship ritual in Yellowstone National Park.

Caught Up In Courtship, Mating Grizzlies In Yellowstone Cause Massive Traffic Jams

It’s grizzly mating season in Yellowstone, and a pair of popular bears were too caught up in courtship to notice gawking crowds. The amorous scene near Yellowstone Lake caused bear jams for at least a quarter mile in each direction for days this week.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2026

Red Foxes that live at high altitudes in the Silver Gate/Cooke City area near Yellowstone National Park aare among the most genetically pure wild foxes.

Biologists Worry People Getting Too Close To Cooke City Red Foxes With Rare Genetics

Biologists say red foxes in the Cooke City/Silvergate area near Yellowstone have rare, nearly pure wild genes dating back to the Ice Age. That could be ruined if they keep getting too close to people, they say.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2026

After a roughly three-year ban on M-44 cyanide bombs to kill coyotes on public land, the Trump administration has cleared the way for them to be used.

As Trump Moves To Allow ‘Cyanide Bombs’ To Kill Coyotes, Some Worry Dogs Will Die

The Trump administration is moving to lift a three-year ban on spring-loaded cyanide bombs used to kill coyotes on public land. Some say that’s great news for ranchers, others argue that it will get dogs killed.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2026

Some Wyoming firearms manufacturers say that YouTube has censored their content, without offering any solid reason why. “It’s incredibly frustrating,” one company representative said.

Wyoming Firearms Companies Say YouTube Unfairly Targets Gun-Related Content

Some Wyoming firearms companies say YouTube is unfairly censoring and banning them without giving solid reasons why. "I hate to lose the audience, but I don't miss the BS,” said a video creator about dealing with YouTube before getting kicked off.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2026

Other Authors

Outdoorsman and wildlife filmmaker Casey Anderson encountered 47 grizzly bears before noon in the high country of the Southern Absaroka mountains. The bears were congregating to gorge themselves on army cutworm moths.

Filmmaker Finds 47 Grizzlies Gorging On Moths High Up Absaroka Mountains

A wildlife filmmaker spotted 47 grizzlies in the Absaroka Mountains before noon, more than twice as many as he's ever seen in one day in the Yellowstone area. They were feasting on moths, so he tried one. "They taste like honey-roasted peanuts,” he said.

Mark HeinzMay 21, 2026

Hawk Springs Reservoir, a popular boating and fishing area in Goshen County, is already low because of drought, and could be essentially dried up by the end of summer.

Goshen County’s Hawk Springs Reservoir, A Favorite For Anglers, Drying Up Fast

Hawk Springs Reservoir in Goshen County is a popular fishing and boating spot for locals and other Wyomingites. But it’s already incredibly low, and might be dried up by the end of summer.

Mark HeinzMay 20, 2026

A skinny-looking young black bear has been hanging around a rural neighborhood near Upton in Weston County. Residents say it’s been timid so far.

‘Our Resident Bear’: Scrawny Black Bear Hangs Out Around Rural Upton Neighborhood

A young, scrawny and seemingly confused black bear has been hanging around a rural Weston County neighborhood outside Upton. “He’s, like, our resident bear,” says one resident who had to shoo it away from garbage cans. So far, though, it’s behaving.

Mark HeinzMay 20, 2026

Disabled Vietnam veteran Kent Kimble of Casper relies on an antelope tag donated to the Hunting With Heroes Wyoming program to go on antelope hunts each fall.

Wyoming Veterans Fear Changing Disability Hunting Regs Could Freeze Them Out

Wyoming groups that host hunts for disabled veterans fear a proposal to change Game and Fish regulations on what counts as a disability could freeze out some vets. The change could disqualify vets with PTSD or disabilities that aren't apparent.

Mark HeinzMay 19, 2026

River Mossberg of Cheyenne got this massive black bear in the Snowy Range Mountains, using the “spot-and-stalk” hunting technique.

‘Holy Cow!’ Wyoming Hunter Bags Super-Sized Black Bear In Southeast Wyoming

On his first day out black bear hunting in southeast Wyoming, a Cheyenne hunter got his pickup hopelessly stuck, but on the second day bagged a super-sized black bear. "Holy cow! This sucker is size 5XL,” he said about spotting the bear.

Mark HeinzMay 18, 2026

Grizzly bears frequently get mobbed on Togwotee Pass. Wildlife and traffic safety officials say it’s a recipe for disaster.

Grizzly Paparazzi: Photographers Shove Each Other Over Bears On Togwotee Pass

Over the past decade, Togwotee Pass between Dubois and Moran Junction in Wyoming has become a circus of wildlife paparazzi around grizzlies. “There’s arguing, there’s threats,” says one photographer, adding that, “I don’t want to go up there anymore."

Mark HeinzMay 18, 2026

Hiker Has Incredibly Rare Wolverine Encounter In Wyoming's Wind River Mountains

A software designer and wildlife watcher who was hiking in Wyoming last week had an incredibly rare encounter with a wolverine at the Green River Lakeside Trail in the Wind River Mountains. Photos he took clearly show a tracking collar on the animal.

Mark HeinzMay 16, 2026

Black Bear Killed In Subdivision North Of Cheyenne; 2nd Bear In Area This Week

A black bear was shot and killed late Friday morning in a subdivision north of Cheyenne. This is the second black bear spotted in the Cheyenne area this week. The property owner gave a neighbor, who had a bear hunting tag, permission to shoot the bear.

Mark HeinzMay 15, 2026

Donny Paul of Cody likes to go bear hunting in the Bighorn Mountains.

Wyoming Hunter Angry After Putting Out Bait, Then Another Uses It To Shoot Bear

A Park County hunter is angry after putting out bear bait only to have other hunters use his bait to shoot a bear. He says that’s “unethical and immoral,” while one of the other hunters says they never got close and it’s a misunderstanding.

Mark HeinzMay 15, 2026

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