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 badger that was captured in Casper adjusts to its new home, right near a prairie dog town. Prairie dogs are badgers’ favorite prey.

Wyoming’s Urban Badgers Follow Prairie Dogs Into Towns

Urban badgers have been following prairie dogs into Wyoming towns and raising a ruckus. But don’t expect local animal control to handle them, because only certified critter catchers can get them out of town.

Mark HeinzAugust 10, 2024

A Wyoming bull elk with a group of females.

Wyoming Hunters: Out-Of-State Landowners Make It Tougher To Get To Elk

Across Wyoming and the U.S. West, elk herds are thriving, but hunting them is getting tougher. As more out-of-state landowners cut off access, hunting experts say still there’s plenty hunters can do.

Mark HeinzAugust 08, 2024

A Minnesota man posted photos of how his Cybertruck withstood an assault by raccoons. What people have been quick to point out is the critters think it looks like a dumpster.

Raccoons Mistake Cybertruck For Dumpster, And Wyoming Auto Experts Agree

A Minnesota man excited that his Cybertruck is raccoon proof has been teased mercilessly that the critters think his expensive EV is a dumpster. And Wyoming auto experts agree with the raccoons.

Mark HeinzAugust 06, 2024

Susannah Bletner of Lander captured this video of two large male Western diamondback rattlesnakes “dancing” in Sinks Canyon. It turns out the snakes were actually wrestling for territorial dominance.

“Dancing” Wyoming Rattlers Actually Rare Video Of Males Fighting For Territory

An avid hiker from Lander caught video of two large rattlesnakes “dancing” in Sinks Canyon last week. What she captured was rare video of two males wrestling for territorial dominance.

Mark HeinzAugust 05, 2024

Zach Martin and Konner Hafner of Rock Springs wanted a place to shoot near town during the evenings, without the setting sun in their eyes. So they set up this steel plate target, east of town and left it there for everybody to use.

Rock Springs Shooters Set Up Target So Everyone Can Smack Steel With Bullets

Some friends from Rock Springs who like collecting and shooting vintage military rifles also believe in community service. They cleaned up a patch of public land near town and set up a steel target so everybody can smack it with bullets.

Mark HeinzAugust 05, 2024

Canadian Cree Bella Twin, 63 at the time, poses with the hide of huge grizzly bear and the single-shot .22 rifle she used to kill the bear in 1953.

Grandma Who Killed Huge Grizzly With 1 Shot From .22 Still Amazes Wyoming Hunters

One of the largest grizzlies ever recorded was killed in 1953 with a single shot from a .22 rifle wielded by a 63-year-old grandmother in Canada. She had hunted and trapped her entire life, so she knew bear anatomy well -- and knew where to place the shot.

Mark HeinzAugust 04, 2024

Wyoming, Montana Done Waiting, Give Feds Deadline To Delist Grizzlies

The governors of Wyoming and Montana both say their states are done waiting for grizzly bears to be delisted from endangered status. Both governors said they will initiate lawsuits if the decision is not made quickly.

Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2024

Amanda Wylie of Queens, New York, fell in love with the West after a trip to Yellowstone years ago. This year, she had a terrifying close encounter with a grizzly in Montana’s Glacier National Park, but said she still wants to keep hiking out West.

New Yorker Has Terrifying Grizzly Encounter, Still Wants To Return To Wyoming

A hiker from Queens came face-to-face with a grizzly while hiking the Continental Divide earlier this summer. She filmed the encounter so when people found her phone, they would know how she died. But, because she didn't panic, she survived and wants to come back out west.

Mark HeinzAugust 03, 2024

A herd of Wyoming elk take a break at the foot of the Grand Tetons.

Frustrated Montana Landowners Want To Kill 50,000 Elk, Judge Says No

A Montana judge has shot down a demand by frustrated landowners let them kill 50,000 elk. Ranchers in Wyoming are dealing with similar problems with too many elk or deer eating their forage.

Mark HeinzAugust 02, 2024

The area where a Colorado Parks and Wildlife plane looped over Wyoming on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

Agency Says Plane That Looped Into Wyoming Airspace Wasn’t Tracking Wolves

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife plane that looped into Wyoming airspace Tuesday wasn’t tracking wolves, the agency says. But a Colorado wolf watchdog is skeptical and thinks the state isn’t being transparent about the predators.

Mark HeinzAugust 01, 2024

Spotting scopes made by Maven, a Lander optics company, are used by the Olympic archery teams from the USA, France and Great Britan.

Wyoming Optics Company On The World Stage At Paris Olympics

The precision spotting scopes being used by Olympic archery teams in Paris are made by a Lander, Wyoming, company. Maven has built a reputation for producing elite equipment for elite competitors.

Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2024

Don’t Believe Climatologist’s Claim It’s An Ideal 70 Degrees In Wyoming On Aug. 1

A climatologist is telling travelers they’ll have ideal 70-degree weather in Wyoming on Aug. 1. Anyone who believes that is going to roast, says meteorologist Don Day. It could actually get into the 80s, 90s or even triple digits.

Mark HeinzJuly 31, 2024

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Abandoned or hazardous fences cause the deaths of countless wild animals around Wyoming.

Deaths of Wyoming Mule Deer Tangled In Old Barbed Wire Inspire Fence Removal

The prolonged, agonizing deaths of two Wyoming mule deer bucks that got entangled in barbed wire helped inspire the removal of 3 miles of old fence near Cody on Monday.

Mark HeinzJuly 30, 2024

Punching An Attacking Grizzly In The Face Might Work, But Not Recommended

A man in British Columbia stopped a grizzly attack by punching the bear in the face. Some Wyoming bear experts say that say might work, but isn’t something anybody should try unless it’s a last ditch option.

Mark HeinzJuly 29, 2024

Carly Wood, 12, and her 10-year-old brother, who goes by his nickname “Critter,” raise 4-H sheep on the family’s property in Grand County, Colorado.

Rural Colorado Family Says Wolf Was Watching Their Kids And Sheep

A northern Colorado ranch family is on high alert after observing a wolf, they claim, were watching their kids and sheep. It’s one of a growing number of wolf encounters and livestock kills reported since that state reintroduced the predators in December.

Mark HeinzJuly 29, 2024

Street paster Nick Schindler is passing through Wyoming on his journey to Washington, D.C. He said he carries his cross “the length and the breadth” of every town and city he comes to, inviting people to converse with him.

Cross-Carrying Street Preacher Walks Across Wyoming On Way To D.C.

Nick Schindler has made his walk with Christ an arduously physical thing, and he’s bearing his cross — a literal 75-pound solid-wood cross — through Wyoming on his way across America.

Mark HeinzJuly 28, 2024

The issue of anglers carrying firearms may be a debate in other states, but not Wyoming.

Wisconsin Anglers Get Their Guns Back – Wyoming Anglers Say They’d Never Give Theirs Up To Begin With

Wisconsin banned people from carry guns while fishing for 14 years – presumably to stop dirtbags from shooting fish. Some Wyoming anglers said such a ban would never fly here – a .44 mag is pretty much standard gear for fishing in grizzly country.

Mark HeinzJuly 27, 2024

One of five wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

Colorado Wolves Close In On Wyoming, Would Get ‘Warm Welcome’ From Ranchers

Colorado wolves continue to close in crossing into Wyoming, which wouldn’t be popular with ranchers near the border. One state legislator said it’s likely any wolves that come into Wyoming would get a “warm welcome.”

Mark HeinzJuly 26, 2024

A momma grizzly and her cub tussle over a scrap of food, with the cub apparently prevailing, early Wednesday in Yellowstone National Park.

Grizzlies Fight Over Food Right Next To Wyoming Man’s Truck

Getting video of a grizzly mother and cub fighting over food, practically within arm’s reach (but taken safely from his truck), seemed cool enough to share on social media for a Cody man, but he didn’t expect it to catch fire.

Mark HeinzJuly 26, 2024

Critics Say Cody Too Isolated For $10 Million Wyoming Shooting Complex

Now that a spot about 7.5 miles south of Cody has been picked for the coveted $10 million Wyoming Shooting Complex, critics say it’s too isolated. Backers say that won’t discourage its target audience — competitive shooters and events.

Mark HeinzJuly 25, 2024

Genetically-altered “Trojan” male brook trout were recently dumped into Game Creek, in the upper Snake River Drainage. They’ll turn the entire brookie population there male, so it will die off and make room for cutthroat trout. (Courtesy of Wyoming Game and Fish Department)

Game And Fish Genetically Modify Brook Trout To Make Them All Male

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department have come up with a seemingly sci-fi way to combat brook trout that have been taking over habitat from native cutthroats. Turn the brookies all male by mixing them with genetically-altered “Trojan” fish.

Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2024

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