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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.

Find Mark Heinz

Latest from Mark Heinz

After clawing at an occupied yurt last week in a remote part of Park County, a grizzly bear came back the next night and tore apart the then-unoccupied structure.

Grizzly Claws At Yurt With People Inside, Comes Back Next Night

A grizzly clawed at a yurt in the Crandall area of Park County with people inside last week. The bear then came back the next night and really tore it up, but it was then unoccupied.

Mark HeinzSeptember 18, 2025

A federal judge’s ruling Wednesday shut down cattle grazing in grizzly habitat in Montana’s Paradise Valley. A Montana rancher said he wants grizzlies to be “managed, not exterminated.”

Federal Judge Halts Cattle Grazing In Grizzly Habitat Near Yellowstone

A federal judge’s ruling Wednesday shut down cattle grazing in grizzly habitat in Montana’s Paradise Valley. A Montana rancher said he wants grizzlies to be “managed, not exterminated.”

Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2025

Officials representing Wyoming and other Upper Colorado River Basin states say they’re alarmed about the continued fragile condition of the river. Lower states can’t hog water and leave the upper ones without their fair share.

Wyoming, Other Upper Colorado River States, Say Lower Basin States Hog Water

Officials representing Wyoming and other Upper Colorado River Basin states say they’re alarmed about the continued fragile condition of the river. Lower states can’t hog water and leave the upper ones without their fair share.

Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2025

A mountain lion killed an antelope buck and stashed its carcass near the Thermopolis Golf Course, creating a macabre surprise for the person who discovered it. Wyoming Game and Fish later trapped and relocated a “subadult” mountain lion.

Mountain Lion That Stashed Antelope Carcass Near Thermopolis Golf Course Relocated

A mountain lion killed an antelope buck and stashed its carcass near the Thermopolis Golf Course, creating a macabre surprise for the person who discovered it. Wyoming Game and Fish later trapped and relocated a “subadult” mountain lion.

Mark HeinzSeptember 16, 2025

Ultramarathon trail runners in Alberta, Canada, had to be re-routed late Sunday after a grizzly charged and followed nearby campers. A Wyoming ultramarathoner says racers should carry bear spray in grizzly country.

Grizzly Disrupts Alberta Ultramarathon, Wyoming Runner Urges Always Carry Bear Spray

Ultramarathon trail runners in Alberta, Canada, had to be re-routed late Sunday after a grizzly charged and followed nearby campers. A Wyoming ultramarathoner said racers should always carry bear spray in grizzly country.

Mark HeinzSeptember 16, 2025

Outdoors enthusiasts say repealing the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule could undermine efforts to protect Wyoming’s wildlife and habitat. The state’s congressional delegation says the rule hamstrung critical economic uses for the lands.

Repealing BLM Public Lands Rule Could Undermine Wildlife Efforts, Advocates Say

Outdoors enthusiasts say repealing the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule could undermine efforts to protect Wyoming’s wildlife and habitat. The state’s congressional delegation says the rule hamstrung critical economic uses for the lands.

Mark HeinzSeptember 15, 2025

Prominent hunting influencer Ryan Lampers has been slapped with wildlife crime-related charges. He’s accused of illegally taking a trophy-class mule deer buck, and has sparked an ethics debate in the Wyoming outdoors community, and beyond.

‘Hunting Influencer’ Hit With Felony Charges, Raises Questions About Social Media & Hunting

A prominent "hunting influencer" was slapped with wildlife crime-related felony charges. Some Wyoming hunters with social media followings say it’s important to stay humble and keep the focus on love for the outdoors, rather than one-upmanship for clicks.

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2025

Canning meat in glass jars works for antelope, beef hamburger and other meats, say Warren Wittstruck and Ellie Sterman of Pine Bluffs.

Wyoming Hunting: The Advantages Of Canning Meat

A Pine Bluffs couple, who were concerned about losing their game meat if an extended power outage hit, are now sold on canning meat. Not only can it last three years and still taste great, they say, but you don’t have to worry about freezer burn.

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2025

Hikers high above timber line on Mount Sneffels in southwest Colorado were stunned when a moose trotted right by them at 13,000 feet elevation. It’s rare to see moose that high, wildlife biologists say.

Hikers Stunned When Moose Trots By At 13,000 Feet In Rare High-Altitude Encounter

Hikers high above timberline on Mount Sneffels in southwest Colorado were stunned when a moose trotted right by them at 13,000 feet of elevation. It’s rare to see moose that high, wildlife biologists say.

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2025

A Wyoming man and retired federal game warden helped bust the bizarre 1970s heyday of America's illegal reptile trade by taking venomous Gila monsters to the bar. That includes a shady dealer who was bitten by one and “drank tequila until he felt better.”

Game Warden Busted Illegal Reptile Dealers By Taking Gila Monsters To Bar

A Wyoming man and retired federal game warden helped bust the bizarre 1970s heyday of America's illegal reptile trade by taking venomous Gila monsters to the bar. That includes a shady dealer who was bitten by one and “drank tequila until he felt better.”

Mark HeinzSeptember 14, 2025

Antelope have a reputation as the worst of Wyoming’s wild game to eat. Hunters and experts say it’s not necessarily the antelope’s fault. It could be poor hunting and meat preservation practices.

Don’t Blame Antelope For Their Rep As Worst-Tasting Wyoming Big Game, Biologists Say

Antelope have a reputation as the worst of Wyoming’s wild game to eat. But hunters and biologists say it’s not necessarily the antelope’s fault. It could be poor hunting and meat preservation practices.

Mark HeinzSeptember 13, 2025

The U.S. Forest Service has lifted a decades-long ban on wildland firefighters wearing masks. The move comes too late for a Lander firefighter who had to retire early with damaged lungs, but he says they’re a good idea — if the right mask is used.

Wildfire Crews Can Finally Mask Up — Too Late For Lander Man With Damaged Lungs

The U.S. Forest Service has lifted a decades-long ban on wildland firefighters wearing masks. The move comes too late for a Lander firefighter who had to retire early with damaged lungs, but he says they’re a good idea — if the right mask is used.

Mark HeinzSeptember 13, 2025

Other Authors

Poachers kill countless wild animals and cost states millions of dollars every year, and there aren’t enough game wardens to stop them. The Boone and Crockett Club, one of the nation’s top hunting organizations, reports that up to 96% of poachers get away with it.

New Study Reveals 96% Of Poachers In U.S. Get Away With It, Costing $1.4 Billion

In a new study released this week, the Boone and Crockett Club, one of the nation’s top hunting organizations, reports that 96% of poachers get away with it. The overall annual cost impact to states is more than $1.4 billion.

Mark HeinzSeptember 13, 2025

A grizzly bear made a stop by a firefighter spike camp late Thursday near the small down of Avon in western Montana. The firefighters stayed calm, and the bear left on its own.

Grizzly Shows Up At Camp For Montana Wildland Firefighters

A grizzly bear ambled right up to a spike camp for wildland firefighters in western Montana late Thursday. They were lucky all he wanted was to eat some leaves off a bush.

Mark HeinzSeptember 12, 2025

The fate of about 3,000 mustangs in central Wyoming remains uncertain, as the date for rounding them up keeps changing.

On-Again, Off-Again Controversial Wyoming Mustang Roundup Off Again

The date for rounding up roughly 3,000 mustangs in the remote Red Desert keeps being set, then postponed, with summer 2026 being the latest projection. Horse advocates are trying to get the roundup shut down for good.

Mark HeinzSeptember 11, 2025

Pronghorn, commonly called antelope travel along the Path of the Pronghorn, a network of migratory routes between summer range near Grand Teton National Park and winter range near Rock Springs.

Game And Fish Wants To Protect Historic 'Path Of The Pronghorn' Migration Route

The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission on Wednesday voted to protect a network of wildlife routes known as the "Path of the Pronghorn" between the Grand Teton area and the Red Desert as a protected migration corridor.

Mark HeinzSeptember 11, 2025

A body thought to be that of a man who went missing in June 2024 after an apparent kayaking accident on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park was found Sunday, at a depth of 420 feet.

Body Recovered 420 Feet Deep In Jackson Lake Likely Kayaker Missing Since 2024

A body thought to be that of a man who went missing in June 2024 after an apparent kayaking accident on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park was found Sunday, at a depth of 420 feet.

Mark HeinzSeptember 09, 2025

This trout has injuries ranking 4, or massive injury, on a hooking injury scale developed by Jeff Glaid, Game and Fish fisheries biologist in the Casper Region.

Wyoming Anglers’ Shift To Catch-and-Release Fuels Worry For Maimed Fish

The fishing culture in Wyoming has shifted from catching fish for food to catch-and-release fishing. That’s raised concerns about fish suffering multiple injuries from being hooked over and over again.

Mark HeinzSeptember 09, 2025

Karl Brauneis of Lander prefers to hunt the old-school way. He shot this elk at 45 yards with a Winchester .30-30 rifle.

Wyoming Old-Timers Say Hunting Ain’t What It Used To Be

Hunters of a certain age might wax nostalgic for a simpler time. Back then, hunting tags were readily available at the local store and knocking on a local rancher’s door and politely asking permission to hunt on his land usually worked.

Mark HeinzSeptember 07, 2025

Wyoming backcountry hunter Vance McGahey has tried numerous ways of packing out meat. A few years ago, he settled on using pack goats.

Wyoming Hunting: How to Haul Out Elk Meat

In Wyoming, hunters often kill their game miles away from their vehicles, so it takes a combination of skill, improvisation and pack goats to get the meat back. Knowing how to break down a carcass is just as vital as knowing how to bring an animal down.

Mark HeinzSeptember 07, 2025

The Wyoming hunting outlook for the 2025 season is excellent for elk, cautiously optimistic for mule deer and improving for antelope.

Wyoming Hunting 2025: Elk Plentiful, Deer And Antelope On The Rebound 

The Wyoming hunting outlook for the 2025 season is excellent for elk, cautiously optimistic for mule deer and improving for antelope. But some prime hunting grounds are closed as crews fight a pair of large wildfires in the western part of the state.

Mark HeinzSeptember 07, 2025

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