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.
Latest from Mark Heinz
70 Years Ago, Old Faithful Caretaker Kept Elderly Elk And Coyote Alive With Pancakes
Jimmy the Coyote and Molly the Elk were old and all but toothless during the winter of 1954-1955. By the rules of nature, they should have died. But the caretaker at Old Faithful took pity upon them and started feeding them pancakes.
Mark HeinzApril 06, 2024
Photo Shows Wyoming Man With Tormented Wolf Before It Was Killed
Cowboy State Daily has obtained a photo of a wolf that was captured and had its mouth taped shut while it was reportedly taken to a local man’s house and a bar in rural Daniel, Wyoming, before it was killed.
Greg Johnson & Mark HeinzApril 06, 2024
National Animal Rights Groups Push For Cruelty Charges Over Wyoming Wolf Abuse
Two national animal rights groups are calling on Sublette County officials to bring animal cruelty charges against a local man who allegedly captured, tortured and killed a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
Truck Carrying 102,000 Salmon In Oregon Crashes, Dumps Them In Wrong River
A truck carrying 102,000 salmon in Oregon crashed and spilled nearly 80,000 of them into to the wrong river. The other 22,000 fish didn't make it to the waterway and died.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
Why Hasn't One Of Wyoming’s Oldest — And Largest — Mansions Sold?
Laramie’s Holliday House, originally built downtown in 1878 and moved out of town in 1978, features 13 bedrooms, seven baths and 7,000 square feet of space. Most recently it was the home of a socialist LGBTQ commune. The listing price has decreased by nearly $300K but it still hasn't found an owner.
Mark HeinzApril 05, 2024
First Calf Killed By Wolves In Colorado, Wyoming Rancher, Of Course, Not Surprised
A calf in Grand County, Colorado, was apparently killed by wolves this week — the first verified instance of the predators killing cattle in Colorado since wolves were released there in December.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2024
Wyoming Animal Cruelty Laws Don’t Apply To Alleged Wolf Torment Case
Animal cruelty charges can’t be filed in the case of a man allegedly tormenting a wolf in Sublette County, because a “predatory animal” is exempted from Wyoming cruelty statutes.
Mark HeinzApril 04, 2024
Wyoming Game And Fish Director Brian Nesvik To Retire
After announcing his pending September retirement Wednesday, Brian Nesvik received high praise from people he worked with as director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
Mark HeinzApril 03, 2024
Hunters, Biologists Angered Over Alleged Wolf Torture Case
Hunters and biologists on Wednesday said the alleged capture and abuse of a wolf in Sublette County was not only inhumane and wrong but plays right into the hands of anti-hunting groups who will try to use this to further their agenda.
Mark HeinzApril 03, 2024
Wyoming Man Cited For Capturing Live Wolf, Reportedly Showed It Off In Bar Before Killing It
On Feb. 29, a Sublette County man reportedly captured and tormented a wolf in Daniel, Wyoming. He allegedly taped its mouth shut and showed it off in a bar before taking it out back and shooting it. The man has been charged with possession of a live wolf.
Mark HeinzApril 02, 2024
Disease That Has Killed Millions Of Bats Threatens Wyoming Populations
A fungal infection that can wipe out entire bat populations, has popped up near southeast Wyoming in Colorado — and it’s already been detected in eastern and northeastern Wyoming.
Mark HeinzApril 01, 2024
‘Old Snappy’ A Fixture Along Wyoming’s North Platte River For 45 Years
Old Snappy, a common snapping turtle that hangs out along Wyoming’s North Platte River, might be the same turtle that a biologist set free there 45 years ago.
Mark HeinzApril 01, 2024
Tossing Pinecones Into Mouth Of Giant T. Rex A 60-Year UW Tradition
Trying to toss pinecones into the mouth of a life-sized Tyrannosaurus rex sculpture on the University of Wyoming campus has been going on for 60 years and is nearly impossible. The rumor is those who can are guaranteed to get good grades.
Mark HeinzMarch 31, 2024
$30M Wildlife Crossings To Target Wyoming Highway ‘Slaughterhouse’
With a new nuclear power plant coming, truck traffic is going to spike on Highway 189 between I-80 and Kemmerer. That's why locals are pleased a new $30 million wildlife crossing project will be built on a stretch already known as a “slaughterhouse” for antelope and deer.
Mark HeinzMarch 31, 2024
Laramie Not Sad To See Giant "Joe Biden" Head Go
A giant 13.5-foot-tall human head sculpture commonly called the “Joe Biden head” near a busy intersection in Laramie will be removed in May. And locals say it won’t be missed.
Mark HeinzMarch 30, 2024
Wyoming Gun Experts Say Biometric Firearms A ‘Pipe Dream Of The Liberals’
A Colorado company has joined the trend of building “smart guns,” or firearms that can be fired only by authorized users. One Wyoming gun store owner said biometric firearms have been a "pipe dream of the liberals for decades."
Mark HeinzMarch 29, 2024
Got Ticks? Guinea Fowl Could Be Best Way To Get Rid Of Them (Rattlesnakes Too)
A Goshen County couple was alarmed when they found their new property was infested with ticks. But after purchasing a couple dozen guinea fowls to patrol their property, they've been tick-free. Plus, they're also good at killing rattlesnakes.
Mark HeinzMarch 28, 2024
Wyoming Hunters Kill Record 29,000 Elk, But Not Enough To Trim Massive Herds
Hunters killed roughly 29,000 elk in Wyoming, for a record-setting 2023-2024 hunting season. Although that's a huge amount of elk, it only scratches the surface of what's needed to cull the state’s ballooning herds.
Mark HeinzMarch 27, 2024
Wyoming Ticks Are Already Coming Out, Entomologist Bags 53 In Minutes
Think it’s too early in the year to worry about ticks in Wyoming? Think again. An entomologist collected 53 in about 40 minutes Sunday in Laramie County.
Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2024
Feds Want To Put Grizzlies In Washington; Will They Use Wyoming Bears?
After years of speculation over returning grizzlies to Washington’s North Cascades, the federal government has taken the first solid step toward reintroducing bears. Whether Wyoming grizzlies will be captured and transported to Washington’s mountains remains an open question.
Mark HeinzMarch 26, 2024
Mountain Lion Kills California Man, But Attacks In Wyoming Extremely Rare
A mountain lion attack in northern California on Saturday left one man dead and his brother severely maimed, but a Wyoming outfitter said such an attack is extremely unlikely here.
Mark HeinzMarch 25, 2024