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
Even With $2,000 Elk Tags, Hunters Still Want To Hunt In Wyoming
With price hikes that have some nonresident elk tags nearing the $2,000 mark, sticker shock might be keeping some hunters away, but Wyoming still retains a strong pull for hunters all over the country.
Mark HeinzFebruary 10, 2024
Are Wyoming Chainsaw Users Ready To Go Electric?
Until recently, electric chainsaws were little more than glorified garden tools. But technology is getting to the point where they’re nearly ready for the big leagues, say some Wyoming chainsaw dealers.
Mark HeinzFebruary 09, 2024
Massachusetts Senator’s ‘Paramilitary Bill’ Could Shut Down Wyoming Shooting Sports
Wyomingites wanting to just grab a couple of friends and go target shooting could be breaking the law if a federal bill introduced by a Massachusetts senator passes. The act could be used to ban any gun-related activity, a Cody firearms instructor said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 09, 2024
Holy Cow! Moose Gallops Down Ski Slope At Jackson Hole Ski Resort In Wyoming
It was a wild day on the ski slopes at the Jackson Hole Ski Resort in Wyoming as a moose joined dozens of skiers down one of the runs. A skier who took video of the galloping moose can be heard warning others to “go faster” to avoid getting trampled.
Mark HeinzFebruary 08, 2024
Could An Old Nuclear Rocket Turn Up In Wyoming? It Happened in Washington.
A military-grade, nuclear-capable rocket was found in a garage in Bellevue, Washington, last week. Former military officials and weapons collectors say it could easily happen in Wyoming too.
Mark HeinzFebruary 07, 2024
Don't Let Your Guard Down — Some Restless Wyoming Bears Come Out In Winter
People may think they're safe from bear encounters in Wyoming during winter, but officials say don't let your guard down. Some reports of restless bears have put them on the ski slopes in Jackson and near Yellowstone.
Mark HeinzFebruary 05, 2024
Rancher ‘Not Surprised’ Colorado Wolves Already Near Wyoming State Line
Colorado’s new wolves have covered a lot of ground in about a month, including some forays near the Wyoming state line. Meanwhile, a coalition of ranchers, hunters and others are suing to have any further wolf releases delayed.
Mark HeinzFebruary 05, 2024
After Wyoming Couple Gets Video Of Bigfoot In Colorado, He Pops Up In Utah
Video supposedly showing a Sasquatch tearing across a snowy slope in the Utah mountains on Wednesday seems authentic to a Cheyenne couple who captured video of their own Bigfoot encounter in Colorado.
Mark HeinzFebruary 03, 2024
Companies Pay To Have Grizzly Bears Rip Products Apart In West Yellowstone
At the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone, bears are turned loose on garbage cans, coolers and other containers to see if these products can get certified as "bear resistant."
Mark HeinzFebruary 02, 2024
Wolverines Are Super Rare In Wyoming, But Now Colorado Wants Them Too
Wyoming might have about only 15 wolverines, and now Colorado is considering reintroducing the fearsome critters, even as Montana is suing to have them delisted from threatened species protection.
Mark HeinzFebruary 02, 2024
Wild Mustangs Bully Wyoming Deer And Antelope Still Reeling From Winterkill
Wyoming’s mustangs could be a huge roadblock for the recovery of big game herds devastated by winterkill, and the Bureau of Land Management needs to remove more of them, an avid hunter and retired wildlife biologist said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 01, 2024
For Wyoming’s Gen Z Hunters, The Future Is Technology-Driven Tradition
Like everything else in Wyoming, hunting has been impacted by technology, and one young Cheyenne hunter is asking others to consider the boundaries of tradition that are being pushed by technology.
Mark HeinzFebruary 01, 2024
Legislator Will Try To Eliminate "Ludicrous" Gun Free Zones In Wyoming
Calling it "absolutely ludicrous" that Wyoming has gun-free zones, Wheatland Rep. Jeremy Haroldson will introduce legislation to eliminate them. His bill will also allow teachers to pack heat in schools.
Mark HeinzJanuary 31, 2024
Shooting Coyotes From The Air Could Save Wyoming’s Premier Mule Deer Herd
Game and Fish has approved another $200,000 for aerial gunning of coyotes to help save the Wyoming Range mule deer herd – which is still reeling from the devastating winter of 2022-2023.
Mark HeinzJanuary 31, 2024
Wyoming’s Second-Deadliest Highway For Deer Gets Wildlife Crossing
A section of Interstate 25 between Kaycee and Buffalo is known as Wyoming's second-deadliest stretch of highway for mule deer, but $4.4 million and 36 miles of fencing are expected to eliminate hundreds of deer-vehicle collisions a year.
Mark HeinzJanuary 30, 2024
Wild Mustang Advocates Outraged After Popular Mare Dies In BLM Corral
Advocates for Wyoming’s wild mustangs say the BLM’s methods of managing the population of herds are cruel and led to the death of a popular mare called Kat Ballou.
Mark HeinzJanuary 30, 2024
Wyoming Elk Hunter Has Rare, Weird Standoff With Belligerent Coyote
A Riverton man had a rare and bizarre standoff with a coyote while elk hunting over the weekend. The wily critter barked belligerently and kept getting closer – but finally backed off before the hunter decided to open fire.
Mark HeinzJanuary 29, 2024
Fishhook Injuries In North Platte River Could Reopen Barbed Vs. Barbless Debate
Wyoming Game and Fish officials are concerned about fishhooks severely disfiguring trout along Wyoming’s prized stretch of the North Platte River. It's reopening the debate over barbed vs barbless fish hooks.
Mark HeinzJanuary 27, 2024
Raised From Kids, Wyoming Outfitter's Pack Goats ‘Are Like Puppy Dogs’
Pack goats can be a godsend for hunters and other backcountry enthusiasts. They’re hardy and friendly, and if you raise them from kids, they “are like puppy dogs,” says a Kemmerer-area pack goat outfitter.
Mark HeinzJanuary 27, 2024
Most Charges Dropped Against Wyoming Man Who Illegally Kept Wildlife Parts
A Powell man initially faced prison time over illegal possession of wildlife parts was given a much lighter sentence after 15 of 18 charges were dropped in a plea agreement. He was fined just over $2,000 and will serve a year of unsupervised probation.
Mark HeinzJanuary 26, 2024
Yellowstone Has Fewer Elk, So Wolves Form Bigger Packs To Hunt Bison
There are fewer elk and more bison in Yellowstone National Park, so wolves are changing their diet accordingly and going after bison, often forming larger packs to bring them down.
Mark HeinzJanuary 26, 2024