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
Wyoming Man Bags 1-Ton Monster Bull Bison In Once-In-A-Lifetime Hunt
A Bondurant man put in for a bison hunting tag for 14 years before drawing one – and after hunting the lumbering beasts in the wild, he dropped a 1-ton trophy-class free-range bull.
Mark HeinzDecember 18, 2023
Star Valley Couple Captures ‘Five Days Of Mountain Lions’ On Video
A couple from in Lincoln County were surprised recently, but not alarmed, when a pair of mountain lions lingered near their driveway for five, feasting on the carcass of a deer that they’d killed. So they setup a videocamera and watched them for nearly a week.
Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2023
Wyoming Arctic Truck Company Builds 6x6 Snow Trucks That Can Drive Anywhere
The Iceland-based Arctic Truck company just opened its first North American shop and located it in Cheyenne. Two 6x6 customized F-350 trucks, which can cost between $250,000 - $450,000 each, recently drove from Cheyenne to the Magnetic North Pole across frozen sea ice and boundless fields of deep snow.
Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2023
Oil, Gas Wells Don’t Bother Antelope In Prime Wyoming Migration Route
Instead of harming antelope along Wyoming’s “Path of the Pronghorn” migration route, oil and gas wells might have spared some from freezing to death during the devastating winter of 2022-2023.
Mark HeinzDecember 17, 2023
Torrington Man's Love Affair With His 1973 Ford Bronco
The obsession started in 1969 when one of Ed Schreiner's relatives drove up in a brand new Ford Bronco. Now Ed Schreiner puts 50,000 miles a year on “Stella Louise," his 1973 Bronco, traveling to places across Wyoming and the West to capture scenic photos of his classic ride.
Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2023
Turning A Semi-Automatic Gun Into A Machine Gun Has Some Serious Drawbacks
Although to some, it may sound like a fun idea, converting semi-automatic firearms to fully automatic is illegal, unsafe and probably not worth the risk of huge fines and prison time, say Wyoming gun enthusiasts.
Mark HeinzDecember 16, 2023
Man Shoots Deer, Makes Dentures From Deer, Then Eats Deer With Dentures
A rugged Canadian woodsman once made himself dentures out of a deer’s teeth — and then ate the deer with its own teeth. A Wyoming dentist said that was ingenious, but not advisable. A Wyoming outdoorsman calls it “badass.”
Mark HeinzDecember 15, 2023
UW Football Superfans Say They Can’t Wait For $85 Million War Memorial Upgrade
The legendary home of University of Wyoming Cowboys football, War Memorial Stadium, is getting an $85 million upgrade that’s likely to boost some game ticket prices, but Pokes superfans say they don’t mind.
Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2023
Wyoming Golden Eagles May Have Been Among 3,600 Birds Slaughtered In Montana
Some of the 3,600 birds allegedly slaughtered by two Montana men during a multi-year killing spree could have been golden eagles from Wyoming. The two men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Montana last week.
Mark HeinzDecember 14, 2023
If A Bear Charges You While Skiing, Go Fast Or Trip Someone, Says Ski Instructor
Video of a bear charging across a Lake Tahoe ski slope on Sunday has a Wyoming ski and snowboard instructor advising a skier’s best options are speed, or putting a slower skier between you and the bear.
Mark HeinzDecember 12, 2023
Wyoming Ranchers Near Border Brace For Colorado To Get Wolves This Month
Some Wyoming and Colorado ranchers aren’t fans of Colorado’s plan to reintroduce gray wolves this month. It will harm big game herds and possibly threaten smaller, endangered Mexican wolves, they say.
Mark HeinzDecember 11, 2023
Wyoming's Grizzly Population Unlikely To Turn Into Inbred Redneck Hillbillies
Despite only receiving a few grizzly bears per decade in Yellowstone, Wyoming's grizzlies are not in danger of turning into inbred redneck hillbillies as the genetic pool is large enough where inbreeding is not yet a concern.
Mark HeinzDecember 10, 2023
Three Deer Running Around Sheridan With Christmas Lights In Their Antlers
Santa may have a bunch of flying reindeer, but the deer in Sheridan have the most holiday spirit – at least those three bucks that have been strutting around town with Christmas lights in their antlers.
Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2023
Wyoming Has About 15 Wolverines, But Good Luck Ever Seeing One
Wyoming wildlife officials estimate Wyoming has about 15 resident wolverines. Like Sasquatch, the tenacious creatures are so rare and elusive, even some biologist and devoted wildlife photographers have never actually seen one.
Mark HeinzDecember 08, 2023
Logging, Shutdown Of Snowmobile Trails In Snowy Range A Go
Logging in the Snowy Range Mountains, which will effectively close about 36 miles of groomed snowmobile trails this winter, is a go for Dec. 15.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2023
After Success Of The Squallet, Meet The RaccSack, A Backpack Made From A Raccoon
A Texas couple with strong Wyoming connections says the Cowboy State has embraced their redneck critter creations. It started with the Squallet, and continues with a raccoon backpack called a RaccSack and full-animal koozies.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2023
Transplanting Montana Grizzlies To Yellowstone Could Speed Up Delisting
Wyoming’s Greater Yellowstone grizzlies and Montana’s Northern Continental Divide grizzlies apparently aren’t co-mingling fast enough, so Montana plans to move some northern bears into the Yellowstone Area.
Mark HeinzDecember 07, 2023
Barrasso Blocks Attempt To Revive 1994 Assault Weapons Ban
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso on Wednesday quickly shut down an attempt by Democrats to revive the 1994 assault weapons ban. “I oppose any policies that jeopardize the Second Amendment," Barrasso said.
Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2023
Elon Musk's Cybertruck May Be Impressive But It's Not Truly Bulletproof
Despite Elon Musk’s claims that is Cybertruck is 'bulletproof,' there's no such thing as truly bulletproof, Wyoming ballistics experts told Cowboy State Daily. One former law enforcement officer said a .308 or a .300 Winchester Magnum would "go right through it."
Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2023
‘Messy Death Zone’ Near Kemmerer To Get $37 Million For Wildlife Crossings
Multiple wildlife crossings will be built on a 30-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 189 between Kemmerer and Evanston, which officials call a "messy death zone" for wildlife collisions. A $37 million federal grant will fund the crossings.
Mark HeinzDecember 06, 2023
Those Giant ‘Deer-Catcher’ Bumpers May Not Be Safer, Say Wyoming Auto Experts
Massive “deer-catcher” bumpers for pickups and SUVs might help lessen the blow of slamming into a Wyoming wild critter, but they can also create a false sense of security, automotive experts say.
Mark HeinzDecember 05, 2023