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
Teton County Citizens Outraged Over Truck Hitting Grizzly 610, Want Speed Limits Reduced Now
Teton County residents are fed up with people speeding and hitting wildlife along a stretch of U.S. Highway 89 that goes through Grand Teton National Park. The truck that hit Grizzly 610 on Monday is the last straw, they say.
Mark HeinzOctober 12, 2023
Cheyenne Couple Reportedly Spots Bigfoot From Train, Media Goes Bonkers
A Cheyenne couple says they spotted Bigfoot while on a train ride in Colorado over the weekend. The video, of course, has gone viral and the media has gone bonkers over it.
Mark HeinzOctober 11, 2023
Cheyenne Couple Reportedly Spots Bigfoot From Train, Media Goes Bonkers
A Cheyenne couple says they spotted Bigfoot while on a train ride in Colorado over the weekend. The video, of course, has gone viral and the media has gone bonkers over it.
Mark HeinzOctober 11, 2023
Politics Drove Trump, Biden To Reject Compromise BLM Rock Springs Plan
Presidential politics largely determined the direction of the Bureau of Land Management’s controversial Rock Springs Resource Management Plan, with both Biden and Trump rejecting a balanced proposal, says former BLM engineer.
Mark HeinzOctober 10, 2023
Wyoming’s Beloved Grizzly 610 Struck By Semi; Languished By Road For Hours
Wyoming’s beloved Grizzly 610, a grown offspring of the famous Grizzly 399, was struck by a vehicle Monday afternoon and languished by the side of the road for hours with her three cubs. Rangers are hopeful that she’ll make a full recovery.
Mark HeinzOctober 10, 2023
Hunter Says Don't Listen To The Critics: "Prairie Dogs Are Good To Eat!"
Responding to a Cowboy State Daily article where outdoorsmen disparaged the thought of eating prairie dogs, one hunter says they're actually good to eat, especially with an Italian marinade. But he did caution to watch out for the plague.
Mark HeinzOctober 09, 2023
Fall In Wyoming Is For Hunting — And Cutting Firewood
Hunting tends to dominate thoughts and conversations during Wyoming autumns, but it’s also a fantastic time to go into the mountains and cut firewood.
Mark HeinzOctober 07, 2023
Legislators Worry AI Or ‘Communist China’ Could Comment On BLM Management Plan
Some Wyoming legislators expressed concern Friday that comments generated by Artificial Intelligence bots or "Communist China" could influence the BLM's Rock Springs Resource Management Plan.
Mark HeinzOctober 07, 2023
Fatal Grizzly Mauling In Canada Rekindles ‘Guns Vs. Bear Spray’ Debate
A gun was not a legal option for two adventurers in Canada, who were mauled to death by a grizzly last week, because the country doesn’t allow civilians to have firearms in its national parks. An empty can of bear spray was found at the scene.
Mark HeinzOctober 06, 2023
Hunting Wyoming: Winterkill Hit Carbon County’s Trophy Herds Hard
Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting in all 23 counties in Wyoming. For Carbon County, Mark says it has a reputation as a paradise for getting elk, deer and antelope, but devastating winterkill left pickings slim this year.
Mark HeinzOctober 06, 2023
Yellowstone Bears Fattening Up For Winter Have 3-Hour Fight Over Food
At this time of year, bears get very territorial over food sources as they are preparing for hibernation. Earlier this week, three grizzlies in Yellowstone got into a three-hour food fight of sorts, as they battled over a the carcass of a bull elk.
Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2023
Yellowstone Wolves Not The ‘Angels’ Or ‘Demons’ They’re Made Out To Be
The impact of reintroducing wolves to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has become a debate among wildlife biologists. Some say they’ve restored predator-prey balance and others that they tear through other animals like an environmental wrecking ball.
Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2023
Hunting Wyoming: Laramie County Thick With Antelope, Small Game
Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting in all 23 counties in Wyoming. For Laramie County, Mark says it’s a hotspot for antelope and some small game, but elk and deer might be hard to come by.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2023
Two Grizzlies Outside Of Yellowstone In Idaho Gunned Down By Hunters
More regional encounters between grizzlies and hunters ended badly for bears with two more shot and killed by archery hunters in Idaho outside of Yellowstone. Both cases were cleared as justified self-defense.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2023
Welcome To Wyoming: Gale-Force Winds, 50-Vehicle Pileup Greet New WHP Commander
Despite winter storm winds that rival hurricanes, there’s much to love about Wyoming, especially its people, said Col. Tim Cameron, who took over the Wyoming Highway Patrol in January.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2023
After Mauling Deaths In Canada, Bear Experts Warn Against Taking Dogs Into Grizzly Country
The mauling deaths of a couple and their dog by a grizzly in Canada last week have bear experts warning about the dangers of taking dogs into grizzly country. Unless dogs are specifically trained to deal with bears, it's best to leave them at home.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2023
Hunting Wyoming: Albany County Waits For Cooler Temps To Heat Up Hunting
Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting in all 23 counties in Wyoming. For Albany County, Mark says its great territory for all three big game species — elk, deer and pronghorn. But it takes cooler temperatures to push game out of the high country.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2023
Hunting Wyoming: Fremont County Great For Elk, If You’re Willing To Work For It
Outdoors writer Mark Heinz is doing a series on hunting in all 23 counties in Wyoming. For Fremont County, Mark says up in the Wind River Mountains and other high country in Fremont County, elk are thriving but it takes a lot of work to get there.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2023
Bad Year For Montana Grizzly Bears Continues As Yet Another Is Shot
In what is turning out to be a wild year for grizzlies in Montana, yet another bear has been shot and killed by a hunter, apparently in self-defense.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2023
Government Shutdown Could Force Closures Of Yellowstone, Teton Parks
With a federal government shutdown looming, Yellowstone and Teton national parks could be all but shuttered starting Monday, but there are also work-arounds, a retired high-ranking Interior Department official said.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2023
Three-Way Wyoming Bull Moose Standoff A Warm-Up To Full Mating Season
Three bull moose having a shoving match in the Snowy Range Mountains earlier this month signaled the onset of the rut, or mating season. The clashes are likely to get much more violent as the rut goes on.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2023