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.

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Latest from Mark Heinz

After being shot down in the Wyoming Legislature’s 2025 session, a proposal to let Wyoming landowners put their hunting tags up for sale was revived before a legislative committee Friday.

Controversial Proposal To Let Landowners Sell Hunting Tags Revived

After being shot down during the Wyoming Legislature’s 2025 session, a proposal to let Wyoming landowners put their hunting tags up for sale was revived before a legislative committee Friday.

Mark HeinzJune 07, 2025

Despite their declining numbers across Wyoming and the West, mule deer remain wildly popular among wildlife watchers and hunters.

Wyoming’s Golden Age Of Mule Deer Is Gone, With Fewer Than Half Of Peak Numbers

Wyoming has fewer than half of the 500,000 mule deer it did during the heyday of the 1960s to 1980s, and it will likely never see mule deer herds like that again, a Game and Fish official told legislators Friday.

Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025

Lawmakers Ponder What, If Anything, Can Be Done To Regulate Extreme-Range Hunting

Wyoming legislators on Friday discussed what can be done, if anything, to regulate extreme-range hunting. In one much talked-about instance, a hunter in Fremont County shot an antelope from 2,000 yards away.

Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025

Jeremy Shellhorn, from left, Miranda Foster and Pam Murcia install an innovative sign to deter speeding through a grizzly bear corridor in Grand Teton National Park.

‘Sad Bear’ Signs Target Stretch Of Highway Where Grizzlies Keep Getting Hit

Researchers are taking a new route to keep drivers from barreling through Grand Teton grizzly habitat. They're tugging on people's heartstrings by putting up “sad bear” roadside signs, urging them to slow down.

Mark HeinzJune 06, 2025

A group of pronghorn graze near a Wyoming wind farm.

As Minerals, Wind And Solar Projects Boom In Wyoming, Should Companies Pay For Displaced Wildlife?

State Sen. Larry Hicks is proposing a bill that would compensate Wyoming residents for “loss of property” when huge wind, solar, minerals or other energy projects displace wildlife.

Mark HeinzJune 05, 2025

When the first Hogs For Hope motorcycle rally against wolf torture rolled into Daniel on May 26, 2024, locals blocked off the front of the Green River Bar with trailers. Rally organizers had planned to meet on the front porch of the bar and present wolf advocates with a check from donations raised by Hogs For Hope.

Hunter Calls For Counter-Protest During Daniel Rally Against Wolf Torture

An outdoorsman is calling for people to show up in Daniel on June 14 to support Wyoming’s wolf management policies and to counter what he says is the inaccurate demonization of local resident Cody Roberts.

Mark HeinzJune 05, 2025

The antler auction in Jackson has been a tradition each May for 58 years, but this year sales plummeted to about half of normal.

Early Elk Migration Could Be To Blame For Low Sales At Jackson Antler Auction

An early elk migration out of the National Elk Refuge could be to blame for a plunge in revenue from this year’s elk antler auction in Jackson. The annual auction consistently pulls in about $200,000 but this year’s auction generated only $109,000.

Mark HeinzJune 04, 2025

Cows and bison with Devils Tower in distance.

Wyoming Rancher Says His Cows Mysteriously Fell Over Dead, Like Cows On Colorado Ranch

A Crook County rancher said the baffling deaths of 15 Colorado cattle is eerily familiar. He never did figure out what killed more than 40 of his cows years ago. “It killed them instantly, whatever it was. They just dropped,” Clint Snook said.

Mark HeinzJune 03, 2025

Goliath, a 33-year-old, mustang stallion who lived a hardscrabble life on the Wyoming range now enjoys freedom on a 9,000-acre sanctuary in Oregon.

Elderly Wyoming Mustangs Enjoy Life On Oregon Sanctuary They Helped Make Famous

Goliath and Blue Zeus are two huge mustang stallions who lived hardscrabble lives on the Wyoming range and now enjoy freedom and plentiful forage on a 9,000-acre horse sanctuary in Oregon. Goliath is 33-years-old while Blue Zeus is 24.

Mark HeinzJune 03, 2025

Grizzly 1063, aka Bonita, has one cub left, after her other two cubs were killed last month by a large male grizzly.

Hazing Of Grizzly 1063 Led To Cubs Being Killed, Photographer Tom Mangelsen Says

World famous wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen said he believes the National Park Service's "hard hazing" of Grizzly 1063 last month led to two of her cubs being killed and cannibalized by a large male grizzly. The National Park Service disputes that.

Mark HeinzJune 03, 2025

The Higgs family ranch near Coal Creek, Colorado, lost 15 cattle in a single day. The animals, mostly heifers (mother cows) died suddenly after suffering seizures, and nobody can figure out why.

15 Cattle Dropped Dead In One Day On Colorado Ranch Remains A Mystery

A Colorado ranch family suffered a devastating loss when 15 head of cattle died suddenly in a single day. Weeks later, they still haven’t figured out why.

Mark HeinzJune 02, 2025

Ticks may be tiny, but tens of thousands of them at a time can be big trouble for Wyoming moose. The blood-sucking parasites can even mean a miserable death for moose.

As Tough As Moose Are, Tens Of Thousands Of Ticks Can Bring Them Down

Given their massive size and cantankerous attitudes, Wyoming’s moose might seem practically indestructible, but if enough ticks pile on to a moose, they can kill it -- and they do.

Mark HeinzJune 01, 2025

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Spirit is the sole cub born to Grizzly 399 in 2023.

Why It Probably Doesn't Make Any Sense To Keep Searching For Grizzly 399's Cub, Spirit

Since Wyoming’s most famous bear, Grizzly 399, was killed by a car last fall, there hasn't been a verified sighting of her cub, Spirit. Famed wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen, who named the cub, says it would probably take genetic testing to positively identify the bear.

Mark HeinzMay 31, 2025

This young black bear was the first visitor to the Burgess Junction Visitor Center in the Bighorn mountains early Wednesday.

Bear Stops By Burgess Junction Visitor Center, Barely Misses Busload Of Tourists

A young black bear decided to take a stroll right up to the Burgess Junction Visitor Center in the Bighorn mountains early Wednesday. The bear missed a busload of tourists by about 20 minutes.

Mark HeinzMay 31, 2025

One of 10 wolves reintroduced to northern Colorado in December 2023.

Colorado Wolves Caught For Killing Livestock Let Go, Blamed For Killing Cows Again

Colorado’s Copper Creek wolf pack was captured and put in captivity last year for killing livestock. After being released, they’re now blamed for killing cows again.

Mark HeinzMay 30, 2025

Mustangs from the Salt Wells Creek herd are among nearly 3,000 horses in central Wyoming scheduled to be rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management, starting July 15 at the earliest.

BLM Proceeds With Roundup Of Rare Curly-Haired Horses Despite Pending Court Case

Despite a lawsuit challenging the capture of wild mustangs in central Wyoming still pending in federal court, the Bureau of Land Management has decided to proceed with the roundup of nearly 3,000 horses.

Mark HeinzMay 29, 2025

Grizzly bears were unfazed by an earthquake that struck the Hayden Valley area of Yellowstone National Park Monday evening. (Courtesy Wild Love Images/Julie Argyle)

Quake In Yellowstone Spooks Humans, But Bears Don’t Care

A wildlife photographer definitely felt an earthquake in the Hayden Valley area of Yellowstone on Monday evening but the bears she was filming? Couldn't care less.

Mark HeinzMay 29, 2025

Wyoming’s Miracle Mile Is Prized For Trout, But Not So Much The Kokanee Salmon

The Miracle Mile on the North Platte River in central Wyoming is prized as a trout fishery. Spawning kokanee salmon can also be caught there, although they might taste awful if caught during fall spawning runs.

Mark HeinzMay 28, 2025

While some retired and current National Park Service officials claim federal cuts will cause chaos in the parks this summer. Others, including, the person who used to oversee the National Park Service, says it’s hyperbole and the parks will be just fine.

Crisis Or Hyperbole? How National Parks Will Fare This Summer

Some retired and current National Park Service officials claim federal cuts will cause chaos in the parks this summer. Others, including the person who used to oversee the National Park Service, says it’s hyperbole and the parks will be just fine.

Mark HeinzMay 28, 2025

Organizer Jonas Black and other riders in Hogs for Hope roll into Daniel, Wyoming, on May 26, 2024. The rally had planned to stop at the Green River Bar, but it had been blocked by locals with trucks and horse trailers, left.

Motorcycle Rally Against Wolf Torture Plans Return To Daniel, Wyoming

Hogs for Hope, a motorcycle rally in response to the torture and killing of a wolf in Daniel, plans a return to the western Wyoming town June 14. The event organizer says he won’t stop the rallies until Wyoming reforms its wolf management policy.

Mark HeinzMay 26, 2025

Pronghorn use a wildlife underpass near La Barge, Wyoming.

Group Aims To Raise $500 Million To Get Wildlife Crossing Projects Rolling Again

With federal money for wildlife crossings running dry and on hold, the Wildlife Crossing Fund aims to raise $500 million in private donations. The goal is to get wildlife crossing projects rolling again across Wyoming and other states.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2025

Grizzly bears in Montana continue to reclaim their territory to the east, pushing into prairie country.

Grizzly Shot, Killed After Charging Mushroom Pickers Near Montana Prairie Town

Two Montana men shot and killed a grizzly that charged them while they were picking mushrooms late Wednesday near the town of Choteau. That’s in prairie country where grizzlies have recently become more common.

Mark HeinzMay 24, 2025

Outdoorsman Olin Machen said he was about a half mile into the Shoshone National Forest near Cody when a female and grizzly and two cubs walked right up to his Jeep, apparently without a care.

Grizzlies Walk Right Up To Cody Man’s Jeep, Show They Don’t Fear Humans

A man headed to look for black bears near Cody said three grizzlies walked right up to his bright lime-green Jeep. He said it’s more evidence that grizzlies don’t fear humans in that area.

Mark HeinzMay 23, 2025

Though firearms suppressors are used by Wyoming hunters and targets shooters, to protect against hearing loss.

Wyoming Shooters Closer To Being Able To Buy Suppressors Over-The-Counter

Wyomingites might soon be able to buy firearms suppressors over-the-counter. A bill lifting restrictions on them passed the U.S. House on Wednesday.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2025

Fred Eshelman of North Carolina owns Iron Bar Holdings LLC, which owns land in Wyoming.

Wyoming Corner-Crossing Case Would Set National Law If Supreme Court Hears It

Wyoming’s noted “corner-crossing” case could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, it would settle once and for all whether hopping corners between private and public land parcels is legal.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2025

Bryan Englebert, an assistant aquatic manager with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, holds a giant lake trout from Flaming Gorge Reservoir. There is concern that lake trout are devouring too many of the reservoirs prized kokanee salmon.

Flaming Gorge Lake Trout Still Devouring Kokanee Salmon Despite No Limits, Marina Owner Says

A marina owner at Flaming Gorge told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that lake trout are gobbling too many prized kokanee salmon. He said the catch limits on lake trout aren’t enough and should be commercially netted.

Mark HeinzMay 22, 2025

Obsidian is a highly-visible and popular mamma grizzly in Yellowstone National Park. She’s pictured here with three large cubs.

Why So Many Grizzly Bears This Year On Social Media?

Photos of Wyoming grizzlies are blowing up all over social media. While that’s partly because there are more bears, it’s also because there are more people taking pictures of them, wildlife photographers say.

Mark HeinzMay 21, 2025

Three wolf pups are seen playing in this screenshot from video, taken in August 2024 in the Colorado mountains. At one point, the video pans to show two Jack Russel terries that seem alert, but not afraid, as they watch from the cab of a pickup. Now Colorado has four pairs of wolves though to be denning.

With Four New Denning Pairs Of Wolves, Colorado Could Have Wolf Pup Boom

With four pairs of wolves thought to be denning together in Colorado, that state is expecting a wolf pup boom. That could lead to numerous established wolf packs.

Mark HeinzMay 20, 2025

Grizzlies Likely To Be Delisted Once Nesvik Heads FWS, Former Federal Official Says

Former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik needs to take charge of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) before grizzlies can be delisted, says a former high-ranking federal official who oversaw the agency.

Mark HeinzMay 20, 2025

his momma bear was the first grizzly to appear with a new cub in the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park this spring. On Monday, she led her cub across a foot bridge over Soda Butte Creek and then fended off a huge wolf that was trying to devour the cub.

Momma Grizzly Doesn’t Mess Around When Wolf Tries To Snatch Her Tiny Cub

The first grizzly bear to appear this spring with a new cub in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley wasn’t messing around when she fended off a huge wolf trying to snatch her tiny cub.

Mark HeinzMay 19, 2025

Game And Fish Captures, Relocates Grizzly That Killed Cattle Near Cody

Wyoming Game and Fish announced Monday that a male grizzly that was killing cattle has been captured near Cody and relocated. Grizzlies attacking cattle is the most common type of grizzly-human conflict in northwest Wyoming.

Mark HeinzMay 19, 2025

Replacing roughly 24 miles of old woven wire fence with wildlife-friendly fence on a ranch in Sweetwater County has saved countless antelope, deer and elk.

Wyoming Rancher Hopes Fence Will Prevent Another ‘Absolute Carnage’ Of Antelope

It's hoped that upgraded fencing on a family ranch in Sweetwater County will save countless antelope, deer and elk. Old woven-wire fence was choking off wildlife migration routes, which contributed to “absolute carnage” during winter 2022-23.

Mark HeinzMay 19, 2025

Gun ownership is rising among women in Wyoming, who are also increasingly taking tactical shooting classes to learn self-protection.

More Wyoming Women Have Guns — And Are Trained How To Use Them

In Wyoming, and across the country, more women are buying guns and taking courses to learn how to shoot them. Jason Crotteau, who runs the Riverton-based Wyoming Tactical shooters’ training company, says self-protection is the reason why.

Mark HeinzMay 17, 2025

File Photos: Witnesses in Montana claim they saw a National Guard chopper illegally land on private property, and the crew grabbing shed elk antlers. If true, the guardsmen responsible will be punished, a general said.

Montana National Guard Accused Of Illegally Using Black Hawk To Snag Elk Antlers

Witnesses in Montana claim they saw a National Guard chopper illegally land on private property, and the crew grabbing shed elk antlers. If true, the guardsmen responsible will be punished, a general said.

Mark HeinzMay 14, 2025

Demonstrating a suppressor attached to a Traditions 350 Legend.

Bills Lifting Ban On So-Called Silencers, Short-Barreled Rifles Stall In U.S. House

Gun rights advocates say a Congressional committee stalled bills to lift bans on suppressors and short-barreled rifles and shotguns. Wyoming’s delegates say they support the bills.

Mark HeinzMay 14, 2025

Wildlife photographer Jeff Plumb observed and photographed Grizzly 1063 with her three yearling cubs less than a week before two of the cubs were found dead, aparantly victims of a boar grizzly.

Male Bear Kills, Cannibalizes 2 Of Grizzly 1063’s 3 Yearling Cubs In Grand Teton

Fans of a prominent female grizzly in Grand Teton National Park were saddened to learn Wednesday that two of her three yearling cubs were apparently killed and cannibalized by a male bear. While brutal, it’s what male bears do.

Mark HeinzMay 14, 2025

Spring turkey hunting in Wyoming has been excellent this year. The state’s wild turkey population is thriving, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Population Boom Means There Are Tons Of Turkeys For Wyoming Hunters

There’s never been a better time to take up turkey hunting in Wyoming. A population boom means there are tons of wild turkeys around for the spring season.

Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

Short $16M In Federal Money In Limbo, Wildlife Crossing Near Dubois On Hold

Roughly $16 million in federal funding is on hold for a $28 million wildlife crossing along U.S. Highway 26 near Dubois. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department and others are determined to push the project forward anyway.

Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

Snow King Mountain near Jackson has become a hot spot for concerts, drawing big-name artists playing alternative rock, electronic music, country, blues and more.

Wyoming Growing Into A Music Concert Hot Spot — And Not Just For Country

Wyoming is no longer an unknown backwater when it comes to live music. Big name artists such as Wilco, Primus and Luke Grimes are booking shows here for 2025, while other big names to discover Wyoming include Jelly Roll, Ice Cube, Ludcris and T-Pain.

Mark HeinzMay 13, 2025

A visitor to Yellowstone National Park gets up close and personal to a bison to get a selfie with it in May 2023.

Ornery Bison Don't Just Gore People, They Break Bones And Crush Organs

Most bison “goring” attacks involve massive blunt force trauma, not people getting skewered by horns in the torso. An emergency room doctor says people who get too close can suffer broken bones, crushed organs and also can take a horn to the butt.

Mark HeinzMay 12, 2025

Drones have been used to chase wolves away from cattle in Oregon. There’s hope the tactic might work in Wyoming and Colorado.

Latest Tactic To Keep Wolves Away From Livestock: Dive-Bomb Them With Drones

Dive-bombing wolves with drones equipped with lights and speakers have scared them away from cattle in Oregon and a wolf conservation advocate hopes to work with ranchers in Colorado and Wyoming to see if drones have a similar effect here.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2025

Bambi is a 250-pound Nubian goat who lives at the Home On The Range Animal Haven south of Laramie. An old back injury makes difficult for him to walk, so it’s hoped somebody can design a leg brace for him.

Bambi, A Disabled 250-Pound Goat That Lives South Of Laramie, Needs A Leg Brace

Bambi, a 250-pound Nubian goat, struggles to get around because of a back injury he suffered in a fight with a ram. The folks at a farm animal sanctuary near Laramie think he can walk again with a leg brace but crafting one has been difficult. So they're asking the public for help.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2025

It’s hoped that a program called Access Granted can provide hunters more access to prime areas, while also respecting landowners’ rights.

Casper-Based Company Wants To End Feuding Between Hunters, Landowners

Tensions between landowners and hunters seeking access to game herds are nothing new, even leading to national attention for Wyoming’s high-profile “corner-crossing” case. A Casper-based company thinks it’s found the solution.

Mark HeinzMay 09, 2025

A helicopter drops old Christmas trees into Canyon Ferry Lake, a reservoir on the Missouri River near Helena, Montana. The trees provide spawning habitat for yellow perch and shelter for their hatchlings.

Helicopter Drops Christmas Trees Into Popular Montana Lake To Save Yellow Perch

Walleyes were gobbling up too many yellow perch in Montana’s Canyon Ferry Lake. So, state officials started dropping old Christmas trees into water to provide spawning habitat and shelter for perch hatchlings.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2025

Yellowstone Bison Goring The Latest In A Bad Week For Floridians Vs. Wildlife

A Florida man who was gored by a bison in Yellowstone on Wednesday was lucky. Another Floridian was killed by a bear this week, and yet another by an alligator.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2025

Wandering Colorado Wolf Transplanted From Canada Logs 1,230 Miles Around State

Colorado’s reintroduced wolves have been making tracks all over the state, including one female that’s logged more than 1,200 miles. At least two are also known to have ranged into Wyoming.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

A 47-year-old man from Florida was gored when he approached too close to a bison at Yellowstone National Park on Sunday. The National Park Service reported the goring Wednesday, confirming it’s the first of the season after two gorings in 2024.

Florida Man Is First Bison Goring Of The Season At Yellowstone National Park

A 47-year-old man from Florida was gored when he got too close to a bison at Yellowstone National Park on Sunday. The National Park Service reported the goring Wednesday, confirming it’s the first of the season after two gorings in 2024.

Clair McFarland & Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

Grizzly 399 Offspring Hit And Killed By Car In Grand Teton

Grizzly 1058, a male from Grizzly 399’s famed 2020 litter of quadruplets, was confirmed dead on Tuesday, after apparently being hit by a vehicle in Grand Teton National Park.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2025

ATF agent demonstrates firing a Glock pistol with a switch attached to make it full-auto in this video posted by WTHR in Indianapolis, Indiana.

States Move To Ban Glocks Over Worries They Can Be Made Fully Automatic

There’s already a ban on “Glock switches,” devices that can make the semiautomatic handgun fully automatic. Now some states are trying to also ban Glock pistols themselves.

Mark HeinzMay 05, 2025

This adorable little critter photographed Sunday near Baggs is a ringtail. A distant relative of raccoons, ringtails are usually associated with the desert Southwest and are a rare sight in Wyoming.

Ringtail, Rare In Wyoming, Spotted Near Baggs — And Game And Fish Wants It

Ringtails, a distant cousin of raccoons, are a rare sight in Wyoming. A Baggs-area family spotted and photographed one, and Game and Fish hope to trap and release it somewhere safe from dogs.

Mark HeinzMay 05, 2025

9-year-old Mikey Jonnassen of Casper is pictured here with his mom Shantae Smith, stepdad Roy Smith and younger sisters Kinsley and Ella Jonnassen. The family hopes to find a service dog to help Mikey with his medical needs.

After Surviving A Brain Tumor, Casper Boy Can’t Wait To Get A Service Dog

After Mikey Jonnassen was diagnosed with a brain tumor, doctors told his mom that he would spend the rest of his life bedridden. But he wasn’t having any of that. Now he’s walking, talking and looking forward to a service dog.

Mark HeinzMay 04, 2025

Proposal To Change Landowner Hunting Tags Targets ‘Hunting Club’ Market

A proposal to more than double the amount of land needed to qualify for landowner hunting tags would favor Wyomingites over out-of-staters, supporters say.

Mark HeinzMay 02, 2025

A screenshot from video taken at Oxbow Bend along the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park shows an audacious coyote creeping up and biting famous bear Grizzly 610 on her backside – because she was raiding the coyote’s food stash.

Daring Coyote Bites Grizzly 610 On The Butt — Without Getting Torn To Shreds

A coyote wasn’t about to let Grizzly 610, one of Wyoming’s most famous bears, get away with raiding its food along the Snake River on Monday. The coyote boldly snuck up and bit her on the butt — then avoided getting torn to shreds by the annoyed bear.

Mark HeinzMay 02, 2025

Fences can sometimes prove to be fatal barriers for Wyoming’s wildlife.

Mapping Countless Miles Of Fence Could Save Wyoming Wildlife From Gruesome Deaths

Wyoming deer, elk and antelope can suffer gruesome deaths when they get entangled, so mapping out the state's countless miles of fences are can help save wildlife, researchers believe.

Mark HeinzMay 01, 2025

In a screenshot from a video, the popular Grand Teton grizzly named Bruno breaks through while trying to ice fish.

Video Shows Bruno, Sire Of Many Of Grizzly 399’s Cubs, Isn't Great At Ice Fishing

Bruno the grizzly — best known for likely fathering many of Grizzly 399's cubs — recently tried his paws at ice fishing. While Alaska bears feast on fish, biologists say it’s a rare sight for bears in Grand Teton, and video shows Bruno's not great at it.

Mark HeinzMay 01, 2025

A Dozen Antelope Illegally Shot Near Kemmerer, Including Several Left Suffering

In an apparent case of mass wildlife thrill killing, 12 antelope were shot near Kemmerer, including several that were wounded and left to suffer, Wyoming Game and Fish reported.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2025

This video shows one of two wolves that have reportedly been hanging out and attacking ranchers’ cattle in Sierra County, California.

Frustrated Californians Say Protected Wolves Have Them ‘Under Siege’

Frustrated Californians in Sierra County report wolves have them "under siege," attacking cattle and making their way into neighborhoods, including an elk slaughtered on someone's front porch. Wolves are protected in California, so nobody can touch them.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2025

With LaPrele Dam Gone, Douglas-Area Farmers At ‘The Mercy Of Mother Nature’

The aging and crumbling LaPrele Dam near Douglas has been demolished, leaving farmers scrambling for what little irrigation water is left, saying they're now "at the mercy of Mother Nature." A new dam might be built by 2028 and could cost $187 million.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2025

Shooting signs might seem like a redneck cultural tradition, but it costs taxpayers big money, and has gotten some public recreation areas closed to shooting.

Game And Fish Sick Of People Blasting Their Signs With Gunfire

Shooting signs might seem like a redneck cultural tradition, but it costs taxpayers big money. It’s also prompted Wyoming Game and Fish to close some public recreation areas to shooting.

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2025

Montana Anglers Fend Off Charging Grizzly With Gunfire

Two anglers were charged by a grizzly and scared it off by shooting at it in the popular Red Rocks Lakes National Wildlife refuge in southwest Montana. It’s another area where grizzlies are expanding their range.

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2025

A Casper-based startup company, Cabin Maven, offers cabins, R.V. sites and tent-camping sites off the beaten path.

Rustic Airbnb RV And Cabin Rentals Are For Those Not Quite Ready To Rough It

As Wyoming continues to draw outdoors thrill-seekers, one entrepreneur thinks he’s found the ideal niche market. Airbnb-style rentals for people who want to avoid the mobs but aren’t quite ready to rough it.

Mark HeinzApril 26, 2025

Punt guns are essentially waterborne cannons that can slaughter up to 100 waterfowl in a single blast. Their use helped fuel the push toward conservation and regulated hunting.

When Hunters Would Massacre Entire Flocks Of Waterfowl With Giant Punt Guns

Punt guns are essentially waterborne cannons that can slaughter up to 100 waterfowl in a single blast. Because punt guns were so devastating to the bird populations, some states started banning them for hunting as far back as 1860.

Mark HeinzApril 26, 2025

Left, Ashlea Roberts and her dogs Pistol, Recon, and Nitro with a rattlesnake Roberts caught for her dog-training clinic. Right, Jerry Colson and his dog Charlie with one of the family's finds.

Just As Rattlesnake Season Starts In Wyoming, Pet Vaccine Drying Up

A vaccine that helps protect dogs against rattlesnake venom might soon be unavailable, just as rattlesnake season begins in Wyoming.

Mark HeinzApril 25, 2025

Study Says One Wolf Can Cost Ranchers More Than $160,000 In Losses

Wolves in California are costing ranchers millions of dollars far beyond just the price of cattle killed, according to a new study. A Wyoming rancher says the secondary costs of predation are well-known here.

Mark HeinzApril 25, 2025

Kevin Christopherson has used trail cameras to capture numerous images of wildlife on land he owns in the Box Elder Canyon area south of Glenrock.

Proposed Limits On Landowner Hunting Tags Could Cut Out Many Property Owners

Hunters worry that a plan to more than double the amount of land that people need to own to qualify for landowner hunting tags could cut out property owners across Wyoming.

Mark HeinzApril 24, 2025

Anatolian Shepherds are huge livestock guardian dogs fierce enough to chase off grizzlies and wolves. And it turns out that they’re also great at keeping an eye on toddlers.

Local Rancher Not Surprised Anatolian Pyrenees Dog Rescued Lost Arizona Toddler

Montana rancher Lauren Stoddard told Cowboy State Daily that she wasn’t the least bit surprised by the account of an Anatolian Pyrenees rescuing a lost toddler in Arizona this month. “These dogs identify need," Stoddard said.

Mark HeinzApril 24, 2025