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
Rescue On Yellowstone Lake: Hot Pink Kayak, Life Vest Likely Saved Man's Life
If It hadn’t been for a hot pink kayak, a Yellowstone Lake tour boat captain might not have spotted a couple in peril about a mile from shore. Had the man in the kayak not been wearing a life vest, he could have died.
Mark HeinzJuly 24, 2023
Wyoming, Montana Grizzlies Range Expanding, Close to Intermingling
After a long separation, Wyoming’s Greater Yellowstone grizzlies and Montana’s Northern Continental Divide bruin population are on the cusp of joining up and intermingling – something bear advocates say is necessary before grizzlies can be delisted.
Mark HeinzJuly 23, 2023
Will ‘Buckchucks’ — Nunchucks Made From Deer Legs — Be The Next Martial Arts Weapon Of Choice?
Although 'buckchucks -- nunchucks made from deer legs -- might look like a great western-themed weapon, a Wyoming martial artist said the user would probably just injure themselves.
Mark HeinzJuly 23, 2023
With Scant ‘Light Pollution’, Wyoming Is A Stargazing Camper’s Paradise
Wyoming is like no place else when it comes to remote camping spots — free of light pollution and ideal for night sky photography, says avid stargazer Chris Mickey of Cheyenne.
Mark HeinzJuly 22, 2023
Supreme Court Ruling Means If Your Pet Gets Caught And Killed In A Trap, It's Your Fault
The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled there is no legal recourse for a pet owner if their pet gets stuck or killed in a trap. It's the responsibility of the owner, not the person who set the trap.
Mark HeinzJuly 21, 2023
Why Not Use Flame-Throwing Drones To Clean Up Debris On Wyoming Powerlines?
Some states are using drones equipped with a flamethrower to burn debris off power lines. This strategy isn't employed in the Cowboy State yet, but a Wyoming substation electrician says it would work well.
Mark HeinzJuly 21, 2023
Officials Fear Massive Wyoming Spring Growth Could Become Massive Wildfire Season
While Canada is roasting and large wildfires have broken out in other states, Wyoming’s fire outlook looks good — for now.
Mark HeinzJuly 20, 2023
Now Grizzlies Are Starting To Move Back To The Prairies Of Montana
Grizzlies were once the masters of the great plains before they migrated to the mountains. In Montana, they’re starting to move back to the plains.
Mark HeinzJuly 19, 2023
Wyoming World Record Shooter Says Design, Not Wind, Should Be Main Focus For $10M Complex
Wind might be a factor in where to locate a new Wyoming Shooting Complex, but designing it for modern shooting sports could be more important, says a member of Wyoming’s world-record distance shooting team.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2023
Bison Goring Season In Full Swing: Two Attacks In Two States In Three Days
It’s the rut — or mating season — for bull bison, which also means it’s goring season for those unlucky enough to be within charging distance. A North Dakota woman is in critical and "worsening" condition after a goring on Saturday.
Mark HeinzJuly 18, 2023
ATV Trails Could Boost Wyoming Economy, But Also Trespassing And Traffic
An interconnected off-road-vehicle trail network could pull abundant tourist traffic into Southwest Wyoming, but some worry about trespassing and overcrowded county roads.
Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2023
Woman Suffers 'Significant Injuries' In First Yellowstone Bison Goring Of The Year
A bison gored and seriously injured a 47-year-old Arizona woman in Yellowstone National Park on Monday morning, causing “significant injuries to her chest and abdomen,” the National Park Service reports.
Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2023
How Wyoming's Wind Will Impact Location Of New Multimillion-Dollar Shooting Complex
One huge factor that might play into communities lobbying to become home for a proposed multimillion-dollar shooting complex is Wyoming’s notorious wind.
Mark HeinzJuly 17, 2023
Wyoming Communities Will Get Their Shot At $10 Million Shooting Complex
Communities across Wyoming will soon get their chance to vie to become home to a proposed $10 million shooting complex that state officials say will be world class.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2023
Road Sign Showing Cow Plummeting Off Cliff Was Made After Event Actually Happened
The viral meme of a “watch for falling cows” road sign may seem fake, but it’s not. It really happened in Washington, where a cow fell 200 feet off a roadside cliff and smashed a minivan.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2023
Where Did All Of Wyoming’s Squaretop Mountain Antelope Go?
A Sublette County landowner says his property near Squaretop Mountain is usually a summer camp for southwest Wyoming antelope. This year he’s seen only one.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2023
Six-Year-Old Becomes Youngest Girl To Climb Devils Tower
A 6-year-old Massachusetts girl became the youngest female on record to climb Wyoming’s Devils Tower on July 8, when she scaled the tower with her parents and nine-year-old brother.
Mark HeinzJuly 14, 2023
‘Postcard From Satan’ Slams Corner-Crossing Rancher, Who Wants To Stall Judge’s Decision
A “postcard from Satan” and other attacks have prompted the landowner in Wyoming’s “corner-crossing” case, to ask a judge to stall a decision against him, claiming he's in danger because of the hatred stirred up by the case.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2023
Black Bear That Severely Injured Colorado Sheep Herder Tracked And Killed
A back bear attacked and severely injured a sheep herder near Durango, Colorado, early Tuesday, biting his head and clawing other parts of his body. Wildlife officials later tracked the bear and killed it.
Mark HeinzJuly 13, 2023
Wyoming Hunter, Rancher Don’t Want Game And Fish To Curb Elk Feeding Program
A proposal to revise the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s elk management to include less winter feeding has some worried. But agency says it could curb disease transmission.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2023
For the First Time Since 1800s, Grizzly Spotted In Montana Pryor Mountains Near Wyoming
A grizzly bear sighting was confirmed in Montana’s Pryor Mountains, where the bruins haven’t been seen since the 1800s. The Pryor range extends into Wyoming and is adjacent to the Bighorn Mountains – where there have also long been rumors of grizzlies.
Mark HeinzJuly 12, 2023