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’s Rangelands Could Become A Lightning-Fueled Tinderbox This Fire Season, Firefighters Say
Just how bad the fire season could get across Wyoming’s vast rangelands this summer and fall isn’t clear. It all depends on the volatile mix of dry grass and lightning, say state wildfire experts.
Mark HeinzMay 24, 2023
Wyoming Gun Owners Not Covered By Injunction Halting Pistol Brace Restrictions
An injunction in Texas on the restriction of pistol braces for certain AR-15s and other popular firearms doesn’t cover Wyoming gun owners.
Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023
Colorado River Deal Helps — For Now — But Anything Past 2026 Still Uncertain
A deal struck between California, Arizona and Nevada to trim their use of Colorado River water over the next three years is a good “short-term” move, but longer-term solutions may remain evasive.
Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023
Grizzly 399’s Cub Not Likely To Get A Number Like Its Famous Mom; Public Undecided On A Name
Only bears collared for research get numbers, which means Grizzly 399’s cub may not be assigned a number like its mother. That will leave naming the cub up to the public, which still seems undecided.
Mark HeinzMay 23, 2023
With Raging Wildfires Already Occurring In Canada, Is Wyoming Heading For Monster Fire Season?
Despite an early start to the wildfire season in Canada, Wyoming may be spared from a bad fire season due to shifts to an El Niño weather pattern
Mark HeinzMay 22, 2023
Facing Off Against Wyoming’s Dreaded ‘Robo Bear’ Is Trickier Than You Might Think
Cowboy State Daily outdoors reporter Mark Heinz and columnist Bill Sniffin survived grizzly attacks this weekend — sort of. They faced off against Wyoming’s dreaded robotic grizzly bear.
Mark HeinzMay 22, 2023
Wyoming’s Wild Mustangs Live Quietly On Open Range, Oblivious To Raging Controversy Over Their Existence
U.S. Highway 287 near Jeffrey City is pure Wyoming: isolated, with only sparse traffic and vast vistas stretching impossibly far on either side. On a sunny day last week, that quiet was interrupted by an unmistakable sound: The thunder of hooves.
Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023
Riverton Bladesmith Ed Fowler Crafts Custom Made Knives That Are Among The Best In The World
Riverton bladesmith Ed Fowler is a world class knife-maker. His custom-made knives, made from raw steel, sell for more than $2,000 each. Next month, he's taking 14 of his creations to the nation's largest and most prestigious knife show in Atlanta.
Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023
After Wyoming Says No To Giving Wolves To Colorado, Montana And Idaho May Also Refuse
Colorado still needs wolves for its planned reintroduction program, and after having getting a solid “no” from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, it’s not looking like Montana or Idaho will provide any of their wolves either.
Mark HeinzMay 21, 2023
‘Rowdy,’ ‘Miracle' and 'Tuxedo’: Internet Abuzz With Picks To Name Teton Park's Grizzly 399's Newest Cub
“Rowdy,” “Miracle," "Tuxedo" and "Pearl" are just some of the suggested names for Grizzly 399’s new cub.
Mark HeinzMay 19, 2023
Bear Expert Believes Grizzly 399 Should Live Long Enough To Raise Her New Cub
At age 27, Grizzly 399 might be the oldest grizzly momma on record, and one bear expert is confident that she’ll live at least two more years, long enough to raise her new cub to independence.
Mark HeinzMay 18, 2023
Casper Mountaineer Abandons Everest Conquest Due To Mob Scene On Mountain, Many Deaths
Mount Everest was such a mob scene, and so many people had died already that Wyoming mountaineer Dr. Joe McGinley of Casper told Cowboy State Daily he decided to turn back a few thousand feet from the summit.
Mark HeinzMay 17, 2023
Grizzly 399 Lives! And She's Got A New Cub!
The world's most famous bear, Grizzly 399, emerged from hibernation Tuesday with one cub. At age 27, she’s now the oldest grizzly mama on record.
Mark HeinzMay 17, 2023
Wyoming’s Wolves Have Thrived Above Expectations For More Than Two Decades
Wyoming has maintained a wolf population above federal expectations for more than two decades, according to a recent report from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and other wildlife agencies.
Mark HeinzMay 16, 2023
‘Mistaken Identity’ Grizzly Killings By Black Bear Hunters Likely To Continue, Experts Say
A male grizzly that was allegedly shot between Yellowstone Park and Cody because a hunter mistook it for a black bear was the third such grizzly to be killed there in the last decade. It’s a problem that’s likely to persist, local bear experts say.
Mark HeinzMay 16, 2023
Wyoming Landscape A Big Game Graveyard In Places Where ‘All You Can Smell Is Death’
The vast stretches of big game winter range in the shadow of the Wyoming Range mountains near La Barge have become a graveyard for thousands of animals that died over the winter. Although in places locals say "all you can smell is death," the land is showing signs of renewal.
Mark HeinzMay 15, 2023
Wapiti Man Admits Shooting Grizzly Near Cody, Wyoming, Says He Thought It Was A Black Bear
A Wapiti man turned himself in the day after he shot a grizzly bear about 30 yards off the North Fork Highway near Cody. He said he thought it was a black bear, but realized it was a grizzly when examining the carcass up close.
Clair McFarland & Mark HeinzMay 15, 2023
Massive Wyoming Snowpack Could Hold Colorado River Crisis ‘Maybe For A Few Months’
Record-breaking snowpacks in Wyoming’s high country won’t be enough to break a “mega-drought” in the Colorado River Basin or make Wyoming’s fight for its share of water rights any less complicated, water experts say.
Mark HeinzMay 14, 2023
Mountain Lion In Colorado Chicken Coop Attacks Girl, Killed By Wildlife Agents
Colorado wildlife agents killed a young female mountain lion after it attacked a girl in a chicken coop near Buena Vista Wednesday. While there have been several mountain lion sightings recently in Wyoming communities, there haven’t been any attacks on people.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023
Wyoming’s Grizzly 399 Still A No-Show; Insiders Say She’ll Emerge ‘When She Is Ready’
Famed wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen told Cowboy State Daily that when grizzly 610 and her cubs appear, Grizzly 399 generally isn’t far behind, although he is a bit concerned about the elder bear.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023
Officials Warn People Who Ignore ‘Do Not Enter’ Grizzly Study Area Signs Can Become Dinner For Bears
People who see bright yellow signs in northwest Wyoming warning “do not enter” because of grizzly trapping need to take them seriously, wildlife officials said Friday. A man was killed by such a grouchy tranquilized grizzly near Yellowstone Park in 2010.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023