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
Screaming Chainsaws And Flying Axes Serenade Crowds At Wyoming Woodchoppers Jamboree
Chainsaws screamed and axes flew during the Woodchoppers Jamboree in Encampment over the weekend as the Cowboy State carries on tradition of timbersports.
Mark HeinzJune 19, 2023
Contrary To What BLM Reports, Horse Advocates Say Winterkill Hit Wyoming Mustangs Hard
The BLM’s estimates of a thriving Wyoming’s mustang population are off, some wild horse advocates say, and that winterkill hit mustangs hard in some areas.
Mark HeinzJune 16, 2023
More Grizzlies Mistaken For Black Bears Killed In Wyoming, Idaho and Montana
Grizzly bears have been killed by black bear hunters recently in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, again raising the question of proper bear identification.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2023
Woman Says Criticism Of Photographer Who Got Out Of Truck During “Bear Jam” Is Unfair
Controversy that erupted over a photo of Teton Park’s Grizzly 610 near a Jackson man’s truck was based on false impressions, according to another photographer who said she was there during the same “bear jam”.
Mark HeinzJune 15, 2023
Eastern Wyoming Has Too Many Elk, And Hunters Can’t Kill Them Fast Enough
A Wyoming rancher says the state Game and Fish Department needs to do more to get an overabundance of elk off of his property — a problem shared by many Cowboy State ranchers.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2023
Winterkill Wiped Out Deer & Antelope Herds, But Wild Horse Population Is Exploding
There are more than twice as many mustangs in Wyoming as there should be, according to the Bureau of Land Management, and the past harsh winter that decimated some antelope and deer herds didn’t do much to reduce their numbers.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2023
Game And Fish, Police Catch Mountain Lion In Laramie Backyard
A Laramie man said the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and local law enforcement teamed up to catch a mountain lion in his neighbor’s back yard at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mark HeinzJune 14, 2023
Photographer Says It Was OK For Him To Leave Truck With Grizzly Present Because He’s Experienced
An outdoors photographer was heavily criticized for leaving his truck while a grizzly was present in Yellowstone. He defended himself saying that he knew the bear and didn't take any unnecessary risks.
Mark HeinzJune 13, 2023
Wyoming Range Winterkill Far Worse Than Thought: 80% Of Adult Deer & Nearly All Fawns Dead
Winterkill losses in the famed Wyoming Range mule deer herd might be far worse than thought with as many as 80% of adult deer and nearly all the fawns dead.
Mark HeinzJune 13, 2023
It’s A Real Long Shot, But Wyoming Grizzlies Could Someday Reclaim Nebraska
If Wyoming grizzly bears were ever to reclaim their historical range in Nebraska, they’d have to get there on their own, and then count on locals to tolerate them, a wildlife biologist says.
Mark HeinzJune 13, 2023
Grizzlies Used To Roam The Plains; No Plans To Reintroduce Them, However
Though regarded as the lords of the mountains, grizzlies once roamed the plains. Unlike other animals which have been chosen for reintroduction, however, no plains states have petitioned for grizzly to be reintroduced.
Mark HeinzJune 12, 2023
Third Video Of Man Running After Bear Posted; This Time Bear Goes After Him
A third video of the same unidentified man harassing bears, allegedly in Yellowstone, has shown up on Instagram. But this time, the bear stood its ground and went back after him.
Mark HeinzJune 12, 2023
Yes, Cows Are More Dangerous Than Bears & Sharks Combined But 30-Cow 'Cow Attack' Is An Outlier
Although cows are typically docile animals, cows kill roughly 20 people each year in the United States — more than bears and sharks combined. But the recent 30-cow 'cow-attack' which left a Colorado woman hospitalized is extraordinary, say Wyoming ranchers.
Mark HeinzJune 12, 2023
Wyoming Rancher Says Stop Blaming Agriculture For Colorado River Crisis
America is losing so many farmers it could face a looming food supply crisis, and blaming agriculture for Colorado River shortages isn’t helping, Wyoming rancher Pat O’Toole says.
Mark HeinzJune 09, 2023
Clinton's Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt Says Colorado River Compact A Raw Deal For Wyoming, Other States
Though Bruce Babbitt wasn’t popular in Wyoming during his tenure as the U.S. Secretary of Interior under President Clinton, he acknowledged that Upper Basin States, which includes Wyoming, got a raw deal through the 1922 Colorado River Compact.
Mark HeinzJune 09, 2023
Water Scientist: It Will Take 21 Years of Massive Runoffs & Wet Springs Like This One To Fix Colorado River Crisis
A natural resources scientist said although this wet spring has been a blessing for the parched Colorado River, it would take 21 more like it to fully restore the watershed.
Mark HeinzJune 09, 2023
Wyoming Can’t Take Blame For Colorado River Shortages, Expert Says
Wyoming and other upper basin states shouldn’t be left holding the bag as demand for water from the Colorado river continues to outpace supply, says a water scientist.
Mark HeinzJune 08, 2023
Yellowstone Officials Still Looking For Man Who Chased And Harassed Bears
Officials are continuing the search for a man who was caught on video chasing and harassing bears while reportedly in Yellowstone National Park.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2023
Wyoming’s ‘Miracle Mile,’ Other Sections Of North Platte Living Up To World-Class Fishing Rep
While Wyoming’s smaller creeks and streams might still be overflowing and dirty from a huge runoff, fishing along the North Platte River in central Wyoming is fantastic, an expert angler says.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2023
Yellowstone East Gate Road Blocked As Wyoming Landslide Season Kicks Off
Just as snow season releases its grip from Wyoming highways, here comes landslide season. As usual, the trouble spots are near Yellowstone’s East Gate and in Wind River Canyon.
Mark HeinzJune 07, 2023
Fighting Western Wildfires From The Air Could Massacre Fish In High-Population States
Some are claiming air-dropped wildfire retardant has been ineffective and deadly to fish in California and the Northwest, but when used sparingly in Wyoming, it’s helped save cabins and other structures from fires.
Mark HeinzJune 06, 2023