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
Allowing Hunters To Shoot Bighorn Ewes Could Save Jackson Herd From Population Crash
Opening up Wyoming’s second-ever hunting season for bighorn sheep ewes might save the Jackson sheep herd from another population crash, Game and Fish says.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023
Wild Horse Advocates Sue BLM, Claim Red Desert Mustang Roundups Cruel, Costly To Taxpayers
Mustang roundups in Wyoming’s Red Desert are cruel, unnecessary and costly to taxpayers, horse advocates who are suing the Bureau of Land Management claim.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023
Wild Horse Advocates Sue BLM, Claim Red Desert Mustang Roundups Cruel, Costly To Taxpayers
Mustang roundups in Wyoming’s Red Desert are cruel, unnecessary and costly to taxpayers, horse advocates who are suing the Bureau of Land Management claim.
Mark HeinzMay 12, 2023
Wyoming Bear Hunter Who Accidentally Killed Grizzly Fined $10,000
A judge ordered a Cody hunter to pay $10,000 in restitution to Game and Fish for mistakenly instructing his teenage son to shoot a grizzly bear during a black bear hunt last spring.
Mark HeinzMay 11, 2023
1,500 Big Game Carcasses At Sublette County Landfill Could Be Just The Beginning Of Gruesome Winterkill Tally
The La Barge-Big Piney area is just one region of Wyoming that is finally seeing the full scope of this year’s big game winterkill. Roughly 1,500 carcasses were recently taken to the Sublette County landfill, and there's still many more to come
Mark HeinzMay 10, 2023
Wyoming Sheep Rancher Says Coyotes Guard His Flock, As Does Eagle-Stomping Ewe
A Riverton, Wyoming, sheep rancher said he stopped randomly shooting coyotes after some of them became “guard coyotes” for his sheep herd, which included an eagle-stomping ewe.
Mark HeinzMay 10, 2023
Wyoming Police Chief Sets Up Trail Cam To Catch Mountain Lion, Pulls Prank Instead
The Evansville police chief set up a trail camera in hopes of catching a glimpse of mountain lion he suspected was creeping round his town. Instead, he captured images of a lot of other critters, as well as a practical joke.
Mark HeinzMay 09, 2023
Wyoming's Zombie Lake Back From The Dead As Game And Fish Restocks Popular Saratoga Reservoir
After killing all the fish in Saratoga Lake last fall to rid it of invasive yellow perch, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is re-stocking the popular lake.
Mark HeinzMay 09, 2023
New Highway Underpasses Near La Barge Could Save Hundreds Of Wyoming Deer From Becoming Roadkill
The deadliest stretch of highway for Wyoming Range mule deer is between La Barge and Big Piney. It's hoped future wildlife underpasses that will be built there will cut down on the carnage.
Mark HeinzMay 08, 2023
Wyoming Hunters Say Don’t Punish Predators For Huge Big Game Winterkill
In the wake of a brutal winter killing tens of thousands of Wyoming big game animals, many hunters are saying they don’t want predators targeted too aggressively.
Mark HeinzMay 08, 2023
Wyoming’s Fossil Cabin — "World’s Oldest Building" — Could Be Moved This Summer
After years of languishing in a remote spot along Wyoming Highway 30 between Rock River and Medicine Bow, the famed Wyoming Fossil Cabin might finally make it to a new home alongside the Medicine Bow Museum this summer.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2023
‘Logistical Nightmare’: Short On Plow Drivers & Hammered By Weather, WYDOT Had Harrowing Winter
Personnel shortages, worn equipment and brutal weather made for a tough winter for the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Mark HeinzMay 07, 2023
Wyoming Hunters Sitting Out Deer Season To Support Herds Devastated By Winterkill
A program to conserve Wyoming deer herds devastated by winterkill that asks hunters to turn in their deer tags for a chance to win prizes has gotten nationwide attention, with more than $100,000 in prizes donated so far.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2023
As The World Waits For Grizzly 399, The "B-List" Celebrity Bears Are Popping Out
Although Grizzly 399 has yet to make an appearance this spring in Grand Teton National Park, other well-known bears -- the b-listers -- are starting to show themselves.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2023
Wolf Hunts In Colorado ‘A Long Way Off, If Ever’ As State Seeks Management Similar To Wyoming’s
More wolves might not be coming this year to northern Colorado near the Wyoming state line. A legislative measure to delay their reintroduction is gaining steam, with the weight of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation behind it.
Mark HeinzMay 05, 2023
No, You Cannot Chop The Heads Off Of Wyoming Winterkill Animals To Get Antlers
Tempted to lop the head off one of those winterkill big game carcasses so you can keep the skull and antlers? You’ll need an interstate game tag first, Game and Fish says.
Mark HeinzMay 04, 2023
Wyoming Farmers Have Few Options For Fixing Their Own Tractors As Colorado Passes ‘Right To Repair’
Colorado recently became the first state to pass a “right to repair” bill allowing farmers more leeway to fix their own tractors. Wyoming industry insiders say a similar measure is unlikely here anytime soon.
Mark HeinzMay 03, 2023
Governor Gordon Tells Colorado They Will Not Be Getting Any Wolves From Wyoming
Colorado is having trouble finding wolves for its reintroduction program scheduled to begin this year. Gov. Mark Gordon says they won't be getting any wolves from Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMay 03, 2023
Bear, Mountain Lion Kill Quotas May Be Raised To Protect Devastated Wyoming Big Game Herds
With some premiere big game herds devastated by winterkill, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission will meet Monday to consider allowing higher hunting quotas for black bears and mountain lions.
Mark HeinzMay 03, 2023
‘This Bear Can’t Die In Vain’: Wyoming Residents Incensed Over Grizzly Shot, Left Dead By Roadside
A large male grizzly that people had reported seeing alive and well just east of Yellowstone Park in recent days was found shot dead off U.S. Highway 14-16-20 early Monday, sparking outrage among locals.
Mark HeinzMay 02, 2023
Repeat Wyoming Shed Antler Hunt Violator Banned From Federal Lands And Hunting For 5 Years
A Bozeman, Montana, man convicted of illegally stashing shed antlers in Wyoming — to profit by selling them as dog chews — can’t set foot on federal public land or hunt anywhere in the world for five years.
Mark HeinzMay 01, 2023