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
Poisonous Death Cap Mushrooms Already In Mountain West, Will Spread To Wyoming Soon
A fatal fungi known as the Death Cap Mushroom has expanded its range and is expected to show-up in Wyoming (most likely Yellowstone) soon. "It's not a good way to leave this world," a UW scientist told Cowboy State Daily.
Mark HeinzOctober 14, 2022
Make My Day: Hunting with .44 Magnum, Wyoming Man Scores One-Shot Kill Of Bull Elk
Newcastle's Chris Rhodes put down his hunting rifle and picked up a handgun about 20 years ago, and has exclusively hunted with handguns ever since.
Mark HeinzOctober 13, 2022
Man Survives Grizzly Attack In Thorofare, Returns Weeks Later To Bag Huge Bull Elk
After getting mauled by a grizzly on a hunting trip outside of Yellowstone in the Thorofare, James Davis was determined to go back to fill his elk tag. Less than a month later, he returned to the same location and bagged a bull elk.
Mark HeinzOctober 13, 2022
Wyoming Game & Fish Biologist Honors Elderly Hunter Friend Who Died Alone 2,000 Miles Away
When an elderly man from Vermont died in September without an obituary or funeral, a Wyoming Game and Fish biologist who developed a friendship with him 12 years ago, posted her own tribute and made sure his cat was taken care of.
Mark HeinzOctober 12, 2022
Remote Stone Circle In Gros Ventre Mountains Not Ancient, Nor A Medicine Wheel
Another remote stone circle in Wyoming is generating some online controversy but this one is neither ancient nor a medicine wheel. Satellite images prove it was built in the last five years.
Mark HeinzOctober 12, 2022
‘I Love Wyoming’: Teen With Untreatable Disease Drops Huge Red Desert Bull Elk
A Virginia teenager battling an untreatable disease fulfilled his dream of hunting elk in the West, and said he cant wait to return to Wyoming.
Mark HeinzOctober 11, 2022
Guns Ain’t Going Anywhere: Trap And Skeet Shooting The Fastest-Growing Wyoming School Sport
Guns are as popular as ever in Wyoming. In fact, according to some, the fastest-growing high school sport in Wyoming is trap and skeet shooting
Mark HeinzOctober 11, 2022
Hunter Claims Carcass Of Elk Was Left To Rot On Private Property
An Iowa hunter who shot a Wyoming elk that made it to private property before dying said he wasn't allowed by the landowner to retrieve the animal, and the carcass was left to rot.
Mark HeinzOctober 07, 2022
Wyoming Tribal Elder: Expansion Of Sand Creek Massacre Site ‘Long Overdue’
Doubling the size of the Sand Creek Massacre historic site is a step in the right direction, says a Wyoming tribal leader.
Mark HeinzOctober 07, 2022
Explore Wyoming: The Thorofare Is Most Remote Spot In The Lower 48
As the least-populated state, Wyoming is full of out-of-the-way places, and with fewer than 6 people per square mile its easy for someone to get away from it all. Then theres the Thorofare.
Mark HeinzOctober 07, 2022
‘Unicorn’ Elk Photo Proves Unusual Critters Exist
An image of a unicorn elk caught on a trail camera is the sort of photographic evidence it takes to prove the existence of such an unusual creature.
Mark HeinzOctober 06, 2022
Heavy Metal Ban: Feds Propose Banning Lead Ammunition
A renewed push to ban lead ammunition on federal lands could hurt hunting and target shooting in Wyoming, says longtime wildlife biologist and gun advocate.
Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2022
Eastern Elk Herds Are Now Thriving, But Wyoming Is Still King For Hunting
Transplanted elk from Wyoming and other Western states are thriving in the East. So much so that Virginia is having its first-ever elk season. But Wyoming is still tops for elk hunting, say wildlife experts.
Mark HeinzOctober 05, 2022
A 12-Pack Of Wyoming Wolverines? Seems Unlikely, Biologists Say
Wildlife biologists told Cowboy State Daily that the black dots in the viral photo that allegedly shows a dozen wolverines are probably not wolverines. It's a near-impossibility, they say.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2022
Hunter: Elk Took Hours To Die Because Wyoming Rancher Wouldn’t Grant Trespass
An Iowa hunter said he had to live every hunter's worst nightmare as had to spend hours watching a bull hed shot die because he couldnt get permission to go 20 yards onto private land where the bull had fled.
Mark HeinzOctober 04, 2022
Wyoming Grizzly Hunts Could Hinge On Midterms, Hunt Advocate Says
Western officials are making another attempt to get Wyomings grizzly bears removed from the endangered species list, an advocate for delisting said, but the Humane Society wants the bears to remain federally protected.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2022
‘They Just Wanted To Kill Each Other’: Wyoming Hunters Have Ringside Seats To Bull Elk Throwdown
Wyoming hunters had a front-row view of a battle royale between two angry bull elk and have the video to prove it. They said the battle lasted over 20 minutes and ended in a stalemate.
Mark HeinzOctober 03, 2022
Trouble’s A-Bruin: Hunting Would Help Manage Wyoming’s Aggressive Grizzlies, Say Outdoorsmen
Grizzlies are becoming more and more aggressive, some outdoorsmen say, because they've been conditioned to know they don't have to be cautious about anything.
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2022
No More Wild Horse Adoptions At Wheatland Corral Because Of Strangles Disease
A wild horse advocate says she doesn't believe the Bureau of Land Management's excuse that they are not allowing horse adoptions in Wheatland because of an equine disease known as "strangles."
Mark HeinzSeptember 30, 2022
Tribal Leaders Blast Wyoming Photographer For Taking Aerial Photos Of Medicine Wheel
Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribal members say it wasnt acceptable to use a kite to take an aerial photo of Wyomings Medicine Wheel, which is sacred to Native Americans.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2022
Colorado E-Bikers Swarming Curt Gowdy State Park Because It’s One Of Few Places Where E-Bikes Are Allowed
Coloradoans are traveling up to Curt Gowdy National Park in large numbers because the popular state park allows e-bikes to be used. The U.S. Forest Service does not allow e-bikes to be used.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2022