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 Watches As Navajo Nation Supreme Court Case Threatens To Blow Up Colorado River Compact
A longstanding conflict between the Navajo Nation, state of Arizona and the federal government over the nation’s water rights to the Colorado River is coming to head before the U.S. Supreme Court. How that might affect Wyoming remains uncertain.
Mark HeinzMarch 23, 2023
Mountain Lion Attacks Colorado Couple In Hot Tub; Their Screams Scared It Off
A mountain lion crept up on a Colorado couple soaking in their hot tub over the weekend and swatted the man in the head, inflicting scratch wounds – though the man later refused medical treatment.
Mark HeinzMarch 22, 2023
‘Worth Two Or Three Cowboys’: Owner, Neighbors Mourn Cisco, Cattle Dog Killed By Wolves
Cattle dogs are valuable working animals, and “Cisco” left a big hole in his owners’ hearts when he was killed by wolves from Colorado’s North Park wolf pack. They said he was worth "two or three cowboys."
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2023
Bull Elk’s Struggle Against Starvation Brings Wyoming’s Winter Kill Into Focus
The struggle of wildlife during a brutal winter is hard to fathom when considering sheer numbers, but a Wyoming snowplow driver brought it into focus with the story of a single animal’s ordeal.
Mark HeinzMarch 21, 2023
Colorado’s North Park Pack Has Something In Common With Wyoming Wolves – Killing Dogs
Colorado’s North Park wolf pack, which has crossed into Wyoming at times, killed two dogs there within a day of each other earlier this month. Wreaking trouble among its neighbors isn’t new to the North Park pack. The wolves are blamed for killing 10 livestock animals a little more than a year ago.
Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2023
Half Of Antelope In Rawlins-Red Desert Could Die As Brutal Winter Hammers Wyoming Wildlife
This winter could prove especially deadly for Wyoming’s wildlife, particularly in the Rawlins-Red Desert region where half of the antelope are expected to die.
Mark HeinzMarch 20, 2023
Wolves In Minnesota Live Very Different Lives Compared To Wolves in Wyoming
A wolf seeking a fresh meal in the humid Minnesota darkness needs sharp ears and patience. Lots of patience. While wolf packs in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are going after elk and other big game, their cousins in Minnesota, at least during warmer months, frequently hunt or fish solo, grabbing whatever they can get.
Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2023
When Compassion Kills: There’s A Reason People Should Not Feed Wildlife, It Can Kill Them
While emergency elk feeding has been implemented in some parts of the Cowboy State, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department refuses to feed deer – and discourages others from doing it – because it can kill them.
Mark HeinzMarch 19, 2023
Massive Snowfall In Wyoming Bear Country Could Be Good For Hunters
Much of Wyoming’s mountainous bear county is buried in massive amounts of snow, and with even more expected before spring black bear hunting seasons open in May, things might seem grim for hunters. One bear hunter, however, says the snow could actually work in favor for the hunters.
Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2023
Citing Widespread Pushback, Credit Card Companies Back Off On Tracking Gun Sales – For Now
Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Discover announced this week they were going to "pause" implementation of tracking gun purchases because of widespread pushback against the measure.
Mark HeinzMarch 18, 2023
Colorado Plans To Give New Wolves A 60-Mile Buffer From Wyoming Border
In an attempt to keep wolves from crossing into Wyoming, where they can be shot on sight, Colorado plans to release the wolves a minimum of 60 miles from the northern border with Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMarch 17, 2023
Environmental Group Threatens Lawsuit To Stop Wyoming Hunters Killing Colorado Wolves
In a letter threatening a lawsuit, the Center For Biological Diversity wants the U.S. Forest Service to shut down the shooting of wolves that cross the border from Colorado into Wyoming.
Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2023
Grandpa Was Wrong: Wyoming Winters Weren’t Always Worse In His Day
If grandpa chides you for complaining about this winter and says back in his time there were blizzards every day and it was minus 30 for weeks at a time (yet he still walked to school; uphill, both ways), data does not back that up.
Mark HeinzMarch 16, 2023
Wyoming Gun Groups: New Biden Executive Order On Guns “Extremely Dangerous To Bill Of Rights”
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Tuesday calling for a broadening of background checks, but Wyoming gun rights advocates said the order is "extremely dangerous" and a threat to the Bill of Rights.
Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2023
Casper-Douglas Route Wants To Be First Link In 500 Miles Of Wyoming ‘Rail Trail’
One of the first pieces of Wyomings 500-plus-mile section of the proposed 3,700-mile Great American Rail Trail could be coming together soon near Casper.
Mark HeinzMarch 14, 2023
Early Rising Yellowstone Grizzly Will Probably Be Lonely For A While; Most Bears Still Snoozing
A grizzly that popped out in Yellowstone Park last week will probably be lonely for a while yet, as most bears are going to sleep for another month or so, a Wyoming wildlife biologist said.
Mark HeinzMarch 13, 2023
3,700-Mile Cross-County ‘Rail Trail’ Will Include 500 Miles Across Wyoming – If It Ever Happens
A 3,700-mile coast-to-coast cycling and hiking trail, including roughly 500 miles across Wyoming, is ambitious in its scope, but actually getting it done is another story.
Mark HeinzMarch 11, 2023
Battle of Eliminating Gun-Free Zones In Wyoming Will Continue, Opponents Vow
Rep. Jeremy Haroldson said he will continue to introduce legislation to eliminate gun-free zones in Wyoming until he wins. Meanwhile, a Wyoming chapter of a anti-gun group vows to continue to fight it every time its introduced.
Mark HeinzMarch 10, 2023
Wyoming Wolf Packs Are Gang-Like When It Comes To Protecting Their Turf
Research in Wyoming and Minnesota indicates wolf packs respect each others turf with gang-like loyalty sometimes under the pain of death.
Mark HeinzMarch 10, 2023
Wyoming Watches As Colorado Is On Verge Of Passing Sweeping Gun Control Legislation
A leading gun advocate in Wyoming said the four gun control bills which could be passed in Colorado soon, could actually pay off for Wyoming as firearms and firearms accessory companies could move to the Cowboy State.
Mark HeinzMarch 09, 2023
Wyoming Mule Deer Group Hosting Two-Day Event To Focus On Predators, Habitat Loss, Disease
With Wyomings mule deer population facing threats from every side, wildlife experts, hunters and others plan to gather in Rock Springs on Friday and Saturday to discuss deer conservation at Mule Deer Days.
Mark HeinzMarch 09, 2023