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
Emergency Feeding Underway For Starving Wyoming Elk Herds
Massive snowfall has prompted the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to start emergency feeding of elk in some parts of the state. However, a rancher in one of those locations, Star Valley, said the larger problem is too many elk to begin with.
Mark HeinzFebruary 23, 2023
Welcome To The Club, Colorado: Now That Colorado Has Wolves, Hunts To Manage Them On The Table
Mirroring controversy over wolves in Wyoming, people in Colorado are arguing over whether to allow wolf hunting in that state once a reintroduced population of the predators takes hold.
Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2023
Cowpocalypse: Complaint Says Forest Service Left Gunned-Down Cattle To Suffer, Rot
A New Mexico ranching association has sued the U.S. Forest Service to stop aerial gunning of stray cattle in the Gila Wilderness. The ranchers claim that in some instances of hunting nuisance cattle that way, they dont die quickly, but instead suffer horribly.
Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2023
Off-Road Vehicle Traffic Could Explode In Southwest Wyoming With Passage Of Bill
Southwest Wyoming could become the next hot destination for off-road vehicle enthusiasts thanks to a bill that cleared its final obstacle with the Wyoming Legislature on Tuesday.
Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2023
Wyoming’s Predator Coyotes Can Be Shot With Night Vison If Gordon Signs Law
A bill that would allow predator hunters to use night vision scopes, infrared technology and other equipment to shoot coyotes on public land is headed to Gov. Mark Gordons desk.
Mark HeinzFebruary 22, 2023
Hit TV Show ‘Yellowstone’ Show Gets A Lot Right, Wyoming Ranchers Say
While it certainly amps up some lurid and violent elements for entertainment value, the Paramount hit television series Yellowstone is grounded in the realities of modern ranching, say some Wyoming cattle producers.
Mark HeinzFebruary 21, 2023
Former Calif. Water Official Warns Wyoming: ‘Don’t Let Them Buffalo You’ Over Colorado River
A former California water commissioner told Cowboy State Daily that Californias growth has long since outpaced its water supply, and that will continue to create problems for Wyoming and other states along the Colorado River. "The interior states really need to wake up," he said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 20, 2023
‘Cocaine Bear’ To Hit Wyoming Theaters On Friday; Some Theaters To Have Sneak Preview
Good news! The highly-anticipated movie 'Cocaine Bear' will be released later this week. Wyoming outdoorsmen say it is an appropriate movie for the Cowboy State as there are frequent human-bear incidents but none, that they know of, involving cocaine-addled grizzlies though.
Mark HeinzFebruary 20, 2023
Hunters Skeptical Over Grizzly Delisting In Wyoming; “It’s Like Charlie Brown And The Football”
Although officials are optimistic over the chances of the grizzly bear actually becoming delisted this time, Wyoming outdoorsmen are skeptical. "Its kind of like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football and Lucy keeps pulling it out from under him, one outdoorsman said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 19, 2023
Wyoming Game Wardens May Get Authority To Ticket Trespassers As Bill Revived
A bill that would Wyoming game wardens broader authority to cite trespasses, which died in committee on Tuesday, was resurrected Friday by the same Wyoming House Committee.
Mark HeinzFebruary 17, 2023
$10 Million Wyoming Shooting Complex Would Be Huge Draw For ‘Most Second Amendment-Friendly State’
Wyomings reputation as a Second Amendment haven could bode well for efforts to build a $10 million shooting sports complex here.
Mark HeinzFebruary 17, 2023
Bill Allowing Hounds To Chase Mountain Lions Gets OK From Wyoming House
A bill that would allow houndsmen to run their dogs after mountain lions outside of regular hunting season passed its first reading before the Wyoming House on Thursday.
Mark HeinzFebruary 17, 2023
Delisting Grizzlies Gains Momentum As Wyoming’s US Senators Get Congress Involved
Efforts to delist grizzly bears took another step forward Thursday as U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso joined other Western senators in introducing a grizzly delisting bill to Congress.
Mark HeinzFebruary 17, 2023
Rural Wyoming Man Has His Own Fighter Jet, Because Why Not?
Matt Guthmiller lives at the airfield in Alpine, Wyoming, where he keeps his own military jet trainer, an Eastern Bloc 1976 Aero L-39 Albatros decommissioned from the Estonian Air Force.
Mark HeinzFebruary 17, 2023
Lawmaker Worries Head Start For Wyoming Shed Antler Hunters Could Hurt Tourism
A policy of Wyoming residents first for hunting shed antlers could hurt tourism, says Cheyenne lawmaker.
Mark HeinzFebruary 16, 2023
Clearing Up Misconceptions: UW’s Firearms Research Center Strives To Bring Truth To National Gun Discussion
In 2019, more Americans beat or stabbed somebody to death than murdered somebody with a rifle. So, the widespread angst over assault rifles is just one example of an inaccuracy that can be cleared up with some research, a UW law professor said.
Mark HeinzFebruary 16, 2023
Wyoming Bighorn Ram Hunts Will Remain ‘Once-In-A-Lifetime’ Opportunity
Hunters who are lucky enough to draw a tag for a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram in Wyoming, but are unsuccessful in shooting one, will die never getting that chance again. A bill that would have allowed hunters to qualify for tags again died on Wednesday.
Mark HeinzFebruary 16, 2023
Posting Bogus ‘No Trespassing’ Signs Could Cost $10,000 First Time, $50,000 For Repeats
A bill that would make it a crime to post no trespassing signs on public land calls for fines of $10,000 for a first offense, $50,000 for more moves forward. Another bill that would have given game wardens broader authority to ticket trespassers has died.
Mark HeinzFebruary 14, 2023
Blasting Coyotes With Night Vision Scopes On Public Land Closer As Bill Clears Both Houses
A bill that would allow the use of spotlights, night vision, and infrared equipment to assist hunters in blowing up coyotes on public land moved one step closer. The bill passed the House last month and was approved by the Senate on Monday.
Mark HeinzFebruary 13, 2023
‘Roadhouse’ Trespassing Bill For Bars Was Doing Fine Until It Morphed Into An Outdoors Trespassing Bill
A Roadhouse Bill that would have allowed for using reasonable physical force to remove trespassers from places like bars -- just like Patrick Swayze -- lost traction and died when the focus of the law shifted toward how to deal with trespassing hunters.
Mark HeinzFebruary 13, 2023
Why There Is A Very Good Chance That The Grizzly Bear Will Get Delisted This Time
Wildlife experts say don't expect judicial review to block delisting of the grizzly bear this time. They say because the evidence is irrefutable that the grizzly has recovered in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, courts won't be able to block it and delisting is likely to happen.
Mark HeinzFebruary 12, 2023