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
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
Aerial Photo Over Wyoming’s Sacred Medicine Wheel Sets Off Storm Of Controversy
A photographer who took an aerial photo over Wyoming's famed Medicine Wheel says the photo was legal because he didn't use a drone. He said he took it with a camera attached to a kite but that didn't stop the angry feedback from people who say he disrespected the site.
Mark HeinzSeptember 29, 2022
Not A Bad Outing For First Hunt: 12-Year-Old Wyoming Girl Bags Impressive Bull Elk
A 12-year-old Wyoming girl learned hunting ethics from her stepfather every step of the way toward her first big game hunt, which ended with Greybull's Addison Coscarelli bagging a large bull elk.
Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2022
Legacy Of Tiny Hanna, Wyoming, Didn’t Die With Its Coal Miners
There are 127 graves marked unknown miner in the Hanna Cemetery for men who died in coal mine explosions more than a century ago. Some locals are working to restore them and set up a memorial to the men.
Mark HeinzSeptember 28, 2022
Wyoming Man Earns ‘Ultimate Angler’ Title After Catching Trophy-Sized Fish Of 10 Species
A Rocks Springs angler spent two and a half years catching 10 trophy-sized fish species to qualify as an ultimate angler. He is only one of 28 people to earn that recognition.
Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2022
‘Dirtbags’ Steal Hunter’s Trophy Deer Head In Wyoming’s Hoback Mountain Range
A hunter who shot a large mule deer buck in Wyomings remote Hoback range says someone stole the trophy head and choice cuts of meat as he was hauling his kill back to his camp.
Mark HeinzSeptember 26, 2022
Wyoming’s Grizzly 399 Reappears, But Won’t Get Teeth Cleaned
Teeth-cleaning isnt an option to possibly prolong the life of Teton Parks famed Grizzly 399, which at about 26 years old is particularly old for a bear, a biologist says.
Mark HeinzSeptember 23, 2022
Right To Repair: Why Wyoming Farmers Are Buying Old Tractors Instead of New Ones
Because manufacturers have a monopoly on newer tractor repair software, farmers are buying older tractors or turning to the Eastern European gray market to snag their own repair software.
Mark HeinzSeptember 23, 2022
Wyoming Public Hunters May Be Squeezed Out By ‘Landowner Tags’
Wealthy out-of-staters are shopping Wyoming properties with landowner hunting tags attached to them which, in turn, are pushing rank-and-file hunters out of premier hunting areas.
Mark HeinzSeptember 23, 2022
Gate-Crashing Poacher Gets Hefty Fine From Wyoming Authorities
Careening down a Johnson County road while crashing through gates with a slain deer strapped to his flatbed proved to be a fruitless escape plan for a poacher in Wyoming.
Mark HeinzSeptember 22, 2022
Hunter Drops Meth Pipe In Wyoming Game Warden’s Truck While Being Cited For Trespassing
It was not a good day for a Wyoming hunter who was being cited for trespassing near Glendo reservoir when he dropped his meth pipe inside a game warden's truck.
Mark HeinzSeptember 21, 2022
Wyoming Wildlife Crossings: How Wildlife Officials Got Animals To Use Them
During the winter of 1977-78, John Hyde was a game warden trainee with the Wyoming Game and Fish department and charged with figuring out how to get deer to use highway underpasses that are still in use today.
Mark HeinzSeptember 21, 2022
At 4.4 Miles, Wyoming Team Sets New Rifle Shot World Record
From the pull of the trigger, roughly 24 seconds elapsed before spotters heard the telltale plunk of a 422-grain copper bullet piercing the thin metal target 4.4 miles away, setting a new world record.
Mark HeinzSeptember 21, 2022
Elementary Kids Find Wounded Deer on Green River School Grounds, G&F Investigates
A wounded mule deer, likely shot within Green River City limits, was found lying in brush on school grounds by elementary school students; Wyoming Game and Fish Department is investigating and asking for tips.
Mark HeinzSeptember 20, 2022
E-Bikes Blur Lines Between Motorized, Nonmotorized Trail Use In Wyoming
E-bikes have potential to expand reach and scope of bicycling, but whether they should be considered motorized vehicles remains unclear.
Mark HeinzSeptember 19, 2022
Remote-Controlled Weapons, Live Video Tracking Likely Not Future Of Hunting In Wyoming
Killing big-game animals from behind a computer screen or on your smart phone is something Wyoming wont ever accept, said the states top wildlife manager.
Mark HeinzSeptember 19, 2022
Crowds, Flying Bullets Driving Wyoming Hunters Away From Opening Day
Former Wyoming Attorney General Pat Crank recalled three bullets zipping over him and his hunting partner as they were trying to close in on a cow elk during a recent hunting seasons opening.
Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2022
2,000-Yard Wyoming Antelope Kill Rekindles Debate Over Ethical Hunting Shot Distance
Should shooting an antelope at 2,000 yards be considered fair chase? Just how far is too far for ethical hunting shots was the subject of a lively discussion before the Wyoming Wildlife Task Force on Friday.
Mark HeinzSeptember 17, 2022
Proposed Elk Tag Allocation Could Put More Nonresident Hunters In Eastern Wyoming
Proposed changes to Wyomings elk hunting tag allocations could concentrate more non-resident hunters in the eastern part of the state
Mark HeinzSeptember 16, 2022
Draft Bill Would Make Flying Drones Near Private Property Illegal And Considered Trespassing
Flying drones over or too near private property in Wyoming would be a form of trespassing, according to a draft bill forwarded this week by the Legislatures Joint Judiciary committee.
Mark HeinzSeptember 15, 2022