Outdoors Reporter

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.

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Latest from Mark Heinz

A black bear that was wandering around Cheyenne tried taking shelter in this barn on the east outskirts of town. The bear was safely captured and released back into the wild.

Black Bear Captured In Cheyenne Barn

A black bear caused a stir in Cheyenne early Tuesday when it was spotted wandering around the east side of town. It took shelter on a hayloft in a resident’s barn. “The bear probably thought that was a good place to hide,” the owner said.

Mark HeinzMay 12, 2026

Trump Moves To Open National Parks, Other Federal Lands, To More Hunting

The Trump administration has moved to open more National Park Service land to hunting. But that doesn’t mean fluorescent orange hunting vests and rifle shots will light up Yellowstone National Park this fall during elk hunting season, however.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2026

Pepper Fipps, the Cow Boss at the Rafter Star Ranch near Sheridan, uses only “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mud flaps on the ranch flatbeds and big rigs. He’s having trouble finding replacements.

Rancher Won’t Use Anything But ‘Big Wonderful Wyoming’ Mud Flaps, Can’t Find More

A Sheridan-area rancher is on a quest for “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mudflaps — and won’t use anything else on the ranch’s trucks. “I’ll order eight sets of them,” she told a Wyoming auto parts dealer.

Mark HeinzMay 11, 2026

Firefighting crews pour water on the Old Faithful Snowlodge in Yellowstone National Park in summer 1988.

No Winter, Drought Has Firefighters On Alert For Repeat Of 1988 Yellowstone Fires

After winter essentially didn’t come to Wyoming, and drought and rising temperatures persist across the region, there are concerns the 2026 fire season could be like 1988 all over again. "It’s spooky,” said the Greater Yellowstone Fire Action Network.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

Game and fish says that drought has led to the decline of the once-legendary trout fishery in Soda Lake near Pinedale. Avid Wyoming fishermen contend that a Game and Fish wetlands project is to blame.

Some Claim Wyoming Game And Fish Project Caused Nosedive Of Trout In Soda Lake

There’s widespread consensus that the glory days of trout fishing at Soda Lake near Pinedale are over, but there's disagreement over why. Avid anglers in the area blame a Game and Fish wetlands project while the department says drought is to blame.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

When elk are infected with mange, they can suffer dry, crusty skin and massive hair loss. It can weaken them to the point of dying from exposure or starvation.

Hunters And Outfitters Say There's Been A Surge Of Mange In Elk In Montana

Hunters and outfitters in southwest Montana claim there’s been a surge of mange in elk. They say the disease has been spreading as elk crowd together around haystacks or alfalfa fields on private land.

Mark HeinzMay 10, 2026

The Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne offers some of the most spectacular views in southeast Wyoming.

Most Scenic Parts Of Belvoir Ranch Still Difficult To Access Due To Railroad

As the famed Belvoir Ranch west of Cheyenne comes closer to opening to the public on July 1, critics say the best part of the 19,000-acre recreation paradise is hard to access because of Union Pacific. It's like "The Great Wall of China," the mayor said.

Mark HeinzMay 09, 2026

This grizzly bear was photographed Wednesday in Glacier National Park, roughly 15 miles from where the body of a suspected fatal grizzly attack victim was found that same day.

Montana Suspected Fatal Grizzly Attack Happened Same Day As Yellowstone Mauling

A suspected fatal grizzly attack in Glacier National Park is thought to have happened the same day two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone. Outdoorsman say the attacks are the beginning of “human-bear conflict season."

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Day After Grizzly Attack, Dimwitted Tourist Takes Video Of Bear From 5 Feet Away

A day after two brothers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, a dimwitted tourist was spotted five feet from a bear taking video on his phone. Retired biologist Gary Gaston said the scene was “so absurd” he had to leave.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Man Cited For Trespass After 7-Year-Old Son Grabs Antlers With Tracking Device

To nab trespassers hunting shed antlers on a ranch in Hot Springs County, Game and Fish put tracking devices in antlers and planted them around the ranch. The first one was picked up by a local 7-year-old boy, which got his father a ticket.

Mark HeinzMay 08, 2026

Beryl, a popular grizzly in Yellowstone National Park, is pictured here with her two cubs, about age 3.5 years.

Yellowstone Grizzly Still Has Cubs With Her Past Age 3, When Most Leave At 2

A popular female grizzly called Beryl in Yellowstone still has two cubs with her that are roughly 3.5 years old, and nearly as big as her. Most cubs leave around age 2, but "it’s nearly impossible to explain why” some stay longer, says a bear biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

This grizzly bear was one of several bears and wolves that gathered around a bison carcass in the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Park rangers had to shut the area down Tuesday, because tourists were crowding the predators.

Day After Bear Attack, Rangers Yelled At By Tourists Too Close To Grizzlies

The day after two hikers were mauled by a grizzly in Yellowstone, tourists yelled at rangers who were warning them to get away from grizzlies and wolves. “They were just walking right up to them," said a Park Service biologist.

Mark HeinzMay 07, 2026

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A grizzly bear appears to be smacking a wolf in this image. However, Julie Argyle said the angle from which the took the photo just makes it look that way. The bear and wolf never made actual contact as they fought over a bison carcass.

Grizzly Roars Echo As Bear, Wolf Clash Over Yellowstone Bison Carcass

The roars of a grizzly echoed from a riverbank in Yellowstone National Park on Sunday, as it postured with a wolf over a bison carcass. A biologist said actual fights between the species are rare because neither wants to risk injury.

Mark HeinzMay 05, 2026

A pair of coyotes ran off a young grizzly bear after it apparently got too close to the coyotes’ den with pups in it in Yellowstone National Park.

Bold Yellowstone Coyotes Charge Grizzly That Got Too Close To Their Pup Den

A grizzly bear chased by a pair of coyotes seemed so unlikely, even those watching weren’t sure they believed it. This bear got too close to their den of pups, which motivated them to be aggressive with a predator that could have torn them apart.

Mark HeinzMay 04, 2026

Colorado Parks and Wildlife agents used a taser to subdue a deer that had its antlers entangled in playground equipment. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department uses the same technique.

Game Agents Use Tasers To Subdue Animals, But Don’t Try It On A Charging Grizzly

When animals become stuck or get ornery with people, wildlife agents reach for Tasers to subdue them. But one thing they don't do is use them on charging grizzlies as the odds of landing an effective hit would be astronomical. "It would get you mauled," one biologist said.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

“Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” makes for a great pro-gun novelty sign, but such messages could open firearms owners to liability or theft, experts say.

Signs About Shooting Trespassers Good For Laughs, But Also Could Lead To Trouble

Novelty signs that say things like “trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again” are good for laughs in gun-friendly Wyoming. But legal authorities say prosecutors could use the sign to allege the shooter had a predisposition to violence.

Mark HeinzMay 03, 2026

Wyoming outfitter Dax McCarty (left) is pictured here with hunter Ernie Dosio, of California (center) and hunting guide AJ Henson. McCarty was good friends with Dosio, who was killed by an elephant in Africa.

Man Killed By Elephants Was Frequent Wyoming Hunter, Close Friends With Outfitter

A California man who was killed by elephants while on safari in Africa was a frequent hunter in Wyoming and close friends with a Douglas outfitter. Dax McCarty said the media portrayal of his friend is wrong. “He dang sure respected animals," he said.

Mark HeinzMay 02, 2026

Soda Lake, just north of Pinedale, was once a world-class brown and brook trout fishery. The fishing has tanked so badly there over the past few years, many locals don’t even bother going there anymore.

Pinedale’s Soda Lake, ‘Still Struggling,’ Anglers Should Lower Expectations

Soda Lake near Pinedale was once a premier trout fishery. The fishing there started to nosedive, and Wyoming Game and Fish says the lake is “still struggling” and angling will remain limited for the fifth consecutive year.

Mark HeinzMay 01, 2026

Golden eagles like to hunt for rabbits and other prey on land where the Wyoming State Shooting Complex is being built near Cody.

Gunfire From State’s $19.5M Shooting Range Near Cody Could Drive Eagles Away

Some are concerned that gunfire from Wyoming’s new $19.5 million shooting complex near Cody will drive eagles away from prime hunting and nesting grounds. “Eagles will avoid people and gunshots,” says the conservation director for the Teton Raptor Center.

Mark HeinzApril 30, 2026

In this photo looking north-northwest, Fontenelle can be see flowing into an extremely low Fontenelle Reservoir in Lincoln County.

Fontenelle Reservoir About Half-Full As Downstream States Demand More Water

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is being drawn down up to 1 million acre-feet to supply water to thirsty downstream states. That has some worried that Wyoming’s Fontenelle Reservoir, upstream from Flaming Gorge, is next.

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026

ic George of Sheridan started with a basic bolt-action rifle receiver, bearing a firearm serial number, to build this custom rifle.

Court Rules 2nd Amendment Covers Firearms Parts, Good News for Those Who Build Guns

A federal court ruled that firearms parts without serial numbers could be protected under the Second Amendment. That’s good news for Wyomingites who build or customize their own guns, which one enthusiast likened to “Barbie dolls for men.”

Mark HeinzApril 28, 2026

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