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
Wild v. Accessible: Converse County Residents Fight Over Box Elder Canyon Improvements
Controversy has erupted over the future of the scenic Box Elder Canyon area near Glenrock. Some say they would like to see more trails there, but others want the rugged landscape left alone.
Mark HeinzOctober 20, 2022
Wyoming Hunting: Elk Hunter Who Avoids Grizzly Country Gets Charged By Black Bear
An elk hunter who purposely avoids hunting in grizzly country was charged by a black bear as he was processing his elk in the Bighorn Mountains last week.
Mark HeinzOctober 19, 2022
Wyoming Life: Trap And Skeet Shooting With Cheyenne East High Clay Target Shooting Team
The Cheyenne East High School clay shooting team is one of several student clay shooting teams that have formed in communities around Wyoming since the sport was first established here in 2019.
Mark HeinzOctober 18, 2022
Jackson Man Tries To Herd Moose With E-Bike At Kids Soccer Game, Does Not Get Stomped Into Oblivion
A Jackson man did not get obliterated when he attempted to herd a giant bull moose which joined a childrens soccer game on Saturday.
Mark HeinzOctober 18, 2022
‘Dirtbags’ Strike Again: Huge Elk Rack Stolen From Backyard In Lander
Somebody stole a trophy-sized bull elk skull and antlers from a backyard in Lander, mirroring the actions of thieves another hunter called dirtbags after his trophy mule deer rack was stolen in the Wyoming backcountry.
Mark HeinzOctober 18, 2022
Drunken Colorado Men Severely Beat Wyoming Elk Hunters In Unprovoked Attack, Father Says
A Wyoming man says his son is hospitalized with a broken jaw and other severe injuries after he and his elk hunting companion were severely beaten by drunken men with Colorado license plates on their truck.
Mark HeinzOctober 17, 2022
After Thumb Nearly Gets Ripped-Off In Crossbow Mishap, Wyoming Hunter Back Out On The Hunt
After nearly losing half of her hand in a crossbow accident and then getting hit with medical bills of almost $200,000, Casper's Trudy Archuleta hasn't given up her dream of bagging a bull elk.
Mark HeinzOctober 14, 2022
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